Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States
Literature
The Great Feast: A Renewed Spirit

We may have prayed this Psalm many times without realizing that it has the power of resurrection hidden within it. For when David prayed it, there was much that had died in his life: his purity, his spiritual strength, and his child. He found himself on his knees; he wept in agony all that night over the devastation wrought in his life by one moment's sin. Psalm 50 was a heart-felt petition for God to lift him out of his pit and grant him renewed life.
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Moral Relativism

Introduction
  • In this age, we have lost the confidence that statements of fact can ever be anything more than just opinions. The word "truth" now means true for me.


  • Whether we realize it or not, this concept - Moral relativism - is the air we breathe, the background noise in our culture today. In this sort of cultural climate the only heresy is telling someone else that they are wrong. Tolerance has become the ultimate virtue, not "truth".


  • According to the Barna Research Group, 81% of young Americans have adopted a view that "all truth is relative to the individual and his/her circumstances".1

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Do Not Weep

The scene of Mary Magdalene, weeping before the Lord's tomb that had been sealed by the order of Pontius Pilate, reminds us of the scene of St. John the theologian weeping before the scroll that had been sealed with seven seals (Revelation 5:4); and no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll or to look at it. All the seven seals had to be loosened before all the kingdoms could become the Lord's kingdom (Revelation 11:15).
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The Great Fast and the Great Struggle - Part IV: Preparation and Sacrifice

Holy Week is a momentous and significant part of our lives. All of life's troubles, all of life's questions, all the fears and confusion we grapple with year-round can be overcome by the spirit of Pascha – but we must drink of it plenteously. If we go in with an open heart and open ears, we will hear the voice of Christ – how softly He speaks – offering to take up our troubles and make them His own.
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The Great Fast and the Great Struggle - Part III: Our Blindness and God's Vision

The Gospel of the man born blind has a significance beyond human words. For like every Gospel of the Great Fast, it is the story of ourselves. Who of us has not experienced the bitter feeling that we have made a mess of our lives, and have been reduced to the status of a beggar. We often remember, with remorse, our imperfect past; and sense with a fatal intuition that our mistakes have led us to our present distress.
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The Great Fast and the Great Struggle - Part II: Thirsting and Seeking

The Sunday of the Samaritan Woman marks the midpoint of the Great Fast, as the "center" of the Gospel readings, and fittingly so – because its message hits right at the heart of our lives. Here is a woman who has been searching in all the wrong places for fulfillment in life.
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Phoebe the Helper of Many

There are only two verses in the Holy Bible which address Phoebe. Her name appears only once in the Holy Bible. Phoebe's name is held in esteem in both verses by St. Paul himself, and in both verses she is described as a helper. Phoebe's name is held to be honorable in that it precedes the greetings to the people of the Rome with many of the people mentioned found in the traditional list of the seventy-two apostles.
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Anger Conquered With Righteousness

The question frequently asked, "is anger a sin?" finds its answer in St. Paul's words to the Ephesians "Be angry, and do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your wrath" (Ephesians 4:26). Anger is a complex energy initiated by various attitudes such as impatience, unmet expectations, stress, and the like. It is an inevitable natural reaction to an undesirable situation. St. Paul did not say not to get angry. Rather, he urged us not to sin.
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The Great Fast and the Great Struggle - Part 1: Form of the Fight

Life, every thoughtful person will gradually notice, is one long struggle from beginning to end. This is a fact attested to by every church father, saint, and apostle you will read. And it is especially shown by the fact that we have a 55-day fast devoted to "repentance". The very existence of this fast is evidence that there is occurring a great spiritual war on the earth, and we are all in it together. Everyone fasts—everyone has a personal struggle, a rough battle, to deal with. It is part of God's training for us in our journey to the Kingdom. And most would admit that of all fights we must endure in the spiritual life, the most forceful, the most tiring, the most daily and hourly fight we have to reckon with is the struggle against the flesh.
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Jesus is the Door, the Way, the Truth and the Life

The Lord said, "Most assuredly I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber" (Jn 10:1), "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture" (Jn 10:9). "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (Jn 14:6). "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (Jn 15:5).
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A Spiritual Study of the "Song of Songs" During the Holy Great Fast

Now we have begun to fast the Holy Great Fast; earmarked as a time of solitude with the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a time of spiritual retreat in which we spend our time or most of our time with the Lord.
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Esther: A Daughter's Respect for Her "Father"

Esther was a Jewish girl born in Susa the capital of Elam. She was orphaned at an early age and raised by a close older Jewish relative named Mordecai. Mordecai's family had been taken captive from Judah (many years prior to Esther taking residence in his home) after the fall of Jerusalem, to Nebuchadnezzar some speculate about 586 B.C. Mordecai continued his care of Esther all her days until her marriage and he became as a father to her.
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Getting to Know the Fathers of the Church
An Interview with St. Anthony

Interviewer: Well! A meeting which I have been trying to secure for several years now! We finally meet the man known for his most original and inspiring thoughts, yet who never had a degree; known for his vast influence over Christian piety in both East and West, yet was never ordained above a layman; known to be revered by patriarchs and emperors, yet never had any care for politics or power; known to have captured the hearts of myriads of devout believers in all ages, yet purposely fled the public life to live alone with God! Let me say, though I am just a newspaper journalist, and not very religious myself, this is truly an honor for me, father.
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A Fish Swallowing a Man Whole?

It was good for Jonah to be swallowed by the fish. Rarely will a person reach out for God as earnestly as when he is afflicted. There is something about the "comfortable" life that will lull us to sleep.
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Christ Among "The Royal House of David" through St. Joseph's Descendants

The righteous St. Joseph was the Lord Jesus Christ's father in the flesh. St. Joseph had been betrothed to the virgin St. Mary before the Lord's glorious Nativity. The Holy Bible refers to engaged couples such as St. Joseph and St. Mary as husband and wife. Through St. Joseph's lineage, legal paternity to the Lord Jesus Christ has been confirmed, although He is born unto the ever-virgin St. Mary.
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The Glorious Birth: Justification of Honor and Truth

The Glorious Nativity is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; the Word becoming human with a physical body and rational soul to dwell among us. Through this incarnated birth Pure Honor was manifested: an honor of loving kindness, an honor of humbleness, and an honor of courageousness in communion with God was given unto us "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:6,7); an honor not sought out, nor claimed through birthright, but one born out of purity.
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Be Anxious For Nothing

Each one of us has a concern, need or request; something to worry about regarding career, finance, health, children, marriage, or even one's spiritual life. History records incidents of important people who had similar needs and requests. Some examples from the Old Testament are Hanna, Samuel's mother and Jacob, son of Isaac. Elizabeth, John the Baptist's Mother from the New Testament, and Ephomea, St. Mina's Mother who was barren and wanted desperately to have a child. What did those people do with regard to their problems? Those people knew exactly what to do. They turned their eyes to heaven where the Almighty resides and put forth their requests before Him. As Christians, what should we do in similar situations?
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What is the Meaning of the Incarnation For Youth in 21st Century America?

It is difficult to explain to the modern mind the idea of a religious mystery. Our notions of the word have been completely swallowed up by terms like "murder mystery" or "mystery of science". When it comes to our faith, however, mystery refers to another dimension of life. Modern American education accustoms a person to thinking of the world in terms of rigid rules and formulae; calculus and Newtonian laws and are the ultimate descriptors of the universe. But for the Orthodox faith this will not do.
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The Role of the Church and Servants in Ministry

God bestows His gifts on the church for a certain purpose which is for the sake of equipping the saints and preparing them for the work of ministry with the main goal that they may be able to edify the body of Christ. He gives some to be apostles, preachers, evangelists to do what needs to be done in order to bring God's people back to Him in repentance. Ministry is mainly service; and in order for it to be carried out successfully, preparing and equipping servants is the main concern of the Church. Preparatory classes for servants are therefore not an invention of the church; but are biblically mandated having been practiced by Christ himself. However, completing a three or four year program in Ritual Theology and other subjects comprises only a small percentage of the equipping process. For full equipment more than that is required.
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Parental Advice: Children's Social Lives versus Their Spiritual Lives

The church is our Mother. The church is also the mother of your children. Raising your child within the church is the best thing parents can do. No one can doubt that avid participation by children in church services and activities are extremely important, but we have to understand that as parents, you are implementing the standards for actions and behaviors that your children will exhibit in the future. For example, many children are today are involved in sports and social organizations. These activities and clubs demand time and effort out of your child. Occasionally we hear from the young children after the Divine Liturgy a request that they need to leave quickly to make sure they are not late for practice or for an important game they have. While, children’s involvement in sports is very important for their physical health, church is certainly important for their spiritual health and there is a priority for all things.
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Frequently Asked Questions on Tithing to the Church

1) Does God really want 10%? ...It sounds like a lot. 2) Does God need 10%? 3) Will God really bless me if I tithe? ...Can I put Almighty God to the test? 4) Does my giving make a difference? What if I do not give very much? 5) Can I give to charities? They do good work. 6) What if I can't afford to tithe? What if I just wait until I'm doing better? 7) But what if I really can't afford to tithe right now? 8) Can I not just love the Lord without tithing? 9) Okay Okay, I get it! How do I get started with all this?
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The Need for the Incarnation

The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ has become a turning point in the history of mankind; making it feasible to classify incidents into pre and post Nativity. It has also marked the birth of humanity; for in the Nativity was the Incarnation, and in the Incarnation was Salvation and through Salvation we received adoption becoming heirs to the Kingdom.
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Deborah the Judge: Godliness Produced Strength of Character and Modesty

The era of the judges were marked by sin and more sin. The Israelites reverted to the ways of the ungodly in their midst and to idol worship. The pagan peoples they allowed to remain in Canaan after the conquest proved to cause turmoil in their life by their living amongst and association with them. It is apparent that God allowed the Israelites through their ungodly actions and deeds to become so oppressed by the pagans they assimilated with, to experience so much overwhelming distress, that they were forced to turn back to Him and pray for relief. An age old lesson for us all is that we knowingly and unknowingly take on traits of those we associate ourselves with.
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The Gospel and First Epistle of St. John

There is something interesting and special in the fact that God intended the most contemplative of the Apostles to live the longest life on earth. There are two points generally agreed upon concerning St. John which will be the basis for this essay: that he wrote his Gospel and Epistle toward the end of his long life; and that his writings are the fullest and most sublime expression of Christianity.
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Sarah the First Matriarch: A Strong Personality Accepted before God, Nurtured in a Marriage of Mutual Love

The Holy Bible has quite a number of female figures who have contributed to the making of human history, and played a role in the plan of God's salvation for mankind. However, none of them was up to the title of "matriarch". Like her husband, the patriarch of patriarchs, Sara, though no explicit mention of her name, was the first woman in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ (Mathew 1:1). Sara, a woman of good looks; and character manifest in her faith, faithfulness, determinedness, problem solving, reliance on God and many other attributes, is the subject of this article.
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Baptized in a River!

