Do
any of you know who Pope Benjamin was, or why he was so important?
No? well then, good, don't flip the page because I have the story
for you!
A
church had been built named St. Macarius the Great Church, in the
western desert in Egypt. It came time for the church to be consecrated,
so of course the Pope at the time, Pope Benjamin, went to the consecration.
Pope Benjamin was in the alrar by himself when all of a sudden he
saw "a hand with light emitting from it." Immediately
it clicked in his mind that since the hand wasn't his, and that
no one else was in the altar with him, that it must be something
holy! Pope Benjamin didn't just stand there and look at the holy
hand in awe, he pulled his hand away so that the holy hand could
finish what it was doing, and then he kneeled down. While Pope Benjamin
was on the ground kneeling, he found something lifting him up. Who
else could it be, but our heavenly friends, the Cherubim! Pope Benjamin
was probably beginning to get a wee little bit scared! The cherubim
knew that Pope Benjamin was getting scared, s they reassured him,
and told him that htere was nothing to be scared of. Pope Benjamin
was loosening up, when who does he see at the end of the altar?
An old man! This wasn't just any old man, but this old man's face
was shining like the sun! Pope Benjamin knew that htis man was holy,
and decided that the first opportunity he has he would make the
old man a Bishop. Sound like a good deal, right? Wrong! Once again,
our heavenly friends, the Cherubim, had to help Pope Benjamin out!
They informed him that making the old man a Bishop was a big no
no! You see, it's hard to make someone who has already departed
a Bishop! The old man with the shining face was actully St. Macarius
the Great's spirit! Can you imagin the look on Pope Benjamin's face
at that moment? All he had come to do was consecrate a church, but
he also got a holy hand, a holy man, and some Cherubim, too! But
nevertheless, Pope Benjamin knew that the church he was in was a
place where God dwelt, and was also the gateway to Heaven. Finally,
our heavenly friends, the Cherubim, told Pope Benjamin that if the
monks would seek God the way that St. Macarius sought God, that
He would support the monastery. With that, everything was gone,
and Pope Benjamin was left alone with the altar, just as he had
come in. In the aftermath, the altar came to be called the "Altar
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." And as for Pope
Benjamin, he went on with his life, but he did ask God for one thing.
He asked God that the day he die be the same day as the consecration
of St. Macarius the Great Church. As it turned out, Pope Benjamin
died on the sixteenth day of Babh... which was also the same day
as the consecration of the S. Macarius the Great Church!
In
conclusion, I would just like to add that I hope each and every
one of you tries to seek God out the correct way, as He will support
you throughout your life, and reward you with eternal life with
Him in Heaven. God bless you all, and remember to take care of yourselves
and one another.
