HABIB FARAG
Sunday, October 08, 2006
HABIB FARAG
Our Coptic church celebrates
our beloved deacon Habib Farag’s
passing every 16th of July.
He was born in1914 in Gezaret Badran, Cairo. His early years were spent away from the
church and the presence of Jesus.
The youth missionaries from Amba Antonius as well as his relatives and friends were so
concerned of his wayward life that they always advise and tell him to go to
church and back to God until one day he gave in and told them that he will go
to church and if he doesn’t like what he sees or hears then no one will talk to
him about church or God anymore. But on
that particular day the lecture was about the sinner returning to God and being
shown how great is God’s love that He has to give His own Son’s life to save
mankind. He was so emotionally touched
by this lecture that he decided to change his life.
That same night he had a
vision of the Virgin Mary waking him up and showing him the place where the
sinner suffers then crossed to heaven with him to see God’s faithful and
saints. He saw an empty chair and he asked whose was the empty chair for and
the Virgin Mary answered “it’s for you if you follow Jesus and His
teachings”. Then she told him to write
down all the wrongs he does every day.
She told him not to swear but just to say “yes” or “no” and not to lie
as the truth brings one to safety. Don’t
curse but give blessings. Don’t hate but
love because God is love and Jesus paid for our sins with His precious love. Give tithes, feed the hungry, support the
widow and the orphans, pray on God’s day and follow the praying and the
fasting. If you do these you will see
God in His throne. Then she left in
peace.
From this point Habib Farag’s life completely
changed. Prayer became his hobby. He loved the church and was never late to say
the daily seven prayers. He practiced
all the church’s fasting to late hours.
He read a lot of the bible and church’s books and used the bible to
solve and deal with his daily issues. He
became a servant on Sunday school. He
contributed for the building of many churches with his efforts and own
money. If one mentions Amba Antonius church which was built in 1936, Habib Farag has to be mentioned
too as he helped built this church as a laborer for
free thus helping the church save for one laborer’s
pay. He started Habib
foundation to continue his mission to help the poor. All his life he never turned away from anyone
needing his help and always paid his tithes.
He even saved his transportation fare by walking so he could give the
money to the poor.
He confirmed to his brother
that on Wed the 16th of July he will leave this world and go back to
God. The night before his death he did
not sleep but spent the time praying “Jesus drop your ladder I am coming to you
today”. His room was full of light and
smelled of incense and he wore the suit that he ordered before his death for
this particular occasion.
Habib Farag
has done many miracles after his death.
One particular miracle is in the heart of our Pope Shenouda
- that God will give him long life to serve His church.
Dear reader,
Habib Farag
did not come to church by himself but through the prayers, hard work and
persistence of the church’s servants.
Let us not be quick to judge anyone who is away from the church but let
it be our mission to help bring the people to church.
Remember me in
your prayers.
