_|_ | C O P | N E T INTERCESSIONS Bill Hanna Church of St. Mary & St. Abram St. Louis Missouri Intercession ------------ "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation." [Hebrews 13:7] According to the Webster's dictionary, "to Intercede" is "to act between parties with a view to reconciling differences". Intercessions are actions on our behalf by those who are more able than we are. Sometimes the Church refers to the "Cloud of Witnesses" as in [Hebrews 12:1-2]: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." The Redemptive Intercession --------------------------- The Redemptive Intercession was the act of Jesus Christ on the cross. Christ is the only reconciliator between God the Father and man in salvation. There is no other savior or redeemer. This is clear in [Hebrews 9:12]: "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Other Intercessors (In Church Specified Order): ------------------ St. Mary, The Angels, Archangels, St. John the Baptist, Disciples, Apostles, Prophets, Martyrs, Saints, and all those who please God (past, present, and future) in their deeds. All of theses intercessors have one thing in common: They pleased God by their deeds, they are acceptable to him, present in his kingdom, and their voices are heard. How Do We Know There Is Intercession: ------------------------------------ We read in the Old Testament: "Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived" [Numbers 21:7-9]. Also we read in the Old Testament: "And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words" [Daniel 10:10-13]. In the New Testament we read: "Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak." [Colossians 4:2-5]. Thus, we have to pray for the success of the service of the Church, Like Paul asked the believers in Colossy to do. We become intercessors. In Revelation, we read of the rewards awaiting those who please God with their good deeds: "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son" [Revelation 21:6]. If this is what awaits those who please God, it is hard to believe that God would refuse their requests. And praying on our behalf---they do, as evident in the following verses from Revelation: "And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne" [Revelation 8:3]. Also, from the Old Testament we know of the story in which Saul tried to consult the Prophet Samuel, using an evil spirit, a woman with "familiar" spirit [1 Samuel 28:7-17]. Moreover, we listen to the words of Jesus, describing God, the Father: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" [Matthew 22:32]. Also, from the story of Lazarous and the rich man, we learn that Saints are alive and do petition God on behalf of those they care about, for the foolish richman asks the Lord to send Abraam to comfort him: "And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead [Luke 16:20-31]. If we believe in the value of praying for one another, then we should believe in the value of intercessions. Not to believe in the intercessions of the saints is either to deny that these saints are alive or to deny that they are capable of praying. Both of these are obviously wrong assumptions as clear from the scriptures above. Therefore, denying the value of intercessions is to reject the scriptures. What Can Intercessors Do? ------------------------ 1. Intercede: St. Mary, Angels, Archangels, John the Baptist Intercede in our behalf to the Lord. 2. Pray: All the others Pray in our behalf to the Lord. We, also, can and should pray for each other to the Lord. We are intercessors for those whom God entrusted us with. Pope and Bishops for all the believers, priest for his congregation, Sunday School Servant for his pupils, parents for children.. etc. We need to practice this in our daily life. Intercessors as Special Friends ------------------------------- We should develop a friendship with our intercessors. Like friends, we rejoice in learning of their lives and celebrating special occasions (e.g. their birth, their martyrdom, etc.) Intercession In the Church -------------------------- The Church asks for the intercessions of all the saints all the time. It takes faith for these intercessions to bring fruits. In the Raising of Incense: we start with praises: Epsaliah (Psalms unto the Lord), Theotekia (Magnifying the Theotokos), and Doxologia (Glorifications for the saints according to the order given above). We then conclude with the Congregation of the Saints which is a long list of names from all categories. In the Liturgy: We sing Zoxapatri (Glory to the Holy Trinity), Tai-shori (to the Virgin Mary), Heeteniat (Intercessions) In the order given, Agios (Praising and giving Glory to Jesus Our Lord), 7 Prayers (Intercessions), Khenevran (Glory to the Holy Trinity, followed with Axios, worthy to St. Mary, Saint of the Church, and the Saint(s) of the day and/or Occasion). The Cherubim Glory to God through his angels, and the Congregation of Saints towards the end of the Liturgy. Value of Intercessions ---------------------- Through Intercession and Prayers, we are assured of our Salvation. In a sense we see the saints as mentors---as examples of people "who did it". Through intercessions, we receive help with problems: Spiritual and Physical---a clear Assurance that God Is Working In Our Life. In Romans 8:27-29, we read: "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." Examples from our recent history: -------------------------------- Pope Kyrillos VI called on St. Mena all the time. St. Mena was his intercessor. He also celebrated him, and built a monastery to honor his saint. Abouna Mikhail Ibrahim used to greet the saints in the Church each with his name, asking them to do different things for different people. Abouna Mikhail Al-Beheery used to say ummi (my mother) meaning the virgin Mary, or the Church told me when he instructed people what to do. Old testament examples: ---------------------- Abraham interceded for his cousin Lot. He also tried to intercede for the people of Sodom and Gamorah. They could not find ten good people [Genesis 18]. in Sodom and Gamorah. Lot was saved through the intercession of Abraham. Also, Abraham intercede for Isaac his son when Abraham servant went to find a wife suitable for Isaac. The servant asked the God of his master Ibraham to help him choose. The God of his master Abraham! Rachel was barren, and through the intercession of her husband she bore Joseph and Benjamin. She cried to her husband and in turn he cried to God. Joseph certainly interceded for Egypt by his wisdom and prayers also. Egypt was saved from famine through his wisdom, word of knowledge, and prayers. He also saved his eleven brothers from famine through his generosity and prayers. They could have been destroyed for more than one reason. Eli the Priest interceded for Hannah when he heard her hurtful cries. She was given Samuel who followed Eli as Priest and highly