Dn. Christian Azarias

[REPOST] The Eucharistic Miracle of Fr. Daniel Youhanna

[This post was originally on the Facebook page ‘Orthodox Saint Stories’]

One day a group of people submitted a formal complaint that Fr. Daniel Youhanna was not proficient in memorizing the liturgical prayers in Coptic, and he was summoned by Metropolitan Thomas so he may personally investigate the matter. The day after receiving the metropolitan’s order to appear before him, Fr. Daniel saddled his donkey to journey and meet him. His wife baked him a loaf of bread, wrapped in a handkerchief, in case he became hungry on the journey. He began the ride to the diocese headquarters in Al Minya.

Along the road, he began to review and practice the liturgical prayers in Coptic, so when he was tested by the metropolitan, he would be able to display his proficiency.

The metropolitan, seeing Fr. Daniel walk into his office, was shocked to see, in the priest’s possession, a handkerchief soaked in blood!

An Apologia for the Historic Accuracy of the Bible: The Last Supper & Liturgical Tradition

Just like many other topics which involve scripture, the accuracy and historic authenticity of the Last Supper has been challenged by skeptics. As a result, there were ideas which suggested that the narratives regarding the first Eucharist were not entirely factual, but was instead influenced by early Christian worship. For example, the Lutheran theologian and biblical scholar Rudolf Bultman has made the argument that “while Jesus may indeed have held a final meal with His disciples, the narratives as we have them are creations of the early church and so can tell us nothing about the actual historical roots of the Eucharist but can only witness to its later development.” 1

The Importance of Silence – A Meditation

In a world full of noise and chaos, our father Saint David the Psalmist teaches us the importance of quieting our souls:

“ For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation … For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” (Psalm 62:1,5-6).

The Bible says that the Voice of God is a gentle whisper. (1 Kings 19:12). To hear His voice that brings forth comfort and peace, we must go within our inner room of the soul (Matthew 6:6) through silence and prayer – free of distraction and worldly cares. “Blessed is the intellect that, undistracted in its prayer, acquires an even greater longing for God.” (St. Evagrios the Solitary, On Prayer, Section 117-120).

It is a bud that blossoms into a beautiful and colorful rose in the sun ,as undistracted prayer is a light of the soul that illumines the intellect – a pure Sacrifice ascending to our Heavenly Father. “Let my prayer be set forth before You as incense, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”(Psalm 140:2).

St. Hesychios The Priest teaches us – “ If we have not attained prayer that is free from thoughts, we have no weapon to fight with. By this prayer I mean the prayer that is ever active in the inner shrine of the soul, and that, by invoking Christ, scourges and sears our enemy.”

Let us, therefore, take our Lord’s example (John 6:15), to take time to escape the noise of the world and to spend quiet time with our Heavenly Father.