Moses the Black

His sins, chiselled in stone

Lo, an angel of light

The tablet became pure white

wiped away his black sins.

The Life · c. 332 – 407 AD

The Life of Anba Moses the Black

Ko te hato nui, ko te Anba Mohi te Mangu, e mōhiotia anō ko te Anba Mohi te Kaha, tētahi o ngā tino tohu rongonui o te ripeneta i roto i te hītori o te Hāhi katoa. He kaha ia i roto i tōna kino i mua i tōna ripeneta, kātahi ka kaha kē atu i roto i tāna whakatiki me tōna tapu, nō reira i kīia ai mōna, kua tino riro i a ia te rangatiratanga o te rangi i te ringa kaha, pērā anō i tā te Rongopai i mea ai: «e tukinotia ana te rangatiratanga o te rangi, ā, e riro ana ia i te ringa kaha o ngā tangata taikaha» (Matthew 11:12).

Tōna whānautanga me ōna rā tuatahi

I whānau ia i te takiwā o te tau 332 AD, ā, ko te whakapae nui nō Nūpia ia, i te tonga rawa o Īhipa; i huaina ia ko «te Mangu» nā te pango o tōna kiri. I tōna oranga tuatahi he pononga ia nā tētahi rangatira o tētahi iwi karakia ki te ahi; engari i peia ia e tōna rangatira i te nui o āna mahi kino me tōna nanakia, i te wehi kei hōrapa ōna tikanga ki ērā atu pononga. Kātahi ka haere ia ki te mahi mā tētahi atu rangatira, he upoko nō tētahi iwi koropiko ki te rā; nō te whiunga nanakia a tērā i a ia, ka oma ia, ā, ka anga ki te rapu utu i ngā rangatira me ngā tangata whai rawa katoa, ā, ka pakeke haere kē atu tōna ngākau.

Ka uru a Mohi ki ngā kaipahua huarahi, ā, nā rātou katoa ia i whiriwhiri hei rangatira mō rātou, i te tino nui o tōna kaha me tōna taikaha, nō reira i tapaina ai ia ko «te kararehe mohoao o te maunga» me «te whakawehi o te rohe». He tangata kaha whakaharahara ia, he nui rawa tāna kai me tāna inu waina; he kōhuru, he tāhae, he mahi kino āna mahi, ā, kāore tētahi i kaha ki te tū atu ki a ia, ki te whakahē rānei i a ia. E kōrerotia ana, i tētahi rā i hiahia ia ki te whakatata atu ki tētahi kāhui hipi, ā, ka tukuna e te hēpara āna kurī ki a ia; ka peke ia ki roto i te awa, ko tāna hoari i tōna waha, ka kauhoe i te wāhi roa, ā, ka oma te hēpara i te mataku. Kātahi ka whiriwhiria e ia ngā hipi pai rawa e whā, ka patua, ka amohia, ā, ka hoki kauhoe mai anō, pērā i tōna haerenga atu.

Tōna hokinga ki te Atua

Heoi anō, i ētahi wā ka tangi te reo o te pai i roto i a ia, nō te mea ehara ia i te tangata kino mai i tōna whānautanga. I te nuinga o ōna wā ka titiro ake ia ki te rā, tāna i karakia ai, me te kī atu: «E te rā, ki te mea ko koe te Atua, whakaaturia mai koe ki ahau»; kātahi ka mea anō: «Ā, ko koe hoki, e te Atua kāore nei ahau e mōhio, whakaaturia mai koe ki ahau». Nā, i tētahi rā ka rongo ia i tētahi e kī ana ki a ia: «E mōhio ana ngā mōneke o Wadi El-Natrun ki te Atua; haere ki a rātou, mā rātou koe e whakamōhio ki a Ia». Ka whakatika tonu ia i taua wā, ka whitiki i tāna hoari, ā, ka haere ki te koraha o Scetis (Shiheet).

Ka tūtaki ia ki a Hato Ihitore, te pirihi o Scetis, he ākonga nā Hato Makario te Nui. Nō te kitenga o Ihitore i a ia, ka mataku ia i tōna āhua; engari ka whakamārie a Mohi i a ia, me te kī atu, i haere mai ia ki a rātou kia whakamōhiotia ai ia ki te Atua, ā, ka tohe tonu ia i runga i te ngākau whakaiti: «Kua rongo ahau he tangata pai koe; nā reira i haere mai ai ahau ki a koe, kia arahina ahau e koe me pēhea ahau e pai ai, kia rite ki a koe. E hiahia ana ahau kia noho tahi me koe, ahakoa kua mahi ahau i ngā kino nunui». Nā, ka kawea ia e ia ki a Hato Makario te Nui; ka whakaako tērā i a ia, ka whāngai i a ia ki te whakapono, ka iriiri i a ia, ka whakaae kia noho ia hei mōneke, ā, ka whakanohoia ia ki te koraha.

