Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
June 15
Saint of the day:
Prophet Amos
Prophet Amos' Story
The Holy Prophet Amos, the third of the Twelve Minor Prophets,1 lived during the eighth century before Christ. He was from Judah, and was born at Tekoah in the land of Zebulon, six miles south of Bethlehem.
At that time, the Hebrew nation was divided into two Kingdoms: Judah in the south, and Israel in the north. King Uzziah ruled in Jerusalem, but the other ten tribes of Israel were ruled by Jeroboam II, who was an idolater. At Bethel he set up an idol in the shape of a golden calf, which the people worshipped, turning away from the true God.
Simple and uneducated, yet fervent in his faith and zealous for the glory of God, this former shepherd of sheep and goats, and dresser of sycamore trees (Amos 7:14-15) was chosen by the Lord for prophetic service. He was sent to the Kingdom of Israel to denounce King Jeroboam's impiety, as well as that of the Israelites. The Prophet predicted great misfortunes which would befall Israel because of its ungodliness. As a result of his denunciations, Amos repeatedly endured beatings and torture.
Amaziah, the chief priest of the royal sanctuary at Bethel, hated Amos, who predicted that the Gentiles would conquer Israel; that they will slay the King, as well as Amaziah's children; that Amaziah's wife would become a harlot; and that Amaziah himself would die in a pagan land, because he led the people into adultery with idols (7:17). Amaziah became furious and had Amos beaten, but all of these prophecies were fulfilled.
According to a later tradition, Uzziah, the son of Amaziah, struck the Prophet Amos with a club, seriously wounding him. He was taken to his native village of Tekoah in Judah, and died there after two days (circa 787 B.C.) He should not be confused with Amoz, the father of the Prophet Isaiah.
In iconography Amos is depicted as an old man with a pointed beard. His scroll reads: It is he who builds his ascent up to Heaven (Amos 9:6).
1 The terms major and minor Prophets refer to the length of their books, not to their individual prominence. Although Amos is ranked third, his prophecy was the first to be recorded.
Verse:
Amos 7
Prayer:
Visit:
Prophet Amos in Tekoa
Tekoa is a city on Jerusalem’s protective perimeter (Jer 6:1). The city was fortified by Rehoboam (2 Chr 11:6). Later, Jehoshaphat’s army passed by Tekoa, and Jehoshaphat stopped nearby to pray (2 Chr 20:20). Tekoa is also the hometown of several named figures in Scripture. Ira, one of David’s mighty men, was from Tekoa (2 Sam 23:26; 1 Chr 11:28; 27:9). The “wise woman” who convinced David to allow Absalom’s return was also from Tekoa (2 Sam 14:1-20). And most notably, the prophet Amos was a shepherd from Tekoa (Amos 1:1). This photo shows some caves in the ruins of the ancient site.
View Toward the Wilderness
The ruins of a Byzantine church can be seen at the site. A cave located northeast of the church has been honored since the 1st century AD as the grave of Amos. There were many monks and monasteries in the vicinity of Tekoa in the Byzantine period. In many cases, they represented unorthodox theologies, such as Monophysitism and Origenism. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/249609
Recipe:
Orange Blossom and Honey Lemonade
This light and floral drink is refreshing enough to cool even the most heated brow.
The aromatic orange blossom and sweet honey make it a summer
hit to quench a hearty thirst in high heats.
Ingredients
Serves 5 – Time 10 Minutes
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1 Large Lemon
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1 Orange
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1 Tbsp Honey
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2 Tsp Orange Blossom Water
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1 Liter Cold Water
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1 Small Handful of Mint
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10 Ice Cubes
Directions
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In a large jug combine the lemon juice, half of the orange juice and the rest of the ingredients
and mix thoroughly before serving with fresh slices of lemon and orange for decoration.
TIP – This recipe is also fantastic with sparkling water.
