Ginbot 10 — May 18

The Three Holy Children: Ananiah, Azariah, and Misael

Long ago, three young friends named Ananiah, Azariah, and Misael were taken far from home to a country called Babylon. A boy named Daniel, their cousin, was with them too. The king picked these clever young men to learn and to help in his palace.

The king wanted them to eat rich royal food, but the three friends loved God and wanted to eat only simple, healthy food like vegetables. They asked kindly, and they said, "Just try us for a few days and see." After a little while their faces looked healthier and happier than anyone else's! God was taking care of them. The king was so pleased that he made them leaders in the land.

One day the king built a giant golden statue and told everyone to bow down to it. But the three friends would only worship the one true God. This made the king very angry, and he had them placed inside a blazing-hot oven called a furnace. But something wonderful happened! God sent His angel, and the fire turned soft and cool, like the gentle dew that sparkles on the grass at dawn. The three friends were not hurt at all. When the king saw this, he believed in the God of heaven and gave them even greater honor.

Many years later, on this very day, the three friends finished their lives praying together, and their souls went home to God. Long after, a holy church leader built a church in their names. On the night the church opened, lamps had been hung up with no oil in them at all. The Three Holy Children appeared, lit the lamps with shining fire, and walked around the church. That very night many sick people were healed. What a joyful day that was!

God made the flame of the furnace as gentle as cool dew at the dawn of day, and the three friends were not hurt at all.

Thecla and Paula

Two brave women are remembered today as well: Thecla and Paula. They loved Jesus with all their hearts and stayed faithful to Him no matter what.

Thecla is called a martyr, because she kept loving God through the hardest of times and never let go of her faith. Paula was her faithful friend. We remember them with thankful hearts and ask them to pray for us.

Abraham the Stone-Carver

Abraham was a kind man who learned about Jesus when he was very young. By the time he was nine years old, he had learned a craft, a skill you work at with your hands: carving lovely shapes out of stone. He worked hard and earned a good amount of money.

But Abraham did not keep all the money for himself. He shared it with people who were poor and hungry. He loved to pray, and one night an angel of the Lord came to him and said gentle, encouraging words.

Abraham stayed brave and faithful to Jesus until the very end of his life, and he became a martyr. Even then, God watched over him with great care, and his body was carried safely to a town called Esna, where loving believers buried him with honor. God never forgets His faithful friends.

Be strong and fear not, for you shall overcome and shall receive the crown.— the angel to Abraham

The Church of Abba Misael

We also celebrate a church built for a holy monk named Abba Misael, a man who gave his life to quiet prayer. His parents had prayed and prayed for a baby, and God gave them this special boy. They taught him the holy books of the Church.

When Abba Misael grew up, he went to live in a monastery, a peaceful home where people pray together. He prayed and fasted so much that his face seemed to glow. One year he warned the other monks that a famine was coming, a time when food grows hard to find, and he told them to gather food so everyone would be safe. He was right!

When trouble came near the monastery, God sent His heavenly helpers to protect the monks. Abba Misael told his teacher that the shining city he had once visited was the heavenly Jerusalem. A church was built in the shape of his little prayer room, and it was blessed on a day like today. We thank God for His faithful servant Abba Misael.

Abba Nob and His Faithful Friends

Abba Nob is remembered today too, along with a large group of faithful people who loved God together. They stayed true to Jesus all the way to the end of their lives, and so they are called martyrs.

They were not alone, and they were not afraid, because they trusted that God would bring them safely home to heaven. We remember their courage and their great love for God.

John the Patriarch

Last of all, we remember John, a patriarch: one of the great church fathers who lead and care for God's people.

John worked hard for God every single day. He did good work while the sun was shining, and at night he kept praying and trusting in God. He shows us that we can serve God all day long, from morning until night. We ask John the patriarch to pray for us.