LEGEND OF SAINT (MAR) ADDAI

BEFORE JESUS DIED, JESUS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE KING
OF EDDESSA, A MAN CALLED ABGAR. HE WROTE JESUS A LETTER
BECAUSE HE HAD HEARD PEOPLE SAYING JESUS WAS HAVING TROUBLE
WITH THE JEWS. IN ABGAR'S LETTER HE ASKS AND INVITES JESUS
TO COME TO EDDESSA WHERE HE WOULD SHARE IN ABGAR'S KINGDOM.
EDDESSA WAS A SMALL COUNTRY AND JESUS WITH ABGAR WOULD
REIGN TOGETHER. IN THE LETTER ABGAR MENTIONS THAT HE HAS LEPROSY
AND ASKS TO BE CURED BY JESUS.
JESUS WROTE ABGAR A LETTER, THE ONLY LETTER THAT HISTORY
EVEN MENTIONS THAT JESUS WROTE.
JESUS WRITES IN THE LETTER--"I CAN'T COME NOW, BUSY
WITH MY FATHER'S BUSINESS. AFTER I RETURN TO MY FATHER
I WILL SEND SOMEONE TO YOU AND THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF YOUR
NEEDS."
JESUS DIES, BUT TO CONTINUE THE STORY, THERE ARE THREE LEGENDS
OF THE PASSING ON THE TRADITION OF THE LETTER OF JESUS.
(1) AN ARTIST SENT WITH ABGAR'S LETTER COULDN'T DRAW THE FACE
OF JESUS SO JESUS TOOK A CLOTH AND PRESSED IT TO
HIS FACE, THEN AN IMAGE OF JESUS APPEARED. (THIS WAS
BEFORE JESUS' DEATH)--IMAGE OF JESUS TAKEN TO ABGAR WHICH HEALS
HIM.
(2) VERONICA'S VEIL--IMAGE OF JESUS TAKEN TO ABGAR WHICH HEALS
HIM.
(3) THE IMAGE OF JESUS ON THE BURIAL SHROUD (NOW THE SHROUD
OF TURIN, ITALY)--WHICH WAS TAKEN AND HEALED ABGAR'S LEPROSY.
AFTER JESUS' DEATH AND RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION, THE
APOSTLES DISPERSE AND GO TO VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD.
ST. THOMAS, REMEMBERING JESUS' PROMISE AND LETTER, SENT
THADDEUS (TH-ADDAI-US) TO ABGAR WITH THIS WONDERFULL IMAGE
OF CHRIST. THE PERSON WHO INTRODUCED ADDAI TO THE COURT
OF THE KING WAS A JEWISH MAKER OF VESTMENTS AND ROYAL
CROWNS WHO THEN MADE A COVER FOR THE PICTURE, AND AS THIS IMAGE
WAS CARRIED INTO THE COURT, ABGAR WAS STRUCK BY A
BRILLIANT LIGHT COMING FROM THE PORTRAIT AND WAS CURED
OF HIS LEPROSY. THE BRIGHT LIGHT CURED ABGAR'S LEPROSY
AND ABGAR WAS CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY, HE WAS A PAGAN
BEFORE. ALL OF HIS FAMILY OFFERED RICH REWARDS FOR MAR (SAINT)
ADDAI, BUT ADDAI REFUSED. HE WANTED THE CHANCE
TO PREACH TO THE WHOLE KINGDOM. ADDAI DID, AND THE WHOLE KING-
DOM WAS CONVERTED BY HIS ELEQUENCE. THEN ADDAI WENT TO
OTHER PARTS OF PERSIA. ABGAR'S GRANDSON, ALSO NAMED ABGAR,
REVERTED BACK TO PAGANISM AND PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS.
THE CHRISTIANS TOOK THE IMAGE OF CHRIST AND HID IT
IN A NICHE ABOVE THE CITY GATE, WITH IT WAS BURIED
A COPY 0F THE IMAGE AND A LAMP, A BURNING LAMP.
OVER THE YEARS PEOPLE FORGOT WHERE THE IMAGE WAS HIDDEN AND
THE STORY BECAME MERELY A LEGEND UNTIL THERE WAS A GREAT
FLOOD WHICH DESTROYED PART OF THE CITY WALLS, INCLUDING PART
OF THE GATE OVER WHICH THE IMAGE WAS HIDDEN. DURING
THE REPAIRS, THE IMAGE WAS REDISCOVERED WITH THE LAMP
WHICH WAS STILL BURNING. THE PEOPLE TOOK THE IMAGE AND
RESPONDED WITH GREAT JOY AND PROCESSED IT TO THEIR
TOWN INTO THE CHURCH WHERE IT WAS ENSHRINED FOR MANY HUNDREDS OF
YEARS.

Submitter comment: THE LEGEND OF MAR ADDAI IS NOTED IN AN ANCIENT HISTORIAN'S
WRITING, THAT OF EUSEBIUS. IT HAS BEEN CARRIED ON
THROUGHOUT THE CENTURIES BY PIOUS CHURCH FOLLOWERS.
EDDESSA, TODAY IS MODERN URFA IN TURKEY.
MAR MEANS SAINT OR LORD.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; SOUTHFIELD