Mazgaba Maṣāḥəft

CAe 0002

 

Title

  • Miracle of Mary: Dabra Zamaddo's Abbot Abuna Yohannǝs persuades a husband to give up his second wife and be reconciled to his first

Description

A posthumous Miracle of Mary. In the land of Malko Amba there lived a married man who took a concubine into his house. After quarreling with him, this man’s wife sent a letter to Abbuna Yohannes at Dabra Zamaddo and asked for his help. The abbot went to the married couple and offered them spiritual counsel. The husband cast the concubine out of his house, and peace was restored. Five months later, the husband brought the concubine back. This occurred during the rainy season, when the river Sellare was impassable. The husband taunted his wife, knowing that Abbuna Yohannes would not be able to come again. But God revealed this woman’s tribulations to Abbuna Yohannes, and he prayed that Mary might help. Upon hearing the abbot’s plea, Mary told him to go to the river and divide the water with his cross. He followed her instructions, and after passing through the divided waters, Abbuna Yohannes went to the man and arrested him. Neighbors came out to intercede, begging the abbot to let the man go. Out of his love for Mary, Abbuna Yohannes eventually decided to release his prisoner.

Contributors

  • Wendy Laura Belcher, editor
  • Jeremy Brown, editor
  • Taylor Eggan, contributor

History

  • Taylor Eggan on :
    (PEMM) typed incipit and summary at https://pemm.princeton.edu/stories/1007
  • Wendy Laura Belcher on :
    (PEMM) identified the miracle