Category: Blog

Put Off Deceit, Put on Honesty

The New Man: Part 4

By Shery Abdelmalak

“I was just being honest, it’s not my fault you can’t handle it.”

A phrase that claims to be honest but is in fact, hurtful, is more deceit than one that doesn’t even try. It may not be, “your fault,” but there is more to being honest than meets the eye. Every spoken word has an element of subjectivity based on an individual’s perspective, understanding and experiences. You are expressing an opinion but to express it as truth can be scrutinised greatly. If love rejoices in the truth, but there is a lack of love in your words, can it be inferred that your words are more rightly iniquity, rather than truth (1 Cor. 13:6)? Technically, it is your fault that someone can’t handle your honesty, because truth is the combination of honesty in love.

This phrase probably originated from the command, “do not lie.” But honesty runs deeper than spoken words. Honesty entails love and kindness and could never coexist with deceit. In the end, truth will always be revealed by our gracious Saviour, when it is beneficial and only when we are prepared to receive it. 

There was a monk named, Abba Paphnuitus. It is written that he was, “full of grace that even the renowned and great men of that time admired his gravity and steadfast constancy, and although he was younger in age, yet put him on a level with the Elders out of regard for his virtues” (The Conferences by John Cassian, pg. 289) Jealousy grew among his brethren to the extent that they wanted to tarnish his great name through an accusation of wrongdoing. A complaint was brought to Abba Isidore of a stolen book. In a land inhabited by the Cross-bearers, theft was not a common occurrence nor were there set repercussions in place. Abba Isidore ordered the cell of each monk to be searched while they were praying in the church. The book was found in the cell of Paphnutius. When questioned, Paphnutius gave himself up so that peace would be restored and humbly requested a plan of repentance.

At this point in the story, the truth was not made known by Paphnutius. If anything, it appears to be hindered by his words. Paphnutius’ sole focus was on his surroundings. He wanted to restore peace and cover the sin of the one who had committed the crime. The request he made was beyond admirable. Which one of us is not in need of repentance? It is not wrong to defend yourself, but for the one that was focused solely on his inner life, defending himself could never measure up to repentance.

When we defend our actions, we begin to see the good within ourselves and in turn, create a niche for pride. We can toss and turn and be filled with distress trying, or we can turn to the joy of repentance and let Christ be our defence. At the very least, repentance should be our first step before every action, in that way we guarantee peace. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who live in me (Galatians 2:20). If He wants me to be seen as a liar, as a thief, as the worst of all sinners, then so be it. Let it be according to His will. I am not my own so how can I be affected by accusations brought against me? All I desire is to be a pen in the Hands of the ready writer of Christ, my Saviour(Psalm 45:1).

Paphnutius began to fast three times as often and prostrate at the doors of the church, not entering to receive Communion because of the magnitude of his unworthiness. After 14 days, the monk that had accused Paphnutius became possessed by a demon so strong that not even the prayers that guarded Scetes could stop him. No one could exorcize the demon, not even the great Abba Isidore. Our Lord would only allow young Paphnutius to exorcize the demon and thus, truth was revealed in the most astonishing way that reached the height of Paphnutius’ repentance. 

For truth, the absolute truth, we need more than words. Fr Matta El Meskeen says, “The Word is a double-edged sword, but who is holding the sword? It is God’s own Word, for which He sacrificed Himself on the Cross to give us eternal life from the midst of darkness and death.” Christ is the One that bears witness of the truth. When Pilate asked Him what the truth was, He answered nothing, for His coming death and resurrection would reveal more than words ever could (John 18:37-38).  

If the truth can only be revealed through the grace of the Holy Spirit, we are assured that its impact will be for our edification and salvation. Until then, may our words speak love, kindness and compassion, while we await the revelation of all truth from Above. “Nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).

The Gift of Service

The Gift of Service

Adapted from a sermon by Fr David Shehata

Passage: Luke 10:1-20

On the day of the Apostles Feast, we commemorate the martyrdom of St Peter and St Paul. When we commemorate the death of any of the seventy apostles, we read the passage in the gospel of Luke that recounts Christ sending out the Apostles to preach.

This is a good reminder of Christ’s expectations when we come to serve Him. There are several different things He went through that give us a glimpse into the mind of Christ.

  1. [He] sent them two by two before His face into every city…. Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals (Luke 10:2).

The first thing He did was sending them two by two. You would think a new movement that you would want to bring a lot of attention to and if you had seventy people, it would be most profitable to send the seventy out to seventy different places. Economically, it makes more sense than sending them two by two and only reaching thirty-five places. Our Lord’s mindset differs from our own in this sense.

