I Am He

Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ Coptic Month of Mesore, Day  13 Every year, during the fast of Transfiguration we are celebrating the feast of Transfiguration, where we can read about this feast: Matthew 17:1-9 Mark 9:2-9 Luke 9:28-37 [ 1 ] And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. [ 2 ] And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light. [ 3 ] And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Eli'jah, talking with him. [ 4 ] And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli'jah." [ 5 ] He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to ...

On the 12th of the Coptic Month of Baouna there is the feast of Archangel Michael . It is an ancient feast from the Pharaoh time. The church baptized this feast, during that time the church prays for the Rising of the water, so it can water the dry land during the harvest season in the summer. It is also the spiritual harvest which started in the day of Pentecost when God commissioned the holy Disciples and apostles to become fisher of men. The same theme we find it in the Sunday readings in which the church reads the miracles of Our Lord Jesus Christ as he delivered it to the Disciples. ""Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I go to the Father." Jn. 14:12 .  In these pictures below as it is accustomed from year 1834 AD there was a noticeable decease in the water level so Mohamed Aly Basha the Sultan of Egypt asked the Late Patriarch Peter VII (El Gawly) to pray, after he as...

The Late Metropolitan Maximus of Qalyubia 1- Was born in April 1911, departed in May 1992.  2- Joined the monastery when he was 21 years old. His mother saw a revelation that an angel is standing behind him so the family finally blessed the choice. His name was monk Angelos (Angel ) el Almuharraqe (the monastery of Almuharraq http://www.almuharraqmonastery.com/en/) in Asuit.  3- In 1961 was he first priest sent to the Gulf area in Kuwait, which had the first church in the immigration land.  4- One known story about him is that once the people in the church were fighting and the next day was a liturgy of Palm Sunday. He refused to pray the liturgy until they reconciled.  5- In 1963 the Late Saint Pope Kyrillos the VI, met with the people in Qalyubia, in order to nominate for them Fr. Angelos to become a bishop. The people said "we do not have money to pay him" so Pope Kyrillos said "I am sending you a monk , a sa...

St. Cyril of Alexandria in his commentary on the gospel of Luke, Chapter 24, says "Having blessed them, and gone a little in advance, He was carried up to heaven, that He might share the Father's throne even with the flesh that was united to Him . And this new pathway the Word made for us when He appeared in human form: and hereafter in due time He will come again in the glory of His Father with the angels, and will take us up to be with Him. Let us glorify therefore Him Who being God the Word became man for our sakes: Who suffered willingly in the flesh, and arose from the dead, and abolished corruption: Who was taken up, and hereafter shall come with great glory to judge the living and the dead, and to give to every one according to his deeds: by Whom and with Whom to God the Father be glory and power with the Spirit for ever and ever. Amen." Source :http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_luke_14_sermons_146_156.htm What does it mean? As He is...

 “For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so will the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. “ Matt. 12: 40 The gospel of the liturgy of the Passover of Jonah according to the ritual of the Holy Orthodox Coptic Church, describes how our Lord refuses the temple which was made by the hands Jn. 2: 12-25, instead he wanted His Spirit to dwell in us by Baptism and the Eucharist, that is why the response of the Liturgy “O our Lord Jesus Christ, make in us a sanctuary, for Your Holy Spirit, ever-glorifying You.” He wants us to be His Chosen and dwelling place. That is why the church called it Passover of Jonah, it is a Passover from “darkness, unto the true and wonderful light; and from error and vanity of idols unto the knowledge of  truth.” As we say in the Baptismal Liturgy. Let it be our prayers “O our Lord Jesus Christ, make in us a sanctuary, for Your Holy Spirit, ever-glorifying You.”

Thanks to the FB Page of "Those who love Anba Athanasius Metropolitan of Beni Suef and Bahnasa" ( Arabic Page for providing me with the Arabic wording for this hymn for this great teacher and scholar Metropolitan Athanasius  Tranlsation  Hymn “Through The Cross” [1] by  Late Metropolitan Athanasuis of Beni Suef. [2] Through the Cross my Lord Redeemed me … Through His Resurrection, He raised me and gave me life Through the Cross He restored to me my entity… He opened to me the door of the paradise Come let us see visibly… Our God in the human nature Loving, kind, maker of good… He broke from us the trap pf the Satan. He wore the nature of the sons of Adam… and became a sacrifice for the world He saved by his Cross all transgressions … he removed from us all verdicts Through the Cross we reconciled with the Father … And the Son opened before us the door After the hostility we became lovers… the reconciliation happened and the dividing wall...

Special Thanks to Donna Rizk  Moses, called the Robber or the Negro, was a released slave who lived as a robber in Nitria; late in life he became a monk and was trained by Isidore the Priest. He was ordained priest and became one of the great fathers of Scetis. On the advice of Macarius he retired to Petra; he was martyred with seven others by barbarian invaders. 1-       It happened that Abba Moses was struggling with the temptation of fornication. Unable to stay any longer in the cell, he went and told Abba Isidore. The old man exhorted him to return to his cell. But he refused, saying, 'Abba, I cannot.' Then Abba Isidore took Moses out onto the terrace and said to him, 'Look towards the west.' He looked and saw hordes of demons flying about and mak­ing a noise before launching an attack. Then Abba Isidore said to him, 'Look towards the east.' He turned and saw an innumerable multitude of holy angels shining with glory. Abba Isidore said, 'See, ...