“HE TOOK WHAT IS OURS AND GAVE US WHAT IS HIS”
He took what was ours to be His very own so that we might have all that was His. “He was rich but he became poor for our sake, so that we might be enriched by His poverty.” (2 Cor. 8:9). When they say that the Logos of God did not become flesh, or rather did not undergo birth from a woman according to the flesh, they bankrupt the economy of salvation. For if He – …
A Letter to the Disciples of Saint Antony
At the end of his life, St. Antony gave two sheepskin coats to his two closest disciples—both were bishops and became saints: St. Serapion, the bishop of Thmuis; and St. Athanasius, the Archbishop of Alexandria. This letter is addressed to the disciples of St. Antony and was written immediately after St. Antony’s departure in 356 AD. St. Serapion wrote also four or five other letters to St. Athanasius. 1. After the departure of the blessed – …
God in Your Prayers and in Your Spiritual Life
Lots of people, in their spiritual life, fight on their own, without letting God in with them to ask Him strength and assistance, forgetting the Lord’s saying: ” for without Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5). Those people, they don’t ask God to be with them in whatever they do. On the contrary each one of them depends only on his own thinking or on someone else’s, not putting in mind God’s work in – …
Sayings of the Strong Saint Abba Moses
The Gates of Heaven + Abba Poemen said: Abba Moses asked Abba Zechariah a question when he was about to die, saying, "Fr. is it good that we should hold our peace?" And Zechariah said to him, "Yes, my son, hold your peace." And at the time of his death, while Abba Isodore was sitting with him, Abba Moses looked up to heaven and said, "Rejoice and be glad, O my son Zechariah, for – …
Treasures of the Fathers: Fourth Sunday of Tubah
Does God Listen to Sinners? The Lord Jesus…opened the eyes of a man who was born blind. Brethren, if we consider our hereditary punishment, the whole world is blind. And therefore came Christ the Enlightener, because the devil had been the Blinder. He made all men to be born blind, who seduced the first man. Let them run to the Enlightener, let them run, believe, receive the clay made of the spittle. The Word is – …
The Honor Due to a Priest
Whoever honors the priest will honor God, and he who has learned to despise the priest will gradually proceed in time to insult God also. ‘He who receives you receives Me.’ [Mt. 10:40]. And it is written, ‘But hold His priests in honor.’ [Sir. 7:31]. Hence, the Jews learned to despise God because they despised Moses and would have stoned him [cf. 17:4]. And when someone acts reverently towards a priest, he will be much – …
Treasures of the Fathers on the Holy Nativity
+ Today the Lord is born, the life and salvation of mankind; today a reconciliation is made of Divinity to humanity, and of humanity to Divinity; today all creation has leapt for joy; those above sent toward those below; and those below towards those above; today occurred the death of darkness and the life of humanity; today a way was made toward God for man and a way for God into the soul. – Saint – …
Ordination of Fr. Michael Ibrahim
On Thursday, February, 26, 2004 at the chapel of the Papal Residence in Cairo, Egypt, H.H. Pope Shenouda IIIl ordained the blessed deacon Michael Abrahim Abeid as a priest to serve in the Diocese of Los Angeles The new priest was given the name Fr. Michael. H.G.Bishop Serapion along with H.G. Bishop Youannis participated in this blessed ordination. Following the ordination the new priest will spend the forty days at St. Pishoy Monastery,Wadi el Natroun,Egypt.
Fr. Antonious Henein Rested in the Lord
Nabil Latif Henein (Fr. Antonious Henein) was born in Egypt on March 1st, 1944. He graduated from Ain Shams University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in July 1965 and was appointed as an instructor at the same college from 1965 to 1968. He immigrated to California in August 1968. During this period, many Copts immigrated to Los Angeles as well. New immigrants asked His Holiness Pope Kyrollos VI to send a full time priest – …
Joint Oriental Orthodox Sunday School Bible Competition
On Saturday, May 13 the Armenian, Syriac, and Coptic Orthodox Churches gathered their Sunday School students for a Bible Competition, which was held at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale, CA. The event was for students ages 11-15 and it focused on the history of the three Oriental Orthodox churches and the first ten chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. This event was under the guidance and supervision of H.E. Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian, Prelate – …
St. Athanasius and St. Cyril Theological Library Prepares for its First Patristic Conference
The Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril Theological Library cordially invites you to its First Annual Patristic Conference on “READING THE SCRIPTURES WITH ST. ATHANASIUS AND ST. CYRIL” from July 20-21, 2007 at Holy Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox Church For the Commemoration of the Feast of St. Cyril with special guest lecturers: + Fr. George Dragas "Saint Cyril: The Christological Exegesis in St. Cyril’s Commentary on Genesis" + Deacon Severus Mikhail "Saint Athanasius and His Use – …
Oriental Orthodox Leaders Establish Joint Council
October 13, 2003, Pomona, CA Hosted by His Grace Bishop Serapion, Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii, the leaders of the Oriental Orthodox churches met in the spirit of love and unity on October 7, 2003. The meeting, held at the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles headquarters in Pomona, H.G. Bishop Serapion welcomed Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, Primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church; Archbishop Moushegh – …