Tir 28 — February 05

Saint Clement, the Boy Who Loved God

Clement was the son of a kind mother named Akrosia. She loved God very much, and she taught little Clement all the stories and prayers of the Church. He listened carefully, and God's love grew bigger and bigger in his heart.

When Clement was only twelve years old, he already prayed a lot and sometimes skipped his meals so he could pray instead. That is called fasting. He ate only simple food from the garden, like fruit and plants, and he grew wise and gentle. Soon he became a deacon, which is a helper in the church.

A powerful ruler heard how good Clement was. He wanted Clement to stop following Jesus and to bow down to pretend gods made of stone instead. Clement said no. He loved the true God too much to ever pretend. Wicked men tried hard to scare him and to make him give up, but God gave Clement strength and kept him safe again and again, like a shield around him.

Clement stayed brave to the very end and never stopped loving Jesus. A kind woman named Sophia carefully took care of his body and gave him a loving burial. Because he held on to God through every hard thing, Clement is called a martyr, and he is happy forever in heaven.

His mother taught him all the prayers and stories of the Church, and the grace of God was upon him.

Abba 'Akaweh and His Brave Friends

Abba 'Akaweh (say it: ah-KAH-weh) came from a town called Bamay in a part of Egypt called the Fayyum. He worked hard to live a holy life, praying every day and being kind to everyone.

One time an evil spirit came to bother him and tried to frighten him. But Abba 'Akaweh was not scared at all, because he trusted God. He prayed, and the evil spirit had no power over him and went away like a puff of smoke. God is always stronger than anything dark or scary.

Abba 'Akaweh loved Jesus so much that he told everyone, even a powerful ruler, "I am a Christian!" He stayed faithful to God to the end and became a martyr. His body rests in a monastery called Naklon, a quiet home where people pray together, and God still heals people there to this day.

On this same day we also remember a big group of brave friends, many people who loved God along with Abba 'Akaweh. They all stayed faithful together, holding on to their love for Jesus. What a happy family they are now in heaven!

He cried out boldly, saying, "I am a Christian."

Joseph, Saved in the Oven

Joseph grew up learning the books of his family's faith. But one day he saw some Christian children reading from a special book, and he wanted to learn too. His mother said yes, and Joseph learned all about Jesus. The love of Jesus filled his heart, and he was very happy.

When Joseph's father found out, he became very angry and shut Joseph inside a hot oven, closing the door. But God sent an angel who cooled the fire down right away, so Joseph was not hurt at all! For seven whole days Joseph stayed safe inside.

After seven days, a man named John and his friends came and called Joseph's name. Joseph called back that he was alive and well. He said our Lady, the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, had wrapped him safely in her cloak and kept him from the fire. How wonderful!

The church leaders came with prayers and brought Joseph out of the oven, perfectly safe. When his father saw that the fire had not touched his son, his heart changed completely. He fell down, said he was sorry, and chose to believe in Jesus too. So did everyone in his house. Joseph spent the rest of his life loving God, praying, and trusting the Virgin Mary, until God gently called him home.

I am alive by the help of our Lady Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it was she who hid me in her cloak in the oven.— Joseph

Tabela and Her Three Sons

On this day we also remember Tabela and her three sons. Tabela was a faithful mother, and she raised her three boys to love God with all their hearts.

Together, this loving family stayed close to God. We thank God for mothers who teach their children about Jesus, just like Tabela did, and we ask them to pray for us.

The Loaves and the Fish

Today we also remember something Jesus did, told in the Gospel. A huge crowd of people was hungry, but there was only a little bread and a few fish, not nearly enough for everyone.

Jesus took the bread and the fish, looked up to heaven, and blessed them. Then the food kept growing and growing, and every single person got plenty to eat. It shows us that Jesus cares about us and can give us all we need, even when it seems like there is not enough.

And looking up to heaven, He blessed the loaves and the fish, and everyone had enough to eat.— Matthew 14:19