Tikimt 6 — October 16

Hannah, the Mother Who Prayed

Long ago there lived a good woman named Hannah. She loved God very much, but she was sad, because she had no children, and another woman in her family teased her about it.

Hannah was so sad that she did not even want to eat. Her kind husband Elkanah tried to cheer her up, but her heart was still hurting. So Hannah did the very best thing of all: she took her sadness to God.

She went to the house of God and prayed quietly. She made a promise: "O God, if You give me a son, I will give him back to You to serve You." Eli the priest was watching. Her lips were moving but no sound came out, so at first he did not understand. When Hannah explained that she was praying from a hurting heart, Eli blessed her and said, "Go in peace; God will give you what you have asked for."

And God heard Hannah! She had a baby boy, and she named him Samuel, which means "God has heard me." When Samuel was big enough, Hannah kept her promise and brought him to live in the house of God, just as she had said. Then she sang a beautiful song of thanks to God. Hannah lived a happy life that pleased God, and one day she died in peace.

O God, if You give me a son, I will give him back to serve You.— Hannah's prayer

Abba Pantaleon, Who Loved to Pray

Abba Pantaleon (say it: pan-tuh-LEE-on) came from an important family in Rome. When he was little, his mother took him to a monastery, a quiet home where people pray together, and there he grew up wise and good, learning to pray and to share.

When he was older, he traveled all the way to Ethiopia with a group of holy friends called the Nine Saints. Abba Pantaleon went up a small mountain and built himself a tiny stone room called a cell. It was so small it had no door, only a little window.

Abba Pantaleon loved God so much that he prayed standing up for many, many years. He ate and drank only a little. And God gave him a special gift: through his prayers, sick people got well and blind people could see again.

Once a king named Caleb came to ask Abba Pantaleon to pray for him before a long journey. The holy man said, "Go in peace, for God can do all things, and He will keep you safe." And God did keep the king safe, and brought him home again. The king was so thankful that he chose to leave his palace and become a praying monk, just like his friend Abba Pantaleon.

When Abba Pantaleon's work on earth was finished, Jesus came to him gently and said it was time to rest. And so this faithful saint went home to God in peace.

Go in peace, for God can do all things, and He will keep you safe.— Abba Pantaleon

Saints Rewak and Antonius

Today we also remember two brave friends of God named Rewak and Antonius. Antonius was a bishop, a leader who cares for many churches, in a city called Bana.

Both of them loved Jesus so much that they stayed faithful to Him no matter what, even when it was very hard. They gave their lives rather than stop loving God, and so we call them martyrs. They were not afraid, because they knew they were going home to God.

Habakkuk the Prophet

Habakkuk (say it: huh-BAK-uk) was a prophet, which means a person who listens to God and tells others what God says. His name means "Teacher."

One day God did something surprising for Habakkuk. He had cooked food to take to the workers in the fields. But far away in another land, God's friend Daniel was hungry, sitting safely among some lions. So an angel gently lifted Habakkuk up and carried him all the way to Daniel in the blink of an eye. Habakkuk gave Daniel the food, and then the angel carried him right back home. God takes good care of His friends, even when they are far apart.

Habakkuk told the people many true things about the future, and everything he said came to pass just as he promised. Most of all, he told them to keep hoping, because one day they would see the glory of God. After a long life of trusting God, Habakkuk died and was buried with his family.

You shall afterwards see the glory of God.— Habakkuk the prophet

Saint Dionysius of Athens

Dionysius (say it: dy-oh-NISH-us) lived in a city called Athens. He was one of the wisest men there, and everyone listened to him.

One day, while Dionysius was sitting with the other wise men, something strange happened: in the middle of the day the sun went dark and the ground shook. The wise men were frightened and asked Dionysius what it meant. He studied the sky and the sea and found that everything was in its right place. So he understood that something far greater had happened, and he wrote it down to remember. What he did not yet know was that, far away, this was the very moment Jesus gave His life for us on the Cross.

Many years later, the apostle Paul, one of Jesus' great helpers, came to Athens and began teaching about Jesus. Dionysius asked Paul exactly when this Jesus had been on the Cross, and the day Paul named was the very same day Dionysius had written down long ago. When Dionysius heard this, he believed in Jesus with all his heart. Paul baptized him and made him a bishop.

Dionysius spent the rest of his life teaching people about Jesus and serving in God's name. He loved Jesus so faithfully, all the way to the end, that he is honored as a martyr who is now safe and happy with God in heaven.

Antonius, Bishop of Bana

On this day we also honor Antonius, the bishop of the city of Bana, who was a good and faithful shepherd of God's people. He stayed true to Jesus to the very end, and he is remembered as a martyr who now rests with God.

Enos, the First to Call on God

Today we remember Enos, who lived a very, very long time ago. He was the son of Seth and the grandson of Adam, the first man.

Enos is special for a beautiful reason: the Bible says he was the very first person to call on the name of God in prayer and worship. He lived a long and full life, and when his time was finished, he died in peace.

More Friends of God

On this day the Church also remembers other holy people who loved God dearly: Hermolaus the priest with his brothers, and a faithful father named Bestalota Mika'el. They all gave their whole lives to God, and we thank Him for their good example. We ask all these saints to pray for us.