Changes

'''St. Simon the Shoemaker''' (10th century A.D.), also known as '''Simon the Tanner''' (''Sama'an el-Dabbagh'' in Arabic), is the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic Orthodox]] saint associated with the great miracle of moving the Mokattam (Muqattam) Mountain in Cairo, Egypt, during the ruling of the Muslim Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz. == Who Is St. Simon the Tanner and the Miracle of Moving the Mountain ==[[Image:StSimonTheShoemaker.jpg|thumb|Coptic icon of St. Simon the Shoemaker(depicted as a one-eyed man carrying a sack of water, as he used - every morning before going to work - to carry water to the sick and the old who could not fetch water for themselves)]] Saint Simon the Tanner lived towards the end of the tenth century when Egypt was ruled by the Fatimid Caliph Al-MuizzLi-Deenillah, and Abraam the Syrian was the 62nd Coptic [[Pope]].

The Caliph Al -Muizz used to invite different religious leaders to debate in his presence. In one of those meetings in which Pope Abraam and a Jew named Yaqub (Jacob ) Ibn Yusuf Ibn Killis were present, the Pope got the upper hand in the debate. Plotting to take revenge, Ibn Killis quoted the verse where the Lord, [[Jesus Christ]], said in [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew ]] 17:20: "''If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move, nothing will be impossible for you''" and demanded that the Pope proves that his religion is right by means of this.

And so, after three days of prayers and fasting by the Copts throughout Egypt, Pope Abraam was directed by the Holy [[Virgin Mary ]] (in an apparition of her to him) to choose St. Simon to mediate for moving the Mokattam Mountain. On the set day, as the people, with St. Simon the Tanner among them, were saying [[Kyrie Eleisoneleison|Kyrie eleison (Lord have mercy)]], the mountain was thrusting up and down, and the sun could be seen from under it. After the miracle was performed in the presence of the Caliph, the Pope turned left and right looking for St. Simon the Tanner, but he had disappeared and no one could find him (a sign of the saint's great deep [[Humility|humility]]). The Caliph, shaking with fear, embraced the Pope warmly and this marked the beginning of a long friendship between the two. The Caliph asked the Pope to name his reward. After some hesitation, the Pope asked for permission to rebuild or renovate some churches, particularly that of St. Mercurius in Babylon. That church, which was partly destroyed, was being used as a sugar warehouse. The Caliph offered funds from the state treasury for the reconstruction of the church but Abraam turned him down. "He whose Church we are building does not need the money of this world and is capable of helping us until we finish the job," Abraam said.

The Caliph, shaking with fear, embraced the Pope warmly and this marked also decreed that the beginning of a long friendship between three-day grace period which he had requested from the two. The Caliph asked the Pope to name his reward. After some hesitation, and which he and the Pope asked for permission to rebuild or renovate some churches, particularly that of St. Mercurius bishops and priests spent in Babylon in what is now Old Cairo. That church, which was partly destroyedprayer and fasting, was being used as be a sugar warehouseregular period of fasting to be observed by all Copts every year. The Caliph offered funds from the state treasury for Those three days were added to the reconstruction forty days of the church but Abraam turned him downfasting before Christmas. "He whose Church we are building does not need Thus, the money of this world and Coptic Orthodox Advent fasting became forty-three days starting on [[November 25]] (as it is capable of helping us until we finish the job," Abraam saidtoday).

The Pope also decreed that Shortly after the threemiracle took place, Al-day grace period which he had requested from Muizz decided to [[convert]] to Christianity. A baptismal [[font]], big enough for the Caliphimmersion of a grown-up man, and which he and the bishops and priests spent was built for him in prayer and fasting, be a regular period of fasting to be observed by all Copts every yearSt. Mercurius Church. Those three days were added This font continues to exist until the present day and is known as "Maamoudiat Al-Sultan" which means the forty days baptistry of fasting before Christmas. Thus, the Coptic Orthodox Advent fasting became forty-three days starting on November 25 (as it is today)Sultan.

Shortly after the miracle took place, Al Muizz decided to convert to ChristianityThe [[relics]] of St. A baptismal font, big enough for the immersion of a grown-up man, was built for him Simon were discovered in 1991 in St. Mercurius Church. This font continues to exist until the present day and is Mary's Coptic Orthodox church in Babylon, Old Cairo (known as "Maamoudiat Al-Sultan" which means the baptistry of the SultanHanging Church).

The relics of StIt is noteworthy that Bishop Sawirus ibn al-Muqaffa` was closely associated with both the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz Li-Deenillah and Pope Abraam (975-978 A.D. Simon were discovered ), and thus wrote with authority in 1991 in St. Maryhis famous [[Severus of Al's Coptic Orthodox church in Babylon Ashmunein (known as Hermopolis): History of the Patriarchs of the Hanging Coptic Church)of Alexandria|Coptic History of the Patriarchs]] about the Mokattam Mountain miracle as an eyewitness of it.