Mazgaba Maṣāḥəft

Title

• Dabra Zamaddo's Abbot Mahdara Krǝstos who left his office on his own volition.

Description

Mahdara Kresto was a monk who lived at Dabra Zamaddo and who loyally served Mary. The people of Dabra Zamaddo appointed Mahdara Kresto as their new abbot, and he ably upheld the church’s orders and laws. But there came a day when Mahdara Kresto decided to step down from his office. When the people begged him to stay, he responded: “when the time in office is prolonged, negligence will prevail.” As Mahdara Kresto grew old and began to prepare his grave far from the church, Mary sent a messenger to ask him why he dug outside the shrine. Mahdara Kresto, who believed himself a sinner, asked why he should be buried in the shrine. But the messenger promised that the monk would have his final rest there. After Mahdara Kresto finished his labors, he went on to live for many years with a childlike innocence. When he died, other monks brought his body to the shrine and, at Mary’s direction, buried him to the right of the altar.