Here is another event that changed my life for good.  During my college years, I had a chance to join a global outreach project.  That is where a group of students and professor go to another country to do some volunteering.  We were working with a group of missionaries in Mexico.   The Mexican group was very simple but very effective one.  It was lead by Bob Coogan, and Sister Margarita.   We raised money to pay for the trip, to cover transportation, and gifts for the hosting community.  I can honestly say this trip changed my life in many ways and that is why I went twice.

Many people in our society suffer from loneliness… many go into drugs, alcohol, medications, or other means to avoid feeling that burden.  Well, on my trips I met an old lady that taught me a lesson I never forget.  We visited her on both trips and the first one was very painful for me. You will see why…  Picture this; an old lady in her mid 70’s living way below the poverty line.  She is staying in a shack made of wood, mud, and metal sheets. The shack is a one room with no pluming.  Her water source is a small canal, which she uses for drinking, washing, and doing her business too.  During the first trip I was so angry at life and even GOD. I could not bear to sit with her for the 30 minute visit.  I sat under a tree in anger, then, I shutout everyone and everything.  I chose not to explore this opportunity… I just wanted to be left alone.  During that time I was living a harsh life (I thought) on very little money working two jobs and studying to complete my college education.  I saw this lady and questioned GOD’s love for me, for her, and for all those who are suffering.   When the group met at night to recap the day; many shared their thoughts, I chose to shut up and shutout everyone again.  Still very angry, extremely angry!  To make the long story short we finished the trip we went home back to our busy lives and still that lady’s image kept coming back to me over and over again.

I Fish
By: B. M.

We go through an experience that clarifies a passage in the bible.   So here is one of mine :)

I am a fishing addict, there is always fishing equipment in my house, car, work (yes, work). I fish in good weather, poor weather and in real bad weather. I fish in my dreams :) I fished ponds, lakes, canals, rivers, seas, oceans. I fished from shore lines, canoes, pontoons, boats, and big ships.

Years ago we had a warm December, so with another fishing addict I went deep sea fishing.  This was on 12/31/95 very early in the morning we got our fishing gear ready and drove to the marina. Still nice weather in low 50’s and promised to be in 60’s during the day.  I was so excited I could hardly sit still.

Very Hairs of My Head?

By: B. M.

It is written in the bible, ” But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” Matthew 10:30.  

In my case I never really valued that verse; whenever I came across it, I took it as GOD cares for us physically too, but NOT really “very hairs of your head”.

So Here to You Dad⁺
By: B.M.
One of my childhood memories is when my family went out to “The Park of Mercy”.  I call it that because I don’t remember the name of the park.

My Dad taught me many things through things he did; also know as by example.  He worked two jobs six or seven days a week to make sure we are not extremely poor:).  So back in Egypt, at that time dad drove a taxi after he finished driving the midnight trains…. The most important thing about this outing was dad got permission from the taxi owner to take us to a park during a holiday.  I remember when we got there; there was an old lady with a kid or two playing in the mud with no shoes.  So she approached my father and asked him to wash the taxi for him. Since the taxi was not so dirty he hesitated but said fine.  I remember her face light up, so happy.  She brought a rag and bucket with a big smile on her face…. 

Saint George, the Prince of Martyrs
by Church Heroes Series

On May 1st, the twenty-third of Baramouda, in the year 307 A.D., a great among the martyrs - whom we call the Prince of Martyrs - was crowned with martyrdom. He endured years of tortures for his love of Christ the King. May the intercessions of the noble St. George be with us, Amen.
 
St. George was born around 280 A.D. to a wealthy and noble Christian family. He was born in the city of Cappadocia, a city of the Eastern Empire, in Asia Minor. His father’s name was Anastasius and his mother’s name was Theobaste. St. George’s mother raised him in a holy Christian manner.

St. George followed the usual career of young noblemen and joined the Roman army at the age of 17, where his ability and charm brought him quick promotions. The Emperor heard about him and, as a result, made him a tribune or an officer in the Imperial Guard. At the age of twenty, St. George’s father passed away and St. George then went to Emperor Diocletian to take over his father’s position.

My beloved sons in the lands of immigration, priests and congregation.

Peace and grace from Our Lord, hoping that God may bless your lives and sanctify them and may every work that you do be successful.

We thank God Who granted us to complete this Holy Pascha in peace and has brought us to the joys of His Resurrection. Our joy is not merely the joy of the Feast after ending the fast. Our joy however, is a spiritual joy, as the apostle said, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice." (Philippians 4:4)

I wish that you meditate well on this phrase and practice rejoicing in the Lord and on how it should be. We rejoice in the presence of the Lord with us during this period, to strengthen our faith and to speak to us about matters pertaining to the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). He gives us the feeling that He is with us all the days and to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20)

The Holy Great Fast and Spiritual Discipline⁺
By Bishop Youssef

"The true fast is that in which sins, anger, tongue, and instincts are under control" (St Basil the Great).

