The Coptic Church, is so esteemed in tradition, that everything anyone does seems to have some meaning. From the way we do the sign of the cross to the way the priest uses the censor. Every action has deeper meaning. However in today’s evangelistic world, there has developed a general trend and practice against the… Continue reading The Joy of Tradition!
In the 1st Epistle of Peter 2:17 we find this wonderful phrase which really evokes much thought as it really is the fundamental way any Christian should live his life! I guess the 1st question we need to answer is how do we Fear God? Are we not supposed to love him? How can we… Continue reading Fear God, Honour The King!
Im involved in making the Holy Bread at St Barbara & St Noufers Coptic Orthodox Church! Amongst the guys who bake the Holy Bread or “Orban”, we were discussing whether there were actually any guidelines or canons on how the Holy Bread should be made. Being Me, i stumbled across the Following book from the… Continue reading Canons of Holy Bread Baking!
Many times i have been asked by people, can we really believe what the Old Testament Says? Growing up in the Catholic System many of my teachers said the 1st 5 books of the Bible – the “Torah” was Just a myth. So i think its time to start challenging this really foreign Idea. One… Continue reading Is the Old Testament Even True?
The apostles served the Lord Jesus and later provided leadership to the first generation Christian believers. They were of such importance that the word “apostle” occurs approximately seventy-nine times in the New Testament. Acts of the Apostles portrays the apostles as leaders of the first church in Jerusalem during the Church’s first decade. The apostles… Continue reading The Apostolic Passion!
In Luke 14:27, Christ commands any Christian to do the following… “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” So what does it mean to really Carry this Cross, What does it entail and why is it sometimes the most painful thing to do. I recently got this… Continue reading Carry The Cross
The Roman Catholic Church believes in Filoque. So what is Filoque, Put simply it’s the belief that the Holy Spirit proceeded from both the “Father” and the “Son”. In orthodoxy however we hold firmly to the true faith that was handed to us by the fathers and that which is in accordance with the scriptures.… Continue reading Filoque
The twelve apostles formed the inner core of the Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry. They were personally chosen by the Lord Himself, had the power of working miracles, and were inspired to teach and to do extraordinary mission work. On the Feast of Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles and they became… Continue reading Why the Apostles Fast?
It was customary in the apostles era that the congregation prayed the kneeling prayers standing. It is said that the reason for kneeling, as is done in our days, goes back to what happened one time while the Antiochian Patriarch Macarious was saying the petitions that a great wind blew just like what occurred in… Continue reading Why is it called the Kneeling Prayers?
The Holy myron oil, is the oil used in the sacrament of confirmation to annoit the newly baptised as a way of them obtaining the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus instituted it when He said: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said,… Continue reading Tradition of the HOLY MYRON OIL
A large passenger ship was crossing the Atlantic. The ocean which had been so blue and peaceful early in the afternoon suddenly became a black and angry sea, dashed with foam and white caps. The terrible storm sent most of the passengers to their staterooms. Some of the less fearful gathered in small groups along… Continue reading Do you have the 3rd Eye?
Our knowledge of St Monica comes almost entirely from the writings of her much-loved son, the great Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine of Hippo. His relationship with his mother was a close one, especially during Monica’s last years. In Book IX of St. Augustine’s he gives us many details of her life, and expresses his… Continue reading St Monica – The Patron Saint of Alcoholics & Mothers!
Martyrdom is the greatest sacrifice any human can offer. Mother Dolagy lived in the village of Esna in Upper Egypt during the reign of Bishop Amonios Bishop of Esna .She was considered to be one of the greatest martyrs who excelled in faith and power. She is considered as the patron Saint of Esna and… Continue reading Mother Dolagy & Her Four Sons
How can God use us? There is only one way. We must make ourselves utterly available to God and to our neighbors. God does not ask you about your ability — only your availability. He provides the ability. The supreme question is: are we available to Him? Moses made himself available and God provided the… Continue reading The Three Trees!
“We can have experience long before we have explanation. In fact, experience comes before understanding. Without the experience first, we have nothing to reflect on but abstractions and theories. All of man’s attempts to describe beauty are nothing compared to actually seeing and smelling a beautiful rose. As Orthodox Christians we believe in the Holy… Continue reading How do we Experience God?
“He who is able to pray correctly, even if he is the poorest of all people, is essentially the richest. And he who does not have proper prayer, is the poorest of all, even if he sits on a royal throne.” St John Chrysostom Prayer is the elevation of the mind and the heart to… Continue reading The Prayer Room
Being an Ambassador for Christ The following is a transcript of a sermon given by His Grace, Bishop Antonious Markos, on Sunday the 2nd of November 2008 at the Parish of St Mercurious, Sydney. While an attempt has been made to convey the sermon as faithfully as possible, the writer’s intention is to impart the… Continue reading Being An Ambassador For Christ -+-+- HG Bishop Antonios Markos
In today’s society we hear the word LOVE a lot. But has Love lost its meaning? What does love really mean? What has society taught us love to be? On my search to find the answers to these questions I had a certain concept in mind to explain first, that is the 4 Greek meanings… Continue reading The Four Types of Love
Today the Coptic Church celebrates the blessed feast of the Ascension which is celebrated 40 days after the Resurrection of Christ. Below is a wonderful contemplation by St Romanos a melodist (6th century in the Eastern Orthodox Chruch) on this wonderful Feast. He Who descended to earth, as He alone knew how, Rising up from… Continue reading Happy Feast of The Ascension
I recently received the following email from a fellow servant at St Barbara & St Noufer’s Coptic Orthodox Church. Thanks to that person so very much! The Email Reads as Follows! Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin? The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus,… Continue reading The Mystery of the Folded Napkin!
Rare is the person who has suffered a grievous loss in death who does not experience some guilt. We recall the many things we left undone, or the unkind things we did to the deceased. The husband feels he should have been more considerate of his wife; a parent feels he should have spent more… Continue reading Dealing with GUILT! Vote NOW
There are three types of Christians. One type is the Christian who does the will of God because he is afraid of going to hell. We call this person a slave because he does everything out of fear of what the Master will do to him. The second kind of Christian is called the hireling.… Continue reading What type of Christian are YOU?
Many times i have been asked whats the difference between the Orthodox, Protestant & Catholic Faith. This post is a summary of the main beliefs in regards to the key areas of similarity and differences. CLICK HERE for the Post Note: This was used in a Sunday School Lesson at St Barbara & St Noufer’s… Continue reading Different Denominations
Today the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast of St Mark the Apostle, the founder of the Coptic Orthodox Church. St Mark features prominently in the bible as well. For example the Lord chose St. Mark’s house as the one where they ate the Passover before His crucifixion. In his house the very first Eucharist… Continue reading St Mark the Apostle – Beginning & End
Before confession one should attempt to recall all the sins which one has committed voluntarily or involuntarily. One must attentively reexamine one’s life in order to recall not only those sins committed since the last confession, but also those which have not been confessed through forgetfulness. Then, with compunction and a contrite heart, approach the… Continue reading 8 Secrets for a Successful Confession!
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