I am glad to be around all the bishops and our beloved fathers the monk(s) of this great monastery. I have a strong notion the success of the church in spreading the word of God worldwide comes from nowhere other than the monastic prayers. I believe that without the prayers raised from our monasteries worldwide, …
If there were patron saints for working out during the holy fasting periods, it would have to be Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. During Israel’s exile in Babylon, while being captives, they refused to eat the King’s delicacies opting for just vegetables and water, begging that they may be tested after 10 days on their …
With this song we praise our Lord Jesus Christ during Holy Week, following Him step by step. Our Lord Jesus Christ left Jerusalem to Bethany, and we follow Him saying, "To You is the Power." The Chief priests were annoyed when the Lord cleansed the Temple, and they planned to kill Him. But we object …
Monastic life above everything is a life of continuous prayer. A layman can do everything that a monk does, except continuous prayer. This is the major difference between a monk and a layman because continuous prayer involves no distractions and laymen do not have this luxury. The monk's entire life is dedicated to God. Laymen …
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 …
