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

A TIME TO VISIT ABRAHAM 35Anyway, in the 1940s and 1950s, he led a number of disciplesout into the desert, some of whom have become rather famous inthe Coptic Church. Abuna Matta el Meskeen, Matthew the Poor,who is now the Abbot of St. Macarius and one of the most famous,perhaps the most famous Coptic religious figure internationally,was one of those original disciples. Pope Shenouda III, while just agraduate student, years before he became bishop, was also one ofthe original disciples of Abuna Mina el Muttawahad. There wereothers as well: Abuna Samuel, later Anba (Bishop) Samuel, was afamous spokesman for the Coptic Church in ecumenical affairs. Hewas killed when he was seated next to Anwar Sadat at the time ofSadat’s assassination. Anba Samuel was representing the CopticChurch in the parade that day when the gunmen got out of thetruck and shot down everyone sitting on the presidential dais.Abuna Elia was also one of the original company of AbunaMina’s followers. He is not publicly great; he is the only one whodid not become a bishop or an abbot or a pope. But as much as hecould, so long as he was able, he lived in the desert. He is now oldand unfamous and, until recently, managed to remain in his originalestate as a solitary.Several years ago he was recalled out of the distant desert solitude,back to the environs of the Wadi Natroun. As noted earlier,he has now been called out of the solitude of the hills and the cavesnearby to live entirely inside the walls of the monastery because ofhis advanced age and infirmity. So Abuna Elia groans now, I gather,because he is so besieged with all the sights and sounds of themonastery, most especially the pilgrims.I’m looking forward, then, to being brought to his cell to meethim again, although I dread to further tax him. Like everyone else,I suppose he has also taken me to be a pilgrim. But, since I wear ahabit, he must imagine me to be a pilgrim of a somewhat differentnature.Renewed AcquaintanceNOVEMBER 13, THURSDAYAfter the Kodes today, Abuna Sidrak reminded me that AbunaElia was looking forward to seeing me. This is a big honor, AbunaSidrak told me, and he assured me that this would be a great bless-