Reception of Father Daniel Habib
With great joy and enthusiasm, the Diocese received newly ordained Presbyter Father Daniel Habib on Saturday, December 6, 2008 after his return from Egypt where he spent 40 days in spiritual retreat and training to prepare for his service. Father Daniel was received by the priests and congregation of Saint John Coptic Orthodox Church, where he will begin his service immediately. May God preserve the life of our honored father, His Grace Bishop Serapion, and – …
Why God Permits Temptations
By the love which the saints show for God on account of the things they suffer for His name’s sake (when they endure straitness and do not forsake that which God loves), their hearts acquire the boldness to gaze toward Him without a veil and to beseech Him with confidence. Great is the power of bold prayer. For this reason God allows His saints to be tried by every sorrow, then to experience anew and – …
From Heaven to the Jordan
“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” He who is sent is sent from somewhere to somewhere; and the careful student will, therefore, inquire from where was John from, and to where was he sent. The place he was sent is very clear from the story–he was sent to Israel, and to those who were willing to hear him when he was staying in the wilderness of Judea and baptizing by – …
Do Not Worry About the Bad Economy
“He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying – …
Calculations of the Date of the Glorious Feast of Nativity
The Early Church did not celebrate the birth of Christ. And the actual date of his birth was and still is unknown. The earliest known indication to such a celebration comes in a passing statement by St. Clement of Alexandria who mentions that the Egyptians of his time celebrated the Lord’s birth on May 20. At the end of the 3rd century, the Western Churches celebrated it in the winter, and this was only accepted – …
The Love of Family
Those who command warlike armies, and have won for themselves martial glory, whenever the time for battle has arrived, instruct the troops under their orders in what way, arraying themselves manfully against the phalanxes of the enemy, they will gain a triumphant victory. And the Savior of all, imitating the skillfulness of those here mentioned, very clearly shows unto all who would follow Him, the pathway of spiritual vigor; that advancing with unrestrainable impetuosity unto – …
Bishop Serapion Attends Global Christian Forum (GCF) Meeting in New Delhi
His Grace Bishop Serapion traveled to New Delhi, India to attend a Global Christian Forum programme that focused on the evaluation of the organization’s work throughout the past decade and a plan for the coming years. Attending the programme with His Grace were approximately sixty representatives of several families of the Christian Church throughout the world. The programme also focused on the increased violence against Christians over the past few months, and in particular, the – …
Life in the Fourth Century Church: The Liturgy at Jerusalem
Editor’s Note: The following account comes from Egeria, a Spanish or Gallic nun who traveled to the Holy Land from approximately 381 to 384 A.D. and wrote about her observations in a work entitled Itenerarium Egeriae in Latin (“Travels of Egeria”). Unfortunately, her complete text is now lost, but a good portion of this valuable text remains. The value of this text lies in its status as a firsthand observation of many holy places and – …
Amicus Curiae Brief on Behalf of the Orthodox Church Against Roe v. Wade
Fourteen years after the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, which established a woman’s right to have an abortion in the United States, the state of Missouri passed a law which stated that “the life of each human being begins at conception” and “unborn children have protectable interests in life, health, and well-being.” It required that all Missouri state laws be interpreted to provide unborn children with rights equal to those enjoyed by other – …
His Grace Bishop Serapion Speaks about Unity
His Grace Bishop Serapion addressed the faculty and students of Claremont Graduate University and the School of Theology on the evening of October 29, 2008. The topic of His Grace’s lecture was “Unity from an Orthodox Perspective.” His Grace spoke of the Coptic Orthodox Church’s belief and commitment to unity, as evidenced in the Holy Scriptures, writings of the Church Fathers, and the prayers and services of the Coptic Church. In addition, His Grace delivered – …
Ordination of Presbyter Father Lazarus Yassa for the Diocese
On Sunday November 2, 2008, His Grace Bishop Serapion ordained the blessed servant George Yassa (now Fr. Lazarus Yassa) as a presbyter for the Diocese of Los Angeles to serve Saint Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in Riverside, California. His Grace Bishop Youssef of the Diocese of the Southern United States and Abbot of Saint Moses Coptic Orthodox Abbey in Texas participated in the ordination. The new presbyter will travel to the Monastery of Saint Pishoy in – …
Ordination of Presbyter Father Daniel Habib for the Diocese
On Sunday October 19, 2008 His Grace Bishop Serapion ordained the blessed servant Daniel Habib (now Fr. Daniel Habib) as a presbyter for the Diocese of Los Angeles to serve Saint John Coptic Orthodox Church in Covina, California. His Eminence Metropolitan Hedra of the Diocese of Aswan, Egypt participated in the ordination. The new presbyter will travel to the Monastery of Saint Pishoy in Wadi El Natroun Region, Egypt to spend his forty days and – …