Monthly Newsletter - July 2010

St. John Chrysostom  

Be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other,
just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Do you want to continue to experience the forgiveness of Jesus Christ? Then never grow weary of showing forgiveness and kindness to the other person, even when you think the limit has been reached. As you extend forgiveness and kindness to others, you will continue to experience God's forgiveness and loving-kindness. (Matthew 6:14 – 15)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

YOU HAVE DOVE’S EYES
The work of the Holy Spirit is to imprint His spiritual vision in you. Thus, the Bridegroom will say to you, "You have dove’s eyes" (Song 1:15). If you stand close to a friend and look into his eyes, you will discover your image imprinted in his eyes. That is how the Lord Jesus sees the image of the Holy Spirit (the dove) imprinted in your eyes. As long as your heart is in continuous contact with Him, realizing His capabilities and is cooperating with Him, He will always be active in you.
Do not be afraid of your weaknesses, as your eyes are "dove’s eyes," a sign that the Holy Spirit dwells within you. He is the One who is working in you, who transforms your weaknesses to power, and destroys the power of evil. He does not destroy your heart or your efforts, but destroys the evil in order to establish God’s Kingdom in you.
TENDER MATTERS
We see in God a father purposefully bringing about our salvation. In the Incarnate Son we see the Bridegroom, embracing His bride, the Church, who is adorned with abundant spiritual beauty. As for the Holy Spirit, it can be said that He holds the qualities of Motherhood. He holds the affection and unique tenderness of Motherhood, from which springs all gifts and virtues. At the beginning He hovered with great love over the face of the waters, in order to create the world for us. In the New Testament, He hovered over the waters of baptism to embrace the one baptized, bestowing upon him the image of his Creator and bequeathing the Church love. My dear youth, the role of the Holy Spirit is not only to nourish you with divine love, but to fill you with a kind of maternal affection. The Holy Spirit lavishes on you sincere, charitable, generous and spiritual love, where the believer asks for nothing from those who are dear to him, but to see them crowned with glory just as he himself is crowned.
 Fr Tadros Malaty
Fr Tadros Malaty +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SHORT STORY (MY FATHER IS NOT HOME!)

Teresa in her hopelessness said, “What am I to do? I am desperate and can’t find anybody that cares for me. I want to see my dad for guidance, asking him to take care of me. He wouldn’t be the one who neglects me.”
So she went to her father’s house, knocked on his door once and twice, but he didn’t open the door. She sadly left saying, “My father is not home!”
Frequently, we do exactly the same like Teresa. We knock at God’s door with our prayers and before He opens the door for us, we leave and say in our inner depth “Where is God? We prayed and He didn’t hear our prayers, nor did He respond. Where is His care and concern?”
The Church as a mother, wishes for her sons and daughters to keep knocking continuously on the door until The Father opens.
The Church gives us “The Agpeya, the book of hours” and we think it is too long to practice using it.
Even so, it is the way that makes us knock continuously on the heavenly doors. Through it, we enjoy the visit with our Beloved.
It s an enjoyable dialogue with the heavenly Groom. It is the way to open admissible and frank talks.                      
 By: Fr. Tadros Malaty.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

FAMILY CORNER

HHow to Keep your Teen out of Trouble

Teenagers are under a lot of pressure in this day and age and it is easy for them to get into trouble. Life has become difficult for many. Parents are busy working all the time and don't realize that there might be a problem.

• Talk to your teens; always ask how they are doing and what they are doing. Get involved in their life and show them you care and not just criticize.
• Be honest with your child. Tell them what is going on. As a teen they are old enough to understand, if parents are struggling financially for example. Maybe he/she can help out save money or help support the family.
• Get your kids involved in sports. If you cannot afford the sports outside of school, enroll them in school sports. Most of them are very cheap and it is a yearly fee.
  
  
• In the summer, let them volunteer at various places. Keep them busy at all times. If they are busy with sports and chores at home, that most likely will not give them enough time to get involved in bad things or with a bad crowd.
• Check up on your child and let them know you do that, because you care, because you are the parent.
• Make the time to spend time with your teen, even if it is only 2-3 hours. You can have one night a week to hang out with your teen and talk about everything and have fun. It is worth it. I go to school full time and work full time and drive my son to all sporting events he is a part of, but I will make the time that one time a week for our date night, because it is important.
• Get involved and like what he/she likes, even if you don't. They are your children and they are only young for a short time. Don't miss out and take the time to teach them right and give them a good valuable start. Set expectations and rules and regulation, but also give them an incentive to follow through.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The whole fast of the Apostles may be regarded as a continuous feast. It commemorates the work of the Holy Spirit in the church. It is the feast of ministry and frequent prayers for the provision of laborers for the harvest. It provides for the consecration of the priests promised by the Lord through the month of Jeremiah, “And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you knowledge and understanding” (Jer 3:15).
      As for the martyrdom of Peter and Paul in the name of Christ on this day, it follows a long and highly fruitful ministry. It was a testimony of utter obedience and faithful love to the point of death. They offered their testimony to Christ in full obedience to the Holy Spirit. He spoke through them for the love and glory of Christ. In them and through them was fulfilled the promise of the Lord, “Even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me, and you also are witnesses” (Jn 15:26-27).
      The two great apostles shed their blood together and on the same day. This is the highest love doxology offered by the church to the person of Christ. It took place through self-denial, self-hatred and accepting the sentence of death, rejection, and torture without fear, dismay or regret.
      Christ demands this genuine doxology today in the memory of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul. He demands the readiness to sacrifice blood. The Lord is asking for the chant of self-denial along with a sense of the cross. He asks for the death of personal will. He asks for the rejection of any sort of life devoted to the glory of men and the flesh.
      Who then will celebrate today in the Holy Spirit the death of Peter and Paul for Christ’s sake? Only those who hate their lives unto death. Those who are watchful and prepared every minute like Peter to die in what manner “he was to glorify God” (Jn 21:19). This is what the apostle John recorded of him according to the Lord’s promise to Peter.
It is evident then that the glorification of God is not achieved by loud praises of the mouth, but by the rising groans of suffering and persecution to the point of death. This is the chant of our feast today. It is our resolve for the glorification of God and Christ. It is to be prepared for witness to Christ in all sincerity, decision and readiness to deny ourselves to the point of death. This we can only attain by being filled with the Holy Spirit.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++