Tir 29 — February 06

A Special Day for our Lord Jesus Christ

Every month, on the 29th day, we remember our Lord Jesus Christ in a special way. Today is one of those happy days!

We remember how much Jesus loves us. He came to earth as a tiny baby, born from our Lady Mary, a pure young woman who had no husband. We call her the holy Virgin. Long ago the prophets had promised that God would send a Savior, and on this day we celebrate the joy of His Birth.

Jesus is the Light who shines in the dark, just like a warm lamp on a cold night. When we are sad or afraid, He is near. When we are happy, He is happy with us. That is why we sing thank-you songs to Him today, and ask Him to keep us close to His heart.

Salutation to Thy Birth, O Lamp of the Darkness.

Saint Aksani, Who Became a Stranger for God

Today we remember a kind woman named Aksani (you can say it AK-sa-nee). Her name means "stranger." She grew up in a rich family in the great city of Rome, and she was their only child.

Even when she was very young, Aksani loved to pray and to share. The servants would bring her good food from home, and she gave most of it to people who were poor and hungry. She loved God more than gold and pretty dresses.

Her parents wanted her to marry a great nobleman, and they dressed her in shining gold and jewels. But Aksani's heart wished to give her whole life to God. So one day she quietly sailed away over the sea with her two helpers, all the way to a sunny island called Cyprus. There she gave herself a new name: "Aksani," the stranger.

She sold her gold and jewels and used the money to build a church to honor Saint Stephen, a house where people could come to pray to God together. Then Aksani lived a simple, gentle life. She ate only plain green plants, and she slept on the bare ground, never grumbling once.

When Aksani went home to heaven, God showed everyone how much He loved her. A shining cross of light, brighter than the sun, appeared in the sky, with bright stars around it like a crown! Everyone knew it was God's way of saying, "Well done, my dear Aksani."

Salutation to Aksani the stranger.

Cyriacus the Brave

Today we also remember a brave man named Cyriacus (you can say it sir-EYE-a-cus). He loved Jesus with his whole heart and would never stop.

Some unkind people did not want him to follow God, and they hurt him for it. But Cyriacus stayed faithful and went home to be with God forever. We call him a martyr, someone who loves God so much that they stay true to Him no matter what. He was not afraid, because he knew God was holding him safe.

The Pure Women of Rome and Other Holy Friends

On this day we remember a whole group of God's faithful friends. There were the pure women of Rome, who loved God and lived good and gentle lives.

We also remember Philemunma, Juliana, and Sarabamon, and a holy man called Abba Gabra Nazrawi of Kawat, and the righteous men of Dabra Dagi, who lived the kind and good way that pleases God.

We do not know every story about them, but God knows each one by name. They are like white ears of wheat in God's field — ripe, golden, and ready for His harvest. We thank God for all of them and ask them to pray for us.

Salutation to you, ye white ears of wheat of Dabra Dagi.

Abba Stephen, the Desert Stranger

Last of all, we remember Abba Stephen, who lived all alone in a quiet desert called the Fayyum. Like Aksani, he was called "the stranger," because he left everything to live close to God. He spent his days praying, just like the holy people before him.

One day, while Abba Stephen was walking in the desert, he found something sad lying in the sand. He asked God to teach him about the person it belonged to. He learned that the man had once had lots and lots of money, but he had never shared any of it with people who were poor and hungry.

Abba Stephen felt sorry for the man, so he prayed and prayed for God to be kind to him. And God, who is full of love, listened. A gentle voice told Abba Stephen, "I have shown him mercy because of you."

This story teaches us something beautiful: praying for others really matters, and God's mercy is bigger than any mistake. Abba Stephen kept praying for people for the rest of his life, and then he went home to God in peace.