July 4: What are we Celebrating?
We find ourselves at the gate of another Fourth of July weekend, a time when family and friends gather to celebrate the birth of this nation with barbecues by day and fireworks by night. When it comes to celebrating July 4, we certainly know what we’re doing. Our mailboxes are filled with circulars advertising various cuts of meat, meal pairings, and flag-themed napkins. This weekend, the brave will flock to local beaches despite overcrowding in – …
Axios! Ordination of Deacon Daniel Meleka
Today, His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion, accompanied by Their Graces Bishop Abraham and Bishop Kyrillos, laid hands upon and ordained the servant, Daniel Meleka, to the priestly rank of deacon at the Divine Liturgy for the June 2016 Clergy Meeting at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Los Angeles. This was the first step in Deacon Daniel’s ultimate ordination as a presbyter to serve in the Diocese at St. Mary and St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church in – …
Q&A: I know Jesus loves me, but I’m suffering.
+ Q: I’m having some troubles dealing with suffering, and I don’t want just the “Jesus loves me” answer. Any thoughts or insights? Response: There were two other blogs where we discussed the problem of evil and how peoples’ choices are really the cause of most of our suffering. So I want to take a different line of meditation this time. Actually, this is a time of year, where that question is being meditated on by the – …
2. The Ministers & The Chief of Ministers
2. The Ministers & The Chief of Ministers I got ahead of myself, though. Let us go back a little. This King, before making the people, made a place for them. He was creative and illustrious, He wanted the place to be beautiful for them so that they would enjoy everything with him. He wanted them to be excited about everything even as he was excited for them. He made the entire Kingdom for those – …
Photos of the Divine Liturgy on the Feast of Pentecost with the Newly Consecrated Bishops
With great joy, the Diocese received the newly consecrated auxiliary bishops, His Grace Bishop Abraham and His Grace Bishop Kyrillos on the weekend of the Feast of Pentecost 2016. These photos were taken from the celebration of the Divine Liturgy on Sunday, June 19, at St. Maurice Coptic Orthodox Church. [envira-gallery id=”11223″]