By Bishoy Marcus It is hard to fathom why some people just get so upset over matters that really do not have any forbearance on their life or future. It amazes me how often people become so down trodden and depressed over very minor and usually insignificant grievances. This perhaps may be some sort of… Continue reading Are you the “Forgiver” or “Grudge Bearer”?
By Saint Gregory The Wonder Worker. She wrapped in swaddling-clothes Him who is covered with light as with a garment. She wrapped in swaddling-clothes Him who made every creature. She laid in a manger Him who sits above the cherubim, and is praised by myriads of angels. In the manger set apart for dumb brutes… Continue reading Humility In His Incarnation!
By Saint John Chrysostom. I behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but loudly chanting a heavenly hymn! The cherubim resound their joyful praise! The seraphim exalt His glory! All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the Godhead here on earth and man in… Continue reading “The Great Mystery Of The Nativity”
By Saint Cyril of Alexandria. He took what was ours to be His very own so that we might have all that was His. “He was rich but He became poor for our sake, so that we might be enriched by His poverty.” [2Cor.8:9]. When they say that the Logos of God did not become… Continue reading “He Took What Is Ours And Gave Us What Is His”
Recently I was on a Sunday school visitation and one of the children we were visiting asked a very interesting question, “Can we see God?” The answer to this question is not straight forward as it appears, was the child talking about the Triune God, or was he talking about the Father, Christ or the… Continue reading Did Moses See God?
The woman who broke the alabaster flask and poured the ointment over Jesus’s head in Luke 7:37-50, gives us an excellent look at faith and repentance at work in the midst of weeping. The word “weeping” used in verse 38 means “sobbing and wailing aloud”. Mark’s account (Mark 14:3-9) describes the process of brokenness to… Continue reading The Alabaster Flask!
Fr Matthew The Poor To believe in Christ’s words and deeds is easy, for it only involves believing in our hearts and confessing with our tongues. But the test of the truth of our faith is by our deeds and behavior. After faith comes the “narrow gate” and the hard way, which everyone who has… Continue reading That Narrow Gate!
St Innocent of Alaska “Finally let us say why we cannot possibly avoid the narrow way into the Kingdom of Heaven. a) Because in every man there is sin, and sin is a wound that does not heal by itself, without medicines; and in the case of some people this wound is so deep and… Continue reading The True Physician!
By Bishoy Marcus Have you ever felt that the world is against you and that you are the only one rallying for a cause? If yes then this post is for you. The first distinction we need to make is what is your cause? Is your cause like that of St Athanasius the Great who at… Continue reading Counting The Cost!
The angels proclaimed the news of Christ’s resurrection to the women saying, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but He is risen” (Luke 24: 5-6) The news of the risen Christ brought tremendous joy to the disciples, but terrified the Jewish leaders. As much as the day of… Continue reading On the Joys of Resurrection!
Desert in the City: The Holy Gospels record one of the first events at the beginning of Jesus’ public life. St. Mark (Gospel, 1: 10-12) writes that after the Theophany in which: “… the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I… Continue reading Aids To Help In Service Fatigue!
When the disciples had gathered on the new Passover (Pascha), the Lord’s Day or Resurrection Day, Jesus entered the room where they were – “the doors being shut…for fear of the Jews” – stood in the midst of them and showed them His hands and side. Christ then greeted them with that salutation, retained by… Continue reading Thomas!
Dr. James L. Wilson Back in the 1880’s Nietzsche declared that “God is dead,” and before the turn of the Twentieth Century, Shaw and Wells chimed in saying the 20th Century would mark the end of the world’s “religious phase.” Yet, today a church now meets in Russia’s Museum of Religion and Atheism-the former center… Continue reading Why We Still Celebrate Easter!
On the Resurrection Key verses: 1 Peter 4:12-13 As we celebrate the commemoration of the glorious feast of our Lord’s Resurrection on Sunday, we must never lose sight of the fact that as victorious as this resurrection is, it would never have come about without the apparent defeat of the cross. In looking at the… Continue reading Bishop Angelos On The Resurrection!
Today in Pascha we see the disciples amazement at the withered tree which Jesus Cursed. Was it not unreasonable to curse the tree for being fruitless when, as St Mark expressly says, “it was not the season for figs”? Was Jesus Cruel in cursing something that didnt fruit at the right time? This doesn’ pose… Continue reading The Fig Tree!
HH Pope Shenouda III is the spiritual father of all the Coptic Christians in the world. He is the 117th Pope on the throne of St Mark the Evangelist. His incredible power to simplify the complex interaction between man and God has enthralled millions in his lifetime. His wisdom blended with humility and sincerity have made… Continue reading Come Back To God!
When the Savior says to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you,” he addresses this to humankind in general. For those who believe in him, being healed of the diseases of the soul, will receive forgiveness of the sins which they formerly committed. He may also mean this: “I must heal your soul before I… Continue reading Your Sins Are Forgiven You!
St. Cyril of Alexandria, in his comment on “Hallowed be Thy Name,” affirmed that it is absolutely absurd to think that when we pray, “Hallowed be Thy Name,” we pray that additional holiness may accrue unto the all-holy God. He wondered, “If God be full and in every respect perfect in and by Himself, and… Continue reading Why Do We Bless God?
As we approach Great Lent every year, there seems to be a rush of interest in finding good fasting recipes that are fast, easy and nutritious. More and more often, those recipes seem to include some kind of soy or other vegetable product that has been processed to look and function like meat or dairy… Continue reading Is Real Fasting – Soy Everything?
The name for this Sunday is taken from the parable of our Lord Jesus Christ found in Luke 15:11-32. The parable is the story of a man and his two sons. The youngest of the sons asks his father to give him his inheritance. The father does this, and soon after the son leaves and… Continue reading The Prodigal Son!
I behold a new and wondrous mystery! My ears resound to the Shepherd’s song, piping no soft melody, but chanting full forth a heavenly hymn. The Angels sing! The Archangels blend their voices in harmony! The Cherubim hymn their joyful praise! The Seraphim exalt His glory! All join to praise this holy feast, beholding the… Continue reading Chrysostom On Nativity!
Pure is the present night, in which the Pure One appeared, Who came to purify us! Let our hearing be pure, and the sight of our eyes chaste, and the feeling of the heart holy, and the speech of the mouth sincere! The present night is the night of reconciliation; therefore, let no one be… Continue reading Ephraim The Syrian On Nativity
Prayer is by its very nature a dialogue and a union with God. Its effect is to hold the world together and to achieve a reconciliation with God. Prayer is the mother and daughter of tears. It is expiation of sin, a bridge over temptation, a barrier against affliction. It wipes out conflict, is the… Continue reading JOHN CLIMACUS ON PRAYER!
God is often the last to receive attention on one’s daily agenda: ” As soon as I get time, I will meditate. ” Where does that time go? Yet anyone who performs the highest duty of knowing God is automatically guided in accordance with God’s will in the performance of the roster of other lesser… Continue reading Making Time For God!
I think, brethren, that the souls which draw near to the love of God are of three sorts, be they male or female. There are those who are called by the law of love which is in their nature, and which original good implanted in them at their first creation. The word of God came… Continue reading The Three Types of Souls!
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