The Departure of St . Euphemia .

This day also, marks the martyrdom of St . Euphemia . She was the wife of a man who fearedGod, and gave much alms . He kept three festivals each month: the commemoration of the angelMichael, on the twelfth day6; the commemoration of the Mother of God (Theotokos), on the6 The pagans in Alexandria worshipped the idol Zuhal, who had a statue and a temple, that was built by Cleopatraon the twelfth day of the month of Baounah .During the reign of Emperor Constantine, Pope Alexandros preached to the people, explaining to them the error ofworshipping the idols that do not move or reason, which are made by human hands, and the error of offeringsacrifices to them . He changed the temple of this idol to a church in the name of Michael the Archangel, anddestroyed that statue . He asked them to distribute these sacrifices to the poor that Christ had called His brothers, to384twenty-First Day ; and the commemoration of the Nativity of our Lord, on the twenty-ninth day ofeach month . When the day of his departure drew near, he commanded his wife, to keep thiscustom, to not stop the giving of alms, and to do the acts of charity especially on these threefestivals . He painted a picture of the honorable angel Michael and gave it to her .After the departure of her husband, she continued to fulfill his will . Satan was jealous of her, andhe came to her disguised as a monk, who talked to her expressing his pity for her . He advised herto get married, to bring forth children, and to refrain from doing charitable deeds lest she finishher money . He told her also that her husband had received the Kingdom and he had no need of thealms giving . She answered saying, "I have vowed not to consort with another man after myhusband ." She went on saying, "If birds as the doves and the ravens do not take second mates,how then can men who are created in the form and likeness of God do this?" The devil left herangry .When the feast of the Angel had come, and she had prepared all what she needed as her custom,Satan appeared to her in the form of an angel and said to her, "Peace be to you, the angel Michaelhas sent me to you, commanding you to cease from these alms, and to marry a believing man ."Then he told her, "A woman without a man is like a ship without a captain," and he began to bringher proofs out of the Holy Bible in regard of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and others like themwho married wives and pleased God . She replied saying, "If you are an angel of God, where is theCross, the symbol of your military service? For the soldier of the King never goes to any placewithout this symbol with him ." When Satan heard these words from her, he returned to hisoriginal form, and jumped on her to choke her . She cried for the angel Michael, whose feast shewas celebrating, and he delivered her immediately from him . The angel Michael told her, "Go andarrange your affairs, for you shall depart from this world today . And behold the Lord hasprepared for you what eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, nor has it occurred to the heart ofman," then he gave her the greeting of peace, and went up into heaven .After, St . Euphemia had celebrated the feast of the angel Michael, she sent for the father thebishop and the priests . Shegave them all her money to give to the poor and the needy . Then, she took the Picture of thehonorable angel Michael and prayed before it . She laid it upon her face and breast, then departedin peace .May her prayers be with us and Glory be to God forever . Amen .

receive the intercession of the angel Michael . This church was called, at that time, the church of El-Kaisariah .It was said also that this feast was taken after the Ancient Egyptians . They believed that the flood of the Nilestarted on the eve of the twelfth of the month of Baounah by "the coming down of the drop ." That is to say, the tearof "Isis," the goddess of fertility and motherhood . The tear that she shed grieving for her husband "Osiris," the godof agriculture and abundance, who was killed by "Typhon" the god of evil .This feast was replaced in Christianity by the feast of Michael the Archangel (Tareekh El-Omah El-koptiah) . Mayhis intercession be with us and Glory be to God forever . Amen .