Homily on the Archangel Michael by John

John the bishop spoke concerning a certain rich man who dwelt in a certain city, and his heart was hard as Pharaoh’s, and he had no fasting nor prayer. And there was a certain poor man who dwelt in his neighborhood with his wife, and their faith was steadfast, and they would devote themselves continually to the holy Michael, the chief of the angels, and they would prepare for his feast and give all that they had to the poor and the needy. And that rich man, their neighbor, saw this and murmured in his heart, saying concerning these poor ones who have nothing to eat nor drink and cannot obtain for themselves anything at all, how then do they give to the poor? And one day he summoned the poor man and said to him, “You, a man who has no plow to till with, and you have nothing to sow or to reap, where do you find what to give to the poor?” And the poor man said to him, “I and my wife, when we invoke the name of Michael, the chief of the angels, he gives us strength and blessing, and we prepare with our hands much work, and our handiwork is blessed thereby; and at that time that rich man was ashamed and confounded.

I, your father John, bishop of Ethiopia, and you, my children and my people whom God has given me, ask and pray that we may find favor, mercy, and compassion before the lover of mankind, God, through the prayer of the holy Michael, chief of the angels, and through the glory of the holy Gabriel, announcer of the incarnation, and through the intercession of our Lady Mary, mother of God, and through the prayer of John the Baptist, and through the prayers of the righteous and martyrs, and through the intercession of the four living creatures and the twenty-four heavenly priests. Praise to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May their blessing and the gift of their help, of all the saints, be with us—for the one who wrote it, for the one who caused it to be written, for the one who read it, for the one who translated it, and for the one who heard its words together. May God have mercy on them in the kingdom of heaven forever and ever. Amen.

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God. A homily of the holy Michael, chief of the angels, which is read in the month of Ḥamle, spoken by John, bishop of the land of Ethiopia, in Aksum, where his see is. And there was a certain evil man, like Pharaoh, and he did not know fasting and prayer, and his heart was hard as stone. He saw a vision, and by his strength he dwelt in fire, having no sustenance, and his faith was fat with his wife. And they harness themselves to God, and they make a feast for the holy Michael, and they give from what they have received to the poor and the needy. And by the prayer of John the Baptist, and by the intercession of Michael and Gabriel, and by the prayer of all the holy martyrs, the righteous, the prophets, and the apostles, may he have mercy on us and pardon us. If you have received, give; and if you have not received, give water in the name of Michael and Gabriel. And may righteousness be increased for you, praise to the world of worlds. Amen.