A Vision at the Sunday Gathering

It was the custom of Saint Mar Okeen to meet with the brothers on Sunday to answer their questions and to speak about the monastic way of life and the warfare of the demons. On the other days of the week he let no one come in to him except in necessity.

Once, when all the holy brothers were gathered around him, he broke off his words and was caught up in spirit, and he remained in silence and amazement for a long time. The fathers bowed their heads to the ground and could not raise their eyes to the elder’s face out of respect and reverence; this was the monastic custom of disciples toward their teacher.

The elder remained silent a long while. Then he came to himself and his tears began to flow. His disciple Michael asked him the reason for his sorrow and weeping, and the elder wept again and said, “My children, I saw a dove’s nest with two eggs in it. One hatched, and a young dove came out of it. The other hatched, and a small serpent came out of it, which in that same hour became a great dragon that wanted to destroy the mother. The young dove, its companion, drove it off, and with difficulty the mother escaped from it, but it had plucked her wings. Then that serpent died, and out of its belly came many small serpents that could not harm anyone. And behold, a man stood there with a rod of light in his hand and killed them all.

“It is certain, my beloved, that Satan is about to raise up trials against the Church. But our Master and Lord Jesus Christ will not abandon His flock to perish; He is able to destroy the dragon and all its offspring.”

And indeed, not long afterward the heresy of Arius appeared. It troubled the Church and raised up persecution against the faithful shepherds, a matter too long to write about here.

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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)