When the Lord Jesus Christ began teaching others the Word of God many thought he was a prophet. They did not understand that He was the Son of God. It had been three or four hundred years since the people had been sent a prophet by God. Now the people wrongly thought they had two, the first St. John the Baptist and the second one, the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The Transfiguration: The Manifestation of the Divinity of the Lord of Glory

The Glorious Feast of the Transfiguration, considered a Major Feast commemoration, in the Coptic Orthodox Church is celebrated on the thirteenth day of the blessed month of Mesore.

The Lord Jesus Christ took with Him St. Peter, St. James, and St. John his brother up a high mountain, a common location for teaching and revelation. Origen, St Cyril, Arnobius the Younger and others identify the Mount of Transfiguration as Mount Tabor.
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Lost and...Found in the Temple!

The Lord Jesus was growing up fast! He was now twelve years old and this was old enough for His earthly parents to decide to take Him to the "Feast of the Passover" celebration. We can be sure that as a growing young man, He looked forward to the adventure of a trip and the celebration!
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The Features of the Church: From Doctrine to Unity

Whenever a new church is built, it behooves us to correctly pose the question as to "Who is the church?" and not "What is a church?". According to the latter, a church could be referred to as a building ranging from just a simple to a huge one. Nowadays there are many beautiful churches from the recent and past centuries that are exquisite pieces of architecture but void of worshippers. In some countries some of those gorgeous churches have been either sold to some other religious organizations, or turned into museums and conference halls. In order to understand the church from St. Paul’s teachings, we need to genuinely ask ourselves: Who is the church? By definition, the church is the assembly of believers without whom there exists no church. Such a church is meant to exist forever because it is not a building made by hands but an organic one that has been constructed on the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and the faith of our holy fathers the Apostles. "Now therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-20).
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Purity of Thoughts

A chaste and pure person should be pure in body and soul, in his thoughts, senses, feelings, and even in his dreams and imaginations. A man should give careful attention to the purity of his thoughts as his thoughts also belong to God. As we take care of the purity of our hearts in order that God may dwell in them, so we must take care of our minds too. In the Holy Bible the Divine Inspiration says, "...Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your strength..." (Luke 10:27).
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Addiction

Our addictions are gods who have no empathy for us or those we love. It's time for us to hear the loving, pleading voice of God, who says in His Word:
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Gal 6:7-8).
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A Return to the First Church

As we are about to celebrate the Holy Apostles Fast, also known as the Church’s Fast, dare we call upon the life, the first church had lived? Dare we do so, now that we have received and put on Power from above just as our forefathers the apostles had been given; allowing the fiery Spirit to mould and shape them all over again?
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Committed Service Instills Fulfilling Happiness

The tie that binds both happiness and spiritual service is a fundamentally simple one, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). The Lord Jesus Christ not only taught giving; but His very life demonstrated emphatically that serving others is an essential component of spiritual happiness. A person may have unprecedented gifts and talents; but if they choose not to share them with others, those gifts and talents will not bring about the expected fulfillment.
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"Purposeful Tribulation"

In the Lord Jesus Christ's and the Holy Family's humility and obedience, they depart from His birthplace of Bethlehem to escape the dangerous, vindictive King Herod the Great reigning over the city of Bethlehem. King Herod has learned of the existence of the prophesied Newborn Messiah and is immensely threatened that a newborn king may usurp his authority and kingship and seeks out His whereabouts to destroy the Messiah.
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The Da Vinci Code and Old Issues of No Concern

Since the beginning, Christianity has fought against philosophies and other religions. The Church Fathers have chosen the difficult path of responding to ideas with ideas. Although it is possible to boycott antagonistic ideas, our fathers spent their lives defending the church and its beliefs and confronted ideas with ideas and opinions with arguments. When all heresies have ceased to exist, the apologetics of the Church Fathers lasted preserving for us the truth about our faith over the years.
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Grief's Unmerited Grace

The Lord Jesus Christ loved many while upon this earth. He Himself experienced seeing those He loved painfully dying, overtaken by earthly death and the Lord bore witness to the despair of their loved ones left behind on earth. There are many dramatic instances of the Lord's unmerited grace found within the Holy Bible. Perhaps the Lord Jesus Christ expressing His undying love toward penitent sinners is the very heart beat of the Holy Gospels. For this we today can be eternally grateful.
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Modesty

Modesty is the first virtue in spiritual life. It is the vanguard that protects virtues and talents. Every virtue that is not accompanied by modesty is likely to be snatched by the devil of vain glory and destroyed by conceit, boastfulness and self-admiration.
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The Transfiguration: Redemption Foretold & Resurrection
Foreshadowed

The incident of the Transfiguration is one of the major incidents in the Holy Bible which bears a lot of significance to the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ: who He is, the nature of His mission, and His relation to God the Father. This incident was related by three of the four evangelists: Mathew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36. The Coptic Orthodox Church values this incident and counts it as one of the seven minor feasts of our Lord. The Feast of Transfiguration is celebrated in August of every year. The Gospel on the Transfiguration is read on the first Saturday after the Feast of Resurrection. The fact that two dates were used (six days and the eighth day) by the evangelists is not an indication of discrepancy or lack of credibility. The matter of fact is that each of the two had looked at the incident date and thus calculated it differently in relation to including or excluding the Transfiguration day and the first day. Spiritually, number six symbolizes the Crucifixion; whereas eight symbolizes the Resurrection.
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The Transfiguration: Redemption Foretold & Resurrection
Foreshadowed

The incident of the Transfiguration is one of the major incidents in the Holy Bible which bears a lot of significance to the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ: who He is, the nature of His mission, and His relation to God the Father. This incident was related by three of the four evangelists: Mathew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36. The Coptic Orthodox Church values this incident and counts it as one of the seven minor feasts of our Lord. The Feast of Transfiguration is celebrated in August of every year. The Gospel on the Transfiguration is read on the first Saturday after the Feast of Resurrection. The fact that two dates were used (six days and the eighth day) by the evangelists is not an indication of discrepancy or lack of credibility. The matter of fact is that each of the two had looked at the incident date and thus calculated it differently in relation to including or excluding the Transfiguration day and the first day. Spiritually, number six symbolizes the Crucifixion; whereas eight symbolizes the Resurrection.
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St. Thomas…

In the first post Glorious Resurrection appearance, when Mary Magdalene excitedly sought out the grieving and mourning disciples to tell them of the Lord Jesus Christ's appearance to her, they did not believe her at all. It is written, "And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe" (Mark 16:11).
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Overcoming the Finality of Human Death

Our humanity is manifest in our sinful nature. We are born mortal and therefore inevitably naturally prone and inclined to sin. One of the privileges of being a Christian is the availability, at our disposal, of forgiveness once we repent and ask for it. However, being a Christian means so much more than just having our sins forgiven. It is striving for goodness through good works;journeying toward Heaven, the ultimate destination, where we attain immortality and eternal glory. Being a Christian is essentially centered around "being alive".
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The 'Spirit' that Gave Us Life

On Covenant Thursday prior to the day of Great Friday of the Holy Pascha the Coptic Orthodox Church commemorates the day on which the Lord Jesus Christ made the New Testament covenant with His disciples and celebrated with them this Passover meal which was to become the first Eucharist, the heart and life of our Christian worship.
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Part III: The Conversion of Saul

"I persecuted the Church of God."i It was a fact that never left the mind of the great Apostle till the day of his martyrdom. It recurs over and over in his letters to the churches: "I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man."ii He "made havoc of the church", entering into the sanctuaries of domestic life, "entering into every house";iii and those he thus tore from their homes he "committed to prison".
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Part II: Saul of Tarsus and the Martyrdom of St. Stephen

The martyrdom of St. Stephen, proto-martyr of the Church, and the involvement of Saul of Tarsus in the act is one of the most interesting and ironically tragic events recorded in the early history of the Church. St. Stephen, a young and zealous representative of the period when the Christian faith was all afire, because he was the earliest proponent of the freedom and universality of the Gospel, and because of the great trials and death he underwent for his preaching, is often recognized to be a type or forerunner of the great Apostle to the Gentiles.
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Part I: Preparation for the Ministry

St. Paul dates the beginning of his preparation for the ministry as far back as the day of his birth. He says himself that he was set apart for the Gospel of God from his mother’s womb (Rom 1:1, Gal 1:15). All of the circumstances of his upbringing and subsequent life—his social position, his intellectual training, his religious creed—combined to be a most eminent schooling for the mission he was destined to accomplish later in life—to declare the universality of the Gospel and to gather the Gentiles into the fold of Christ.
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Joy: A Domain of the Feeling Function

Joy is an integral part of a harmonious life lived out for the glory of God and our personal fulfillment and satisfaction. Nowadays, one of the most common problems is the lack of joy, especially among young people who are constantly bombarded with pressure from the surrounding; and the stresses that their concerns about life incur. If those serving in the Kingdom of God have their feeling function of joy undeveloped; it will be difficult for them to relay that joy to those whom they serve. To say we experience joy is to be able to live joyfully even during the most difficult situations; not only so, but to be able to communicate it biblically, psychologically, traditionally, and ritually to those whom we serve.
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The Fear of The Lord

There are two kinds of fear; the first is due to God’s Awesome Divine Nature and the second is due to our frail and sinful nature. The topic of the fear of the Lord is essential not only because it is the beginning or the head of our spiritual life – "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Prov 9:10) but because we live in a generation that lacks this feeling of reverence toward God. Imagine a house with a sign in front of it that says, ‘Beware of DOG’ and a 100 lbs Rottweiler barking in the backyard – now imagine another quiet house in the same neighborhood with a sign that says, ‘Beware of GOD’. Which of the two houses is more likely to be visited by a thief? The two signs had the same three letters but in different order yet a thief may avoid the house with the dog that he can see and hear and not be deterred by the second sign which should remind him of God who can see and hear him!
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Troubles and Tribulations

