Book review and recommendation by: His Grace Bishop Youssef
On 1st day of the blessed month of Thoout 1726 - The Coptic New Year (El- Nayrouz Feast)
In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen.
The reading recommended for the Coptic New Year is "Have you seen the One I love?" a book consisting of contemplations on the Holy Book of Song of Songs---lecture series given by H.H. Pope Shenouda in the 1970s. This book was printed and published in the US and is available for purchase from www.orthodoxbookstore.com and/or www.amazon.comH.H. Pope Shenouda writes "at the beginning of the a new year I would like to talk to you about an important subject in a relationship with God so that everyone of us may have an appropriate start…the relationship between the human soul and God is one of love."
H.H. Pope Shenouda begins each chapter of the book by introducing averse from the Song of Songs in which he explains the relationshipbetween the soul and her Beloved. His Holiness encourages the reader toshare in his prayers, asks the reader questions, and invites the readeron a journey to discover his soul. H.H. Pope Shenouda then concludeseach chapter with a prayer guiding the reader to share in the unionwith his Beloved.
A message of hope prevails throughout the chapters encouraging all ofthe Lord's flock to move closer to His heart. The main focus of thebook is to meditate on the human soul while she searches for herBeloved.
The soul's journey towards her Beloved has many seasons, as H.H. PopeShenouda states "one of the most telling verses that reflects onspiritual life is the last verse in chapter eight in the Holy Book ofGenesis. After the flood we read 'while the earth remains, seedtime andharvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall notcease' (Genesis 8:22). In your lives, there is day and night, cold andheat, summer and winter."
And thus this book is beneficial for those who are experiencingspiritual dryness as His Holiness' words are like a flow ofwater-cultivating the soul and allowing the spirit to rise seeking theLord energetically and zealously. And for those who are alreadyclinging on the Lord's hand but desiring to fall in love with Him morewill enjoy contemplating on the chapters.
May the year 1726 of the faithful martyrs be a year full of blessingsand spiritual growth and may our souls experience true love with theLord saying with all confidence "My Beloved is mine and I am His"(Songs 2:16).
Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States