Moses As a Type of Christ
The lawyer–wishing, or even expecting to be able to entrap Christ, and get Him to say something against Moses, and affirm that His own doctrine, was far better than the commandment of which Moses was the minister–drew near tempting Him, and saying, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life? But anyone who thoroughly understands the mystery of the Incarnation may well say to him, If you are skillful in the law, and in the – …
The Rites and Hymns of Pentecost
As Fr. Tadros explains, “When the Only-begotten Son paid the price for her salvation, He ascended to heaven to prepare a place for her. He sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in her, offering her existence, guidance, sanctification and adornment as the Heavenly Bride. In this feast, the church chants hymns, being joyful with the resurrection of Christ, His ascension and the dwelling of His Holy Spirit in her, thus she connects the three feasts – …
"Come to Me…"
The following was the lecture given by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III on Wednesday, October 26, 2005 in response to the incidents in Alexandria. "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt. 11:28) My, brethren: In my mind so many words to say, And in my heart even more. But I prefer to remain silent. I desire silence so the Lord may speak. And trust – …
Treasures of the Fathers: Pascha Tuesday
If the kingdom of heaven is likened to a kingdom in this parable, then the King must be the Son of God, for He is the King of the heavens, the absolute Wisdom, the absolute Righteousness and absolute Truth. Thus, is He not so also absolute Kingdom? But it is not a kingdom of any of those below, nor of a part of those above, but of all the things above, which were called heavens. – …
St. Polycarp, the Beloved Peacemaker
Pangratios was born about 69 AD to a Christian family who received its Christian faith from the very Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the Apostolic Ages, the young church survived and was strengthened by visits from the chosen Apostles and the Apostles disciples. With such a strong religious background, it is not difficult to understand how one could become such an ardent defender of the Orthodox Faith. History tells us that Pangratios became – …
Christian Ethics and Morals
Over the past few decades the American society has been rocked by the revelation of corruption and immorality in our leaders on both the state and national levels. This has all reflected on the moral fiber of our society and how we view morals and ethics. The moral impropriety of our political leaders has not only shattered our confidence in our elected officials, but has flowed into the private lives of individuals. Of course, wrong – …
Organization and Blessing
In our community, some believe that organization in ecclesiastical matters leads to loss of blessings. When a person is asked to organize a project, one of the answers commonly given is, "Don’t worry, leave it and it will be blessed." Usually, when a project is proposed, it is required to lay out a plan and estimate the cost. Yet some respond by saying, "God will bless it without the need to think and plan"; it – …
"For me, to Live Is Christ, and to Die Is Gain" (Philippians 1:21)
In the past few months, we have been shocked by the news of disasters and tragedies, which resulted in sudden death of many people. We lived through the disastrous news of the crash of the Egypt Air plane off the shores of the Northeastern United States. This resulted in the death of 217 persons, of whom many of us may have had social, friendly, or family ties. In less than a minute they changed from – …
Festal Letter for the Feast of the Nativity 1999
Our Good Shepherd My Beloved, the Children of the Christ-Loving Diocese of Los Angeles, It is my pleasure to congratulate you on the Feast of the Nativity wishing you all a holy and blessed life, which befits the name of Emmanuel, Christ our Lord, Who loved us and, without sin, was incarnate and came to our world. We are happy today and our hearts are joyful with the birth of Christ, “The Good Shepherd”. In – …
Questions and Answers About the Nativity
In the Name of the Fr., the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen. In this booklet we present to you some answers which are related to certain questions about the Nativity, of which there are: The sequence of the genealogy, and the mention of some sinful women in it; the difference between the two gospels of Matthew and Luke in regards to the names and the ascending and descending order in that sequence. – …
The Role of Fasting in the Spiritual Life
All strife against sin and its desires is to be preceded by fasting, especially if one is combating inward sin…Fasting is the strengthening of all virtues, the beginning of the struggle, the beauty of virginity and sanctity, the preservation of chastity, the beginning of the way of Christianity, the father of prayer…, for as soon as man begins to fast his mind will be desirous of intercourse with God. Fasting is a storehouse of all – …
Names of the Holy Spirit
He is called the Spirit, according to the Scripture just now read, “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom.” [1 Cor. 12:8] He is called the Spirit of Truth, as the Savior says, “When He, the Spirit of Truth, is come.” [John 16:13] He is called also the Comforter, as He said, “For if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you.” [John 16:7] But that He – …