No one is immune to pain or insulated from suffering while he lives his life on earth... Life is a series of problems. Every time we tend to solve one, another is waiting to take its place. Not all of them are big, yet not all are small. St. Peter assures us that problems are normal, saying, "Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12,13).
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Anna the Prophetess: A Wonderful Example to the Elderly

On the eighth day of the blessed month of Meshir, the Coptic Orthodox Church commemorates the presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the temple, a Jewish tradition of blessing, carried out forty days following a child’s birth; and also a tradition the Coptic Orthodox Church follows in offering baptism to forty day old male babies.
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A Promise of Giving

Lord, isn’t it true dear Lord that everything we give You, has ultimately come from You; and all of it basically belongs to you "O LORD our God, all this abundance that we have prepared to build You a house for Your holy name is from Your hand, and is all Your own" (1 Chronicles 29:16). All the tithes, first-fruits, and vows are from your abundance. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him" (James 1:5). For it is obvious "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out" (1 Timothy 6:7). We are nothing but stewards over your belongings.
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Foreordination to...The Transformation of the Bread and Wine

On the thirteenth day of the blessed month of Tobe, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the miracle that our Lord Jesus Christ performed at the Wedding in Cana of Galilee. Cana was a town in Galilee northeast of Nazareth, where the Lord Jesus Christ miraculously turned water into wine at a wedding feast. This miracle of turning the water into wine is known as the first miracle the Lord Jesus Christ performed following His Holy Baptism in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist.
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Baptism: Crowning Back into the Original Glory

On the tenth of Tobe, two weeks following the Nativity Feast, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the glorious Feast of Epiphany; the occasion of the baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ in the waters of the Jordan River.
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Circumcision: The First Major Dispute in the New Testament Church

"Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters" (I Corinthians 7:19).
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God's Continuing Love Enfleshed

The Old Testament records that mankind had fallen, and been driven out of paradise; but God in His continuing love, desired to restore man to his original state. Ezekiel the prophet and priest prophesied this great, everlasting, restorative love of God for his people in spite of their rebellion for which they had deserved to be exiled and their temple to be destroyed.
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The Nativity: How God was Born to Saint Mary

It happened that there lived a maiden named Mary in the city of Nazareth. (A maiden is a young woman who is not married). The angel of the Lord, named Gabriel, came to her one day and said: "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" Mary did not know what the angel meant so he said, "Do not be afraid Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest." Mary was not sure how this was going to happen so the angel Gabriel said, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."
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Behold, All Things Have Become New (2 Corinthians 5:17)

On the 11th of September, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the Coptic New Year of the Martyrs. In teaching her members how to end one year and receive another, the Church, directed by the Holy Spirit, has chosen for the Gospel Readings of the first two Sundays of the last Coptic Month (Mesore) of the Coptic Year, two key teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ present in the parable of the “Wicked Vinedressers” and the “New Garment”.
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St. Barnabas: Son of Encouragement

One of the great men, not well known to many as some of the other names of the New Testament, is St. Barnabas whose first mention is in the Holy Book of Acts. Born as ‘Joseph’ or ‘Joses’, it was the disciples who gave him the name ‘Barnabas’ which means ‘Son of encouragement’ or ‘son of consolation’ (Acts 4:36). This name was indeed a very proper name for someone who lived to encourage those whom others feared or rejected.
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Does God Exist?

"If there were no God, there would be no atheists"
--GK Chesterton, Where All Roads Lead

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Why Must There Be One TRUE Religion? Why Is It Christianity?

• Why do I believe that God exists and Christianity to be the only true religion?
• Why do I not accept the popular idea that one religion or philosophical worldview is just as good as another?
• These are important questions that deserve rational answers.

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Homosexuality

There is no agreement among either the scientific community, religious groups or homosexual people themselves as to the definition of homosexuality.

Lawrence J. Hatter, author of Changing Homosexuality in the Male, has given this definition: "One who is motivated, in adult life, by a definite preferential erotic attraction to members of the same sex and who usually, but not necessarily, engages in overt sexual relations with them." We've found this to be a good working definition, though a full explanation of the condition of homosexuality goes much deeper.
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St. Anthony the Great: Wisdom Derived from Humility

Humility is to the virtues, it is often said, is like the root to the tree. The tree could not grow strong, bear fruits, or live a long life unless its roots are established deep in the ground. Humility's branches are modesty, unpretentiousness and respectfulness. Therefore humility, defined as being free from pride, is primary for all those seeking a strong enduring relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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St. Moses the Black: Meditation Strengthens Spiritual Life

Many believe spiritual meditation to be a vague, inconsequential, and unnecessary spiritual exercise. But in all actuality this could not be further from the truth. Spiritual meditation is directed contemplation, focused dwelling in thought, and conscious reflecting on those things which are good and holy abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ. It has been said by the wisest of desert fathers that there is always an honorable place for the man who thinks.
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St. Mary: An Icon of Simplicity

To write about the virtue of Simplicity is to write about St. Mary. Although many virtues found residence with the Mother of God, yet when it comes to Simplicity, St. Mary immediately stands conspicuous and a sole source of inspiration and reference.
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The Agpeya

We must begin by saying that probably the only persons who will benefit anything from this short message are those who are, like the present writer, weak in prayer. But it will benefit them only if, despite poorness in prayer, they nevertheless strive daily to meet God in prayer. If a person prays with the Agpeya on a regular basis, he might one day discover an important characteristic of this valuable little book: its wonderful function of sustaining our prayer life. We will refrain for the present from referring to it as a "prayer manual" or "spiritual guidebook;" for although it is all these things, we desire not to focus now on the ability of the Agpeya to teach prayer but rather to preserve it-it is our "anchor" in prayer.
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Self Control: the Virtue Among Virtues

The book of Proverbs 25:28 likens a man without self control to a city broken into and left without walls. This description shows how important self control is, since it acts like a guard to our life. As the verse says, a man without self control is like a city broken into and left without protection, easy for thieves to break into, steal and destroy. Likewise, if we leave our soul and spirit without self control, Satan can easily enter and spoil our lives. Self Control is therefore important and recommended for everyone without exception or exemption regardless of gender, age or position.
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The Didache

The Didache may be the oldest of known documents of Christian antiquity. It has been said to be undoubtedly the most ancient church "manual" in mankind's possession. In the early church, historically recorded, particularly in the nation of Egypt the Didache was held worthy of great respect and is documented as often quoted from by St. Clement of Alexandria as well as St. Athanasius the Apostolic.
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God the Dispenser of Talents, Gifts or Both

Out of all the creatures that God has created, man is the most favored by Him. God has created man in His own image and bestowed on him various natural abilities, skills and talents. These talents were to be used for the benefit and enjoyment of mankind. There are many narrations in both the New and Old Testaments of how people had used their talents. God, having given Adam the linguistic talent, allowed him to enjoy using it by letting him name all the animals in the Garden. Noah, under the instructions of God, put into effect the architectural talent in building the Arch. David the psalmist used his musical talent and sang the psalms that he had composed and that were inspired by the Holy Spirit. St. Paul, in the New Testament, was skilled in weaving tents. He used his talent to provide for himself and those who were with him by selling the tents that he used to weave. Talents are therefore, natural, free capabilities essential for mankind in order to enrich and diversify his life.
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From Resurrection to Pentecost

Introduction
The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ not only brought about victory over death, Satan, and sin but also marked the beginning of a new resurrected life to be lived fully here on earth and continued and glorified in eternal life. That is why during the fifty days after the Resurrection, and while waiting to celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit, as promised by our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples, our beloved church filled, directed and inspired by the Holy Spirit continues to reveal to its members who that Person of Jesus Christ their Savior truly is; and what He, in essence, has procured for them. This the church does in such a significant, related manner throughout the seven consecutive weekly Gospel readings.
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The Holy Joy of His Resurrection

Show us the holy Joy of Your Resurrection.” That is how the priest concludes the prayer of blessings at the end of the Pascha Rituals everyday of the Holy Week, after which the believers depart filled with firm hope in obtaining mercy while looking up to the Crucified Christ Who is about to suffer crucifixion purposefully for the sake of procuring this mercy for humanity.
“Jesus Christ our true God who had accepted suffering willfully, and died on the cross for us, may He bring to completion this holy Pascha with peace and show us the Holy Joy of His Resurrection.”
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Resurrection Joy & Peace

Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you.""
John 20:19

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Through His Death, He Trampled Upon Death

On the occasion of the glorious and joyous feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, I would like to extend my wishes to you for a happy feast. May the blessings of this day be with us all.
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The Cross Revealed in the Old Testament Offerings

One of the most interesting and intriguing topics in the Old Testament is the sacrifices or offerings that God the Almighty had ordered the Israelites to present to Him; and their direct relation to the grand offering of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.

