Fasting, neither above nor below your ability, will help you in your vigil. One should not ponder divine matters on a full stomach, say the ascetics. For the well-fed, even the most superficial secrets of the Trinity lie hidden. Christ Himself set the example with His long fast; when He drove out the devil He …
Why do we fast? The simple answer to this question is because Jesus fasted. When Jesus was on earth He did many things that He did not need to do for Himself such as fasting, praying, doing charity, etc these thing Jesus did in order to pave a way for us to salvation. This path …
With the kind permission of Bishop Daniel I was honored to participate in the 8th symposium of the St Mark’s foundation for Coptic History (February 12-16, 2017). The symposium was held at the Papal residence “Logos Center” at St Bishoy’s monastery, Wadi al Natrun, Egypt. The theme for this symposium was "Christianity & Monasticism in …
Let us struggle, my beloved, during these six days of the Passover, for they are given to us each year for the redemption of our souls, that we may spend them in the works of God. For it was during six days, from the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth, that God worked …
The Twelfth Day of the Blessed Month of Babah. 1. The Departure of Abba Demetrius I, 12th Pope of Alexandria. 2. The Martyrdom of St. Matthew the Evangelist. 3. The Commemoration of the Archangel Michael. 1. On this day of the year 224 A.D., the pure and celibate father, the fighter of lusts, and the …
Pray as is fitting and without trouble, practise psalmody with understanding (Ps. 46: 8) and harmony, and you will be like a young eagle soaring in the heights. • Psalmody puts the passions to sleep and works to calm the incontinence of the body; prayer prepares the mind to exercise the activity that is proper …
How do I Respond to Humiliation? Abba Isaiah answers this question as follows: If a person hurled a harsh word at you do not be disgusted or become haughty but hasten and make a metanaya. Do not blame him in your heart for in this way you will give rise to anger. If someone accused …
As we endure these difficult times and suffering, we experience a range of emotions, including despair, anger, and restlessness. The Lord has blessed us with His peace and promised us victory over all evil. “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.” (Jn 14:27) Jesus gives His peace. He does not loan …
How should we praise in the Church? Besides the great awe of this inheritance, yet how much we distort it whenever the worship is changed to just a ritual and this appears a lot in: *The competition of voices in the church, so that some people try to reply and sing the hymn before others …
Abba Theonas visited us in our cell, and when evening prayers were over and we had been sitting for a short while on the ground we began to question him in considerable detail as to why they were so careful that no one ever kneel in prayer during all of Pentecost or presume to fast …
