Tir 6 — January 14

The Day Jesus Was Named

When baby Jesus was eight days old, His mother Mary and good Joseph followed an old rule that God had given long ago. They had a kind man come to bless the baby and give Him His holy name: Jesus.

But this was no ordinary baby. The kind man came ready to help, and the little Child Jesus spoke to him. Jesus told him that one day, when He grew up, He would give His whole self to save every person in the world. The man could hardly believe his ears.

Then a wonderful thing happened. The man bowed down at the feet of baby Jesus, and right away he knew the truth in his heart. He said the most beautiful words about Mary and her Son.

On this day we remember that Jesus came to live as one of us, kept all of God's rules perfectly, and gave us new gifts instead: holy baptism (a special washing that makes us God's children) and Sunday, the happy day He rose again.

Blessed are you above all women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. This Son of yours is the Son of God.

Noah and the Big Boat

Today we also remember Noah, a good man who loved God when almost no one else did. People all around him were unkind and forgot God, but Noah kept praying and doing what was right.

God asked Noah to build a giant wooden ship called an ark. Noah worked for a very long time, even when others laughed at him. He built three big floors inside: one for the animals, one for the birds, and one for his family.

When the boat was ready, Noah brought his wife and his three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their families inside. He brought the animals and birds too, two by two and more. Then a great flood of water covered the land, but everyone inside the ark was kept safe.

For many days the ark floated on the water. At last it came to rest on a tall mountain called Ararat. When Noah and his family stepped out, they thanked God with all their hearts.

Then God made a beautiful promise. He set a rainbow in the sky so that everyone, forever, would remember that He cares for the whole earth. Noah lived a very long and happy life.

Increase and multiply and fill the earth.— God's blessing to Noah

Elijah the Brave Prophet

Elijah was a prophet, which means a special helper who speaks God's words to people. He lived when a king named Ahab had stopped loving God. Elijah was brave and told the king the truth, even though it was hard.

God took good care of Elijah. When there was no food in the land, God sent birds called ravens to bring him bread every day. Later God sent him to a kind widow, a woman whose husband had died, who had only a tiny bit of flour and oil left. She shared it with Elijah anyway. Because she was so kind, God kept her flour and oil from running out until the rains came back.

One day the widow's little boy became very, very sick and stopped breathing. Elijah prayed and prayed, and God brought the boy back to life. His mother was filled with joy.

Elijah loved God so much. When his work on earth was finished, God sent a shining chariot of fire, and Elijah was carried straight up to heaven while he was still alive. His helper Elisha watched, and God gave Elisha a double share of Elijah's gift so he could keep helping people too.

My father, my father, the chariots of Israel! Let a double share of your spirit rest upon me.— Elisha

Abba Makaryanu, the Teaching Father

Today we also remember Abba Makaryanu (say it MAR-kee-AH-noo), who was also called Marcianus. He was the eighth archbishop of the great city of Alexandria, the leader watching over all its churches.

Abba Makaryanu loved to teach people about Jesus. He helped many people who did not yet know God come to love Him, and he baptized them so they could become part of God's family. He led God's people gently and wisely for nine years, and then he died in peace.

Abba Basil, Who Wrote Prayers for the Church

Abba Basil was a holy bishop of a city called Caesarea. He came from a family that loved God. His father was a holy priest, and all of Basil's brothers grew up to love God too.

Basil was filled with God's Holy Spirit, and God answered his prayers in surprising ways. Once, some people had locked believers out of their church, but when Basil prayed, the doors opened all by themselves.

Another time a woman was very sad about the wrong things she had done. She wrote them on a paper and asked Basil to pray. He prayed so kindly that God washed almost all of them away, and the very last one was forgiven too. God loves to forgive us when we are sorry.

Basil wrote a beautiful prayer service that the church still uses today, and he wrote many good books and lessons for people who pray. He spent his whole life helping others come close to God. We also remember Abba Moses, a holy man who lived quietly in the desert for sixty years, always praying to God.