The Holy Book of Leviticus deals extensively with this issue. In it we come across the terms: offering, sacrifice, and oblation (Korban).
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Service in Secret

Once a man came to visit Father Pishoy in his home. At the time Father Pishoy was very ill and confined to his bed. He went on to tell a long story so that he could take money from Father Pishoy. At that time Father Luke was present, so he took the man to one side and discovered that the entire story was a lie. Father Luke then went back to Father Pishoy privately and told him the truth about this man and that he was lying to get money.
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The Great Fast and Breaking Our Chains

You might one day discover that the Great Fast is a wonderful time of surprises. It will surprise you by showing how much progress you can make in the spiritual life, even when you’ve started out at ground zero. It will surprise you by revealing how much strength there is in you to fast that you never imagined you had. It will surprise you with how much determination wells up inside you to fight and defeat certain weaknesses before the Fast is over. In a life of spiritual dullness and frailty, you will discover that this is the period of spiritual zest and might. It is the perfect time to follow St. Paul’s injunction to “…strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (Heb 12:12).
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The Golgotha

As I sat next to the elderly monk for a word of benefit he began by saying: Once when I was ill one of the brother monks came to my cell and he entered my cell to sit next to me and I was resting at that time.
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Meditations on the Cross

As we approach the Holy week, let us meditate on the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and prepare ourselves to receive the spiritual benefits that lie ahead for those who believe in the cross. For "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:14,15). Therefore, let us reflect upon the Cross, and as we do so a lot of powerful revelations concerning the nature of God and the nature of things will begin to unfold to us.
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Exercises of Prayer

Exercises of Prayer
Written by: His Grace Bishop Youanis
“Paradise of the Spirit”

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Out of Egypt I Called My Son

God Almighty, who knows everything even before it happens, knew that king Herod will want to kill our Lord Jesus Christ. So God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to tell him to go to Egypt and stay there until it is safe to come back to Israel.
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A Star Shining In the East

After our Lord Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea wise men from the East came to Jerusalem. They were following a very bright star that appeared in the sky the day our Lord was born. The wise men knew that this star was very special. They were scholars, which means they were men who read a lot and knew a lot.
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Very Wise Men Who Studied Stars

Many, many miles away from the temple in which Simon saw the baby, the Lord Jesus Christ, east of Judea, lived learned men who studied the stars in the sky. One night these wise men discovered a very bright and strangely different star shining high up in the sky. This star was a Heavenly sign to the wise men of the birth of an important new King.
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Self Esteem

Definition: Judgment or evaluation of one's worth in relationships to one's ideal self, and to the performance of others. The totality of self-esteem: a composite of ideas, feelings, and attitudes that a person has about his own identity, worth, capabilities, and limitations. Factors such as values and opinions of others particularly in the formative years of early childhood play an important part in the development of self-concept.
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Nothing Into Everything

Father Pishoy always welcomed any invitation that was offered to him to preach a sermon in a church, no matter what the numbers or the age group.
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Wisdom and Discernment

One day Father Pishoy Kamel called the head servants for the Friday general prayer meeting. This prayer meeting was to pray together for all the services in St. George’s Church and he asked them, “What happened last Friday?”
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Turn the Other Cheek

Father Pishoy Kamel use to always take a particular route from his house to the church on foot and there was a boy (who was not Christian) who lived in one of the houses he would pass on the way to church. This boy would always shout words of insult at Father Pishoy and mock him from the balcony and often he would add to his insults by throwing orange peel at Father Pishoy.
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Treasures in Heaven

On the first anniversary of the ordination of Father Pishoy Kamel, the church put on a huge celebration in his honour, and during these celebrations he was presented with a gold cross and chain. The church at that time had not been built and was still in the beginning of its development.
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Gentle Among You

The secret of the success of Father Pishoy was his care for every single person individually. Each person use to feel that he was personally being served by him and personally cared for by him. In truth he carried the name of ever single one of his flock engraved on his heart. He would concern himself with every problem they had, whether big or small. His big heart encompassed everyone, even the widow, the orphan, the stranger and the poor.
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Choose the Best

This is a story which often repeated itself on many occasions. Father Pishoy Kamel used to telephone some of the deacons at night and would say, “Choose the best icons, crosses, service equipment, utensils to take with you…” The servant would ask “Why Father?” Father Pishoy would answer, “We are going to open a new church!” He would say it with great excitement and joy, as if he was organising a wedding feast.
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His Reward is in Heaven

In the mid-60s Father Pishoy was once travelling to Cairo, and when he arrived in Cairo he took the tram and whilst on the tram he met a servant and they got talking. In the middle of the conversation the servant started talking about a priest who worked really hard and tired in building a church in Cairo. He made it really beautifully and established a very strong service in the church and then he built a house within the church grounds for himself and his family.
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Paganism and Christianity

Given that, it may be worth our time to gain a better understanding of the similarities (in thought or belief) that are sometimes found between Paganism and Christianity (due to that lingering consciousness of God), as well as the numerous differences that nevertheless sharply separate the two ways of life.

When we say we should "understand" the ancient pagans, however, we certainly do no mean it in the way a modern college professor would. He would likely say that we should understand and respect their beliefs as the primitive components of a "world religion" that humanity has followed since the beginning of time and of which Christianity is one of the latest and dominant "expressions."
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Phoebe, a Servant of the Church

The role of women in the Church has been an interesting and controversial issue among Christians. St. Paul, who is often falsely accused by the Western society of prejudice against women, is actually the one who refers the most to women in ministry by name. Roughly one third of the disciples named in chapter 16 of St. Paul’s epistle to the Romans are women. The first and one of the most important of the Christian persons St. Paul mentions in his greetings section is a Gentile Christian named Phoebe.
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The Stranger

Whilst the occupants of the monastery – which was in the heart of the desert near Akmim – carried on their tasks as normal, a young man was seen loitering near the monastery and looking towards it and this carried on for three days.

This was soon noticed by Father Makar, and in turn he told the Father Superior, Father Epiphanius, head of the monastery, who asked Father Makar to call the young man which he did and the young man came obediently to the abbot.
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Joanna

The Holy Bible mentions many women who played different roles in the history of Israel and the early Christian church. Among these women is Joanna known as the wife of Chuza.

The name Joanna means ‘Yahweh’s gift’ or ‘Jehovah has graciously given’. It is a variation of the name "Anna" which means grace, or favor. Although Joanna is not mentioned by name in any of the Holy Gospels except St. Luke’s, her role in attending and catering to the Lord is well established.
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Simeon Sees God’s Salvation

When our Lord Jesus Christ was eight days old, St. Mary and Joseph had a ceremony where He was named JESUS, the name given to Him by Archangel Gabriel.

A little while later, St. Mary and Joseph took baby Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord. According to the law that God gave His people Israel, every boy child who is the first to be born in a family was called holy and was to be presented to God.
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Biblical Criticism

Every so often, the regular reader of the Holy Bible will come across some writing or opinion about the Holy Bible that will throw his mind into utter disarray. The number of extraordinary opinions held by biblical scholars these days, both secular and Christian, is enormous; and each odd opinion seems to give birth to three odder opinions before it itself dies away. And too often the ruckus of opinion (much of which is based on “scholarship”) gives rise to unnecessary disquiet in the heart of the believer who is simply searching for the truth.
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Facing Persecution

Due to the recent tragedy that occurred in New Jersey, the killing of all four members of one Coptic family, many members of our congregations throughout the United States specially the youth are wondering how we as Christians should respond to this event. We always hear about persecution in other countries, Christians killed while worshipping in their church or a riot by non-Christians that starts for no reasonable cause and results in the massacre or imprisonment of many Christians. We often read about Christians killed for no other reason except the fact that they are Christians. Maybe some got immune to these news that it does not affect them anymore and consider them as an unfortunate part of daily life. But when an incident happens in the United States and one family is singled out and slaughtered in their home everyone is concerned and debates rise: should we fight back, should we voice our resentment, is it time for us to take a stance, should we let it go and keep our peace etc. Many questions, many discussions, many debates and Copts pondering on what should we do.
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The Nativity of Christ: A New Covenant

The birth of our Lord Jesus Christ marks the beginning of a New Covenant between God and man, a covenant previously and purposefully foreshadowed and prepared for by a prior covenant.

In order to understand and appreciate the New Covenant that God has instituted with humanity, it is necessary to take a close look at the old one.
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Trying Times of Tribulation

Our hearts have been immensely challenged by the recent life threatening and life altering events occurring in Egypt to the Coptic Christian population. We have all been prayerfully humbled by the many ongoing and recent hardships Christians in Egypt are being afflicted with, young adolescent girls deceitfully being coerced into Islam, the wife of a Coptic priest being abducted and falsely accused of converting to Islam, and on December 8th the imprisonment of 34 Coptic Christians. All Coptic Christians suffering persecution and hardship are a shining light of great illumination to us all as examples illustrating the good works of upholding God's truth and refusing to compromise with the ways of this world, denying the Lord their God.
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St. Joseph the Carpenter

During the holy days of the Nativity Fast, as we prepare ourselves to receive the Word Incarnate, we tend to focus on the Baby Jesus and His blessed mother Virgin Mary. We sing praises to our Lord Jesus Christ and we venerate St. Mary as we chant the Kioahk Praises.
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The Virtue of Giving

The subject of giving draws upon two main principles: Stewardship and Worship.
When considering the subject of giving, one cannot help but think of many important angles from which we can assess our giving. Among these are: our attitude in giving, the methods of giving, the rewards we get because of giving, the amount we give, to whom we give, and results of not giving.
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Bearing Ridicule and Criticism

This matter proved to be extremely controversial, with some supporting Father Pishoy and saying that he deserved the increase, whilst other more vocal objectors on the committee ridiculed Father Pishoy and accused him of all sorts of things. They said things like, “Father Pishoy is greedy… he wants an increase in his salary today and tomorrow he will ask for another increase… there will be no end to his requests for more money.” etc…
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Sowing the Seeds

After the ordination of Father Pishoy Kamel he went, as is custom, to the monastery for forty days to be trained in the duties of the priesthood, how to administer the sacraments, and to spiritually prepare himself for his service.
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Till 10 o’clock

One of Father Pishoy’s spiritual children use to fast until 3pm everyday in the fast without food or water and one day he came to Father Pishoy and said, “I want to fast until 5pm”. So Father Pishoy said, “No, keep it as it is”. However this person became insistent and Father Pishoy sensing there was vain glory behind this fasting, said, “Tell you what, fast till 10am only”. This surprised the person and he felt that fasting until 10am was not really a fast. Seeing that the person was disappointed Father Pishoy said to him, “or how about you don’t fast at all?” This person fell silent and obeyed, fasting until 10am as ordered by his spiritual father.
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A Simple Room

In the beginning of his ordination he lived with his elderly mother as she was ill and required constant care and attention. After that he moved to a different place, and the woman he was renting from was so happy. He then suggested to her to build more flats to accommodate students and this was fulfilled and two flats were built in the same block for students.
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Vain Glory

Once a servant came up to Father Pishoy and said to him, “I sometimes receive glory from people and I enjoy this glorification”. Father Pishoy asked him saying, “Will you be attending evening vespers this evening?” To which he responded, “Yes”. Father Pishoy said, “Good” and then left him without saying anything further.
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A Special Birth Day Celebration

Our God in heaven sent Archangel Gabriel to earth with two messages. First he told Zechariah the priest that he would have a son and to name his son 'John'. The second message he took to a girl in the small town of Galilee. The second message was one that was never told to anyone before. This girl was going to become the mother of God. Her name was St. Mary.
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Social Dryness

There are times in our lives when we come to the realization that we are not the center of the universe. It is a difficult realization; for by our very perception we are inclined to see ourselves as the focal point of a great and wide circle. I look “out” at everything that’s not “me;” and when I turn my head the world seems to revolve around me. When I am in my car, I am the only driver I can appreciate; all other cars are lifeless machines, mere obstacles. When I stand in long line, the line seems to move much to slow until, of course, it is my turn.
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What are His Sleeves Rolled Up For?

