The Third Sunday of the Great Lent
Repentance in Christianity is different from any other repentance. It is the return of the son to his Father and the Father falling on the neck of His son to embrace him and kiss him (Lk. 15:20). This is the gospel reading of the third Sunday of the Great Lent. The Father’s paternity to us is not because of our righteousness, but because of His paternity to His children, especially the sinners. The Father’s paternity – …
Second Sunday of the Great Lent
The gospel of the Second Sunday deals with the temptation of doubting God’s paternity toward us, “If you are the son of God, why does He leave you hungry? Why does God allow the presence of disease, failure and the death of His beloved?” Practice: It is our duty this week to examine our faith in the love of the Father Who gave His Son for us. Our faith should surpass all temptations and emotions. – …
The First Sunday of the Great Lent
The gospel of the first Sunday of Lent calls for the surrender of life to the Father. “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat…nor yet for the body, what you shall wear…do not worry about tomorrow.” The reason for not worrying is that, “your heavenly Father knows that you have of all these things” (Mt. 6:32). The practice of this week is a call to a secure life in the care of – …
Preparatory Week of the Great Lent
The Great Lent is considered the holiest fast because our Lord Jesus Christ fasted it Himself. Therefore, during the Great Lent we follow the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who fasted on our behalf forty days and forty nights (Mt. 4:2). Also, during the Holy Pascha, which comes after the forty days, we live the Passion of Christ day by day and hour by hour. The Church declares to us that the closet – …
The Departure of Saint Severus the Patriarch of Antioch
On this day of the year 538 A.D., the holy father St. Severus, Patriarch of Antioch, departed. He was from Asia Minor. His grandfather, whose name was also Severus, saw in a vision someone telling him, “The child who is for your son will strengthen Orthodoxy, and his name will be after your name.” When his son had this saint, he called him Severus. He was taught the Greek wisdom and church subjects. Once, the – …
The Fast of Jonah
On Monday, February 14, 2011, the Coptic Orthodox Church begins the Fast of Jonah, a three-day fast that commemorates the fast of Jonah the Prophet while he was in the belly of the great fish. In the Christian tradition, these three days are type (a symbol or parallel) of the three days our Lord Jesus Christ spent in the tomb. St. John Chrysostom contrasts our Lord Jesus Christ with the figure of Jonah the Prophet – …