Miyazya 21 — April 29

The Feast of Our Lady, the Virgin Mary

Today is a very special and happy day! It is a big feast for Saint Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus. We call her the God-bearer, because she carried baby Jesus, who is God, and gave birth to Him.

Mary loves us like the kindest mother in the whole world. When we pray, she asks her dear Son Jesus to help us and to forgive the wrong things we have done, to wipe our mistakes away and love us anyway. Jesus listens to His mother, because He loves her so much.

That is why we keep this feast with joy. We sing, we thank God, and we say nice things to Mary, who is pure and good all the way through, on the inside and the outside. We can ask her, very gently, "Holy Mary, please pray for me."

Mary shows us how to love God. She always said yes to God and trusted Him, even when things were hard. We can be like Mary by trusting God too, and by being kind and pure of heart.

Holy Mary, the mother of Jesus, prays for us and asks her Son to help us.

Berutawos, Who Sang for Mary

Long ago there was a very smart man named Berutawos (say it: beh-roo-TAH-wos). He lived in a city called Athens, far across the sea, and he was one of the wisest thinkers there.

One day Berutawos met Saint Paul, one of Jesus' chosen helpers. They talked and talked about God. Little by little Berutawos understood: the truest and most beautiful faith of all is to believe in our Lord Jesus Christ. So he believed, and Paul baptized him, washing him with holy water to welcome him into God's family.

Berutawos loved music. He wrote his own songs and hymns for God, and he played them on a sweet little flute. When our Lady Mary went home to heaven, the apostles were gathered together, and Berutawos came and stood with them. He comforted his friends with his gentle, pretty songs.

Berutawos helped many, many people learn to love Jesus. He was so good and so wise that one day his friends wanted to make him a bishop, an important church leader. But Berutawos was very humble. He said kindly, "Please excuse me, I am not ready for such a great honor." He kept serving God with all his gifts until God called him home to heaven.

Three Brave Friends of God

We also remember three faithful people: Akresokos, Yak'asos, and Yoras. Their names are hard to say, but God knows each one by heart.

These three loved Jesus so much that they would never stop believing in Him, even when unkind people tried to make them stop. They stayed faithful all the way to the end of their lives, giving everything for God as martyrs.

They were not afraid, because they knew that God was holding them safe. Now they are happy with Him forever in heaven. We can thank God for their brave and loving hearts.

Abba Inbakom, the Good Teacher

We also remember a holy father named Abba Inbakom, which is the same name as Habakkuk (say it: ha-BAK-kuk) in the Bible. He taught so well that people compared him to one of Jesus' first helpers, and he carried the good news about God wherever he went.

God called Inbakom from a faraway country all the way to a monastery, a peaceful home where people live together and pray. There a kind father named Peter baptized him with his own hands and gave him a teacher to help him learn.

Inbakom became a monk and tried his very best to follow God each day. He worked so hard and grew so wise that he was chosen to be a leader of the monastery, and he was one of a special group called the Eleven Learned Fathers.

His life was not always easy. Some people were unkind to him, but he kept trusting God and never gave up. When he was very old, God lovingly called him home. We can learn from Abba Inbakom to keep going and keep loving God, even on hard days.

Keep trusting God and never give up, even when things are hard.