Saint Samuel The Confessor
Friday, September 01, 2006
On the 17th of December (8 kiahk), the Orthodox Church celebrates the departure of the
great saint Samuel the confessor. He was born of Christian parents in the
village of Dakluba, currently Melig
El-Nassara in shebin El-Kom. His father was a priest named Selase
and his mother was a blessed lady called Kesmiana.
They brought up their son in a Christian manner such that by the age of 12 he
was fasting daily until sunset and praying regularly.
After the departure of his mother, he asked the
Lord for guidance. So God sent him an angel who led him to the monastery of
saint Macarious and handed him to saint Agathon for whom he became a disciple.
When El-moqaukas became
governor of Egypt, he started persecuting the Coptic orthodox in order to force
them to agree to the decisions of the council of chalcedorn
(Leo’s Tome). When El-moqaukas’ messengers reached
the monastery to force the monks to declare their agreement to the decisions of
the council of Chalcedon, which are Leo’s declaration that there are two
nations for Christ, Abba Samuel took the declaration and ripped it. The leader
was furious and they started to torture him by whipping until one of his eyes
was enucleated and bled profusely.
On another occasion, the barbarians took the as a
captive and he was asked by their leader to bow down to the sun. The saint
refused and was tortured. Satan envied Saint Samuel and prepared a difficult
temptation for him by advising the leader to tie the saint to a maid and
releasing them to tend the flock. She tried to seduce him to sin but he prayed
to the lord sincerely to save him from this evil temptation from which only God
can save him. So the lord sent him his angel who informed him that he will find
a paralytic. There was also a mute child for whom the saint prayed to the lord
and he healed him.
After a few days the maid became very sick and
started crawling on the ground. She knew that this happened because of what she
did to the saint and went to him asking his forgiveness. Saint Samuel forgave
her and prayed for her and she was healed. The Lord granted him the gift of
healing and he also cured the wife of the leader of the barbarians. Thus he
asked him to return to his monastery, and he returned to the monastery in Qalmoun. Saint Mary appeared to him and said “thus is my dwelling with my beloved Samuel and the
Barbarians shall never return here again.” He departed in peace on the 8th
day of Kiahk, may his blessings of his prayers be
with us all Amen.
Dear reader: Abba Samuel experienced a harsh
temptation but he was not saved from it except by God. Whenever you see an evil
sight or picture or think an evil thought ask the Lord to save you as he saved
Abba Samuel from the devil’s deceit. The lord is able to purify our eyes and
our thoughts and grant us an accepted fasting through the prayers of abba Samuel the confessor. Remember me in your
prayers.
