The Testimony of the Fathers

Continued 👇🏾 The Testimony of the Fathers Saint Demetrius, the twelfth Patriarch of Alexandria, ordered the feasts and fasts with apostolic authority: Nineveh Fast, the Great Fast, and the Fast of the Apostles begin on Mondays. The Mount of Olives, Hosanna, Resurrection, and Pentecost begin on Sundays. The Feast of Priests and the Fast of the Savior begin on Wednesdays. The Ascension is always on Thursday. The Crucifixion never departs from Friday. Thus the rhythm of the week is preserved in holiness. The days are sanctified, and time itself becomes a vessel of grace. And to guard against confusion, the Fathers also taught what days the great feasts never fall upon: The Fast of Nineveh cannot fall before the 17th of Terr nor after the 21st of Yekatit. The Great Fast(Abiyi) cannot fall before the 1st of Yekatit nor after the 5th of Megabit. The Feast of Debre Zeit cannot fall before the 28th of Yekatit nor after the 2nd of Miyazya. The Feast of Hosanna cannot fall before the 19th of Megabit nor after the 23rd of Miyazya. The Feast of the Crucifixion cannot fall before the 24th of Megabit nor after the 28th of Miyazya. The Feast of the Resurrection cannot fall before the 26th of Megabit nor after the 30th of Miyazya. The Feast of Rikbe Kahnat(The Ordination of Priests) cannot fall before the 20th of Miyazya nor after the 24th of Ginbot. The Feast of the Ascension cannot fall before the 5th of Ginbot nor after the 9th of Sene. The Feast of the Paraclete(Pentecost) cannot fall before the 15th of Ginbot nor after the 19th of Sene. The Fast of the Apostles cannot fall before the 16th of Ginbot nor after the 20th of Sene. The Fast of Salvation(Nenewe) cannot fall before the 18th of Ginbot nor after the 22nd of Sene. The Formula of the Calendar To know the days with precision, the Fathers gave us the formula of Class(Medeb), Chair, Abeqte, MetiqE', Mebaja Hamer, and Tewsak. Class(Medeb) : We find it by dividing the world year by 19. Chair: Chair: We get a chair by subtracting one from the class. Abeqte: means the remaining year/period .it helps to distinguishes night and moon phases, marking the seasons. “Metqeʾ (መጥቅዕ) means a bell. When the bell is struck, the people gather and messages are announced. In the same way, festivals and celebrations are arranged through Metqeʾ, for their appointed times can be known by it. Thus, Metqeʾ is joined with the days of the week to form Mebaja Hamer.” Mebaja Hamer: also called Mebagia Hamer, means ‘summer journey.’ The word Mebaja itself can be translated as ‘storehouse’ or ‘storage,’ while Hamer means ‘ship’ or ‘transportation.’ Mebaja Hamer is formed from the union of Metiqe' and days, and it refers to the appointed day on which festivals and holy days are celebrated. The image of the ship (Hamer) symbolizes the system by which the feasts move and are carried through time.” Thus, the system of the Ethiopian Church does not merely track days but teaches theology. It shows us that time itself is a vessel, and Christ is its captain. Conclusion Beloved, the Ethiopian calendar is a divine gift, not a human invention. Pagume marks the holy feasts, and time itself guides the faithful through God’s sacred plan. May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Reach out to us on our social media platforms and share it with your friends:https://linktr.ee/johnsrepentance