Journey Back to Eden.pdf - St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Chicago

APRILA TIME OF CONSECRATIONOf Sandstorms and Saintly AbbotsAPRIL 1, WEDNESDAYA terrific sandstorm blew in this morning. We have entered theso-called “season of the wind,” which is part of the Coptic meteorologicalcalendar. Actually, according to the monks here, it’s abouta week and a half or two overdue. Although it’s a terrible storm andthere’s very little visibility, all the monks and even all the visitorsare actually happy about it. It seems that an almost psychologicalburden has been lifted from them now that the “season of thewind” has finally arrived. They see it as beneficial because it aidsthe cultivation of the crops in the Nile Valley. Pollination cannotoccur, they say, unless the winds are strong.The papal residence is in walking distance on an estate adjoiningthe monastery, yet far enough away that in the sandstorm HisHoliness will have difficulty in getting here for the initial ritual ofthe consecration of the Holy Myron. We were told that he shouldbe arriving at 4:00 P.M. near the monastery wall, so we all went outthere to meet him. We stood, because it would be impolite to beseated when we greet the Pope. Actually, we stood for four hoursuntil 8:00 in the evening when His Holiness arrived, so much hadthe sandstorm made transportation difficult! But surely, there musthave been more to it than that.When he finally arrived, the Pope had with him in his car theaged abbot of Deir el Suriani, Anba Tewfilos. He’s very old now,and is regarded by many as one of the chief agents of ecclesiasticaland monastic restoration in the Coptic Church. He’s one of the148