ABIY TSOM (THE GREAT LENT)

The Great Lent (Hudade Tsom/Abiy Tsom/Tsom Arba'a) sets in on Monday, March 11th,
2013 (መጋቢት 02, 2005 E.C.) for this year. The reasons for fasting remaining the same, this
fasting season is practiced by members of the Oriental Orthodox Churches to remember the fasting
of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Wilderness right after He was baptized by John the Baptist at the
Jordan River. While other Christian denominations do it only for forty days, it is done for 55 days
by followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. It will come to an end on Orthodox Easter
Sunday celebrated on May 5th, 2013 (ሚያዝያ 27, 2005 E.C.).
The eight Sundays before Easter Sunday have been named by the great Ethiopian saint, St.
Yared, who is said to have lived in the sixth century A.D. to remember important Biblical incidents
and issues. St. Yared is known for his extensive writings and most of all for his hymns which are
still practiced by Ethiopian Orthodox parish churches in Ethiopia and abroad. The names of the
eight Sundays, including the eve (March 10), and their brief meanings are given below:

1. March 10/መጋቢት ፩ – Zewerede/ዘወረደ (about Incarnation)

2. March 17/መጋቢት ፰ – Kidist/ቅድስት (about the holiness of Sunday)
3. March 24/መጋቢት ፲፭ – Mikurab/ምኩራብ (about Jesus' teachings in the Jewish Temple)
4. March 31/መጋቢት ፳፪ – Metsago/መጻጉዕ (about Jesus' healing of the sick, typically the
crippled man who was in bed for 38 years and was instantly cured by our Lord Jesus Christ)
5. April 07/መጋቢት ፳፱ – Debrezeit/ደብረ-ዘይት (about Jesus' second coming)
6. April 14/ሚያዝያ ፮ – Gebriher/ገብርሄር (about being a good or loyal servant)
7. April 21/ሚያዝያ ፲፫ – Nicodemus/ኒቆዲሞስ (about a Pharisee scholar named Nicodemus,
who was a member of the Jewish supreme council. He along with Joseph took Jesus' body
from the cross to His burial)
8. April 28/ሚያዝያ ፳ – Hosaena/Palm Sunday/ሆሣዕና (about Jesus' triumphal entry to
Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and a kingly welcome accorded to Him)

As stated above, Easter Sunday (ትንሣኤ / ፋሲካ) will be celebrated on May 05, 2013 (ሚያዝያ 27,
2005 E.C.).

Let’s keep these in mind, as we march the spiritual journey together in the coming two months.
May God bless us all!

Blessings!

Your brother,
Weldusha ze Boulder