Father Luke tells the story of how once he was with Father Pishoy and they went to someone’s house to congratulate her on giving birth. Having got to her flat on the fifth floor and congratulated her on the new born child, she said, "I will not let you go until you eat, for it is dinner time, and I shall slaughter a goose and cook it for you".
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Remember Those who have No One

Once a youth was coming home, and recognised the car of Father Pishoy parked outside his block of flats. Having entered the house he greeted his father and said, “Father Pishoy is visiting a family near by”.

His father answered, “No he is visiting a family in this block of flats”

The son said, “Really, who is he visiting” for he did not know or remember any other Christian families who lived in the block of flats.

His father seeing his son’s puzzlement smiled and replied, “The family of (el-bowab) the gatekeeper to the block of flats, come and see…”

The youth looked out of the small window to see Father Pishoy sat on an old mat on the floor with a low table before him. He was surrounded by the gatekeeper, his wife and their children. He prayed on the simple food they had put before him to eat, and then they ate with him with joy and happiness.
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His Love for the Poor

Father Pishoy would treat the poor with extreme dignity and honour. He would always speak to them and of them with dignity and respect. He forbade the giving out of donations to the poor in the church so as not to embarrass them.

Instead he insisted on the servants taking the donations all the way to their homes or wherever they maybe. He also used to have a saying concerning giving to the brethren of the Lord. He would say, “If we close our hands to them then the Lord will close his hands to us, but if we open our hands to them then God will fulfil all our wants and needs and much more.”
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"I Came to Cast Fire" (Luke 12:49)

Likewise our Lord Jesus Christ, seeing mankind in the bondage of sin with no way out, was moved for our sake. He abandoned His glory to become a slave among the slaves and partook not only of our human flesh and blood, but also of our lawlessness and misery. In this manner our Lord Jesus Christ was able to take upon Himself the responsibility not from behind the scene, from the pinnacle of the heavens, beyond the visible, but from the platform of painful reality as a partner, a sufferer, a bearer of injustice and offence.
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Saint Reweis, A Life of Humility

On the 21st of Paopi our Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the departure of a great man, St. Reweis. Poor, illiterate, homeless and a defamed Christian, St. Reweis endured all afflictions for the glory of God. His life reminds us of the living example St. Paul has given us in his letter to the Corinthians “We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now" (1 Cor 4:10-13).
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Do Not Love the World (1 John 2:15-17)

1) Introduction

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever" (1 John 2:15-17).

In multiple occasions, Our Lord warned us from loving the “world”. He taught that we are NOT of this world just as He is not. Our beloved Church exhorts us in every Liturgy after the readings of the Catholic Epistles with the same message.

But why should we, Christians, not love the world?" let’s find out.

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Commentary: St. Abanoub

Regardless of what age one is or stage of life they are going through, it is vitally imperative to realize, understand, and appreciate the fact that the Lord God is working in each one of us through the Holy Spirit, which lives in and enlightens each one of us through our actions, thoughts, words, and personalities…every second, every minute, every hour, every day…as well as in good times and through difficult times. It is also important to know and comprehend that God is, as some say, “testing” each one of us. The “tests” are there to measure the truth and sincerity of our relationship with God. If you always keep in mind that every single situation that occurs in our lives comes from God, and know that God loves each one of us more than can be measured in terms of our earthly understanding, then there will also reside within our hearts and minds: spiritual peace, comfort, success, and guidance. I have recently adopted a new saying in my daily life that I heard somewhere else and it states,

“If God brings you TO it, He will get you THROUGH it!”



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The Life of Saint Demiana

A man named Marcos lived in Egypt toward the end of the third century. Marcos was the ruler of several districts in Egypt and Marcos had only one daughter, who he called “Demiana.” Saint Demiana was very beautiful both from within and without. Saint Demiana’s beauty and good character were legendary. Marcos loved his daughter deeply, and he did his best to raise her in a true Christian manner.
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The Faithful Servant

Father Pishoy Kamel use to always put in front of him a clear objective in the service, which was, “The service is for Christ”. Since Christ is not limited to a certain place, so his service was not limited to a certain place, gender, race, religion, creed, or even time.
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The Faith of a Clown

On the birthday of the Emperor Julian, the apostate, a great feast was held in his honour, and all sorts of performers, and actors and clowns were invited to perform before him.
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A Gentle and Humble Spirit

Father Pishoy was always gentle, and his voice was soft and was never raised. He always used to choose his words with great care so as not to hurt any one he spoke to. His gentle smile was constant giving hope to all who were sad or depressed.
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The Great Repenter

Of all things difficult to bear in life, one of the most burdensome is sin. It is a dark abyss. Sin is a storm cloud that covers all the bright daylight in a person's life; a chilling wind that puts out in a person's heart the smallest candles of joy that still flicker. Anyone who has lived a life of sinful "pleasure" will tell you that the one thing that most characterized his life was not pleasure, but bondage. The Holy Bible calls sin a slave master, a yolk, a lie. You don't even have to be living a complete "life of sin" to know the pain sin can cause.
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Let us all walk as children of the Light ~ Shine in our hearts ~ Lord Jesus

A ten-year-old boy stood by the teacher’s desk, wringing the paper he had in his hands; the teacher looked at him and asked what troubled him. This young boy, whose name we will call Tom has been experiencing periodic episodes of violent outbursts, which caused a concern for his teacher. She knew that something very dramatic was occurring in his life to be causing these violent outbursts. “Well, Miss,” he stammered as he carefully and intensely wrung the paper he held within his hands, “You know the cry of someone who is being killed?” “Tom uttered this so painfully, the movements of his eyes, as if he was seeing this event as he spoke. There was a sudden hush in the usually boisterous fifth grade classroom; all eyes and ears were attentive to what Tom was about to tell. Within the teacher’s heart she trembled at what was about to be revealed. “…Umm.” he continued while grimacing his face with remembrance of the experience; “there were these two young children, ‘the forgotten ones’~ he murmured.
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The Life of the "Christ Child"...

God's home is in Heaven, but God in His greatness is very powerful and can be anywhere at any time. God can also send His messenger angels to earth on special missions.
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Why the Church Says What It does About “Movies”

The power of movie directors never ceases to amaze me. The sway of influence they yield today is surpassed not by many others in this world. A Paul Weitz can set half of the young population on the road to promiscuity and sexual disease with a film like “American Pie,” and a Mel Gibson can set the population on the verge of national repentance with “The Passion.” Films have become too powerful these days; they have too much persuasive potential. A single director can now shift the opinions and ideas of an entire nation in under two hours of screen-time. And, regrettably, the majority of the time this power is used to malignant ends.
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St. John the Baptist the Teacher

As we celebrate the end of a Coptic Year and the beginning of a new one, the Church prepares us for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Her message to us is to watch and get ready "Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is” (Mark 13:33). It is interesting to note that the beginning of the New Coptic Year coincides with the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist whose message to the people was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Mt 3:1-2).

St. John the Baptist who some thought of as a man of the wilderness clothed in camel’s hair is really a prophet, a teacher and a critic of worldly society who is calling for a change in religious life.
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The Year of Acceptance

Our Lord Jesus Christ entered the synagogue at Nazareth and read the scripture from the Holy Book of Isaiah 61:1- 2, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor ……. …to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Luke 4:18, 19).

The year that is referred to in this prophetic scripture is the beginning of the preaching of the kingdom of God, salvation, redemption and the acceptance of mankind back into their former state. It is also the year of peace on earth and joy among people. Hence it is, in reality, the Lord’s accepted year. How can we be accepted before God? Acceptance before God is first and foremost looked at through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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The Elusive Gift

There are very many of us who are only one step away from happiness. And the rest of us who are several steps away or even a leap’s worth away from happiness are also just within its reach if we can find one particular gift missing from our lives. And our duty is to find this gift, not really to acquire it, because it is already latent in each one of us. It is a capacity we are all born with yet which constantly evades our notice. It is a quality of life which the Holy Bible mentions so often and which the desert monks brought to so full a fruition in their lives. When we have acquired nearly everything, it is usually the one thing missing. And any long-time pilgrim you may meet on the journey of happiness has long ago found this special gift. The quality or gift we are speaking of is what is usually called Contentment, an inner state of life which St Paul said he continually experienced despite the reckless happenings of his outer life (Phil 4:12).
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The Unity of the Spirit

As we stand to pray the Agpeya every morning, the Church puts before our eyes this passage from the Holy Epistle of St. Paul to the Hebrews "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:1-6). Reading this passage is a daily reminder that our main obligation is to keep the unity of the Spirit in our church. This can be fulfilled in two steps, first by our behavior towards each other and second by keeping the one true doctrine.
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Canonization of the Christian Scriptures

One of the very fascinating aspects of Christianity one may study is the lengthy process that occurred in the early years of the Christian Church which led to the compilation and canonization of the New Testament scriptures. Indeed, it is a field may seem uninteresting or irrelevant to the one who has never acquired a taste for historical inquiry; and it is all the more so for him who has not yet begun a study of the scriptures themselves. But of course, when one approaches biblical history with a right heart, one comes to realize that he is not studying a mere historical “process”—not a mechanical and, as it were, incidental development—but truly a major work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the burgeoning church.
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Those Times of Hopelessness

If you are human, you will experience times of hopelessness in life—the dreary feeling that comes every now and then that things have gone terribly wrong and that there is no way to get things straight. Such hopeless times or “crises” are a permanent part of our existence; to never have felt utterly hopeless once or twice in life is not to be human. And maybe one of the worst aspects of these glum experiences is the feeling that nobody knows exactly how I feel, that my particular situation is hopeless in a way no one around me has experienced before.
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Answer to a Copt at College

In April 2004, Christianity Today published an article titled 'Lost in America' tackling the state of Arab Christians in the U.S. their rich heritage and their future in the land of migration. In this article a Duke University student 'Susan' gave her view on her religious life as a Copt in the U.S.
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The Holy Spirit in the Mysteries of the Church

The Holy Spirit is involved in every step of the development and growth of the Church. He is the power that builds up the Church. His work is clear in all the mysteries, in the grace of God, in the gifts and in the virtues. Nothing happens in the Church without the direct involvement of the Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, our Lord Jesus Christ unites the Church as one, holy, catholic and apostolic. The Holy Spirit plays an important role in each of the mysteries of the church.
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Raised Up to Sit in Heavenly Places

Our Salvation was achieved by our Lord Jesus Christ death on the cross and accomplished by His resurrection and lifting up from this world into heaven. The fullness of Christ's resurrection is given in the ascension. The ascension completes the resurrection. Without the resurrection Christ's death would be meaningless “And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.” (1 Cor 15:14) And without the ascension, the resurrection would also be incomplete for we would have a resurrected person but One who was not at the right hand of God in the place of authority. Therefore, having completed His mission in this world as the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ returned to the Father in heaven Who sent Him into the world. In ascending to the Father, He raised earth to heaven with Him “and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6)
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The Nature of Man

Man is the meeting point of all spiritual and physical (material) creation.

