Meskerem 27 — October 07

Eustathius and His Family

Long ago there lived a brave soldier in Rome named Eustathius (you say it ews-TAY-thee-us). His first name was Kudos. He did not yet know God, but he had a kind heart and gave lots of food and money to people who were poor.

One day, while he was out in the hills, he saw something he never forgot. Between the horns of a deer was a shining cross that reached all the way up to the clouds! Then Jesus spoke to him and told him to go and be baptized, to be washed with holy water and welcomed into God's family. So Eustathius, his wife, and his two sons were all baptized together.

Soon after, the family had to leave home, and they lost their money, their house, and even each other along the way. Eustathius was very sad. But God was watching over every single one of them and kept them all safe.

After many years, one by one, the family found each other again. The two brothers met and learned they were brothers. Then they found their mother. Then they all came to their father. They hugged and cried and were so happy. God had kept His promise to bring them back together.

Later, a ruler told them to bow down to statues instead of God. They would not. They loved Jesus and stayed faithful to Him, even when it was very hard, and so they are remembered as martyrs. They were not afraid, because they knew they were going home to God forever.

We will not bow down to idols, for we bow down to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.— Eustathius and his family

Saint Tekla, Who Was Not Afraid

Saint Tekla (you say it TEK-la), also called Thecla, came from a rich family far away in a land called Macedonia. Her family did not know God yet.

One day a great teacher named Paul came to her town. Paul was a helper of Jesus who traveled from place to place to teach about Him. Tekla listened to Paul through her window and learned about Jesus. Her heart filled with so much love for God that she wanted to follow Him too.

Some people were angry that Tekla had become a Christian, and they tried to hurt her. But God kept her safe. When she made the sign of the Cross, the fire did not burn her at all. And once, when she was put among lions and bears, the animals were gentle and lay down at her feet, like friendly pets!

When people saw how God protected Tekla, many of them came to believe in Jesus too, and they were baptized. Tekla kept following Paul and telling everyone about God. She helped many people and did many good things, and at the end of her long life, she died in peace.

Antilarius and the Little Piece of Bread

Antilarius (you say it an-tih-LAR-ee-us) had an important job collecting money for the rulers. But at first he was not kind, and he never wanted to share with anyone.

One day a poor man came asking him for help. Antilarius had nothing to throw at him but a leftover crust of bread, so he tossed the bread to him in a huff. The poor man happily took it as a gift.

That night, Antilarius had a dream. In the dream, all his good deeds and all his bad deeds were being weighed on a scale. He had hardly any kind deeds at all, only that one little piece of bread he had thrown! But when the bread was placed on the scale, it weighed just as much as everything else. That tiny gift mattered to God.

When Antilarius woke up, his heart was changed. He gave away everything he owned to people who were poor, and he chose to live a simple, humble life serving others. God worked through him too: once, a man who could not hear or speak was suddenly able to hear and talk! Antilarius lived the rest of his days quietly, loving God. People remembered how even one small kindness can mean so much.

Even one small kindness, like a little piece of bread, is precious to God.

Abba John of Debra Tsege

Today we also remember a holy man named Abba John of Debra Tsege. (Abba means father, a kind name for a holy man.) He loved God so much that he spent his days praying and quietly serving Him.

Abba John ate very little and prayed late into the night, giving all his time and his whole heart to God. He lived a gentle, prayerful life, and when he grew old, God called him home. He shows us that a life spent loving God and praying is a beautiful life.