{{cleanuporiental}}[[Image:StMina.gif|frame|Coptic icon of St Menas the Wonder-worker]]The holy, glorious and right-victorious [[Martyr]] '''Menas''' (or ''Mina''; 285-309 A.D.), the [[Wonder-worker]], is one of the most well known Egyptian saints in the East and the West, due to the many miracles that are performed through his [[intercession]]s. His [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[November 11]] (or in the [[Coptic]] church on [[Coptic Calendar|Hathor]] 15 ([[November 24]])).

[[Image:StMina.gif|frame|St Mina the Wonders Maker]]Saint Mina (285-309 A.D.), who is called the blessed faithful, was martyred on Hathor 15 (November 24). His father, Eudoxius, was a native ruler of one of the city administrative divisions of Nakiyos (Nikiu) in Egypt and , died when Menas was its Governor14 years old. At the age of 15, Menas joined the army. His brother He was envious given a high rank because of him his father's reputation and was stationed in Algeria. Three years later he brought charges against him before left the Emperorarmy longing to devote his whole life to [[Christ]]. The Emperor transferred him He headed towards the desert to Africa and appointed him Governor over it. The people were pleased with him because he was merciful and God-fearinglive a different kind of life.

His mother Euphemia had no children. One day she went to church on the feast of our LadyAfter spending five years as a [[hermit]], the Virgin, the Mother of God, at Attribes. She he saw the children in the church wearing their beautiful clothes with their parents. She heaved a sigh and wept before revelation the icon of [[angels]] crowning the Virgin Marymartyrs with glamorous crowns, entreating her and longed to intercede for her before her beloved Sonjoin those martyrs. While he was thinking about it, in order that He would give her he heard a son. A voice came from the icon saying: "Blessed are you, "Amen." She rejoiced in what she had heard and realized that Abba Menas, because you have been called for the Lord had heard her prayerspious life from your childhood. When she returned to her home and told her husband about itYou shall be granted three immortal crowns; one because of your [[celibacy]], he repliedthe second because of your asceticism, "May God's Will be doneand the third for your martyrdom."

The Lord gave them this saint and they called Immediately he felt as if the earth under him Mina, according to the voice that his mother heard. When he grewwas vanishing, his parents taught him reading and writing and they reared him in a Christian manner. When he was eleven years old, his father departed at a good old age. Then his mother departed three years later. Saint Mina devoted his life overwhelmed with great eagerness to fasting, praying and be carried away to living heavens. In a Christian life. Because mood of everyone's love towards him and his fathervalor he hurried to the ruler, they placed him in declaring his father's positionChristian faith. In spite His sufferings attracted many of thatthe pagans, he did not forsake his worshippingonly to Christianity, but also to martyrdom.

When ==Relics==The saint's assassins tried to burn his [[relics]] but failed. The saint's body remained in the Emperor Diocletian had reneged Christianity fire for three days and issued his orders to worship idolsthree nights, many were martyred for and was not harmed. His sister came and gave the soldiers money and they let her take the Name body. She embarked with her brother's body on one of the Lord Christ. Saint Mina left his position and went ships heading to the desertAlexandria, where he stayed many days worshipping God with all his heartthey placed the saint's body in the church there.

One day he saw When the heavens open and the martyrs crowned with beautiful crowns. He heard a voice sayingtime of persecution ended, "He who toils for during the Name papacy of [[Pope]] [[Athanasius of Alexandria]], the Lord Christ shall receive these crowns." He returned to believers loaded the city over which he was Governor saint's body on a camel and confessed the Name of headed towards the Lord Christ. Knowing that he belonged to a noble family, they tried western desert (after an angel appeared to dissuade him from his faith and promised him honors and precious gifts. When he did not change his mind, they threatened him and the Governor ordered Patriarch informing him to be tortureddo so). When At the Governor failed to turn him away from his faith in spot that the Lord Christhad designated, he sent him the camel stopped and refused to his brother so that he might influence him but he failed alsomove. FinallyThere, near a water well, he ordered his head to be cut off with they buried the sword, his saint's body to be cast in . That place is the fire and his ashes to be scattered in same as where [[St. Mina Monastery (Mariut, Egypt)|the wind. The body remained in saint's present-day Coptic Orthodox monastery]] is located at the fire for three days and three nightsend of Lake Mariut, but it was not harmedfar from Alexandria, Egypt.

