Christianity Started in Ethiopia in the time of the Apostles, when a eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians was baptised by the hands of St Phillip (Act 8:26-40). After his return to Ethiopia he told the Queen of his encounter, so she declared Christianity to be the official religion of Ethiopia. …
Today, 4.5 km west of Dair el-Baramous is one of the few inhabited caves in the ancient Desert of Scetis. Abuna Abd el-Mesih elHabashi has lived there since about 1935. Of the three caves, two are used by him. Some of the equipment of Abuna Abd el-Mesih is without doubt Second World War material. This …
As we start to speak of the institutes and rules of monasteries, where could we better begin, with God's help, than with the very garb of the monks? After having exposed their outward appearance to view we shall then be able to discuss, in logical sequence, their inner worship. And so, it is proper for …
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers" (1 Peter 4:7) Many visitors who came to the Monastery, would seek him to ask for words of spiritual benefit, and Father Yostos would respond by giving them verses from the Bible. One such verse is from the …
In December 1976 when the monks of St. Antony attended the funeral service for Father Yostos they knew that an angel had departed from their monastery. For more than fifteen centuries the monastery, which was named after the great Saint Anthony and built near his cave, has been standing at the bottom of a high …
The books of the holy Fathers on the monastic life must be, read with great caution. It has been noticed that novices can never adapt books to their condition, but are invariably drawn by the tendency of the book. If a book gives counsels on silence and shows the abundance of spiritual fruits that are …
The Apophthegmata Patrum is an extraordinary anthology. In its pages, one finds “a diverse band of colorful characters, wild adventures, and stinging, memorable ‘one-liners.’” Its publication marked an important milestone in the literature of late antiquity. As Peter Brown has noted, “The Sayings provided a remarkable new literary genre, close to the world of parable …
