The Miracle of the Church in Atreeb

Select Actors:    Narrator (best reader), Virgin Mary, Priest, Caliph, Prince, & bird.
Objects needed:    Icon of Virgin Mary, money bag, and letter.

Act I
(Virgin Mary, Priest, & Prince)

Narrator:    During the reign of Haroun Al-Rasheed, a harsh ruler governed Egypt.  He persecuted Christians and destroyed their Churches.  His assistants continued to destroy Churches until they came to the City of Atreeb, near Benha.  There was a Church in that city bearing the name of Virgin Mary.  It was a big beautiful building; its pillars were made of marble covered with gold.
    Its priest felt that they had come to destroy the Church.  He went inside the Church and prayed with tears.

Priest:    (praying toward the Icon of the Virgin)

Prince:    "Show us your Church immediately; we have an order from the Caliph to take it with everything in it."

Priest:    (showing the Church) "Give me three days, and I'll bring you a decree from the Caliph that this Church should not be destroyed."

Prince:    (laughing) "The Caliph is in Baghdad; it takes at least two months to reach him.  How can you get a decree from him in three days?"

Priest:    "I am sure that Virgin Mary can stop you from destroying her Church; she will defend it.  (giving money to the prince) Here are 300 dinars to pay for the cost of your stay with those who are with you.  Please wait for three days."

Prince:    (taking the money) "I will wait for three days, but the Church must be dismantled."

Priest:    (prays hard toward the Virgin's Icon) "Save us O Virgin . . . Forgive us . . . Intercede to your Son for us . . . Help us . . . Don't allow them to destroy your Church."

Narrator:    The priest did not taste any food.

Virgin Mary:    "I am the Virgin . . . I,ll help you . . . Do not be afraid of the prince . . . His master will order Him not to destroy this church."

Act II
(Virgin Mary & Caliph)

Narrator:    While the priest was praying, it was night and the Caliph was asleep in Baghdad.  He saw a very bright light and got up in horror.

Caliph:    "Who are you?!!"

Virgin Mary:    "I'm Mary, the Mother of Jesus Whose churches you are destroying.  How can you sleep in comfort while all Christians are suffering?  I am the Virgin, the Mother of God.  Repent, otherwise you will suffer unbearable pain."

Caliph:    (shakes in horror) "I'm ready to do what you want.  Please do not hurt me!"

Virgin Mary:    "Now, write a decree in your handwriting, stamp it with your seal and send it to your assistant in Atreeb.  Give an order that your soldiers stop destroying churches and attacking Christians."

Caliph:    "How can this letter arrive in Egypt today?  It is impossible by land or by sea."

Virgin Mary:    "Just write the decree, and with the help of God it will reach the Prince before he gets up this morning."

Caliph:    (writing the letter in fear) "I am the Caliph Haroun Al-Rasheed . . . Come here at once . . . Do not destroy the churches of the Christians."

Act III
(Priest, Prince, & bird)

Narrator:    After he stamped the letter, a big bird with a big beak came and snatched the letter and flew off quickly.  The Virgin disappeared.  After a short time, the bird was in Atreeb; it came to where the prince was sitting, threw the letter to him and flew away.

Prince:    "This letter is from Haroun Al-Rasheed.  It's ordering me to go to him quickly?!" (He reads it three times and examines the stamp and handwriting) "It's from Haroun Al-Rasheed no doubt."

Narrator:    The prince sends for the priest.

Prince:    "I received a letter from Haroun Al_Rasheed.  Tell me, what have you done?"

Priest:    "The Mother of Light facilitates everything for us.  I prayed to her and she answered my prayers."

Narrator:    The prince believed in the Lord Christ.  He entered the church and kissed the Icon, requesting from the Virgin to guard him during his travel.  He gave the 300 dinars back to the priest and gave him 100 dinars more.

Act IV
(Caliph & Prince)

Narrator:    The prince reaches Baghdad and meets the Caliph.  He finds him confused.

Prince:    "Your Majesty, a letter came to us from you . . . Is this right?"

Caliph:    "It was I who sent it.  Tell me what happened."

Narrator:    The Prince told the Caliph everything that happened with the priest, the letter, and the bird.

Caliph:    "We will build a church for the Christians after the name of the Lady Virgin, the Mother of Light, to help me in my life and deliver me."

Narrator:    They built the beautiful Church and put many expensive objects in it, including the Icon of the Virgin.  The persecuted Christians gathered in it and were happy, thanks to the Intercession of Virgin Mary.

The End