Back To His Cell - Life of Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani

At the time H.G. Bp. Theophilus heard that Fr. Mettaos was in Qena his hometown for treatment purposes. In his passionate paternal affection that was characteristic of him, and through the late thrice blessed, Bp. Kyrillos former metropolitan of Qena (who had a special love for Heg. Mettaos El-Suryani). Also, through the mediation of the late Heg. Samouil Tawadros El-Suryani, he was able to convince Fr. Mettaos that H.G. Bp. Theophilus abbot of the monastery was ready to accept his return to the monastery (Der El-Suryan) with the promise that he can return to his old cell and work. Everything back to its same conditions before his departure to St. Samuel Monastery.

He was persuaded by them and agreed to this.

Truly he was very joyous to return to his beloved monastery and precious cell, and he began to prepare himself to return to the monastery. In 01/19/1959 the dove returned to its ark, our Father Heg. Mettaos returned to his beloved monastery, Der El-Suryan in the holy wilderness of Scetes. H.G. Bp. Theophilus abbot of the monastery and the monastic community received him with a loving and joyous welcoming. He entered his cell which was closed from the time of his departure until his return now; he found it as he left it.  

Our beloved Father returned to these memories of that day which was filled with passionate feelings and emotions, and he told us in his dialect and interesting accent, “I found my cell in the same condition and everything in it just as I left it! To the point that the white gas in the “waboor” (small cooking stove) was yellow due to all this time!”

Fr. Mettaos returned to his cell and to his work as the church’s sacristan as promised by Bp. Theophilus, abbot of the monastery. He was also assigned to pass on the rite of the divine liturgy to newly ordained priests; the late Heg. Bishoy Kamel was among those priests who had the rite delivered to them by him. Thus, he settled down in his monastery, cell and work.

Fr. Pishoy Kamel

Back to Der El-Suryan - Life of Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani

Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani

Returning to Der El-Suryan:

“But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him” (Genesis 8:9)

The life at St. Samuel Monastery was very harsh at the time in terms of the nature of the place being desolate, hard to live in and lacking material resources. All this together in addition to severe asceticism which Fr. Mettaos followed greatly in fasting, prostrations (metanias) and prayer.

All of this led Fr. Mettaos to suffer from severe anemia which weakened his health greatly to the point of being unable to stand on his feet and to serve himself!! So he thought of going back to his home town (province of Qena) to be treated in order to recover and to return to the monastery. He brought this up with his spiritual father Heg. Matta El-Meskeen who approved due to Fr. Mettaos’ severe deteriorating state and because of the love and trust they shared.

Indeed Fr. Mettaos went down to his hometown (province of Qena) and it was the first time for Fr. Mettaos to leave St. Samuel Monastery since his arrival. After some time in the period of his treatment and rest. Fr. Mettaos began to recover, he prepared and got ready to return to St. Samuel Monastery, to his cell and to his brothers.  But!

Blessed be the Lord’s Name, He has His own mysterious workings as Divine Revelation spoke through the tongue of Isaiah the Prophet, “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)

TO BE CONTINUED...

At St. Samuel Monastery Part 2 - Life of Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani

Fr. Matta El-Meskeen (Matthew the Poor)

There was a big reaction to Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen’s leaving the monastery. His sons through Confession gathered, about ten of the Fathers that used to have him as their confessor. They decided to leave and to go after their spiritual father to stay with him at the place where he was staying!!

And this actually happened on Friday 20/7/1956, ten Fathers of Der El-Suryan left the monastery and among them was our beloved Hegumen Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani. They were headed towards the Church of St. Mina in Zahra, Old Cairo where Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen was staying (he was their spiritual father).

It is right to say that Hegumen Mina El-Baramosy the Hermit (Pope Kyrillos VI) received them with the best welcome, was hospitable and tried to calm them down and to alleviate their sorrows. They stayed there for several days.

History also mentiones that Bp. Theophilus tried hard at the time to reconcile them and bring them back to the monastery once again and promised to meet any possible wishes of their own. Even H.G. Bp. Sawiris, Metropolitan of Menya at the time tried to mediate between them and Bp. Theophilus but unfortunately to no avail.

The Fathers the monks insisted on their position not to return to the monastery once again, and they settled on the decision to go to St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery in Mount Qalamoun. Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen and the group of the Fathers the monks, boarded the train that was headed to Maghagha, then to the El-Zora village, and from there to St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery where they settled.

