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Anba Abraam Bishop of Fayoum
Part II; Wonders and Miracles
We presented to our dear readers the Life of Anba Abraam, Bishop
of Fayoum in Part I of this book, Part II is dedicated to wonders
and miracles of Anba Abraam. We start with Miracles during his blessed
life, 1829-1914, we then will try to document miracles that happened
after his departure on June 9, 1914 which continues as an honor
to God through his saints as people ask for his prayers and intercession.
- Anba Abraam became monk and then priest and bishop at a time
when the Church was in a time of rediscovering itself, many of the
priests and bishops of the time cared for the appearance and neglected
the essence of the priesthood, as it is supposed to be, dedication
and service to our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. Anba Abraam
changed all that. Some of the reasons he became so great, and so
loved are:
1. Poverty by Choice:
- He choose poverty which is the calling of all monks in the
Orthodox faith. Anba Abraam exceeded many of his contemporaries,
however, in his practices of extreme poverty by choice. He received
many gifts of clothing and always gave the clothing to the poor.
He received many gifts of furniture for the Episcopate, he stored
the furniture until it was time to give it to a poor family, a widow,
a family preparing for the weeding of a daughter, etc. He rejected
this world of falsehood and all its material things, and he did
it happily.
2. Extreme Ascetic (Monastic) Life:
- Anba Abraam desired monastic life, and lived as a real ascetic
all his life. His clothes were those of a poor monk, not of a bishop,
even when he became a highly regarded bishop. His food was mostly
dried beans and bread. One time he desired to eat pigeons, a very
liked Egyptian delicacy. He asked the cook to prepare two pigeons
for him which was a surprise for the cook. He prepared it at once
and brought it over. Anba Abraam asked him to keep it for the next
meal. The cook kept bringing the pigeons and Anba Abraam kept ordering
him to return it back until it spoiled and the smell of spoilage
was unbearable. He looked at it one more time and spoke to himself
audibly: "Eat my Soul what you desired." He then ordered the cook
to throw it away and that was the end of that!
- Anba Abraam had a wooden hand cross given to him when he became
priest. He kept this cross and used it in the service, and in blessing
the people all his life.
- He refused to sit on an elevated chair as the custom is saying
'how can I sit on an elevated chair when the Lord of Lords and King
of Kings is present in front of me.'
- In 1896, Pope Kyrillos V, visited Fayoum on a pastoral visit,
so arakhenat (prominent people) of Fayoum ordered an elevated chair
be built for the occasion of the Pope's visit. The cost was 40 Egyptian
Pounds which was a large sum of money, 100 years ago. After the
visit, the chair was kept in the Church of the Episcopate, but Anba
Abraam refused to use it.
- This is a good formula for a blessed holy man of God. This
is Anba Abraam.
3. Love for the Poor:
- He cared most for the poor, the Lord's Brethern: "Then said
he also to him that bade him, When you make a dinner or a supper,
call not your friends, nor your brethren, neither your kinsmen,
nor your rich neighbours; lest they also bid you again, and a recompence
be made to you. But when you make a feast, call the poor, the maimed,
the lame, the blind: And you shall be blessed; for they cannot recompense
you: for you shall be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."
(Luke 14:12 -14). He was rejected and lost his position because
he gave generously many times: When he was the assistant to the
Bishop of Menia, when he was the Abbot of the Monastery of St. Mary
in Quosia, known as "Deir Al-Maharaque" and also many complaints
were made against him to Pope Kyrillos V when he was Bishop of Fayoum.
In all these situations he chose silence as St. Arsanious, the teacher
of the children of the kings of Constantinopole said: "Many time
I spoke and regretted what I said, but about silence I will never
have any regret." His generosity included not only feeding the poor,
but eating with them, not only giving them clothes, but giving them
his own clothes. Several workers were dismissed by Anba Abraam because
they served the poor, food of lesser quality.
4. His Love for the Holy Books:
- We are talking about a simple man, but a learned simple man.
He studied and memorized the Holy Bible, and many Church books like
the Sayings of the Fathers, the paradise of the Monks, the History
of the Church, the Stories of the Martyrs, and Saints (Synxarium),
etc. We understand that he did not give the sermons, but he always
was near the podium (Mangalia) helping the speakers and the congregation
with his deeply spiritual explanations. And some speakers would
pause and ask his grace to explain the meaning of certain verses.
