I Am He

I Am He: On the Thanksgiving : Coptic Christians in the US talking much about eating turkey in the Thanksgiving, as they started already the Nativity fast. The issue i...

Coptic Christians in the US talking much about eating turkey in the Thanksgiving, as they started already the Nativity fast. The issue is not about a day off from the fast. The issue is more deep. Do we know what we do? I believe if I asked St. Athanasius or St. Cyril what do you think about that? They would say This was not the Christianity which we defended it or even exiled for its sake. Do we as Christians understand the mystery of Incarnation, do we really understand “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Jn.3:16. The whole issue needs to be revisited. Why we are Christians? What our practices reflect from our faith? What is our relationship to the season in which the church is enjoying? Are our homes a sanctuary for God? Is the Name of God mentioned in our homes? Abanoub Aziz Narouz, 14 years  While we are debating about eating the Glorious turkey, Abanoub Aziz Narouz, 14 year

I Am He: Your Crown is the Crown of Thorns, O Patriarch : On the first year anniversary of HH Pope Tawadros the II the pope of Our Coptic Orthodox Church  we say remember how the Church celebrates ...

On the first year anniversary of HH Pope Tawadros the II the pope of Our Coptic Orthodox Church  we say remember how the Church celebrates the ordination of the Patriarch by the hymn o Monogense to remind the Pope that your new service's crown is the crown of the thorns of Our l ord Jesus Christ whom "...the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Is 53:6 so the Patriarch will carry the cross of serving His people as from hands God will ask the blood of all flock. ( inspirations with additions from the book of Holy Pascha by Dr  Youhanna N Youssef ) In this hymn we say (hymn copied from  http://tasbeha.org/hymn_library/view/149 ) "O only-begotten Son, the eternal and immortal Word of God; who for our salvation did will to be incarnate of the holy Theotokos (and ever Virgin Mary) (said 2 times . Who without change became man and was crucified, the Christ God. Trampled down death by death. One of the Holy Trinity, who is glorified with the Father and the Holy

I Am He: “Love your enemies” By Pope Shenouda : “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) Pope Shenouda Translated by Fr. Bishoy Lamie, edited by Jessica Ryder-Khalil    HH the Late P...

“Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44) Pope Shenouda Translated by Fr. Bishoy Lamie, edited by Jessica Ryder-Khalil    HH the Late Pope Shenouda the III in front of his cave in the desert when he was living a life of solitude “Love your neighbor” is a phrase written in the Law:  “L ove your neighbor as yourself,” (Leviticus 19:18). However, the phrase “hate your enemy” is not written in the Law. It is a mistaken human understanding.  Our Lord Jesus Christ taught its opposite for two reasons. First, God does not command us to hate in His Law, but rather to love. Second, love and hate cannot coexist in one heart. As the Apostles says “For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). The Lord calls for love even towards enemies, so it is not enough to bear with your enemy. What is more, to love them is the higher calling. We notice in the saying of the Lord, “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray

Ministry of Reconciliation By Abba Epiphanios The Bishop of St. Macarius The Great At Scetis  (Wadi Natrun - Egypt)   Translated by Fr. Bishoy Lamie, edited by Ayman and Jessica Ryder-Khalil When God reconciled the creation to Himself, He achieved this first in the Incarnation, by the unity of the Divinity and the Humanity.  Then, on the Cross.  After that He granted to the apostles the ability to reconcile the people to God and He called it the ministry of reconciliation. “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,” (2 Cor. 5:18). When St. Paul wanted to summarize the acts of the Apostles, and after them the acts of the bishops and the priests in the Church, he did not find a phrase except “the ministry of reconciliation” in order to clarify his words. This reconciliation is based on the Christ’s Redemption of sins and the mistakes of others, as there is no reconciliation without forgi

