Tir 17 — January 25

Maximus and Dumatheus, the King's Sons

Today we remember two brothers named Maximus and Dumatheus. Their father was a good king who loved God and was always fair and kind to his people. The two boys grew up gentle, humble, and full of love for God. Every day and every night they would pray and read the Bible together.

When they grew older, the brothers wanted to give their whole lives to God. They wished to become monks and live quietly in prayer, away from the busy world. Their father gave them his blessing and sent them on a journey to pray at a holy city called Nicea.

After praying there, the brothers traveled on to a faraway land to live with a wise and holy monk named Abba Agabius. He taught them how to pray and how to live for God. They stayed happily with him for a long time. God gave the two brothers a gift: when they prayed, sick people got well.

The brothers learned to make awnings for ships, which are cloth roofs that keep off the hot sun. They kept only a little of the money they earned and gave the rest to people who were poor. Ships sailed everywhere with their names sewn on the cloth, and sailors trusted that God would keep them safe through the brothers' prayers.

We have given ourselves to God, and we pray for you, by night and by day, that God will keep you safe from all harm.— Maximus and Dumatheus to their mother

The Brothers Help a Town

One day some people from a town came to the brothers with a big worry. A large, dangerous snake lived by the road, and people were frightened to pass by it. They begged Maximus and Dumatheus for help.

Maximus took a sheet of paper and wrote a prayer on it in the name of Jesus, asking God to send the snake away so no one would be hurt anymore. A man carried the paper and laid it by the snake's den. Right away the snake left, and the road was safe again. The people were full of wonder, and they thanked God with happy hearts.

Far away, the brothers' family still missed them. A sailor once told a nobleman about the two holy brothers whose names were on his ship. That is how the king finally learned where his sons were. Their mother traveled to see them and hugged them and cried for joy. She wanted them to come home, but the brothers gently explained that they had promised their whole lives to God. The wise king understood. He said his sons had chosen something far better than any kingdom on earth: a home with God that lasts forever.

Let them be, so that they may belong to our Lord, and pray to Him for us; for everything in this world passes away like a dream, but they will gain a kingdom that never ends.— the king, their father

A Holy Home in the Desert

A great and holy man named Abba Macarius had heard about the brothers in a dream, and he longed to meet them. So God carried Maximus and Dumatheus across the sea to the quiet desert of Scete, where Abba Macarius lived. When they grew thirsty on the way, God even made bitter water turn sweet for them to drink.

Abba Macarius welcomed them. He showed them how to make baskets from palm leaves and helped them build a little home, called a cell. There the brothers lived very quietly for three years. They went to church without speaking, prayed, and returned to their cell. They simply wanted to be close to God.

One night Abba Macarius stayed with them. When the brothers prayed, he saw something beautiful: it looked like a glowing rope of fire rising from their mouths all the way up to heaven, and God's angel watching over them. Anything unfriendly that tried to come near was sent far away, because God's love was so much stronger. Abba Macarius knew then that the brothers were truly God's friends.

Going Home to God

After many years of loving God, it was time for the brothers to rest. First Maximus became sick. Abba Macarius came to bless him and pray with him. As Maximus closed his eyes, the holy ones of heaven came to welcome him: prophets, apostles, and John the Baptist. His soul went up in glory and light.

Dumatheus missed his brother very much. He prayed that he could go and be with Maximus again. Just three days later, the angels came and gently carried Dumatheus up to heaven too, to be with his brother forever.

Abba Macarius buried the two brothers side by side in one grave, just as they had lived their whole lives side by side. He named the monastery after them, and people still remember Maximus and Dumatheus with joy to this very day. They showed us that loving God is the greatest treasure of all.