Meskerem 2 — September 12

Saint John the Baptist, the Brave Prophet

John the Baptist was a prophet, one of the special people God chose to speak His true words. His father was a priest named Zacharias, who served God in the temple. John was also the cousin of Jesus, and his job was to help people get ready to meet Him.

John always told the truth, even to powerful people. A king named Herod was doing something wrong, and John bravely told him to stop. Herod did not like to hear this, so he put John in prison. But Herod was a little afraid of John too, because he knew John was a holy man of God.

One day Herod made a promise he should never have made, and because of that promise, John lost his life. We call John a martyr, because he stayed faithful to God right to the end, even when it cost him everything. He was not afraid. He had always loved God and told the truth.

John's friends, who learned from him, gently carried his body away and laid it to rest. Many years later, a kind church leader named Saint Athanasius found John's body and built a beautiful church to honor him. We remember John as one of the bravest and truest friends of God.

It is not right for you to do what is wrong.— Saint John, speaking the truth to the king

Dasya the Brave Soldier

Dasya was a soldier who lived in a town in Egypt. He loved God with all his heart and would not pretend to believe in anything else, no matter what.

A powerful leader named Arianus tried very hard to make Dasya turn away from God, and he treated Dasya unkindly. But Dasya stayed strong and faithful, and he kept trusting in Jesus the whole time.

In the end, Dasya gave his life because he loved God so much, and he became a martyr too. We believe he received a shining crown in heaven, and that he is happy forever with God now. Dasya teaches us to be brave and to keep loving God, even when it is hard.

Didymus and Marina, Faithful Friends of God

We also remember two more brave friends of God on this day: a man named Didymus and a holy woman named Marina (her name sounds like ma-REE-na).

Both of them loved Jesus so much that they would not stop following Him, even when others tried to frighten them. They stayed faithful right to the very end, and they became martyrs too.

Now Didymus and Marina are safe and joyful in heaven with God. When we hear their names, we can ask them to pray for us, and we can try to be loving and brave the way they were.

Stay close to God, and He will keep you safe forever.