His sister came and gave Later on, the soldiers a lot Berbers of money Pentapolis rose against the cities around Alexandria. The people were getting ready to face the Berbers, and they let her the governor decided to take the bodyof St. She put it in a sack made of fronds Menas with him to be his deliverer and decided to go to Alexandria, as her brother had previously advised herhis strong protector. She embarked with her brotherHe took the body secretly and through the saint's body on one of blessings, he overcame the ships to AlexandriaBerbers and returned victorious.

During their trip, sea beasts came out of the water The governor decided not to return St. Menas' body to its original place (in Mariut) and attacked wanted to take it to Alexandria. On the passengers aboard the shipway back, they passed by Lake Mariut, St. They were frightened and screamed with fearMenas' original place. The Saint's sister prayed to camel carrying the Lord body knelt down and asked for the intercession would not move in spite of her brotherfrequent beatings. While They moved the passengers were in fearbody over another camel, fire went forth but this second camel did not move from her brotherits place. The governor finally realized that this was the Lord's body command. He made a coffin from decay-resistant wood and burned placed the faces of the beastssilver coffin in it. They dived immediately into the water He then returned it to its place and as they reappeared, the fire burned them againinvoked St. They finally dived and did not reappearMenas' blessings before returning to his city.

When the ship arrived at the city of AlexandriaLater, most of the people went out with the father, the Patriarch. They carried the holy body with reverence and honor his burial place was revealed when a shepherd was feeding his sheep in that area and entered the city with a venerable celebration and placed it in sick lamb fell on the church, after they shrouded ground. As it in expensive shrouds. When the time of persecution ended, the angel of the Lord appeared struggled to the Patriarchget on its feet again, Athanasius of Alexandriaits scab was cured. The angel informed him of the Lord's command which was to place the body of Saint Mina on a camel story spread quickly and to take it out of the city without letting anyone lead it, but sick who came to follow it this spot recovered from a distance until it stopped at a place that the Lord whatever illnesses they had designated. They walked behind the camel until they arrived at a place called Lake Bayad, in the district of Mariout. There they heard a voice saying, "This is the place where the Lord wishes the body of his beloved Mina to be placed." They lowered the body and placed it in a coffin, then they situated it in a beautiful garden and many miracles happened through just by lying on the bodyground.

Later onDuring that time, the Berbers daughter of Pentapolis [[Zeno (emperor)|Zinon]], the five citiesChrist-loving Emperor at Constantinople (ruled 474-475, 476-491) rose against the cities around Alexandria, was leprous. The people were getting ready to face the BerbersHis advisers suggested that she should try that place, and the Governor decided she did. At night St. Menas appeared to take the girl and informed her that his body of Saint Mina with him was buried in that place. The following morning, she bathed in the well and was healed. She related her vision about St. Menas to be his deliverer her servants and his strong protectorthat he cured her. He took Immediately, Zinon ordered the saint's body secretly and through the blessings of this Saintto be dug out, he overcame the Berbers and returned victoriousa church to be built there.