Can you imagine a new business starting and your boss tells you not to take anything with you, no resources, no money, no sense of stability? You would be left feeling that you have nowhere to start and nothing to do. Logically, this is an inefficient business model, but this is what our Lord insists on. On their return, the Lord asks His disciples if they missed anything. Were you short of anything; did you lack anything? So we see that there is power in sending out two. Having another person with them eliminated the need for resources.

When you serve two by two, you are forced to rely on someone else. Christ gave them the ability to heal, to cast out demons, all in His Name. If they could do all these alone, they would feel self-sufficient and could easily fall into pride. By making them go out in twos, He allowed them to experience humility. When you have another person with you, you can depend on your brother or sister in the service. If I want to know if my service is pleasing to God and is for the sake of God, I cannot be serving alone. If I am stopping people from being involved in my service, then this is not for the sake of Christ, but is becoming for my own vain glory.

Serving in twos allows us to experience humility. When they went out in twos and a person was healed, each would presume it was through the holiness of his brother, and not his own. This humility is key in service. When I serve God in any capacity, I must be humble. This is key to the heart of God and the key to the success of service. In any relationship or marriage, the key is in humility. One person cannot impose their thoughts and beliefs upon their spouse, but in humility, they look to the desires of their spouse over their own. The Lord blesses us a relationship that has foundations of humility and servitude.

  • But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’

Before service, tell the people that the peace of the Lord is with them before all else. In the service, Christ is looking for peacemakers. A good point of self-reflection – Is my service producing peace? If my objective is to serve someone, I need to be a peacemaker. By God’s criteria, service must involve peace and unity. The Holy Spirit cannot work in a divided environment, but thrives on unity and love.

  • greet no one along the road (Luke 10:4)

The concept behind this instruction is to always remain focused and steadfast on the task at hand. In the Old Testament, Elisha sent his disciple with the power of raising the dead, but he also says, “Get yourself ready, and take my staff in your hand, and be on your way. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him; but lay my staff on the face of the child” (2 Kings 4:29).

Am I focused on my service, or is it an afterthought in my mind? Do I actively pursue service or do I serve only when I have time? Where does my service sit on my list of priorities? The truth is in the result. By worldly standards, the apostles appeared hindered in the service. They had no resources with them, they were limited in their reach because they were sent in twos. Despite this, “the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name”” (Luke 10:17). They did miracles and the miracles that the Lord allowed them to perform were greater than even He performed while on earth. We don’t hear of the shadow of the Lord healing the sick, yet this is attributed to St Peter.

Imagine the feeling of St Peter as he walked past someone and his shadow healed the sick. It would be impossible for him to think he was responsible for this. It was clear that the power of God was bestowed upon him. It would be difficult not to be joyful when seeing the hand of God working within us. And so comes the warning of the Lord;

  • “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:19-20).

The reason for our joy and servitude is because our names are written in heaven. We partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, we find our joy in that, and not in the works that Christ stirs within us. Christ constantly shifts our focus from the earthly to the eternal. Even to the paralytic man, Christ says, “your sins are forgiven you” before He says, “rise take up your bed and go to your house” (Matthew 9:1-6). This is for us to keep things into perspective, to value the forgiveness of sins over the healing of bodily disease.

Who did I serve? The people in front of me that I can see, or the Lord in heaven that I can’t see? This then influences on where I seek my rewards. Do I know that my name is written in the book of eternity, or do I despair because I am not thanked by the people I served? The Lord tells His disciples, and us, that yes, we will be successful in our service, but we rejoice in eternity and not success on earth.

The Greek Orthodox church celebrates the feast date of St Euphemia yesterday (the day before the feast of the Apostles). St Euphemia was a third century saint that endured much persecution. St Paisos was a modern day saint that once called upon St Euphemia and asked her about her persecution. She responded, “Father, if I knew back then what eternity looked like and heavenly beauty that the souls that are close to Christ enjoy, I would have requested that it lasted forever. Nothing in this world, no eye has seen, how amazing the gifts of God’s grace is.”

 When we reflect upon service, do I wait to be asked, or do I actively seek out service? From the moment we are baptised, we are called to service. We are called to jump every hurdle and obstacle that gets in the way of my service to the Lord. Service is to my benefit, when we are with the Lord, His grace is bestowed upon us.

God’s Timing is the Perfect Timing

God’s Timing is the Perfect Timing

By Lilyan Andrews

Original post by Lilies and Thorns Blog

In some cultures (like mine), you are faced with two extremes as you mature. First, “Don’t date or even look at boys until you’re old enough for marriage.” Second, “Why aren’t you married yet? What are you waiting for?” There was no transition time in between the two. Dating somehow disappeared between you’re interested in someone and asking for the family’s blessing for marriage. Pursuing someone was hush-hush, and you only knew a couple was together when they announced their engagement. Maybe that’s because dating was perceived negatively, but there is definitely a healthy and Christian way to date, or court [be involved with romantically, typically with the intention of marrying], as some like to call it.