Tōna ripeneta me tāna pakanga wairua

Ka whāki a Mohi i ōna hara i runga i te ngākau maru me ngā roimata maha. E kīia ana, i a Mohi e whāki ana, ka kite a Hato Makario i tētahi papa mangu, e murua ana ia hara i whākina e ia i runga i taua papa, ā, i te mutunga o tāna whāki kua mā katoa te papa. Kātahi ka whakapau kaha a Hato Mohi ki ngā mahi karakia maha, nui ake i ā te tokomaha o ngā hato; ā, ka whawhaitia ia e te rēwera ki ngā mea i a ia i mua — te matenui ki te kai me te inu, me ngā hiahia o te kikokiko. Ka kōrerotia e ia ēnei mea ki a Hato Ihitore, ā, nāna ia i whakamārie, i whakaako hoki me pēhea te wikitōria i ngā tinihanga a te rēwera.

He nui te pakanga a ngā whakaaro ki a ia i ōna tau tuatahi: i a ia e tū ana e īnoi ana, ka rere mai ana hara me āna mahi kino o mua ki tōna hinengaro. Nā, ka whakataka ia i a ia anō ki te whenua, ka tangi i te aroaro o te Atua, me tāna karanga rongonui: «E te Ariki, e mōhio ana koe e hiahia ana ahau kia whakaorangia, engari kāore ngā whakaaro e whakarere i ahau». Ā, i te paku noa, i te paku noa, ka mariri ēnei pakanga i a ia, nā te aroha noa o te Karaiti.

Nā te kaha o tāna whakatiki me tōna aroha ki te mahi āwhina, ka pēnei ia: ka moe ana ngā kaumātua o te whare mōneke, ka haere ia i te pō mā ō rātou whare iti, ka mau i ā rātou oko, ka whakakī ki te wai i mauria mai e ia i tētahi puna wai mamao atu i te whare mōneke. Ā, i muri i ngā tau maha o te whakauaua, ka hae te rēwera ki a ia, ka pā ki a ia te mate whēwhē ki tōna waewae, i takoto mate ai ia. Nō tōna mōhiotanga nō te pakanga a te rēwera taua mate, ka whakanuia ake e ia tāna whakatiki me āna karakia, ā, ka rite tōna tinana ki te rākau kua wera i te ahi. Nā, ka titiro te Ariki ki tōna manawanui, ka whakaora i a ia i tōna mate, ka tango i ngā mamae i a ia, ā, ka tau te aroha noa o te Atua ki runga i a ia.

Tōna whakaiti

Nā te mea i mātau ia ki te manawanui roa o te Atua ki a ia, ka waiho ko ia tonu hei tauira mō te whakaiti, mō te manawanui, mō te ngākau ngāwari ki te hunga hara. I tētahi wā ka huihui tētahi rūnanga o ngā matua ki Scetis; ā, nō te tomokanga o te Anba Mohi, ka noho ia ki waenganui i a rātou, ka mea tētahi o rātou: «He aha tēnei tangata nō Nūpia i haere mai ai, i noho ai ki waenganui i a tātou?» Ka noho puku ia, kīhai i whakahoki kupu. Ā, i te mutunga o te rūnanga, ka uia ia mehemea i riri ia, ka mea ia: «He pono i pōuri ahau, engari kīhai ahau i kōrero i tētahi mea».

E kōrerotia ana i roto i te pukapuka Bustan al-Ruhban (arā, te Pararaiha o ngā Matua o te Koraha), i hara tētahi teina i Scetis, ā, ka whakatū ngā kaumātua i tētahi rūnanga hei whakawā i a ia, ka tono kupu hoki ki te Anba Mohi; heoi kīhai ia i pai kia haere atu. Nō tā rātou tohe, ka whakatika ia, ka mau ki tētahi kete puta, ka whakakīia ki te onepū, ka waha ki runga i tōna tuarā, ā, ka haere atu. Nō tō rātou putanga mai ki te whakatau i a ia, ka ui rātou he aha te tikanga o tērā, ka mea ia ki a rātou: «Ko ēnei ko ōku hara e rere ana i muri i ahau, kāore nei ahau e titiro atu; ā, kua haere mai ahau i tēnei rā ki te whakawā i ngā hara o tētahi atu». Nō tō rātou rongonga i tērā, kīhai rātou i kī atu i tētahi mea ki taua teina, engari i murua e rātou tōna hara.

Tōna whakawahinga hei pirihi, me tōna matuatanga

I muri i ētahi wā, ka huihui mai ki a ia ngā teina e 500, ā, ka waiho ia hei matua mō rātou; ā, ka whiriwhiria ia e rātou kia whakawahia hei pirihi. Nō tōna taenga ki te aroaro o te Patiriaka mō tōna whakawahinga, ka hiahia tērā ki te whakamātau i a ia, ka mea ki ngā kaumātua: «Nā wai tēnei tangata mangu i kawe mai ki konei? Peia atu ia ki waho». Ka rongo ia, ka puta ki waho, me te kī ki a ia anō: «Ka tika tā rātou mahi ki a koe, e te kiri mangu». Heoi ka karangatia anō ia e te Patiriaka, ka whakawahia hei pirihi, kātahi ka mea ki a ia: «E Mohi, kua mā katoa koe ināianei».