regarded prophet of Israel: "Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him" [1 Samuel 1:17]. Through their sorrowful prayers and intercessions [2 Kings 18], God saved Jerusalem from invasion by Sennacherib King of Assyria (Persia). Eliah prayed and the rain stopped for 3 years and 6 months. Prayed again and it rained. He prayed for the woman from shonum, and her jar of oil and bowl of flour lasted three years and six months. He also raised her son from the dead through prayer. The prayers of Elijah healed Naman the leader of the army of the king of Syria. His anger transferred the illness (leprosy) to his disciple gehazi. His intercession gave the woman from serfat Seida a Child, His prayers also raised the child from the death when the woman begged him to pray. Through prayers and intercessions Daniel saved the king of Persia from destruction. Also when he was in the den of lions his prayers brought the Archangel Gabriel to defeat the devil... "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days" [Daniel 10:13-14]. God is the One who grants or denies intercessions ------------------------------------------------- Nathan was a prophet, David was prophet and King. David sinned. God sent Nathan to remind David of his sin. The Lord was going to destroy David for taking Bath-sheba the wife of Uriah the Hittite [2 Samuel 12] and sending him to the front line where he was killed in the war. God saved David through his repentance and certainly the intercession of Nathan, but there was still a punishment. God accepts intercession, but He is still fair and just God. Solomon sinned, and Israel sinned. God heard the prayer (intercession) of Solomon and spared him losing the kingdom. However, the kingdom was divided as punishment during the rule of his son rahbaam. A kingdom of Judea continued because of God's promise to David and Solomon, even with all their transgression. New Testament Examples ---------------------- The greatest gift is faith in our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ. But we also can use the help of intercessions and prayers. Jesus heard the intercessions of the people. For example the Centurion asked for the healing of his servant, the whole flock testified to him about how good this gentile (non-believer) was to them. Then the mans showed Jesus even a greater thing by asking Jesus not to enter under his roof because he was a sinner, but say one word and my servant will be healed. St. Mary (Theotokos) asked her Son, and he provided heavenly wine at the wedding in Canna of Galilee, it is the first miracle recorded in the gospel. She always intercedes for our race. The stories in Church history are very many. The dissolving of Iron bars of the jail in Asia Minor (Hallat Al-Hadeed), the saving of the Church in Atreeb (during Abassid Rule), The Moving of Mukataam Mountain East of Cairo (during Fatimide Rule). These are but a few stories of intercession. The Apparition in Zeitoun (1968) and Shoubra (1986) are intercessions. We call her full of grace, fair dove, censor of Aaron, Dome of Moses, the intercessor of our race. Through her intercessions and prayers we can triumph on many of our adversaries. We celebrate for her the 22nd of every month of the Coptic Calendar. Archangel Michael is the first in the Archangels as we sing in the praises. His Intercessions are very powerful. We celebrate for him the 12th of every month in the Coptic Calendar. The stories of his intercession in the Bible, and in the history are many. He fought for Daniel, he fought the devil not to reveal the location of the body of Moses, .. etc. Archangels Gabriel, Rafael, Sorial, Sadakiel, Saraseial and Ananenial are all powerful as well. The prayers of the disciples and their intercessions are most helpful. Think of Saints John, James, Andrew and Peter for example. They are Christ's first disciples. He called them and they followed him. They became fisher of men. Can we be like them. First we need to ask for their intercession and prayer. Peter heard the intercession for Tabetha, and he raised her from the death, in the Name of Jesus. St. Mark the Apostle came to our land Egypt, and taught us the Father and the Son and The Holy Spirit. Can he be our Intercessor. There are 70 Apostles. They all can intercede and pray for us. The Martyrs are very special in the eyes of God. They followed the example of Jesus by giving their own life for the name which is above all names. In our church we always remeber St. George, St. Mena, St. Demiana, St. Markorios Philopateer, St. Abanoob (Just a 12 years old, who endure suffering and finally was executed for professing the name of God). How about saints Kouzman and Demian from the Arabian Desert, St. Gregory the Armenian, and many many many more. The likes of Maximus and Domaduous, St. Athanasious the Apostolic, St. Cyril the Great, St. Anthony, St. Paula (Paul) the Anchorite. In our days also, we have intercessors whom some of us knew. They are great intercessors the likes of St. Abraam, He is an intercessor. Pope Cyril VI, he is an intercessor. Fr. Michael Ibrahim, he is an intercessor. If you experienced the effects of their prayers and intercessions, you can tell others, if you did not. There are many books which tell the wonders, miracles, help these saints can provide. God is Glorified through these miracles. It is all the works of God through the Saints. The Book Of Synxarium is a book of history and stories of the martyrs and saints. We read it every day of the week. It reminds us of their good deeds, and makes us want to follow their example and do like them. It also gives us a chance to know more and want to benefit from prayers and intercessions. Our Church is rich with such celebrations of feasts of Martyrs & Saints. Some are extremely popular: The feasts of: St. Mary, Archangel Michael, St. Mark, St. Anthony, St. George, St. Mena, St. Demiana, St. Markorios Philopateer. We added celebrations for St. Abraam in this century. Some also remember Pope Kyrillos VI, Fr. Bishoy Kamel, and Fr. Michael Ibrahim. They all pleased God. They are intercessors. Times Not To Celebrate Saints: ----------------------------- During Paschal week we dedicate all our prayers to the passion of our Lord, His suffering, crucifixion, and death. During the Pentecost Season, we celebrate His Resurrection, Ascension to Heaven, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, and await His coming back. The Orthodox Church and Intercession: ------------------------------------ The Church firmly believes in the power of prayer and intercessions. For that reason it is one of the major parts of the public prayers to include praises and magnifications of the saints. These are called Doxologies (glorifications). They follow Epsalies (Psalms to the Lord) and Theotokias (magnifying the theotokos). And also, we include the congregation of the saints in all praises sessions.