Tir 24 — February 01

Saint Maria, Who Loved to Pray

Long ago, in a big city called Alexandria, there lived a girl named Maria. Her mother and father loved God, and they taught her to love God too.

When Maria grew up, important men in the city wanted to marry her. But Maria had already chosen something else. She wanted to give her whole heart to God.

When her parents died, they left her a lot of money. Maria gave almost all of it to people who were poor and hungry. Then she went to live in a convent, a quiet home where women spend their days praying together. There she became a nun, helping others and keeping her life full of prayer.

Maria prayed and prayed, more than almost anyone. She liked to stand up and talk to God all day long, from morning until night. She ate very simple food, like bread soaked in water, because she wanted to think about God more than about eating. This is called fasting, and Maria did it to grow close to God.

Every year, on the feast when we remember Jesus being baptized in the river, Maria asked for some of the holy water. She would wash her hands and face with it and feel so happy and thankful.

When Maria grew old and sick, she was not afraid. She had loved God her whole life, and she knew she was going home to Him. She asked her friends to come and visit her, and when they came, they found that God had gently taken her to heaven. They prayed for her with love.

I bow to thy feet which have brought thee to our Lord Christ.— Saint Maria

Abba Absadi, the Pure-Hearted

Today we also remember a holy man named Abba Absadi. ("Abba" means "father," a kind name for a holy man.)

Abba Absadi had a clean and pure heart. He kept his thoughts and his life good and honest, because he loved God so much. People said that because his heart was so pure, God watched over him and kept him safe.

God was so pleased with Abba Absadi that people all over the world still remember his name today. When we love God and keep our hearts kind and true, God remembers us forever.

Saint Abba Bifa and God's Faithful Friends

We also remember a great and brave saint named Abba Bifa. He came from a town called Seft in the land of Egypt.

Abba Bifa loved Jesus with all his heart and would never stop believing in Him, no matter what. Some unkind people did not want him to keep loving God. They hurt him, and he died still holding tight to his faith. That is what we call a martyr: someone who stays true to God even when it costs everything. Abba Bifa was brave and full of peace, because he knew God was holding him close and that he was going home to heaven.

On this same day, we also thank God for many other good and faithful people who lived their whole lives trying to make God happy. We call them the righteous, which means people who do what is right and kind. We ask all these holy friends of God to pray for us, so that we can be brave and kind like them.