The Baptism of the Paralyzed Child

Saint Mar Okeen turned to the child’s father and said to him, “We trust in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. When the boy goes down into the water of holy baptism, he will receive healing in soul and body.” Saint Mar Okeen had hope in the Lord Christ and great boldness before Him, like the holy apostolic fathers. The boy’s father answered, “I rejoice greatly at this, and I and my household are ready to be baptized.” He spoke full of hope and trust in the words of Saint Mar Okeen, as though he already saw his son well and completely healed.

Saint Mar Okeen rejoiced with great joy and ordered the water of baptism to be prepared, which forgives sins and grants the new birth. He went to the child and prayed, saying, “O our Lord Jesus Christ, who loves the life of all people, hear the voice of Your servant’s supplication, as You heard the voice of Your disciple Saint Peter and raised up Tabitha through him. Make Your holy name glorified in this city, O Lord, and put to shame whoever speaks evil against Your holy name and Your servants.”

Then he took the boy, who was seven years old, in his arms and immersed him three times in the water of baptism, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The boy came up out of the water healed, as though he had never been sick. When the deacon saw this he was astonished and cried out with a loud voice, “Praise and thank God our God, who has granted us the healing of the boy!”

When the saint had completed the rite of baptism, he dressed the boy in his clothes and ordered that no one carry him, but that he walk by himself before his parents and all who were present. When the followers of Marcion saw this, their hearts were broken; great fear fell on them and they fled, thinking that the people would stone them.

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Sources

• The Life of Saint Mar Okeen, by His Grace Anba Matthaeus, Bishop and Abbot of the Monastery of the Virgin Mary (El-Sourian)