A Contemporary Crossbearer: The Late Father Pishoy Kamel
As Coptic Orthodox Christians, we celebrate the Feast of the Cross twice a year, on September 27 and March 19. For all of us, the Life-Giving Cross must play a pivotal role in our lives. Therefore, we felt it is apropos to present a brief glimpse into the life of a contemporary cross-bearer, the late Fr. Pishoy Kamel Is’hak, whose departure we commemorate on March 21st. It is not coincidental that his departure was on – …
The Holy Virgin Mary: Icon of the Life of Serenity
I would like to congratulate you on the blessed fast of St. Mary wishing you many returns of the blessed fast and a joyful feast. The fast of the Virgin St. Mary is a beautiful spiritual time and a blessed opportunity to contemplate on the virtues of the Holy Virgin Mary. St. Mary is a treasure of virtues. In her life we see an example of strong faith and a life of submission. She is – …
Titles and Symbols of the Holy Virgin Mary
1. The Queen who is by the Right Side of The King. In this, we mention the words of the psalm “At your hand standsthe queen in gold from Ophir” (Ps. 45:9). That is why, in her icon, she isportrayed at the right hand of the Christ our Lord. And we say about herin the divine mass “the Lady and the Queen of us all” 2. Our Mother the Holy Virgin. When the Christ our – …
Christian Ethics and Morals
Over the past few decades the American society has been rocked by the revelation of corruption and immorality in our leaders on both the state and national levels. This has all reflected on the moral fiber of our society and how we view morals and ethics. The moral impropriety of our political leaders has not only shattered our confidence in our elected officials, but has flowed into the private lives of individuals. Of course, wrong – …
Organization and Blessing
In our community, some believe that organization in ecclesiastical matters leads to loss of blessings. When a person is asked to organize a project, one of the answers commonly given is, "Don’t worry, leave it and it will be blessed." Usually, when a project is proposed, it is required to lay out a plan and estimate the cost. Yet some respond by saying, "God will bless it without the need to think and plan"; it – …
Who is the Martyr?
In the Christian understanding, a martyr is the person, who is killed, because of his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw this happen in Abu Korkas, where some Moslem extremists entered the church and killed the worshippers. Despite the fact that they knew nothing about them, they killed them just because they were Christians. There is also a higher degree of martyrdom, in which the person, who is suffering, is given the opportunity – …