God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth (Gen. 1:26-27).

Man's high purpose and special significance are emphasized in that he was created in the image and likeness of God.
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The Glorious Joyous Days: Days for Reflection, Restoration, and Reverence

The Pentecost took place fifty days after the Glorious Resurrection. After His Resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ continued to appear to His disciples throughout the forty days before His Ascension. During those forty days the Lord Jesus Christ spoke about the Kingdom of God and evangelism, "...you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:7-9).
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The Purgatory

The word purgatory is derived from the Latin word "purgare" which means to make clean or to purify. According to the Roman Catholic Church, the purgatory is a place or condition of temporal punishment. The concept of purgatory started in 1215 at Latran council, 1274 at Leon council, 1431 at Florence council, and 1545-1563 at Trent council.
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Why Must People Suffer?

With the impact of the terrorism of September 11, 2001 and its aftermath still with us all, our prayers continued to be extended to the victims and their families. There is great unity in prayer. Praying brings us all together. When we pray God is with us. With prayer, we are not separate individuals of different nationalities and different races, but are one in the Lord Jesus Christ's Holy Name.
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Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt

May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

The Coptic Church is celebrating this week a Great Feast, considered among the major feasts. It is the commemoration of the journey of the Holy Family to Egypt.

The entry of our Lord Jesus Christ into the land of Egypt is an opportunity for rejoicing and delighting for the many blessings that his entry has impacted upon Egypt. The Church is aware of how important this event has been. And this is the reason it is a major feast.
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The Date of the Glorious Feast of the Resurrection

Since the beginning of Christianity, the Resurrection of the Lord of glory has been the center of the preaching of the apostles and fathers. They considered it to be the basis of Christian faith, "And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is vain and your faith is also vain" (1 Cor 15:14). Their proof of Christ's divinity was His Resurrection: "and was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead." (Rom 1:4)
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The Glorious Feast of Nativity: 7 January? 29 Kiahk? 25 December?

The first Church did not celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the actual date of His birth was and still is unknown. The earliest known indication to such a celebration comes in a passing statement by St. Clement of Alexandria who mentions that the Egyptians of his time celebrated the Lord's birth on May 20. At the end of the 3rd century, the Western Churches celebrated it in the winter, and this was only accepted in Rome in the middle of the 4th century.
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Holy Synod Response

The Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church, in his meeting of Wednesday morning 3rd of Sept. 2003 presided by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, in Saint Anthony Church, in the Papal Residence Anba Rewis Bldg., Cairo, after discussing the actions of some Western Churches, trying to legalize Homosexuality, Same-sex marriage, the ordination of homosexuals in different pastoral degrees, and the process to ordain a homosexual bishop in the Episcopal Church of New Hampshire, U.S.A., consequently - in this special meeting - the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church decided unanimously the strong condemnation of these acts, that violate the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Scriptures: Old and New Testaments. This complies with our responsibility to witness for the truth of the Gospel.
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Coptic Orthodox Church Formally Condemns Homosexuality, Ordination of Homosexuals and Same-Sex Marriages

During the Annual Clergy convention the leaders of the Coptic Orthodox Church discussed recent issues related to homosexuality. The convention was presided by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. In attendance were twelve Bishops from North America, Egypt, Australia, Europe; and 180 priests from America, Canada, and Australia.
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Question on Atheism

The question of what an atheist says about God is at once rather simple and rather complex. The simple part of it is that the atheist says that there is no God and the only thing that absolutely exists is matter.
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Is Science Supreme?

The whole picture of the universe which science has given us makes it such a rot to believe that the Power at the back of it all could be interested in us tiny creatures crawling about on an unimportant planet_ It was all so obviously invented by people who believed in a flat earth with the stars only a mile or two away."
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A Response to Atheism

The recent child abuse scandal in the Catholic Church has catalyzed, for many people, a crisis of faith.
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The Spiritual Meaning of Resurrection Enactment

In the Divine Liturgy of the Resurrection feast, after reading the Praxis and chanting the resurrection hymn “all you heavenly choirs,” the church lights are turned off signifying the darkness that had surrounded the world before the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 4:16); and the doors of the sanctuary are closed signifying the closed doors of the Paradise (Genesis 3:23).
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So Very Great Was…His Goodness

During the last forty days of this Holy Great Fast, it is particularly important to focus on the positive meaning of the Lord's life on earth. The Lord Jesus Christ personified goodness. He was what good is: (Grace and Truth), was the deliverer of what good delivers: (Peace) and became what goodness ultimately leads to: (Salvation). The Lord Jesus Christ's main purpose on earth was to be goodness to all, and to show all how goodness: (the Kingdom of Heaven) is to be attained. No one could fathom how great His Goodness was to become.
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The Response of the Lord Jesus Christ

Why did the Lord Jesus Christ choose not to perform a miracle for the Pharisees and the scribes? In their request for a spectacular sign from the Lord they display their wickedness. After having witnessed so many miracles why do they now need a sign? The Lord Jesus Christ did not respond to their hardheartedness.
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The Holy Great Fast and Spiritual Discipline

The Holy Great Fast is often referred to as "The Spring of Our Spiritual Life." Spring being the most beautiful season of the year and a time of spiritual renewal.
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Putting Away Falsehoods With Patient Endurance

Forgiving someone appears initially to be a concept easily understood. It's meaning is one of granting forgiveness or pardon for an offense. But what if the offense was a misunderstanding or something taken out of the context in which it was presented? What if it was a misrepresentation of facts? Does this make the unforgiving acceptable?
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Strength in the Service

H.H. Pope Shenouda III said that the major difference between the saints and us is SERIOUSNESS. The strength of our service is directly related to our seriousness regarding the service and our spiritual condition.
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How To Be Effective in the Field of Service

The Holy Book of I Timothy 4:12-16
"Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Til I come, give attention to reading to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the leadership."
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Grieving and Gratitude

Loss is a very real part of this earthly life. Loss which encompasses youth truly makes each of us recognize the shortness of life. Earthly life is composed of people, places, and experiences always in a constant state of change. We say hello and just as quickly could say good-bye. We become all too familiar with life and death as a normal part of earthly life. Often people say life on earth is struggle enough, why do we have to experience the loss of our youth?
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Spiritual Preparedness for Partaking of the Holy Communion

Most Biblical writers referred to the term "spirit" to mean the inner nature of the human being. The human spirit was actually described in the Holy Gospel of St. Mark 14:38: "the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak."
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Chronic Complaining: Negative Attitudes Directly Affect Spiritual Growth

Spiritual healthiness affects the way we live our lives and how we relate to others. Positive spiritual health improves the way we pray, meditate, have hope, practice our faith, and grow within it. Spiritual healthiness can determine how the Christian is affected by a major health crisis or death, anxiety or fear.
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Brotherly Love Surpasses Knowledge, Age and Wealth

Christian brotherhood brings together the knowledgeable with the less knowledgeable, the young with the old and the rich with poor in one accord. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III has written that "Love is the first of virtues; nay, it is the conglomeration of all virtues."
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Laziness: A Spiritual Pitfall

We must beware of spiritual laziness. If you feel you are not growing spiritually as you should perhaps you have become what the writer of the New Testament Holy Book of Hebrews refers to as lazy and "dull of hearing." Many confess to infrequent prayer times, lack of motivation to read each night from the Holy Bible, and having a general lack of interest in quality spiritual time.
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Incense

For it is written, "From the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My Name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My Name, and a pure offering; for My Name shall be great among the Nations, said the Lord God of Hosts. (Malachi 1:11)"
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Raising the Morning and Evening Incense During The Holy Great Fast

As the Holy Great Fast approaches on and we begin to prepare ourselves for the fifty-five days of fasting prior to the Feast of the Holy Resurrection, I would like to encourage everyone to observe this fast from its beginning. Practice this fast in prayer, repentance, and spiritual readings with all strictness ensuring all the benefits and blessings it can afford. As a penitent practice, fasting is designed to strengthen our spiritual life.
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"Night of the Apocalypse"

The word apocalypse in Greek means "revelation." The night of Great Friday is called the Night of Apocalypse because it is on this night that we read the entire Holy Book of Revelation. On this night we celebrate the descent of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into the pit of Hades to restore all those who died on the hope of the resurrection to Paradise. The church gathers around the tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ the whole night in prayers and rituals.
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The Meaning of "Worthy to Partake of the Holy Communion"

All the Holy Gospels record that the Lord Jesus Christ ate one final meal with His disciples on the eve of His arrest. The Eucharistic Meal and Words of the Lord Jesus Christ both symbolically represent that this final meal would be a foretaste of the great Messianic Feast which will occur at the end of all times. The Lord Jesus Christ reveals to His disciples at this final meal with them that He will neither celebrate the Passover with them again, nor drink of the fruit of the vine until the Coming of the Kingdom of God (Luke 22:15-18).
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The Lord Jesus Christ THE Passover Lamb

The celebration of the Passover and the correlating feast was instituted by God Himself to commemorate the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage and the sparing of their firstborn when the destroying angel smote the firstborn of the Egyptians.
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Halloween

As October 31st draws near, I want to make all uninformed Christians within our Diocese aware of certain traditions celebrated on this day, in the United States. This celebration, "Halloween," pays tribute to Satan. Every act revolving around Halloween is in honor of false gods. False gods are spirits in the realm of the Satanic.
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Churchless Christianity

One of the tragic occurrences in the evolution of contemporary religion is the presence of "Churchless Christianity." The assertion that the followers of this Christianity believe is that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who saves us, not the Church. They no longer want or need a Church. They stress that "all you need is Jesus."
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Suicide