The Holy Great Fast is often referred to as "The Spring of Our Spiritual Life". Spring being the most beautiful season of the year and a time of spiritual renewal.

The 55 days of the Holy Great Fast are considered the most Holy days of fasting of the Coptic Church. Fifty-five days include the forty days, which were fasted by the Lord Himself, the Passion Week, and the first initial week to prepare us spiritually before this great season of renewal. We fast to commemorate His sufferings on the Holy Cross, for spiritual discipline and our salvation.

Samir	Happy returns of the year, Nagi.
Nagi	What is the occasion, Samir?
Samir	Lent
Nagi	Really, haven't we just finished fasting 115 days?
Samir	(laughing)  What fast is that?
Nagi	How do I know?  Everyday is a fast; everyday is a fast.  Our intestines are complaining from beans.
Fouad	(a devout young man)  Fasting is a blessing
Nagi	Man! Within reason! We fast 43 days for Advent, 55 days for lent, 15 days for the Virgin, and do not count the Apostle's fast.  This is in addition to the little mites: the fasts for Baramoun, Nineveh, Wednesdays, Fridays

The Vehement Violence Against the Christians of Nag Hammady
H. G. Bishop Youssef


The horrific massacre in Nag Hammady on the eve of the Holy Feast of the Nativity was both terrifying for those who experienced it, unjustifiable for the families who buried their departed loved ones, and unpardonable as an unremorseful criminal activity. To take the life of an unsuspecting, unprotected human being is considered murder by all measures in any civilized society. To take the life of someone without shelter or defense in a place of worship is adulterated murder. The unprecedented terrorism and torment and the killing of the Coptic Christians must be punished, subdued, and banished throughout the land of Egypt.

While the calls for retribution of the slain souls ring out, Egypt's reputation as a terror stricken land for Christians grows. Does Egypt's nationalism and patriotic and communal sense lie dormant? Does its duty towards unison of society remain unchecked in the blood soaked southern part of its land?

Is it just a new year according to the calendar, or is it really a new year in your life? How can it be a new year if you enter it with the same habits, same character and same faults without changing anything within yourself, just letting your personality become frozen in its particular ways?!

If only you would move during this new year and make even one practical step towards a better way of living...

The real joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the heart.The Bible says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace... " (Gal. 5:22)

It is a joy in the Lord, as the Apostle said. But there are many examples of false joy: Jonahs joy with the plant that gave shade for his head and Solomon's joy with all his toil under the sun. He finally realised that all is vanity and grasping for the wind. And he also said, "The heart of fools is in the house of mirth." (Eccl. 7:4)

Another example of the false joy is when the elder son said to his father, "You never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends." (Luke 15:29)

There is another type of joy which is considered a sin:

Remember
By: H. H. Pope Shenouda III

+ Remember your weakness, then you will be more cautious and you will not submit to the thoughts of pride and false glory.

+ Remember the loving kindness of the Lord bestowed on you, and you will always be in the life of thanksgiving. Faith will grow in your heart as well as the trust in God's love and work. Your past experiences with God would be an encouragement in the life of faith.

+ Remember people's love and their good past with you. Should you doubt their sincerity or find out they have done something wrong to you, their old love will make intercession for them and your anger will fade away.

Bible Fable Fraud or Fact

Recently Rev. Fr. Ibrahim Wassef (St. Mina Church, Holmdel, NJ) gave a sermon to the servants of our church about the authenticity of the Holy Bible. He did a great job highlighting the challenges that we all are facing in the society and provided many useful facts to help us standing up against the loud voices in our society that seek to silence the truth of Christianity. Please take the time to watch, listen and read about this lecture. Also, I like to share with you an article by H.G. Bishop Youssef about biblical criticism.


Biblical Criticism
By: H. G. Bishop Youssef

Every so often, the regular reader of the Holy Bible will come across some writing or opinion about the Holy Bible that will throw his mind into utter disarray. The number of extraordinary opinions held by biblical scholars these days, both secular and Christian, is enormous; and each odd opinion seems to give birth to three odder opinions before it itself dies away. And too often the ruckus of opinion (much of which is based on "scholarship") gives rise to unnecessary disquiet in the heart of the believer who is simply searching for the truth.

On the 21st of Papa our Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the departure of a great man, St. Reweis. Poor, illiterate, homeless and a defamed Christian, St. Reweis endured all afflictions for the glory of God. His life reminds us of the living example St. Paul has given us in his letter to the Corinthians "We are fools for Christs sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the off scouring of all things until now" (1 Cor 4:10-13).

The Coptic Orthodox Church is of the oldest known Churches in Christianity. Its Biblical worship, its 2000 years of Christianity, and unbroken chain of tradition directly link its faithful to the early church of the Book of Acts in the New Testament. The Coptic Orthodox Church has millions of adherents both in Egypt and Coptic communities around the world.

