Hidar 9 — November 18

Abba Isaac, the Father with the Cross of Light

Today we remember a holy church father named Abba Isaac. He grew up in a town called Borlos, in a family who loved God and shared with people who were poor. His mother and father waited a long time for him to be born, and when he came they were so happy!

When Abba Isaac was a baby, his parents took him to be baptized, the holy washing that welcomes us into God's family. At that very moment, the bishop who cared for the churches there saw a shining cross of light resting on the baby's head. He knew this was a gift from God, and he said, 'Take good care of this boy, for he will do great things for God.'

When Isaac grew up, he loved to read the stories of the saints. He went to live at a monastery, a quiet home where the monks pray together all day. Isaac was so kind and wise that, after the old archbishop died, the people chose him as their new archbishop, the chief leader of all the churches in the great city of Alexandria.

Abba Isaac made the church shine. He fixed up many old churches and helped God's people for three and a half years. Even when hard days came, he kept trusting God and stayed faithful to the very end.

This boy shall be set over the Church of God.— the bishop, at Isaac's baptism

The Three Hundred and Eighteen Wise Fathers at Nicea

We also remember a very important meeting that happened long ago in a city called Nicea. Three hundred and eighteen church fathers and bishops came from many faraway lands to gather there.

Why did they come? A teacher named Arius had begun saying something that was not true. He said that Jesus, the Son of God, was only a created being, like a person or an angel. But that is not right! Jesus, the Son, has always been God, just as much as God the Father. The wise fathers came together to tell everyone the true story.

Many of these fathers were very brave. They had been hurt by unkind people because they would not stop teaching about Jesus, yet they never gave up their love for God. One of them, a gentle bishop named Thomas, had suffered so much that the good emperor Constantine bowed low before him to honor his courage. The emperor told the fathers, 'You decide what is right and true, and I will help you.'

Then the fathers wrote down the true faith in beautiful words we still say today. It begins, 'We believe in One God,' and it tells how Jesus is 'God Who proceedeth from God,' equal with the Father, who came down from heaven to save us. Later, more fathers added words about the Holy Spirit too. When they finished, they had lit a bright light of truth for the whole world, and then they went home happy.

We believe in One God, the Lord, the Father, the Maker of heaven and of earth, and of all things visible and invisible.— the words the fathers wrote at Nicea

Light Who proceedeth from Light, God Who proceedeth from God in truth, Who is equal with the Father.— the true faith about Jesus