✞”Be joyous, for I have prepared for you an everlasting Kingdom.” And St. Fikerte Kirstos pleaded Him so that He would make a covenant with her. Hence, He vowed, “Let it all be according to your word. As My name is added to yours (notice Kirstos), anyone who gives alms to your church, or is sent for the church/ for service/, or is buried in its compound, or comes and gives salutations to your church, I will forgive for 12 generations. I gave this pledge of mercy to you.”
✞”And may my blessing dwell in his/her house, indwell in his/her children and upon his/her money/wealth. And where your hagiography is placed demons will not come near. And when they invoke your name during harvest, may it be blessed. And whoever pleads through your name, may he/she be of good health.”
✞”He/she who truly invokes your name is honored. And he/she that writes your accounts or have it written or reads or translates or listens to it in faith or gives in your name a cup of cold water with an upright faith and without any doubt, his/her sins will be forgiven. For your toil and for your virtue I have given you 7 crowns and all these promises. And if I will not forgive him/her, I will not let a person set foot into your monastery.” And after saying these things to her, He ascended to heaven.
✞And the next day, she fell a bit ill and called the virgins and the monks and told them that her day of departure has arrived. And she said farewell to them after appointing one of them to be the Abbot of the monastery. And as she prayed the Psalm of David on Yekatit 29 (March 8), the day of the monthly commemoration of the Lord, she fell asleep (her soul departed from her body).
✞Our Lord came with His mother and the saints and took her soul to paradise. And the saints and the angels ululating accompanied her into paradise. And light was seen shining upon the tomb of St. Fikerte Kirstos for 40 days.
✞Her feasts are celebrated on Tahisas 16 (December 25) the day of the consecration of her church and on Yekatit 29 (March 8) the day of her departure in the Coenobitic Monastery of Eme Me’uz Kidane Miheret and Fikerte Kirstos which is found in the diocese of Northern Wollo, district of Meket, locality of Tiba Maryam in a place called Mintamer which was established in the 17th century by the her, the Ethiopian martyr and righteous mother St. Fikerte Kirstos.
✞✞✞ May the God of the Saint grant us from her grace and blessing.
✞✞✞ Annual feasts celebrated on the 29th of Yekatit
1. St. Fikerte Kirstos the Ethiopian mother
2. St. Zera Kirstos (Her husband, righteous and martyr)
3. The holy child (The son of Fikerte Kirstos – Cyriacus the Second)
4. St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (Elder, author, righteous and martyr)
✞✞✞ Monthly Feasts
1. The Birth of our Lord and God Jesus Christ
2. St. Arsema (Arbsima/Repsima/Hripsime) the Virgin
3. St. Peter the Seal of the Martyrs
4. St. Mark of Tormak
✞✞✞“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”✞✞✞
Prov. 31:29-31
✞✞✞ Salutations to God ✞✞✞
(Translated by Mhr. Esuendale Shemeles with the permission of Dn. Yordanos Abebe)
✞”And may my blessing dwell in his/her house, indwell in his/her children and upon his/her money/wealth. And where your hagiography is placed demons will not come near. And when they invoke your name during harvest, may it be blessed. And whoever pleads through your name, may he/she be of good health.”
✞”He/she who truly invokes your name is honored. And he/she that writes your accounts or have it written or reads or translates or listens to it in faith or gives in your name a cup of cold water with an upright faith and without any doubt, his/her sins will be forgiven. For your toil and for your virtue I have given you 7 crowns and all these promises. And if I will not forgive him/her, I will not let a person set foot into your monastery.” And after saying these things to her, He ascended to heaven.
✞And the next day, she fell a bit ill and called the virgins and the monks and told them that her day of departure has arrived. And she said farewell to them after appointing one of them to be the Abbot of the monastery. And as she prayed the Psalm of David on Yekatit 29 (March 8), the day of the monthly commemoration of the Lord, she fell asleep (her soul departed from her body).
✞Our Lord came with His mother and the saints and took her soul to paradise. And the saints and the angels ululating accompanied her into paradise. And light was seen shining upon the tomb of St. Fikerte Kirstos for 40 days.
✞Her feasts are celebrated on Tahisas 16 (December 25) the day of the consecration of her church and on Yekatit 29 (March 8) the day of her departure in the Coenobitic Monastery of Eme Me’uz Kidane Miheret and Fikerte Kirstos which is found in the diocese of Northern Wollo, district of Meket, locality of Tiba Maryam in a place called Mintamer which was established in the 17th century by the her, the Ethiopian martyr and righteous mother St. Fikerte Kirstos.
✞✞✞ May the God of the Saint grant us from her grace and blessing.
✞✞✞ Annual feasts celebrated on the 29th of Yekatit
1. St. Fikerte Kirstos the Ethiopian mother
2. St. Zera Kirstos (Her husband, righteous and martyr)
3. The holy child (The son of Fikerte Kirstos – Cyriacus the Second)
4. St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (Elder, author, righteous and martyr)
✞✞✞ Monthly Feasts
1. The Birth of our Lord and God Jesus Christ
2. St. Arsema (Arbsima/Repsima/Hripsime) the Virgin
3. St. Peter the Seal of the Martyrs
4. St. Mark of Tormak
✞✞✞“Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.”✞✞✞
Prov. 31:29-31
✞✞✞ Salutations to God ✞✞✞
(Translated by Mhr. Esuendale Shemeles with the permission of Dn. Yordanos Abebe)