My beloved children in the lands of immigration, both clergy and laity.

Peace to you and grace. My congratulations for the Feast of Nativity of our Lord, to Whom is Glory.

Be all well, shepherded by God who keeps you. May we hear all good about you. May you have contemplations in the Glorious Nativity and its happenings.

As for us, I want you not to worry about us – we are well……

The painful circumstances that happened to us have brought compassion upon us from all sides, as well as extreme care and eagerness in protecting the churches, as well as care for our cause. Also, tribulation, by its nature, makes the soul closer to God. And we believe that God is the Protector and Helper, and that “unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” We also believe the promise of the Lord to His Church, that the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. Therefore all are in peacefulness.

I would like to thank you all brothers and beloved. I am not only present with you now but you are always in my heart. I lived all my days in your hearts and I am still living there… And when I went to the monastery I took you all with me in my heart and mind. For you I am here, and for you I go there…

The Holy Spirit was the One who gave the necessary power for the work of preaching. The sending of the Holy Spirit was a promise from the Lord (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7), however, despite this He said to them, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Fr. upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:29). Where will this power come from? He said to them regarding this, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me” (Acts 1:8).

The Spirit of God was essential to them for they could not work without Him. The Holy Spirit worked with them in preaching and teaching. They waited according to the Lord’s command. Their previous preparation for service which lasted more than three years did not dispense them of the Holy Spirit and His work in and with them. Perhaps these ten days which they waited were days of prayer and hope, from the heart, in preparation for the coming work.

1. Our Behavior Inside and Outside of Church

It is very noticeable that many people during Pascha Week are one thing inside church and completely different outside. In side church, black curtains, somber hymns, solemn readings, and concentrating on the suffering of Christ. Outside of church, we often laugh, joke around, socialize, think and talk about many worldly issues. We lose all the spiritual depth that we gained inside church. Let us concentrate our thoughts, conversations, and meditations around the events of this holy week and the Passion of our Savior.

2. Retreat

From El Keraza Magazine, April 20, 2007, pp. 9-10

Congratulations my beloved brothers and sons on the occasion of Glorious Resurrection Feast, and for the grace of resurrection which God granted us to live another life in the happy eternity. I also congratulate our beloved President Mohamed Hosni Mobarak, on the great results achieved from his last tours for the best interest of Egypt and the whole Arab world, wishing him and you all the blessings and good, and may God keep the world in peace and security.

It pleases me on this blessed day to congratulate all of you on the occasion of the Nativity of the Lord Christ. I felicitate my Muslim brothers on this occasion as I felicitate my Christian brothers because the Lord Christ is for everyone and everyone believe in His miraculous virginal birth.

There are two kinds of worship: Individual and Communal

As sin is separation from God, repentance then is returning to God. God says: "Return to me, and I will return to you" (Malachi 3:7). When the prodigal son repented, he returned to his father (Luke 15:18-20). True repentance is a human longing to return to the origin from which it was taken.

THE DIVINITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

St. Peter said that to lie to the Holy Spirit means to lie to God (Acts 5:4), and since He is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of the Lord, so He is God (Job 33:4, 2 Cor. 3:3; Isa. 61:1).

This Comforter, the Holy Spirit descended and came upon the Apostles in the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4). He is the One, God promised to send in the book of Joel, “I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28-32), and St. Peter mentioned that this prophecy was fulfilled in the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16, 17).

He is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of His Son as well (Gal. 4:6), “the Spirit of Christ” (1 Peter 1:11). He is also the “Spirit of Truth” (Jn. 14:17), “When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth…” (Jn. 16:13).

My beloved children in the lands of immigration, Clergy and Laity,

It gives me joy to congratulate you on the Glorious Feast of Nativity and with the start of the New Year. We pray that it is blessed and joyful in the life of each of us. The birth of the Lord is full of deep spiritual contemplations; we hope that they may be a lesson to us all, having its effects and results.

My beloved children in the lands of immigration, clergy and congregation, Grace to you and peace from our Almighty and Holy God. Sincere greetings to you for the glorious Feast of the Resurrection. May God bring this occasion upon you every year while you are full of goodness and blessing.

Jesus Christ, after His resurrection, had spent forty days with His disciples the saints talking to them about the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3)…afterwards and prior parting ascending to Heaven, He told them “tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Lk. 24:49).

So what was this power which they needed to await? He told them “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Yes, they couldn’t start their service preaching spiritual work unless they were endued with that power from on high; the Holy Spirit being upon them…