February 23

Covenant of Mercy, Ethiopia and Eritrea

"Ask and you shall receive." The Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox and Catholic churches have a tradition that after Jesus's ascension, his mother went to Calvary to pray to him for a favor. Jesus descended in a host of angels to ask what she wanted. Mary asked him to save anyone who would pray or do works of charity in her name. Jesus's promise to do so is known as Kidane Mehret, the Covenant of Mercy, remembered on Yekatit 16 in the Ethiopian calendar. This usually corresponds to February 23 in the Western calendar; some churches celebrate the feast of Kidane Mehret on the nearest Sunday. (Information and image of wall painting in Ura Kidane Mehret Monastery, Bahir Dar, Amhara, Ethiopia, from www.etiopiamagica.it.)  

Also commemorated this date:

bulletMadonna del Divin Pianto, Cernusco sul Naviglio, Milano, Lombardia, Italy. Apparition, 1924.
bulletAreovindus (Fire-Appearing) Mother of God, Orthodox Church (Feb. 10 old calendar)

Where We Walked ~~~ Mary Ann Daly