The young adult years are a period of great transition for just about everyone. Physically, emotionally, psychologically, intellectually, and socially this can be the most challenging time of your life. The stakes are enormous. Suicide attempt behavior occurs frequently among adolescents who have difficulty meeting these challenges. It has been estimated that over 500,000 teens attempt suicide each year (Popkin, 1990,p.11).
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Eminence of Justice: El-Kosheh

Much has been written about the three-day killing spree during last year's El-Kosheh massacre in which 21 Christians were killed and 260 Christian homes and business were destroyed. The bloodshed and violence, which erupted on December 31, l999 until January 2, 2000 were the end result of perhaps an argument that occurred between a Muslim customer and a Coptic Christian shopkeeper. A dissatisfied and unhappy customer who could and should have simply left and taken his business elsewhere, may today regret his decision for not having done exactly that.
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Gambling: An Impulse Control Disorder

Often I encounter questions regarding the Christian stand on "gambling." I am frequently asked what are "types of gambling?" The three common types of gambling that mostly surround those who reside within the Southern Diocese of the United States are 1) casinos, 2) lotteries, and 3) raffles.
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The Agreed Statements: Oriental Orthodox Responses

The theological dialogues between the Oriental Orthodox and the Eastern Orthodox churches unofficially began in Aarhus, Denmark in the year l964. This was followed by similar dialogues in Bristol in l967, Geneva in l970, then Addis Ababa in l971. In addition, other dialogues took place at regional levels at locations such as the Middle East.
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Terrorism: TRUE Justice Will Win Out

Sometimes it seems as if evil has won. Sometimes it seems that the destruction is too great. Sometimes it seems that too many people have fallen. Yet God promises that justice will win out in the end. How can we be assured of this?
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Position Statement

The Coptic Orthodox Church worldwide opposes terrorism and views terrorism as the most terrible type of evil that can originate from another. Historical review demonstrates that not one single terrorism act has advanced any terrorist cause. We further as a Christian faith believe that the innocent must be defended and human life protected.
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Who is Harry Potter?

A lady asked me at the Southern Diocese Family Convention, "Anba Youssef, what do you think about Harry Potter for the children?" My reply was "Who is Harry Potter?"
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Contemporary Ambivalent Attitudes...Homosexuality

Historically, homosexually (the preference for members of one's own gender for purposes of sexual gratification) has attracted much attention and deference. In the Holy Bible in the Old Testament it is addressed in these verses:
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Church of Martyrs

The Coptic Orthodox Church is of the oldest known Churches in Christianity. Its Biblical worship, its 2000 years of Christianity, and unbroken chain of tradition directly link its faithful to the early church of the Book of Acts in the New Testament. The Coptic Orthodox Church has millions of adherents both in Egypt and Coptic communities around the world.
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St. Anthony - A Saint in Search of Perfection

My admiration for St. Anthony, affectionately referred to as the "Father of Monks," began during childhood. Each year at the Church of St Anthony in Shubra, Cairo, while celebrating his feast day, the 22nd day of the month of Tubah (January 31), I would listen to sermons, which always described his life as a quest for spiritual perfection. St. Anthony strived not for a better position in life, a better social standing, but even greater than these -was his desire for spiritual excellence.
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St. Anthony - Toward True Righteousness

St. Anthony is generally considered the Patriarch of the monastic family. He was born about 251 AD in the Village of Kemmen El-Arous, near the city of Beni Suef. He grew up in an influential and wealthy Christian family.
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Jonah - "The Lord, his God"

Jonah, according to Hebrew tradition, was the son of the widow, whom Elijah, the prophet, raised from the dead at Zarephath of Sidon (II Kings 17: 10-24). He was a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel around 825-784 BC. Therefore, Jonah prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II, the King of Samaria (II Kings 14:25).
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St. Polycarp, the Beloved Peacemaker

Pangratios was born about 69 AD to a Christian family who received its Christian faith from the very Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Apostolic Ages, the young church survived and was strengthened by visits from the chosen Apostles and the Apostles disciples. With such a strong religious background, it is not difficult to understand how one could become such an ardent defender of the Orthodox Faith.
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St. Macarius the Great: Clothed with the Holy Spirit

St. Marcarius the Great was truly a saint chosen by God from a very young age, perhaps even from his birth. He was born in the village of Shabsheer-Menuf, in the province of Giza south of Cairo, from good and righteous parents. His story is reflective of another found in the Holy Bible. His parents were Abraham and Sarah and they had no son. In a dream an angel of God told Abraham that he would have a son and his name would be known all over the earth. This son would be further blessed with a multitude of spiritual sons.
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St. Mark: Steadfast and Strong from Youth

St. Mark was one of the seventy apostles appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ (Mark 10:10). He is distinguished as one of the four Evangelists. St. Mark authored the oldest canonical Gospel used by both St. Matthew and St. Luke, and probably also by St. John. Many believe the Gospel of Mark to be dated shortly before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70.
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Anba Abraam Late Bishop of Fayoum, "Merciful and Giving"

Anba Abraam was a saintly monk of the twentieth century. As it is said, "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48)" so did St. Abraam live his holy life. Born in a small town near Cairo, Egypt, Anba Abraam grew up in a Christian home with the Lord Jesus Christ ever before him. He would gain renown not only in Egypt but far beyond because of his great love for the Lord which was shown through his sanctity, spirituality, and intense compassion for all the needy.
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Anba Bishoi: A Life of TRUE Submission

A life of TRUE submission means living in complete obedience to the Holy Spirit. A person of TRUE submission accepts gladly whatever happens in their life and with thanksgiving, knowing that it was for their well being, whether in appearance or thought it is perceived as good or bad.
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St. Takla Haymanot the Ethiopian: "Poor in Spirit"

St. Takla Haymanot was a blessed person always full of joy. He was blessed not with riches, not with mightiness and strength, not with worldly influence but with being poor in spirit. St. Takla's joy was found in his total dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
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St. Barsoum El Erian: "Faith Working Through Love"

Faith working through love is all-powerful. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "For assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20) St Paul wrote about "faith working through love", "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6). Faith working through love literally means faith, which expresses itself by love, or the faith, which works through love.
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"Samson the Nazirite"

Samson was a great man and a great Judge. God entrusted him with many responsibilities in particular to lead the children of Israel at a critical time. But this great Judge had one desire that he could not discipline. This desire troubled him all his life and made him face many problems until his demeanor became ungodly.
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St. Matthew: The Galilean "Gift of Jehovah"

The Lord Jesus Christ was in His own city Capernaum in which he had restored the health of a paralytic whom displayed great faith. Following the departure of the healed paralytic taking up his bed and returning to his house, the Lord Jesus Christ continued onward. Next, the Lord then encountered a despised publican, a Galilean Jew, in his customhouse.
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St. Mina: Blessed With the Gift of Healing

The Lord Jesus Christ promises us, "He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will also do, and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." (John 14:12)
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Abu-Seifein: Loyalty Perseveres

The martyrs conquered the fears associated with persecution and always remained loyal to the Lord. They taught us that we must either conquer fear or be its slave. The Holy Bible confirms this ancient lesson again in the first of its Holy Books, Genesis. "I was afraid…and I hid myself" (Genesis 3:10) We must stand for what is right when in its ranks there are only a few. We must not be frightened to defend our faith, when the masses believe differently. Only the fearless are truly free in this earthly world.
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Blessed St. Mary: "An Honored Lady of No Choices"

St. Mary was miraculously born to a rich man named Joachim and his barren wife, Anne. From the age of 6 months "undefiled" daughters of the Hebrews cared for St. Mary. At the very young age of 3, St. Mary was then taken to reside in the Temple at Jerusalem.
Did St. Mary choose to live in the Temple?
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St Apollo and St Abib: Youthful Purity

Man was created from his infancy pure in the image of God. This was not a so-called accident of nature. This was a product of Divine creation. We can surmise from this that God gives unto all the possibility to live the life of purity particularly to the youth. The great potential of the power of youth is in its purity and chastity. A youth who gives in to the prisoner of his desires from an early age will also stand to fail in many other respects of his life as he matures to adulthood. The Holy Bible, Coptic Church history, and daily life experiences support this observation very well.
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St. Phillip, a 'Found' Missionary

According to the Holy Gospel of St John, St Phillip was the third of the twelve disciples to follow the Lord Jesus Christ after St Andrew. St Phillip, though, has the great distinction of being the very first that the Lord Jesus Christ directly invited into His discipleship. The Lord Jesus Christ "found Phillip" and with the simple command of "Follow Me" (John 1:43) he willingly became the third of the twelve to follow the Lord. The Lord apparently was looking or searching for one such as St Phillip.
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Saint John Chrysostom, Golden from Youth

Saint John Chrysostom was born in Syria in the city of Antioch in the year 347AD. He was the only son born to a prosperous father, Sakondos. Sakondos was the commander-in-chief of the imperial troops in Antioch which brought favor and wealth to the family. Saint John's mother, Anthosa, was a righteous mother known for her devotion to the Lord.
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St. Timothy: Studied Holy Scripture from Youth

St. Timothy, the beloved disciple of St. Paul was a young man from Lystra in Southern Asia Minor. St. Timothy whose name meant "honoring God," was born into a religiously divided household, with a Jewish mother and a father of Greek descent who worshipped Greek gods. Most likely because of his father's lineage St. Timothy was considered a Gentile rather than a Jew.
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Hosea the Prophet

Hosea the Prophet lived during the tragic and devastating final days of the Northern Kingdom. He is thought to have prophesied around the eighth century BC with his ministry following Amos the Prophet's. Amos was the prophet who threatened God's judgment on Israel at the hands of an anonymous enemy whom Hosea would later adamantly proclaim as Assyria (Hosea 7:11; 8:9). Scholars believe Hosea prophesied for approximately 38 years.
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The Shepherd of Shepherds

The angels announced the miraculous and wondrous birth of the Lord Jesus Christ to lowly and simple shepherds in a field watching over their sheep. This glorious announcement was not made to the richest of kings or the esteemed high priests. These mere lowly shepherds would be the first to hear of His birth and the first to share the message of His salvation with others. And the Lord Jesus Christ Himself would come to be called the "Shepherd of Shepherds." What was the significance of announcing the reconciliation of humanity to God and people to each other beginning with the shepherds in the Holy Gospel of St. Luke? What important connotations do sheep and shepherds illustrate in Holy Scripture to hold such great importance at the Glorious Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ?
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Incarnation of the Word

