Thank God for Enemies!
As we continue our fast for the Feast of our Lord’s Nativity, we consider the following wisdom from St. John Chrysostomos whose feast we joyfully celebrated today. The Golden-Mouth counsels us to thank God for our enemies who actually help us in our journey to the eternal Kingdom. Enemies, he tells us, provide us with […] The post Thank God for Enemies! appeared first on Become Orthodox.
Abouna Antonious El Souriani
500 metres away from the famous monastery of St. Pishoy (Deir el Anba Bishoy), is the less known, but still known, monastery of the Syrians, “Deir El Sourian”. The monastery itself has had its recent greats. Bishop Theophilus will go down in history as one of the most charismatic abbots of that monastery. He was … Continue reading Abouna Antonious El Souriani →
Beginning the Nativity Fast: More than a Diet
For those of us following the Old (Julian) calendar, as we do in the Coptic Orthodox Church, we have just begun the Nativity Fast, which culminates in the Feast of our Lord’s Nativity in the flesh on January 7, 2017. Throughout this Fast, we commemorate the events that preceded the birth of our Lord Jesus […] The post Beginning the Nativity Fast: More than a Diet appeared first on Become Orthodox.
Theosis and other problems: On Orthodox dis[unity] – Part 3
This is the third and last installment in this series. You can read the first two here and here. I want to discuss some of the issues and characteristics that I’ve seen come up time and time again in this journey. I’m not claiming this to be an exhaustive piece or even a comprehensive one. … Continue reading Theosis and other problems: On Orthodox dis[unity] – Part 3 →
Personal pilgrimage: On Orthodox [dis]unity – Part 2
This is the second of probably three parts in this series. The first one was done in allegory, and now I want to apply that allegory to real life through the lens of my own experience in this. I hope in the next one to talk about modern “issues” that we all have and of … Continue reading Personal pilgrimage: On Orthodox [dis]unity – Part 2 →
Axios! Ordination of Fr. Andrew Iskander
On Sunday, October 30, His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion, accompanied by Their Graces Bishop Abraham and Bishop Kyrillos, laid hands upon and ordained Deacon Andrew Iskander, to the priestly rank of presbyter. God willing, Fr. Andrew will serve initially at both St. Paul Church (Tustin) and St. Basil (San Diego) after his 40-day retreat; both are American Coptic Orthodox Churches. The children of the Diocese joyfully proclaim “Axios!” while praying for Fr. Andrew, that the Lord – …
The Third Day Memorial: No More Clichés
As Orthodox Christians, our departed loved ones are never far from our minds and the consciousness of the Holy Church. From the very beginning, the Church established special prayers and memorials for the repose of their souls, a practice which stems from our faith that those who have departed continue to live in Christ and […] The post The Third Day Memorial: No More Clichés appeared first on Become Orthodox.
2016 GYP Convention Schedule (Tentative)
This is the tentative schedule for this upcoming GYP Convention Weekend. Thursday, October 13 7:00 pm: Registration 8:00 pm: Agpeya Prayers 8:30 pm: Ice-Breaker 9:00 pm: Orientation & Welcoming Remarks 9:30 pm: Lecture 1 10:30 pm: Midnight Praises Friday, October 14 8:30 am: Divine Liturgy 11:00 am: Brunch 12:00 pm: Lecture 2 1:00 pm: Quiet […]
Bishop Rofail to Visit the Diocese Oct. 20-29
On October 20, His Grace Bishop Rofail, General Bishop serving the churches of Downtown Cairo and Secretary of the Holy Synod, will bless the Diocese with a nine-day visit in which he will speak at several parishes in different areas. His schedule will be as follows: Thursday, Oct. 20 7:30 pm Arabic Youth Meeting at St. Mary & St. Athanasius Church, Northridge Friday, Oct. 21 – Sunday, Oct. 23 Arabic Youth Convention Sunday, Oct. 23 – …
Axios! Ordination of Deacon Andrew Iskander and a New Priest for the Diocese
On Thursday, October 6, at the monthly Clergy Meeting, His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion, accompanied by Their Graces Bishop Abraham and Bishop Kyrillos, laid hands upon and ordained the blessed servant, Andrew Iskander, to the priestly rank of Deacon. God willing, Deacon Andrew will be ordained as a presbyter on Sunday, October 30 to serve in the Diocese, initially at both St. Paul Church (Tustin) and St. Basil (San Diego); both are American Coptic Orthodox Churches. – …
Q&A: Why am I not allowed to believe in [science]?
Question: Why am I not allowed to believe in the Big Bang Theory?Question: Why am I not allowed to believe in Evolution?Question: What is my stance supposed to be on dark matter? There are too many questions of this kind that I cannot encapsulate them all other than the [insert theory here]. Response: Well, the simple answer for those who do not want to read the long answer, is you can. You can believe in – …
Some advice for student life.
School’s in! Well, I know that in Canada everyone’s been back a couple of weeks, but in America some people are just starting and others have yet to begin! So for those who think this is late, and for those who think it’s early, I apologise. I know that I lived away from home for almost all of my post-secondary education, and there were things I did well and things that I did not do – …