How to Benefit Spiritually from Pascha Week by H.H. Pope Shenouda III How do we enjoy the most spiritual week of the year? Our behavior inside and outside church: It is very noticeable that many people during Passion Week act very differently inside church than they do outside church. Inside church… …
By the time of St. Athanasius (295-373) the concept of spiritual martyrdom had become fairly uniform and definite. From the first remarks of St. Athanasius about the spiritual martyrdom of St Anthony to those of Sulpicius Severus about the martyrdom of St Martin of Tours, the requirements for spiritual martyrdom remain rather constant. The requirements …
It is well documented that in the early centuries, the blood of Coptic martyrs bathed the knees of the horses of their persecutors. However, since the legalisation of Christianity under the reign of Emperor Constantine, there has been a steady decline in the number of martyrs. Martyrdom is arguably non-existent in western countries such as Australia, and the issue has thus …
Many of the Desert Fathers experimented with harsh ascetic regimens, severely limiting their sleep and their intake of food and drink. For example, Abba Arsenius claimed that “it is enough for a monk, if he is a real fighter, to sleep only one hour”; Abba Dioscorus boasted that he never ate cooked food or fruit …
Asceticism is to live with satisfaction on your minimal needs without experiencing delight and getting away from materialism. St. Paul the Apostle reminded his disciple Timothy in his first epistle, “But godliness with contentment is great gain”; “And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.” and “But those who desire to be …