At around this time, Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen and the ten monks with him began working on the monastery that suffered from severe poverty and lack of possible living conditions. The Fathers built several cells, planted some vegetation and stayed at the monastery for around approximately three years. During this time, Fr. Mettaos led the prayers of the vespers (sunset service), services of vespers, midnight prayers, celebrated the divine liturgies and was an example of the ideal ascetic monk.

At this period, he lived with the Fathers of St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery like the late saintly monk Fr. Andrawes El-Samoueli and the late monk Hegumen Salib El-Samoueli the Great. Our beloved Father [Fr. Mettaos] told us how this period was one of the strongest spiritual times in his life, the life of calmness, quietness and total seclusion and isolation from the world. He used to say that he saw his departure from Der El-Suryan to St. Samuel Monastery a dark moment in his monastic life! He meant to speak about his lack of steadfastness in staying in the monastery in which he became a monk in!!

Fr. Andrawes El-Samoueli in the centre.

Leaving for St. Samuel Monastery Part 1- Life of Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani

Hegumen Fr. Matta El-Meskeen (Matthew the Poor)

Leaving to St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery with a Group of the Fathers the Monks of the Monastery – Friday July 20^th, 1956:

The earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. (Psalm 24:1)

When Fr. Mettaos resigned from the position of robeta, the office was vacant and none of the Fathers wanted to take that position!! This was during the beginning of January 1956, as we mentioned earlier, shortly before the glorious feast of the Nativity. This provoked the anger of H.G. Bp. Theophilus abbot of the monastery, so that H.G. shut himself in the cell refusing to accept any festal congratulations or greetings from the Fathers and insisted on not leaving his cell until the Fathers agreed on picking one of their own for this position.

At that time Fr. Matta El-Meskeen was living in a cave outside the monastery, he went back to the monastery to attend the feast and to greet Bp. Theophilus and the Fathers. He found out from the Fathers of the monastery that Fr. Mettaos resigned from the robeta and that Bp. Theophilus shut himself in his cell until they agreed on the new robeta. Whereupon Fr. Matta El-Meskeen was fully ready to be the robeta. The Fathers informed Bp. Theophilus of this, he agreed with this decision, came out of his cell and accepted the greetings from the Fathers concerning the feast, and the crisis ended peacefully.

During the period of Fr. Matta El-Meskeen as robeta, there arose some sort of spiritual connection and attraction between Hegumen Mettaos El-Suryani and the late Fr. Matta El-Meskeen. Finally, this connection was perfected when Fr. Mettaos became one of Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen’s sons through Confession.

The resignation that led to the appointing of a new robeta did not last very long! Soon there arose disputes and different views between Bp. Theophilus as abbot of the monastery and Fr. Matta El-Meskeen as robeta, concerning private matter regarding the affairs of the monastery. This is a normal thing and expected in these responsibilities!!

These disputes grew and events unrolled rapidly as Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen left Der El-Suryan and went to Cairo to Hegumen Mina El-Baramosy the Hermit (the late Pope Kyrillos VI) who was serving the church of St. Mina in Zahra, Old Cairo and [Fr. Matta El-Meskeen] stayed there with him.

Continuing Last Post - Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani

Appointed Secretary (El-Robeta[1]) of the Monastery:

“For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. “ (1 Corinthians 9:17)

After Fr. Mettaos returned from the theological school for monks, his settling in the monastery and his cell, he was appointed his former work as sacristan of the church and continued in his work from the beginning of 1952 until August, 1955.

Due to his excellent efforts, commitment, strong personality and his ability to carry out responsibilities and Bp. Theophilus’ trust in him, he appointed him the responsibility of the Robeta. The one responsible for the labors and works of the monastery and on the other hand, in providing for the monks’ needs from food, clothing to other living necessities.

He carried out this responsibility that was entrusted to him to the best of his abilities in love and humility towards his brothers in the monastic community.

But due to his great love for the quiet life and the desire to be at peace with all, he saw that this position did not suit or help him towards his monastic goals that he sought and yearned for. Consequently, he delivered his resignation to Bp. Theophilus, abbot of the monastery, in the beginning of January, 1956.

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[1] The Word “Robeta” consists of two words (Rab “Lord” – Bet “House”) and it is a monastic term, traditionally used in monastic communities to identify the responsibility of the appointed Father who is responsible for managing the affairs of the monastery, like the Lord  of the house over his family