Tahsas 29 — January 07

The Great Feast — Jesus Is Born!

Today is the happiest day of all! Today is the Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Ethiopia we call this great feast Lidet, or Genna. It is Ethiopian Christmas!

Long ago, in a little town called Bethlehem, the holy Virgin Mary gave birth to baby Jesus. He is the Son of God, and He came down from heaven to be with us. There was no room in the houses, so baby Jesus was laid in a cave where animals were kept. The King of all the world was born in the quietest, gentlest place there was.

This is the chief of all the holy feasts. Our church fathers loved it so much that they keep it for two whole days, because no joy God has ever given us is greater. We sing and we smile, because God's own Son came to save us, just as He saved Adam and his children long ago.

Many prophets told us this happy news would come, even hundreds of years before Jesus was born. They carried God's messages, helping everyone get ready for the day everyone was waiting for.

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given.— Isaiah 9:6

Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and she shall call his name Emmanuel, which means, God with us.— Isaiah 7:14

The Wise Men and the Special Star

Far away in the East lived wise men who studied the stars. God lit a brand-new star in the sky, and it was not like any other star. This one looked like a mother holding a little child! It moved slowly across the sky to lead the wise men to Jesus.

When the wise men walked, the star moved with them. When they stopped, the star stopped too. It was God's own light, showing them the way to the new King.

The star led them all the way to the cave where Jesus was. When they saw the little Child with Mary His mother, their hearts overflowed with joy, and they knelt down and worshipped Him.

Then they opened their treasures and gave Jesus three special gifts: gold, because He is a King; sweet-smelling incense, because He is God; and myrrh, a precious oil. After that, the wise men went home a different way, telling everyone they met the good news that God had come to be with us.

We have seen His star, and have come to worship Him.— Matthew 2:2

Joshua the Brave Leader

On this same day, long, long ago, a baby named Joshua was born. When Joshua grew up, God chose him to be a leader and helper for His people, the children of Israel.

Joshua was brave and good, and with God's help he kept his people safe and led them to a beautiful land that became their home. His name means "Savior," which reminds us of Jesus, who is our Savior too. After a long life of serving God, Joshua died in peace and went to be with God in heaven.

King Abgar and the Wonderful Picture

There was once a king named Abgar who lived in a city called Edessa. The king was very sick, and no doctor could make him well. Then he heard about Jesus, who healed sick people and made the blind see and the lame walk.

King Abgar believed in Jesus with all his heart. He wrote Jesus a kind letter and asked Him to come and make him well. Jesus knew what was in the king's heart even before the messengers spoke.

Jesus took a clean white cloth and gently pressed it to His face. When He lifted it away, the picture of His face had stayed right there on the cloth! Jesus sent this special cloth to King Abgar with His helper Thaddeus.

When the king received the picture, he was healed, and his whole city came to love Jesus. The cloth went on healing and helping people, and the king lived the rest of his days thankful and at peace.

Kuoril and the Talking Camel

Kuoril was a holy man who lived in a town called Samnud. He loved to pray and to fast, and God gave him a special gift: he could know things that were hidden from other people. Kuoril had three camels that helped him carry flax from his fields.

One day a young man was very worried. A church had a treasure hidden away, but the only person who knew where it was had died without telling anyone. A wise monk told the young man to go find Kuoril, who would help him.

While they were working in the fields, the young man piled too heavy a load on one of the camels. The poor camel could not stand up. And then something happened that nobody expected: the camel spoke out loud, asking kind Kuoril for help! Kuoril made the load lighter and gently reminded the young man to be kind to others.

Then Kuoril shared the secret: the treasure was hidden in a little box at the east end of the church. The young man found it, just where Kuoril said, and everyone could see what a gift God had given this holy man.

The Faithful People of Akmim

In a city called Akmim, many people came together in church on Christmas Day to worship Jesus. While they prayed, God gave them a beautiful gift: they saw our Lord Jesus Himself, sitting before them and sharing His holy blessings with the people. What a happy moment that was.

Then, sad to say, some men who did not love God came and were unkind to these faithful Christians, and they died staying true to Jesus. People who stay faithful to God like this are called martyrs. But we need not be sad for them, because they were not afraid. They knew they were going home to God, who loves them forever. Today we remember them with love.