Article Written by HG Bishop Macarius, The General Bishop of Our Coptic Orthodox Church in the Upper Egypt Governorate of El Minya and Abu Korkas  on Aug. 29, 2013, Translated by  Fr. Bishoy Lamie, Edited by Shawn Doyle Church of Prince Tadros in El Minya after being burned This is the story of a young man ( Gem.Ein. Waw teacher of English Language , 25 years) He was in the church of St. Moses the Black, in the district of Abu Helal in El Minya, joined by a few other youth colleagues of his, putting out the fire from the Molotovs that were thrown from outside the church by the aggressors. This attack occurred on 9PM Wednesday evening, ( I believe that HG Bishop Macarius refers to the day of Aug. 14, 2013, the day that churches were burned and Christians were killed at the hands of the terrorists in Egypt.)  as they could not attack it during the daylight. As soon as the aggressors began their attack on the church, after they smashed the gate, he exited with the others –

“May the   Lord   see and avenge!” NRSV , “The   Lord   look on   it,   and repay!” NKJ “The   Lord   look upon it, and require it.” KJV, “May the Lord see this and call you to account.” NIV [ 34 ] Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify,  and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town,   [ 35 ] that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of innocent Abel to the blood of Zechari'ah the son of Barachi'ah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.   [ 36 ] Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation.     In the Gospel according to St. Matthew 23:34-36   [ 49 ] Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, `I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom  they will kill and persecute,'   [ 50 ] that the blo

The Coptic Confessors (1) Article Written by HG Bishop Macarius, The General Bishop of Our Coptic Orthodox Church in the Upper Egypt Governorate of Al Minya and Abu Korkas  on August 29, 2013 , translated by F r. Bishoy Lamie , edited by Phoebe Farag Scanned from El-Keraza (The Preaching) magazine, official newspaper of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, Aug. 30, 2013 pictures from top left: Burning the diocese of Coptic Orthodox Dioceses Church in Sohag, St. Mary in El -Fayoum , Friends of The Holy Bible Association in El-Fayoum, The ancient (4th century) monastery of St. Mary in Dalga - Dair Mawas- Al Minya, Bottom one: girl is praying in the burned Church of St. Tadros in Al Minya The Confessor in the consciousness of the Church is the living Martyr, the difference between Martyr and confessor that both were tormented, except that the body of one was tortured while the body of the other departed life. In Al Minya we have in many places martyrs and large numbers of

Last week after the burning of the churches in Egypt, specifically in El Minya on Aug. 14, 2013, a couple decided on Sept. 2, 2013 (after about two weeks) to do their engagement ceremony in the burned church of St. Tadros in order to take the blessing of the place that witnessed to Christ. Copied from  https://www.facebook.com/angelsrosha/media_set?set=a.625584414153063.1073741844.100001045301358&type=3 On the other side here in US, new Coptic couples think about getting married in other fancy Orthodox churches. When you ask them why? They will say “ we invited many and our churches are limited in space”, or they would say,    “the other churches are going to appear nicely in the videos and photographs” or finally they will say, “This Church is few miles from the reception, we do not want people to drive a long distance,” although we are talking about few minutes difference. Copied from  http://creativeweddings.squarespace.com/creative-weddings-blog/2010/6/20/idea-t

I Am He: The Rank of Confessors, commentary by HG Bishop Ma... : The Rank of Confessors [i] Article Written by HG Bishop Macarius, The General Bishop of Our Coptic Orthodox church in the Upper Egypt ...

The Rank of Confessors [i] Article Written by HG Bishop Macarius, The General Bishop of Our Coptic Orthodox church in the Upper Egypt Governorate of El Minya and Abu Korkas  on September. 06, 2013 ( [ii]   I tried to find a picture of recent confessors but, they do not want to be known as they count themselves did nothing beside the great Love of Our Lord Jesus Christ, so I chose for you this picture from St. Tadros church after being totally burned on Aug. 14, these people prayed in spite that HG Bishop Macarius did not want to announce about this liturgy as everyone will be in danger because there was still killings and burning happening, so I thought about those in the picture that they    came to the church knowing that s/he might be a confessor or a martyr)  ----- (Beginning of the Article)  “ Let us test him with insult and torture, so that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance”  Wisdom 2:19 The word confessor in Gr