"The Confessor"
Why is St. Samuel given the title "The Confessor"?
He repeatedly confessed the Faith in front of the Emperor, and held fast to the Orthodox Teachings. This was the main reason his eye got plucked out.
How old was St. Samuel when he left for the wilderness?
22 years old. In the year 619 AD
(So he was born in 597AD)
How old was St. Samuel when he started strictly following the Church's fasts?
12 years old.
He would even fast till sunset on special holy days.
He was consistent with his prayers and attending church, so he was ordained an Anaghnostos right away (should come after Epsaltos)
How was he pressured from his parents?
He was pressured to get married, and he expressed his desire to stay chaste and become a monk of Jesus Christ.
Whenever they talk to him about marriage, he would refuse and say "If you keep saying this I'll escape to the wilderness"
Did St. Samuel wear his monastic clothes his whole life?
No.
When he was taken captive by the Barbar, they took away his monastic clothes and gave him servants clothes.
Lesson: Monks are usually never allowed to take off their monastic clothes once they get ordained. However, God is very merciful and understanding of situations. This is the perfect example that God looks more at the heart and intention than the literal rule-following.
Ex. Stand up and pray from the agpeya but like a parrot vs. pray from your heart while on the bus looking out the window.
How old was St. Samuel when he passed away?
96 years old, in the year 693 AD
What fasting regime did he follow when he was in the wilderness?
He would eat 2x per week.
He would be more strict during lent and not eat bread either.
St. Samuel is the perfect saint that we can ask for help from to guide us during our fasting periods!
How was he pressured from the Barber Leader?
*whenever you're put under pressure by friends or social media, call on St. Samuel to intercede for you and give you the strength you need to not only resist the temptation, but also to be an image of God to all those around you.
How did St. Samuel win over the Barbar leader and bring him to the faith?
The Berber leader tried to persuade St. Samuel to worship the sun
Trial of chaining with the female maid
Miracle of healing the paralyzed mand and mute man
Healing the female maid
St. Samuel healing the leader's wife
The leader and his family believe and got baptized
St. Samuel finally returns back to his monastery
What is the Coptic date and the Georgian date (normal calendar we use today) of the feast of St. Samuel the confessor?
What are we celebrating on this date? (his birth/death/etc)
Kiahk 8
December 17
His Departure to heaven.
How about his prayers and spiritual readings?
It was described in different sources that St. Samuel was always 'fervent in his prayers' (so we can ask for his guidance when we know we should pray but don't feel like it)
St. Samuel's spiritual readings consisted of Bible readings as well as the lives of the saints.
*All saints were humans and sinners like us. They became saints with spiritual hard work, just like we can!*
Why do we always associate St. Mary with St. Samuel the Confessor?
She chose to stay with him!
When St. Samuel returned to his monastery, he started praying to God; "Thank you my Lord and my God and my Saviour Jesus Christ that you made me worthy to return to this Holy place again..."
As he was praying, the Virgin St. Mary appeared to him and told him; "This place shall be my abode forever because I like the stay with my son Samuel for his purity and patience, and I'll stay with him and his Holy disciples who have the fear and obedience of God to the end of days."
How many times was St. Samuel hit in the eye with the sord?
2 times:
On two separate occasions, the emperor sent a messenger to the monastery, forcing the monks to believe in a heresy about the Nature of God. St. Samuel stood up for the Faith and confessed the Orthodox faith, so the messenger got mad at him and asked his soldiers to beat him up. They stopped after one of the swords plucked one of St. Samuel's eye out.