The definition of Orthodoxy can be found within the roots of its name. One of the roots of the name "Orthodoxy" is taken from the Greek word which means "opinion, teaching". It can also mean "glory". Therefore, Orthodoxy means the "proper method of rendering glory, right worship, and consequently the right way of teaching about the One to whom the glory is rendered."

The history of the Orthodox Christianity can be traced to the era of the original twelve Apostles. Coptic Orthodox Christianity is indeed the "original" church. It has survived intact from the very first century. The Coptic Church has carefully and honorably maintained its earliest traditions. It has been well documented by those who have studied the strongly traditionalist, Coptic Orthodox religion, that influence from outside cultures has been minimal.

You, O Lord, are a Shield for Me

by H.H. Pope Shenouda III

A wonderful meditation on Psalm 3:3 for the times when we call upon God in the midst of bitterness and affliction. As David did not lose hope, so we, too, must always place our hope in the Lord. He is the hope of those who seek shelter.

I imagine some of those who hear David are amazed. They exclaim, "What do you see, you poor man? A shield for me! My glory! The one who lifts up my head! How do you say this though you came out bare-footed and weeping and all who came out with you wept too!! Your friend Hushai the Archite came out to meet you with his coat torn and dust on his head” (2 Sam. 15:32)! Where is glory and victory in that? Here is Shimei the son of Gera cursing you saying, "Come out, you bloodthirsty man, you rogue!” In spite of this, you say to your friends in humility, “... let him curse because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David…’. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction." (2 Sam. 16:5-12). Do you say after all this, "My glory and the one who lifts up my head!”

However, David said these words with the spirit of faith not looking at his present condition but unto the coming help of the Lord. He was not living the present affliction but the future joy putting in his heart, 'The evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1).

Optimism comes from faith and hope: faith in God being the beneficent, and hope for what He is going to do. Right after the flood of water, there was the Ark. God promised that He shall never destroy the earth by flood again (Gn 8). After the events of the Crucifixion, there was the joy of the Resurrection. As God said to His disciples: "but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no man will take from you." (Jn 16:22) So, your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Yes indeed, God can turn all sorrow into joy.
 
We know that with the dark night, no matter how dark it becomes, the bright dawn will come.  The proverb says that dawn comes after the darkest hours of the night.  A person who lives in the joy of hope never gets tired, he feels that the cold of winter will thereafter have the warmth of spring afterwards.  History gives us many examples of hope.  When man committed sin, he was driven out of heaven, but a promise from God for salvation was always there; it did not stop at the stage of driving man out.  After that came the promise of Paradise, then for the Heavenly Kingdom, which was a promise to a better life. Likewise, death is a stage that a human being doesn't stop at, as after death, there will be the Resurrection, and then the eternal glories with the spiritual body, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." (1 Cor. 2:9)

God's Children Are Strong
by H.H. Pope Shenouda III

God's children should be strong because they were created in His image and likeness (Genesis 1:26); and God is powerful. We say about Him "Holy is the Lord God Almighty"; therefore, they should be strong like Him.
 
In the book of Numbers, when God ordered Moses to take a census of the people, this was restricted to young men who can go to war (Numbers 1:3). When the Song of Solomon talks about the men around King Solomon's throne, it describes them as valiant men; "They all hold swords, Being expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh, Because of fear in the night." (Song of Songs 3:8)

The following are a few examples of God's strong children:

David the Prophet and King

When he was only a young lad keeping watch over his father's sheep in the wilderness, a lion and a bear came and seized a lamb from the flock.  David said "I went after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.  Your servant has killed both lion and bear." (1 Samuel 17:34-36)

Salvation

..........

Let one believe these things, and the disciples of God, and God, who is surety, the Prophecies, the Gospels, the Apostolic words; living in accordance with them, and lending his ears, and practising the deeds, he shall at his decease see the end and demonstration of the truths taught. For he who in this world welcomes the angel of penitence will not repent at the time that he leaves the body, nor be ashamed when he sees the Saviour approaching in His glory and with His army. He fears not the fire.

But if one chooses to continue and to sin perpetually in pleasures, and values indulgence here above eternal life, and turns away from the Saviour, who gives forgiveness; let him no more blame either God, or riches, or his having fallen, but his own soul, which voluntarily perishes. But to him who directs his eye to salvation and desires it, and asks with boldness and vehemence for its bestowal, the good Father who is in heaven will give the true purification and the changeless life. To whom, by His Son Jesus Christ, the Lord of the living and dead, and by the Holy Spirit, be glory, honour, power, eternal majesty, both now and ever, from generation to generation, and from eternity to eternity. Amen.

_{Excerpt from "On The Salvation of the Rich Man"}