Our Lord made a covenant with us through baptism in order to give us eternal life. There is in baptism an image both of death and of life, the water being the symbol of death, the Spirit giving the pledge of life. The association of water and the Spirit is explained by the twofold purpose, …
In the sacrament of Baptism we die with Christ and rise with Christ. Many people confuse the sacrament of Baptism with the sacrament of Chrismation where we receive the Holy Spirit by the anointing of the Holy Oil (Mayron) 36 times allover our body. So at baptism day we receive two sacraments Baptism and Chrismation …
The word transfiguration in Greek is the word Metamorphosis (Meta - form or nature), (Morphosis - complete change). It is the same word we use for when a caterpillar turns into butterfly. Â The story of the Transfiguration Christ is like everything else that Jesus did, it is for me personally. Jesus did not need to …
We have mentioned before, that the human nature obtains a kind of transfiguration in the general resurrection, when it will be clothed with spiritual heavenly incorruptible bodies, and human beings will become like the angels of God in heaven. But there are some kinds of transfiguration which happen here in life upon the earth. The …
Although the whole of Scripture breathes God’s grace upon us, this is especially true of that delightful book, the book of the psalms. Moses, when he related the deeds of the patriarchs, did so in a plain and unadorned style. But when he had miraculously led the people of Israel across the Red Sea, when …
1- Psalm 119 is the longest psalm in the Bible we pray it every day in the first service of the midnight prayer. 2- It is made up of 22 paragraphs every paragraph starts with a letter from the Hebrew alphabet. Every paragraph has 8 verses that start with the same letter of the alphabet …
Because of the importance of the Holy Spirit's work with us, the Lord said to His disciples, the saints: "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send …
Who can listen to the Spirit’s titles and not be lifted up in his soul? Whose thoughts would not be raised to contemplate the supreme nature? He is called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, right Spirit, willing Spirit. His first and most proper title is Holy Spirit, …
After the period of martyrdom came the period of monasticism in Libya. There were remote monastic communities in the mountains and desert that survived beyond the Arab victories. They were following in the path of the crucified Lord and of the martyrs of the Roman persecution. Monasticism flourished in the Pentapolis and later in the …
Monasticism is grounded on celibacy, voluntary poverty, chastity and obedience. These monastic vows are distinguished in the monastic life from their superficial appearance to the true practice of these virtues in their depth. It is not enough to abide by these vows only in the monks exterior life but it should also extend to the …
