Yekatit 15 — February 22

Zachariah, the Prophet Who Saw Far Ahead

Today we remember a good and holy man named Zachariah (say it ZAK-uh-RYE-uh). He was a prophet, which means God spoke through him to tell people important things. Zachariah was one of the Twelve Little Prophets, twelve special helpers whose books are in the Bible.

When Zachariah was young, his people were carried far from home to live in a faraway land. Even there, God stayed close to him. God put true and gentle words in Zachariah's heart, and Zachariah shared them so people would not lose hope.

God gave Zachariah a rare gift. He could see things that would happen long, long before they came true. He told people that a new house for God would be built in Jerusalem, and one day it was. He saw, hundreds of years ahead of time, that Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on a little donkey. He even saw that Jesus would come again one day in great glory and joy.

Just think: Zachariah loved God so much that God let him peek into the future. When his work on earth was finished, he died in peace and was buried with the other prophets, resting safely with God.

God spoke many faithful and helpful words through Zachariah, to give his people hope.

The Church of the Forty Brave Soldiers

Today we also celebrate a happy day for a special church in a city called Sebastia. This church was built to honor forty soldiers who loved God very much.

These forty soldiers were close friends, and they were brave together. They would not stop loving God, even when others ordered them to. Because they stayed faithful to the very end, giving their lives for God, we call them martyrs. They were not afraid, for they trusted that God would carry them safely home to heaven.

A wise and gentle teacher named Saint Basil built the very first church named after these forty soldiers. On the day it was finished, Saint Basil stood up and told everyone the story of the brave forty. He spoke kind and beautiful words about them, and the whole city held a big, joyful celebration in their honor, a little like a birthday party for the church.

When we remember the forty soldiers, we can ask God to help us be brave and kind, and to be good friends who help each other do what is right.

Abba Paphnutius, the Desert Traveler

Last, we remember a holy father named Abba Paphnutius (say it paf-NOO-shus). While he was still young, he chose the quiet life of a monk, given to prayer. He loved to pray, to sing to God late at night, and to go without his own snacks and meals so he could think only about God. That is called fasting.

One day God gave Abba Paphnutius a special job. God said, 'Go far out into the desert and visit the holy people who live there alone. Listen to their stories, and write them down so other people can read them and grow closer to Me.' So off he went, all by himself, walking deep into the dry desert.

The journey was very hard, and there was nothing to eat. But God did not forget him. An angel came and gave him strength right when he needed it most, and helped him again and again, so he stayed safe and well.

Out in the desert, Abba Paphnutius met holy people who loved God deeply. He learned that God cared for them so tenderly that even lions came and gently helped them, like friendly pets. On holy days, an angel would bring them food and sweet fruit straight from God's garden. Abba Paphnutius wrote all of this down so we could hear it too. After a long life of loving God, he died in peace.

Even lions and wild animals came and gently helped the desert saints, because God watched over them.