5. His Love for the Hymns and Praises:
- Those who knew him, remember his pleasant spiritually filled
singing of the hymns and praises. He enjoyed singing and praising
God in every service. Even when he was sick, he always desired to
praise and sing to God. He advised the congregation to learn the
hossaat (hymnals), doxologies (glorification/praises), and theotokiaat
(praises to St. Mary, Theotokos (mother of God)).
6. His Self Denial:
- When he was asked to become a bishop, he refused initially
and recommended five of his disciples. His disciples became bishops
before he was elevated to the position of bishop. And he was extremely
happy to see them appointed. This made him even more respected among
his brothers the monks and the bishops of his time. Finally, when
he was elevated he became an example to follow, he showed the whole
world the importance of sincere unselfish service to all the people
of his flock. This included the non-Christians as well.
7. Youth Service:
- Anba Abraam paid attention to the spiritual needs of the youth
before we had an episcopate for Youth Service. He invited them to
the monastery, and counseled them. At the time it was unusual, and
was one of the accusations used against him "bringing youth to the
monastery!" to this accusation he had no reply.
8. Complete Respect for All Authority:
- Anba Abraam taught us the respect for all authority as it
should be. When he was accused of wasting the episcopate funds,
Pope Kyrillos V summoned him in. He was extremely old, but he went
at once to see his patriarch in full respect and cooperation as
it should be. He also walked to the house of the manager (modeer)
of the then region (moderiat) of Fayoum to greet the Khediv (King)
Said Pasha. The Khediv admired his piety and respect for authority.
He also made sure to meet and know government appointees to Fayoum
and invited them to the house of episcopate. The episcopate became
a place of meeting for government officials in his time.
- When some youth came to him complaining about the compulsory
military service and trying to get him to approve of skipping military
service, he did not consent telling them: "If you do not serve in
the army, who is going to protect our country!"
9. His Life Conclusion:
- In Part I, we described the final days in the life of Anba
Abraam, and how his fellow citizen Moslems and Christians alike
were saddened by the news of his departure. Estimates ranged from
10,000 to 25,000 who attended his funeral. Before his departure
he gave away everything.
- When he departed, representatives of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate
were charged with counting his earthly positions. They found out
that he gave everything away before his death. They could only find
his wooden hand cross which he used all his life as priest, and
the staff of episcopate given to him when he was ordained bishop.
- "Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that fears the LORD,
that delights greatly in his commandments. His seed shall be mighty
upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed. Wealth
and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endures
for ever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness: he
is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man shows
favour, and lends: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely
he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting
remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is
fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall
not be afraid, until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He has
dispersed, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures for
ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see
it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away:
the desire of the wicked shall perish." (Psalms 112)
- Any other conclusion would not fit the life of our saint Anba
Abraam, Bishop of Fayoum, Friend of the Poor.
Concluding Remarks
- We tried to present to our dear readers a glimpse of the life,
wonders and miracles of Anba Abraam, Bishop of Fayoum, Friend of
the Poor. His example can be a guide to help us to change our view
of things, remembering the teachings of our Lord, God and Savior
Jesus Christ: "Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves
bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not,
where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also. Let your loins be girded
about, and your lights burning; And ye yourselves like unto men
that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding;
that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find
watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and
make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch,
and find them so, blessed are those servants. And this know, that
if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would
come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to
be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man
cometh at an hour when ye think not." (Luke 12:33-40).
- There are three major boasts (columns) on which the Christian
faith stands: Prayer, Fasting, and Giving. Anba Abraam reached perfection
in all three areas. But Above all is LOVE. Anba Abraam knew love,
because he knew God (God Is Love), better than any one in his generation.
- How about tribulations?, Anba Abraam suffered many. He was
accused, dismissed and even thrown out, but: "The disciple is not
above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for
the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much
more shall they call them of his household? Fear them not therefore:
for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid,
that shall not be known." (Matthew 10-:24)
- Anba Abraam completed every good thing and at the end he heard
the voice of our Lord saying to him: "Well done, good and faithful
servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
(Matthew 25:23). We the believers in all generations respond Axios,
Axios, Axios (Worthy, Worthy, Worthy). Abba Abraam Pi-Episcopos
Ente-Fayoum (Anba Abraam Bishop of Fayoum). Glory Always be to the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God, Amen.
©1996; Dr. William A. Hanna
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