Meskerem 29 — October 09

Remembering the Birth of Our Lord Jesus

On this day we remember the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! His mother is Mary, the Holy Virgin, a pure young woman who was set apart for God.

Long ago, God loved the whole world so much that He sent His own Son to be born as a tiny baby. Jesus is God, and He became a little child like you once were, so that He could be close to us and save us.

On the 29th day of every month, our church stops to say a happy thank-you for this gift. We call it remembering "the covenant." A covenant is a sweet promise, and God's promise is that He will always love us and never leave us. Jesus is that promise come true.

Sometimes the saints called the baby Jesus a beautiful Flower, because His coming made the whole world bloom with hope, the way flowers make a garden glad. When we remember His birth, we can smile and thank God for loving us first.

Salutation to the birth of the Flower, Jesus Christ.

Saint John, the Friend Who Wrote About Jesus

Today we also remember Saint John the evangelist and apostle. He was one of Jesus' closest helpers, and an evangelist, someone who tells the good news about Jesus.

John loved Jesus very much, and Jesus loved him too. John is the one who wrote a book in the Bible that begins by telling us that Jesus is God, who has always been and always will be. Because he taught this so clearly, people called John "the proclaimer of the Deity," which simply means the one who told everyone that Jesus is truly God.

On this day, long after John had gone home to heaven, his holy body was carefully and lovingly moved to a special resting place. This is called a "translation." The people honored him because he had spent his whole life sharing the love of Jesus.

We can be like John. We can read about Jesus, love Him, and tell our friends and family the happy news that God loves them.

Brave Saint Arsima and Her Friends

Arsima (say it: ar-SEE-mah) was a young woman who lived in a quiet home of prayer with many other women who loved God. She had given her whole heart to Jesus and wanted to belong only to Him.

A powerful and unkind king wanted to marry Arsima, but she gently said no, because she had already promised her love to the Lord. So Arsima and her friends traveled far away to keep their promise to God safe. Her dear mother, Agatha, went with her and encouraged her to be brave and stay faithful.

The king found them and was very angry that Arsima would not change her mind. Wicked things were done, and Arsima, her mother, and many of their friends stayed faithful to God right to the end, and went home to be with Him in heaven. We call people who stay true to God like this "martyrs." They were not afraid, because they knew Jesus was waiting to welcome them with crowns of joy.

But God's story did not stop there. After all this, the king became very sick and troubled. A holy man named Saint Gregory came and prayed for him, and God made him completely well! When the king saw God's kindness, his heart changed, and he came to believe in Jesus. Later, a church was built to honor the brave saints, and God did many good things there.

Arsima teaches us to be brave and to keep loving God, no matter what. She shows us that God is always stronger, and can turn even sad stories into happy new beginnings.

She must not forsake her true Bridegroom, Who is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God.— what Agatha told her daughter