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St. Andrews Samuelite Incorrupt body

minasolimanminasoliman
edited October 2014 in Coptic Orthodox Church
Hi all...is there a picture of the incorrupt body of St. Andrews the Samuelite somewhere, or is there no such photo floating around? I thought I saw one a while ago, but just curious if anyone else has.

Thank you.

Comments

  • Anthonypk7Anthonypk7
    image
  • minasolimanminasoliman
    Thank you!
  • ReturnOrthodoxyReturnOrthodoxy
    Just a question. How is that incorrupt? 

    Ray
  • Anthonypk7Anthonypk7
    Hi Ray!
    This photo was taken a few years after Abouna's departure in 1989. He was buried in the Monastery's cemetery, before being taken out to be placed in a new shrine. Upon opening the old casket, the monks were surprised to see him in this condition. For a body that was placed in a cemetery for a few years, then removed, this proves to be pretty incorrupt. A corpse takes about a year to fully deteriorate into the basic skeleton, and, if you're lucky, some remaining tissue may remain. But this is not the case here. You're looking at the body of a monk (who was 102 years old at the time of his departure) who reposed years prior to the photograph. As described by one of the monks, his body only lost its moisture and color, but the body is still in one piece. His beard is still in place, you can clearly see the facial features. Nose is still there, eyebrows still present, etc. One can easily recognize him to be Father Andrawes El Samueli.

    Pray for me!
  • ReturnOrthodoxyReturnOrthodoxy
    Sounds awesome! I'm not a non-believer or anything like that. What I'm saying though is that I tend to be natural very careful with miracles. Id like to do more research into the concept of non-corruptability as regard possible natural explanations. Bottom line that we can both agree on is that Fr. Andrews El Samuelee certainly served Christ who is able to present our souls incorrupt before God :)

    Ray 

    Pray for me more!
  • qawe
    ReturnOrthodoxy said:

    Id like to do more research into the concept of non-corruptability as regard possible natural explanations.

    Agreed.  HG Bishop Raphael mentions that if a body is buried directly in the hot desert sands (i.e. without a coffin around it), the sand can absorb the moisture, thus preserving the body naturally.  Thus he concludes that seeming incorruptibility is not a sure sign of holiness.
  • EsmoEpchoisEsmoEpchois
    What is St. Andrew the Samuelite's story?
  • minasolimanminasoliman
    ReturnOrthodoxy said:

    Sounds awesome! I'm not a non-believer or anything like that. What I'm saying though is that I tend to be natural very careful with miracles. Id like to do more research into the concept of non-corruptability as regard possible natural explanations. Bottom line that we can both agree on is that Fr. Andrews El Samuelee certainly served Christ who is able to present our souls incorrupt before God :)


    Ray 

    Pray for me more!
    qawe said:


    ReturnOrthodoxy said:

    Id like to do more research into the concept of non-corruptability as regard possible natural explanations.

    Agreed.  HG Bishop Raphael mentions that if a body is buried directly in the hot desert sands (i.e. without a coffin around it), the sand can absorb the moisture, thus preserving the body naturally.  Thus he concludes that seeming incorruptibility is not a sure sign of holiness.
    +1 both of you.
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