Ā, ka whakatakotoria e te hato ētahi ture mō ngā mōneke, ā, ka waiho iho e ia ngā ākonga e 70, nā rātou i whakarangatira te oranga me ngā whakaaro o te ao mōneke i muri i a ia. Ā, nō te uinga a tētahi teina ki a ia, he aha te mea hei āwhina i te mōneke i roto i ngā whakamātautau ka pā ki a ia, ka whakahoki ia: «Kua oti te tuhituhi: Ko te Atua tō tātou piringa, tō tātou kaha; he kaiāwhina e tino tata ana i ngā wā o te hē (Psalms 46:1)».

Tōna matenga mō te whakapono

I tētahi rā, ka haere ia me ētahi kaumātua ki a Hato Makario te Nui, ā, ka mea tērā ki a rātou: «E kite ana ahau i tētahi i waenganui i a koutou, kei a ia te karauna o te matenga mō te whakapono». Ka whakahoki a Hato Mohi, ka mea: «Tērā pea ko ahau tēnā, nō te mea kua oti te tuhituhi: ka mate i te hoari te hunga katoa e mau ana ki te hoari (Matthew 26:52)». Ā, he maha ngā wā i whakatūpato ai ia anō i ngā mōneke, me te kī: «Ki te pupuri tātou i ngā whakahau a ō tātou mātua, e mea atu ana ahau ki a koutou i runga i te ingoa o te Ariki, e kore ngā Perepa (Berber) e haere mai ki konei; engari ki te kore tātou e pupuri i ngā whakahau a te Atua, ka whakangaromia tēnei wāhi».

Nā, i te tau 407 AD, te wā o te whakaekenga tuatahi a ngā Perepa ki te koraha o Scetis, i roto te hato i tōna whare iti me ētahi o ngā teina. Ka mea ia ki a rātou: «Nana, kua tae mai ngā Perepa i tēnei rā ki Scetis; ko te tangata o koutou e hiahia ana ki te oma, me oma ia». Ka ui rātou ki a ia: «Ā, ko koe, e tō mātou matua, he aha koe te oma ai hoki?» Ka mea ia: «Kua roa ngā tau ahau e tatari ana ki tēnei rā, kia rite ai te kupu a te Kaiwhakaora». Ka tomo ngā Perepa ki te whare mōneke, ka patua ia me ngā teina tokowhitu i a ia; e 75 pea ōna tau i taua wā.

Ā, i te huna tētahi o ngā teina i muri i tētahi whāriki, ka kite ia i ngā anahera e heke iho ana i te rangi, he karauna i ō rātou ringa, e whakanohoia ana ki runga i ngā upoko o te hunga i mate mō te whakapono; kātahi ka kite ia i te anahera a te Ariki e tū ana, he karauna i tōna ringa, e tatari ana ki a ia. Nā, ka puta hohoro mai ia i tōna wāhi huna, ka tuku i a ia anō ki ngā Perepa, ā, ka patua hoki ia e rātou, ā, ka riro i a ia te karauna o te matenga mō te whakapono, rātou tahi ko ōna teina.

Tōna tinana tapu

I muri i te wehenga atu o ngā Perepa i te whare mōneke, ka tangohia e ngā matua te tinana o te hato me ngā tinana o te hunga i mate tahi me ia mō te whakapono, ka takaia, ka whakatakotoria ki te whare karakia o te whare mōneke. Kei reira tōna tinana ināianei, rāua ko te tinana o tōna kaiwhakaako, o Hato Ihitore, i roto i te wāhi tapu kotahi i te whare mōneke o te Puhi Tapu, o Meri, e kīia nei ko «El-Baramous», i Wadi El-Natrun; ā, e rere tonu ana ngā merekara maha i a rāua. Ā, e whakanui ana te Hāhi Koputi Orthodox i tōna rā hākari i te rā 24 o te marama Koputi, o Baounah.

Nā, whakaaroarohia, e te hunga e arohaina ana, te kaha o te ripeneta me tāna i mahi ai: nāna i huri tētahi pononga whakaponokore — he kaikōhuru, he tangata pūremu, he tāhae — hei matua nui, hei kaiwhakaako, hei kaiwhakamārie, hei pirihi nāna i whakatakoto ngā ture mō ngā mōneke, hei hato hoki e whakahuatia ana tōna ingoa i te aata i roto i ā tātou īnoi. Kia tau ki a tātou te manaakitanga o āna īnoi, ā, ki tō tātou Ariki te korōria āke āke. Āmine.

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