His Grace Anba Ermia, General Bishop and Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center, presided over the vespers of Sunday, 24 November 2019, on the commemoration of the martyrdom of Saint Mina the Wonderworker, at St. Mark’s Cathedral, at the Mill of HH the late Pope Kirollos VI.
In his sermon, HG Anba Ermia tackled the life of Saint Mina the Wonderworker, expounding that his family had founded their house on the rock and that the life of the great martyr was a continuous fight. He also pointed out that St. Mina had many temptations in his life; the first was the loss of his father when he was eleven years old. Later, he underwent the second temptation, which was losing his mother. Despite all these difficulties, he felt the presence of God in his life and never felt lonely, weak or needy.
HG Anba Ermia added that the tribulation and pain that Saint Mina underwent led him to rely entirely on God as he felt that God was his only support; the great martyr experienced the goodness, love, compassion and paternal care of God. Because his heart was full of love towards God, he distributed his money to the poor and needy and headed to the wilderness in 303 AD where he worshipped God, lived an ascetic life as a virgin and spent five years in seclusion, prayer and praise. At the age of 24, he received the crown of martyrdom and became one of the great martyrs of the Coptic Orthodox Church and all the Churches of the world. He is called “Wonderworker” because of his many signs and miracles. We ask him to intercede with God on our behalf and to bless our lives, children, Church and the suffering Christians all over the world.
HG Anba Ermia concluded his sermon by sending a message to the Christians, saying, “I do not want any of you to be afraid, worried or shaken. Those who keep themselves to Christ and invoke Him, Christ will keep them safe and respond to them. We must be steadfast and support one another because we will all be held accountable before the Lord.” HG Anba Ermia congratulated HG Anba Kirollos Ava Mina, Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Mina the Wonderworker in the Mariout Desert, on the 60th anniversary of the re-establishment of the monastery by Saint Pope Kirollos VI.