Upon the Feast of the Incarnation of the Word, it is important to reflect upon the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and what He represents. St. John in His Holy Gospel wrote, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (1:1) and the Apostle also wrote, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." (1:14) Through these Holy Scriptures we learn that the Lord Jesus Christ is God, for He was with God before all times. This is the reason we recite, "We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only begotten Son of God…" in the Nicene Creed.
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The First Coming…Preparation for the Second Coming

The Old Testament prophets foretold that the Word of God would become like us, take a body like ours, and unite Himself unto us in a way beyond human comprehension. These prophecies were to come to pass as the "First Coming" or the Glorious Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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The Star of Bethlehem

In the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew, the Magi appear as "wise men" guided by a star from the East to Jerusalem where they sought out the new born King of the Jews. Coming from the East denotes the magi are outside of Israel. Scholars seem to think the Magi perhaps came from the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates, where astronomy was cultivated early by the Chaldeans.
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"A Sign of the Old Testament Covenant"

In the New Testament with the beginning and early growth of the Church, circumcision became one of the first issues for debate. St. Paul adamantly stated "Circumcision is nothing and not being circumcised is nothing, but obeying the commandments of God is everything." (I Corinthians 7:19). The apostles and the elders further supported this argument in the Holy Book of Acts 15:19 that circumcision was not required of the Gentiles. The apostles met in 51-52 AD in Jerusalem and agreed to send St. Paul and St. Barnabus, accompanied by Judas Barsabas and Silas to Antioch to settle the issue by explaining the spiritual significance of circumcision in light of the teachings of the New Testament (Acts 15:1-29).
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Baptism: The Very Beginning of Eternal Life

So what exactly is "baptism?" Most scholars agree it is derived from a Greek word which means "to immerse with dye." Christian baptism according to the Orthodox faith is our death, burial, and resurrection becoming in union with the Lord Jesus Christ. "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ…all of you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:27-28). It is a Mystery given to the Church by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself necessary for our salvation.
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Subtly, God Spoke to Jonah

Jonah was an eighth century BC famous prophet from Gath-helper, a small Galilean town near Nazareth. Jonah the Prophet is famous for the well-known story about him and the diverse ways in which the Lord spoke to him. Most often, Jonah was spoken to in obscurity pertinent to his needs at the very time he was spoken to. Perhaps this is similar to the way in which the Lord speaks to us all today…
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Glorified Through Suffering

Crucifixion entailed extreme suffering and excruciating pain. The thoughts of being nailed to a cross through ones ankles and wrists makes a person envision horrific agony. Death slowly overcoming a person through suffocation after becoming too exhausted to pull oneself up in order to breathe makes one wonder how could our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ have to suffer this form of execution. This manner of bringing about death was only set aside for the most violent of criminals in ancient Rome.
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Continuing to Keep the Feast

Keeping the Feast of Unleavened Bread following the Passover symbolized living the Christian life in dedication and service to God. How does this apply to us today? Living the Christian life in this context means allowing the Lord Jesus Christ to be Lord of every area of our life. We are expressly told in I Corinthians 5:8 to continue celebrating the holiness of life in dedication to God.
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The Acceptance of Eleven and the Disillusionment of One

The life of the 12 Apostles following the Pentecost was one of miraculous amazement. Taking on the responsibility of leadership to the first generation of Christians certainly could not have been an anticipated task but rather one of submission to the Will of God. Their evangelism was to begin quickly and spread passionately. To say "it will take some time for evangelism to occur" was not a common saying of the 12 recorded in the Holy Gospels.
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Redeeming the Time

With the blessing of yet another Coptic New Year approaching each one of us should consider the importance and meaning of "redeeming the time." St. Paul specifically preaches about the importance of continually walking in God's Will, guarding against all manner of evil. Christians do not dispute God's creation of the world as being good, but rather the man created ungodliness within it as evil.
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The Genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ

Society in Biblical times was organized along family and tribal lines. Genealogy was of importance in establishing a person's lineage. Religious importance was determined by whom your forefathers were. For example, only the descendants of Aaron could become priests (Exodus 28:1). Temple officials had to examine extensively the genealogy of those presented for the priesthood. Old Testament genealogies also reminded the Israelites of their history as the chosen people of God.
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Encompassing Endearing, Meaningful, and Unchanging Rituals

During these 50 Holy days we celebrate the Glorious Feast of Resurrection. In the Divine Liturgy, during the Glorious Feast of Resurrection, we do the Enactment of the Resurrection. In the Enactment, we close the curtains to the altar and turn the light off. Two deacons stand the outside of the altar and the priest is inside the altar. Then, a dialog is begun. The deacons on the outside start by saying, 'Christ is Risen' and this is repeated three times. The priest responding, 'Christ is Truly Risen', follows this. Then the deacons on the outside say, 'Be lift up O Everlasting Gates so the King of Glory enters.' The priest inside says, 'Who is the King of Glory?' The deacons outside answer by saying, 'The Lord Might in battle is the King of Glory.' The lights are then turned on and the procession starts.
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A Reflection Upon the Effects of Terrorism

In Biblical times and as applicable today, violence and wars are waged for various reasons. Since before the age of the Patriarchs, war was there as a part of everyday life. Moses and Joshua helped the Israelites to conquer the Land of Canaan. Once conquered, the Holy Land remained constantly under attack by other nations such as Assyria.
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Contemplations on the Historical Significance of the Cross

There are now thought to be 3 different forms of crosses used during Biblical times for crucifixion. The first resembled the small letter "t," the second form the capital letter "T," and the third was in the form of an "X."
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Feast of the Nativity: Wise Men Still Seek Him

The WISE MEN recognized and understood the meaning of the star. Their wisdom can be characterized as , "the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times." (I Chronicles 12:32) The quest of these wise travelers began with a revelation from God and continued by God's providence. In wisdom they doffed their worldly concerns and allowed the Heavenly Father to lead them. As Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and Moses before them, they sensed God's leading and understood.
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Thine is the Power

The Holy Pascha is a week filled with Holy memories of the most crucial stage of salvation and redemption in Christian history. Everyone benefits from the sharing of the Lord Jesus Christ's suffering during this time. Orthodox Church icons, pillars, and lecterns are covered in black to create a sober atmosphere conducive to meditation on the Lord's pain of suffering and pain of Crucifixion.
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A Reflection of Love

Love is an act of giving, "love does not seek its own." (I Corinthians 13:5) The Father gave His Only Begotten Son. The Son, the Lord Jesus Christ gave too. His most endearing acts of giving were while upon the Holy Cross. He gave forgiveness to His persecutors, gave Paradise to the thief on His right side, gave His blessed mother a spiritual son, gave St. John the blessing of accommodating His mother, and gave the Father the price of Divine Justice.
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The Feast of Transfiguration

It is stated in both St. Matthew's and St. Mark's Holy Gospels those six days after the Lord's conversation with His disciples regarding the Cross-, He took St. Peter, St. James and St. John on a high mountain and was transfigured before them. St. Luke alludes to the same story but the length after the Lord's conversation was eight days. Is there a contraindication in Holy Scripture? No, it is thought that St. Luke counted the day of His conversation about the Cross-and the day of the Transfiguration; and that St. Matthew and St. Mark did not count those two days. This explains why St. Luke used the phrase, "about eight days after," while St. Matthew and St. Mark mentioned that it "was after six days."
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The Transformed Holy Cross

Crucifixion was an ancient form of capital punishment. It was degrading, humiliating, and caused agonizing pain. Ultimately the HOLY CROSS symbolized absolute failure and death. Due to its barbaric nature, crucifixion was reserved for the lowliest of criminals: the slaves' death or the murderers' punishment. Today, many still look upon the HOLY CROSS with profound horror as a cruel way to inflict punishment or bring about death.
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Coptic New Year

The first day of the blessed month of Tute marks the beginning of the Coptic New Year and is the day set aside to celebrate the Feast of El-Nayrouz. On this feast day we honor those who stood and confessed their faith in the Word of God with firmness and commitment and with the totality of their lives.
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The Adoration of St. Mary

As Biblical history has recorded, St. Mary is the central figure in the two Holy Gospel accounts of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. The "Mother of God" is seldom mentioned in the New Testament outside of the birth narratives in the opening chapters of St. Matthew and St. Luke. The name of St. Mary is mentioned only once in the Book of Mark and the Book of Acts. The Blessed Virgin is never explicitly named in the New Testament Letters. The name of St. Mary is only "referred to" in two episodes written by St. John in his Holy Gospel.
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Apostles Fast

On the Fifth of Abib we celebrate the "Feast of the Apostles." In preparation for this feast I would like to share some thoughts concerning the apostles and the establishment of the early church. It is my prayer that all will draw closer to God, to an understanding of the apostles, and to those who received instruction from disciples of the apostles.
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Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt

Our Lord Jesus Christ is unrivaled as the wisest man to ever walk upon the face of the earth. He walked with sorrow, love, grief, and happiness. Facing trials and tribulations, the Lord Jesus gave to His people wise words and actions that continue to give us guidance and encouragement two thousand years after His death. They speak to us today in the same manner as they spoke to people hundreds of years ago.
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Feast of the Holy Resurrection

The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus is our resurrection (Ephesians 2:6). God has created man to live, not to die. We were raised with Him, and accordingly we should set our minds on things above "the new everlasting life," not on things the earth has to offer "the old mortal life" (Colossians 3:1-2). To die with Christ is the end of the "mortal life" and the resurrection with Christ is the beginning of the "everlasting life." Believing in the Resurrection leads to a life of righteousness and virtue. Love of eternity makes the righteous long for something greater and more eminent than the world.
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Confession: Second Baptism

The fall of Adam and Eve had led them to suffer from shame "because I was naked; and I hid myself" (Gen 3:10), guilt "they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden" (Gen 3:8), and fear "I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid" (Gen 3:10).
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Conducting Our Thoughts

The observation of the Sabbath was the fourth of the Ten Commandments that Moses brought down from Mount Sinai. This was a Commandment that specifically prohibited manual labor and traveling great distances which the Holy Bible specified with such examples as plowing, harvesting, collecting of food, and building a fire. On the day before the Sabbath, the people gathered enough food for two days, and on the Sabbath itself they normally did not leave their homes.
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