Pope Benjamin I of Alexandria, Excerpt from Sermon On Cana of Galilee.

Pope Benjamin I of Alexandria, Excerpt from Sermon On Cana of Galilee.

Sermon delivered c. 645 CE.

Source: Mikhail, M. S. (2002). On Cana of Galilee: A Sermon by the Coptic Patriarch Benjamin I.”. Coptic Church Review, 23(3), 82-83. [http://scriptoriumdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Benjamin-Homily-Cana.pdf]

Now, my children flee from wine, for it is very evil. Let us flee from theft, not allowing it to close our mouths and kill us. Let us flee from drunkenness, that it may not evict us from our homes. Let us guard ourselves from the evil oath that leads humanity to the Abyss, which is Hell. For our Savior commands us, "Do not swear at all." Indeed, it is fearful to swear truthfully, and even more so to swear falsely.

I will tell you of a marvelous thing that happened because of a false oath as I saw it with my (own) eyes when God gave us relief from the sufferings heaped upon us by Cyrus the criminal. As I, the insignificant Benjamin, traveled south,'" by the will of God, and arrived at the monastery'" of the holy Archmandrite Apa Shenoute, some men from that diocese quickly brought to me a priest whose bishop had excommunicated on account of fornication. They asked me to reinstitute him. I spoke with them saying, "This matter," namely fornication, "is abominable before God and men." I summoned the bishop of that diocese and inquired concerning this matter. He said, "Some witnesses came to me and testified against him." And as they stood [to leave], bowing before my feet, my soul was greatly troubled. I commanded that preparations [for the Eucharist] be made that we may receive communion. I summoned that priest and said to him, "My son, this title of 'priest' belongs to holy men. If you are guilty of this sin, stop, lest you burn." Frightened, (the man) began to swear terrible oaths [which were] troubling to hear. I left him that day. As I attended to the holy Anaphora, I bowed my head before the altar and said, "Holy Archimandrite, my father Apa Shenoute, I know that you are in our midst now and your glory fills this whole place. Ask Christ Jesus our Lord to reveal the matter of this priest to us-whether he is pure or not-so he might not be judged [falsely)."

The following morning I woke up and commanded that we make preparations [for the Eucharist] in order to receive communion. I summoned the priest, whom we were just discussing, and said, "Wear your service clothes and stand according to your rank." He did this with great arrogance. And as (the book of) Acts was being read, a great fearful miracle occurred; hear it. An old monk entered with two soldiers walking beside him-they were frightening. They stood in front of us as the bishops and the priests stood according to their rank, while the deacons asked"' to read the Holy Gospel that we might receive (its) blessing. But the soldiers pushed the clergy and the monks to and fro crying out, "Which one is he?" The monk then pointed to the priest in question and said, "It is this one!" [The soldiers] approached that priest; each grabbed a side of his beard, and they (dragged him) out of the church. That priest was never seen again. Then the monk approached the altar and disappeared. It was then that we knew that the monk whom we saw was the holy priest, Apa Shenoute, and that the two soldiers were Powers from God. My beloved, you see what a false oath did to that man. Priests, keep yourselves from sinning in front of the altar, lest the angel of the altar rise against you. 0 the loss that he reaped, my brothers! The perdition that he inherited! Where is that miserable (priest) now? (Only) God knows.