The governor decided not ==Historical significance=====St. Menas in Mariut===When [[Arcadius]] and [[w:Honorius (emperor)|Honorius]] reigned (383–408 and 393-423), they also ordered that a large city to return the body of be built there and named after the saint to its original place and wanted to take it to Alexandria. On <ref>[http://www.stmina-monastery.org/abu_mena.htm Abu Mena (Abu Mina)]</ref> Sick people from all over the world would visit the way back, they passed city and were healed by Lake Bayad, Saint Mina's original place. The camel carrying the body knelt down and would not move in spite intercession of frequent beatingsSt. They moved the body over another camelMenas, but again this second camel did not move from its place. The Governor finally realized that this was the Lord's commandMiracle-maker. He made a coffin That is evident from decay-resistant wood the numerous little clay bottles on which his name and placed picture are engraved. These were discovered by archeologists in diverse countries around the silver coffin in itMediterranean world, such as Heidelberg, Germany; Milan, Italy; Dalmata, Yugoslavia; Marseille, France; Dengela, Sudan; and Jerusalem. He then returned it to its place Visitors from these cities and invoked Saint Mina's blessingsothers would buy these bottles, usually containing oil or water for blessing, then returned and take them back to his citytheir relatives.

When the Lord wanted The historian Edith L. Butcher recorded that destruction started to disclose take place in the location of Saint Mina's holy bodycity, He did it in this mannerand its inhabitants were degraded after the Arab conquest. There was a shepherd in During the period after Haroun El-Rasheed ([[Islam|Muslim]] ruler), the desert. One day a sheep with mange slipped down into Berbers attacked the water of city and burned a well near the place large portion of the saint's bodyit. The sheep then came out of At the water and rolled over in the sand time of El-Mamoun (Muslim ruler), he ordered that placethe entire city be taken down, and instantly the sheep was healedthen he used its numerous marble pillars to build his palace and mosques. When It is only in the shepherd saw this miracle, he was amazed. He took some of 20th century that international missions began to search for the sand city and mixed it with water and smeared it over every sheep with mange, as well as on those with other infirmities, and immediately they were healedthe church (now a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

===The news New Cathedral of these miracles spread in all St. Menas===As soon as Pope [[Cyril VI (Atta) of Alexandria|Cyril (Kyrillos) the countries until Sixth]] was installed on St. [[Apostle Mark|Mark]]'s Throne, he began to put the Emperor at Constantinople heard foundations of them. He had an only daughter and she was leprous. Her father sent her a great monastery close to the place where remains of the old city. Thus, the Saint's body old monastery of St. Menas was resurrected, and she inquired from the shepherd how these miracles Copts were happening. She took some of the sand, moistened able to visit it with water, smeared it on her body once again and slept to be blessed by the night in saint. What is even more interesting is that place. In her sleep she saw Saint Mina saying to her, "Arise early and dig Pope Kyrillos VI stated in this place, and you his will find my that his body." When she woke up, she found herself cured. She began digging as she was told and she found should not be buried in the holy body. She sent word to her father, informing him new famous Cathedral of the newsSt. The Emperor rejoiced exceedinglyMark in Cairo, thanked but in the Lord monastery of his personal friend and glorified His Nameintercessor, St. He then sent men and money and built a church in that place and it was consecrated on the fifteenth day of Menas the Month of PaoniMiracle-maker.

==SourceSources==* [http://www.copticchurchstmina-monastery.netorg/classes/synexstmina.php?sa=1&month=3&day=15&btn=View htm St . Mina ] ([[Coptic]])* [http://www.stmina-monastery.org/inotherchurches.htm Beyond the Wonders' MakerCoptic Orthodox Church](Coptic)

 ==External Linklinks==* [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=103277 Martyr Menas of Egypt] ([[OCA]])* [https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=285 Menas of Egypt] ([[GOARCH]])* [http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=November&day=11 The Holy Great-martyr Menas] (''[[Prologue of Ohrid]]'')* [http://www.stmina-monastery.org/ St. Mina Monastery in Mariut on the Web](Coptic)* [[w:Saint Mina|Saint Mina]]. Wikipedia.* Great [[Synaxarion|Synaxaristes]]: {{el icon}} ''[http://www.synaxarion.gr/gr/sid/1149/sxsaintinfo.aspx Ὁ Ἅγιος Μηνᾶς ὁ Μεγαλομάρτυρας «ὁ ἐν τῷ Κοτυαείῳ»].'' 11 Νοεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.