Ginbot 8 — May 16

The Wonderful Day Jesus Went Up to Heaven

Today is a very special feast. We remember the day Jesus went up into heaven to be with His Father. The Church calls this day the Ascension, because Jesus went up high into the sky.

After Jesus rose from the dead on Easter, He did not leave right away. He stayed for forty days with His disciples, the friends who learned from Him and followed Him everywhere. He talked with them and helped them feel brave and strong, so they would always remember that He is truly alive.

Then, when the forty days were finished, Jesus rose up into the sky. The angels carried Him on high, and He went home to heaven where the Father and the Holy Spirit are. Long ago, King David had written a song about this very day. Jesus now sits in the very best place of honor, next to His Father, and He takes care of us forever.

Jesus went first so that one day we can follow Him. Where He is, He wants us to be too. That is a happy promise for everyone who loves Him.

He went up with the sound of the trumpet.— Psalm 47:5

Saint Abba John of Senhut

Abba John was a young man who watched over his father's sheep. His mother was named Hanna and his father was named Macarius. One day, while John was sitting with the sheep, an angel of God came to him. The angel showed him a shining crown of light and said it was a gift for people who stay faithful to God, no matter what.

John jumped up right away. He hugged his mother and father goodbye and went off to be brave for Jesus. He told everyone, in a loud, happy voice, that he loved God and believed in Jesus.

Some people did not want John to talk about Jesus, and they hurt him. But God was watching over him! God sent an angel to make him well again and to give him strength. A soldier who was guarding John saw how brave and kind he was, and that soldier began to love Jesus too.

In the end John gave his whole life for Jesus, staying faithful even when it cost him everything. He was not afraid, because he knew he was going home to God to wear that shining crown. His friends carried his body home to the town of Senhut, and the people came out singing, with music and joy, to thank God for him.

Rise up and go and be brave for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.— the angel, to John

The Friends of John

On this day we also remember a big group of brave friends. There were more than two hundred of them, and they lived together in a place called Sihat. Two of them were named Lulius and Matthias.

All of these friends loved God with their whole hearts. They stayed faithful to Jesus right to the end, and now they each wear a crown in heaven. Just think how many people, even long ago, chose to love God together.

Saint Dionysius and His Family

The Church also remembers a good man named Dionysius, along with his wife and his children. They were a whole family who loved God and stayed close to Him.

It is a happy reminder that mommies and daddies and children can all follow Jesus together, as one loving family. We ask them to pray for our families too.

Abba Daniel of the Desert

Abba Daniel was a holy monk, one of the men who gave their days to quiet prayer. He lived in a desert place called Scete, where many monks prayed together. Daniel was kind and wise, and people came from far away to learn from him.

Daniel knew a hard-working man named Eulogius. Eulogius cut stones all day, kept only a tiny bit of his pay, and gave the rest to people who were poor and hungry. Daniel loved this and asked God to give Eulogius lots of money so he could help even more people.

Then something happened that surprised Daniel. When Eulogius became rich, he forgot the poor and grew proud. Daniel learned an important lesson: God knows best what each person needs, far better than we do. So Daniel prayed and trusted God again. After a while Eulogius went back to his simple, kind life, cutting stones and sharing with the poor, and he was happy once more.

God gave Daniel many gifts. People say that when the blind washed in the water where Daniel had bathed his feet, God let them see again! Daniel stayed true to God his whole life. When it was time to go home to heaven, God sent an angel to tell him. Daniel gathered his monks, comforted them, and then he died in peace.

God knows best what each of us needs, even better than we do.

Saint Maximus

We remember Saint Maximus too. He loved Jesus so much that he stayed faithful to the very end and gave his life for Him. He was a brave fighter for God, and now he rests safely with the Lord he loved.