The Women in the Genealogy of Christ
Let us examine a unique aspect of the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel according to St. Matthew: the inclusion of several women. The historical reality is that, in Biblical genealogies, women are not typically included. A person’s lineage was defined primarily by his or her male’s ancestors. But in Christ’s genealogy, […] The post The Women in the Genealogy of Christ appeared first on Become Orthodox.
Advice to Women from St. Gregory the Theologian
In 384 A.D., our father among the saints, the Holy Gregory the Theologian (Nazianzus) composed the following 111-line poem to Olympiatha, a young bride, on the occasion of her crowning and marriage to Nevrithios, an illustrious youth and official of the imperial city. Although the saint wrote this poem as advice to a young bride, […] The post Advice to Women from St. Gregory the Theologian appeared first on Become Orthodox.
Summary of a Holy Synod Study Dealing with Issues related to Women Receiving Holy Communion
The following is a summary of a study dealing with women receiving Holy Communion presented by the Medical Subcommittee of the Holy Synod, which convened at the Synod’s request in March 2016 at Logos Center. The Christian Church clearly teaches that sin alone defiles a believer and that men and women are temples of the Holy Spirit, which only leaves a person in the case of death in sin. Thus, a woman is a pure dwelling place of – …
Women, the Church is not Your Enemy
Recently, I came across an anonymous blog post written by a Coptic Orthodox woman expressing her frustration over several supposed inequalities and injustices in the Church. At the outset, let it be clear that I don’t doubt this woman’s sincerity. I might even agree with some of what she wrote. It was beneficial to see different viewpoints and understand how some people feel. At the same time, it left me wondering why some people see – …
The Holy Virgin Mary and Women’s Rights
In or around the first year of the Lord, a meeting took place that would forever change the course of history. There was in those days an older woman living in the hill country of Judea. At this particular time, she was hiding, because something wondrous had happened to her. Despite the old age of this woman and her husband, a Jewish priest, and despite the fact that she, as a woman, was unable to – …
Young Women and St. Marina
Today, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the martyrdom of St. Marina the Holy Martyr of Antioch, a wonderful role model especially for young women. She was raised as an unbeliever by her parents until her mother died. Afterwards, she believed in our Lord Jesus Christ and vowed to remain a virgin for Him, but her father disowned her because of her faith, which ultimately resulted in her martyrdom. She shunned marriage, pleasure, fame, wealth, family, – …
Lenten Women’s Day – March 28, 2015
The Diocese will hold a Lenten Women’s Day for women of all ages on Saturday, March 28 from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at St. George Church (Bellflower) to discuss the theme, “Lives of Service.” God willing, the day will begin with the celebration of the Divine Liturgy followed by an agape breakfast and several lectures/discussions. Women may register by visiting this page or emailing CopticWomenLA@gmail.com. We encourage all of our women to benefit from this wonderful service.
On the Ecclesiastical Choir
The goal of the Ecclesiastical Choir is to encourage girls and female youth to learn and memorize church hymns, and to participate in the liturgical life of the Church. The Development of the Ecclesiastical Choir From the beginning of my service in Los Angeles, I noticed that church choirs, as a service, were made up primarily of females who focused on singing Western songs, avoiding learning Coptic hymns as families paid more attention to their – …
Women’s Day on October 18 – “Women of Virtue”
On Saturday, October 18, the Diocese will hold a Women’s Day event at Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church in Santa Ana from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm. These diocesan Women’s Days are part of the Church’s ministry to Her daughters from all walks of life. They are a wonderful way to discuss women’s issues in the Church and develop opportunities for women’s ministry and service. The day will begin with the celebration of the Divine – …
New Women’s Ministry and Spiritual Day – June 21
With the blessing of our father, Bishop Serapion, there have been several fruitful discussions about establishing a diocese-wide Women’s Ministry to help address the needs of women in our Orthodox diocese. On Saturday, June 21, the Ministry will begin with a spiritual day for all women at St. John Church in Covina. It will begin with the Divine Liturgy from 8:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by brunch and a program for women until 2:00 pm. All women – …
The Role of Women in the Church (Part III)
THE OFFICE OF DEACONESS Oftentimes in our Church girls wonder why they can not be ordained as deaconesses. It is hard to argue against their ability to learn and chant the hymnology of the Church (al-han) as well as the boys. In order to answer this question, as Orthodox Christians, we have to clarify the service (ministry) of the ordained deacon (male diaconate), as well as discuss the service (ministry) of the deaconess (female diaconate) – …
The Role of Women in the Church (Part II)
Often times, females in our Church feel left out and ignored. Is this a correct feeling? Does the Church really propagate such an idea in Her teachings? In addressing the issue of the role of women in the Church, we have to distinguish between Holy Tradition and customs that are influenced by culture and do not spring from the true spirit of Christianity. There are popular traditions which are linked to various cultures or families. – …