When I was younger I always imagined my life to play out like this: Finish college, land a great job, make some money and use it to travel the world. Then sometime in my late 20’s I would settle down, get married, and eventually have kids. Boy, was I wrong.

Have you ever heard that saying, “We plan and God laughs.” Well, that’s exactly how I felt when my perfect plan got all jumbled up when I started dating a man who later became my husband. I met Mina (who is now Fr. Antony) my freshman year at NJIT. We started dating, or as he likes to call it, courting, after he graduated from NJIT. He was very intentional from day one, and made it very clear that the whole purpose of us getting to know each other was for the purpose of marriage. His frankness was a breath of fresh air in comparison to all the uncertainty that could come with dating.

If you knew Fr. Antony when he was in college you’d know he was a complete introvert, very different from the vibrant extrovert he is now. My friends and I had a nickname for him, behind his back of course, we called him “peaceful Mina.” He had a certain calm demeanor that drew you to him. Whenever we would be sitting down in groups around the campus center he would always start some kind of spiritual conversation. He would share a nice spiritual book he was reading, or talk about church services, overall they were fruitful discussions. Something really attracted me to him, maybe it was his leadership qualities that I wanted in a husband and father to my future kids. His kindness and gentle spirit were great attributes that I admired.

Our timeline wasn’t your typical timeline. We started seeing each other when I was still a senior in college, he had just started a full-time masters degree in theology. Both of us were only working part-time or interning, but that did not matter. After about a year of dating, then a year of engagement, we found ourselves in marriage bliss. I was 22 and he was 23. Two youngins who had no idea what the heck they were doing, but so excited for what God had in store for them. Looking back on it, God sure took us for a wild ride those first couple of years of marriage (and He still is).

What are you looking for in a partner? Good looks that are fading? A sense of humor that might grow dull? Or wealth and status that can be gone in a split second? Look for a man that can help lead you and your children to the kingdom.

Put God in the center of your marriage. In a country where the divorce rate is very high you have a difficult time making it if you do not invite God to be the pivotal point of your relationship. Understand what St. Paul preaches in 1 Corinthians 13 and you’ll be on the right track.

Many people asked us how we were so sure of this big commitment we were taking at such a young age. As much as I would like to just say, “when you know, you know.” The answer is a much more elaborate one.

First, we prayed about it, a lot. We sought guidance from our fathers of confession, people who knew us sometimes better than we knew ourselves. We were open with our parents and family and had their blessing along the way. We talked to our mentors who had way more years of experience under their belt. We listened to every Orthodox talk you could find on dating and marriage, and even took an engagement class offered by the church. Most importantly, we put God in the center of our relationship and watched Him do wonders with us. St. John Chrysostom says, “When husband and wife are united in marriage they no longer seem like something earthly, but rather like the image of God Himself.” Don’t forget that marriage is a wonderful sacrament, full of mystery, and ultimately should reflect God’s image. St. John also says, “Marriage is the sacrament of love.”

From the moment we got together to the moment we walked down the aisle to the altar of our holy matrimony, I had one constant prayer. I always pleaded, “God if this is not your will please take it away.” By asking for “God’s will” I was asking for the best partner I could have in my journey that would lead me to Him (I do believe there could be more than one person that could fulfill this, but that’s besides the point). As hard as that ultimatum would have been, it would have been much worse if I stayed in a relationship that was not meant for me.

Whatever stage you are in right now. Whether you are seeing someone, about to get married, or praying for the right person to come along. First and foremost, you have to truly seek Him.

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29: 11-13

The way God answers everyone’s prayer is different. To some, He will close doors, and place obstacles not meant to be overcome. To some, He will make the journey easy to navigate. He speaks to us in many different ways, and this is where a strong relationship with Him is crucial, so you can identify His voice when He speaks.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

John 10:27

Know Him. Trust Him. Trust in His perfect timing. Put Him as the center of your relationship, and everything will beautifully unfold as He meant it to.

To wrap up this four-part series, remember that whether you’re a virgin, or have slept with someone and have repented, you can still have a great sex life. Whether you are single for years or decades, you can still end up in a beautiful relationship. Whether you’ve never dated before, or if you’ve dated plenty of guys and were in sinful relationships and have repented, you can still have a great marriage. By God’s grace anything is possible.

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.”

Psalm 37:4

For more –

“On Marriage And Family Life” by St. John Chrysostom

“Choose Your Spouse” by Bishop Youssef

Embracing Singleness

Embracing Singleness

By Lilyan Andrews

Original post by Lilies and Thorns Blog

When I was attending a High School ECCYC (East Coast Coptic Youth Convention) Q&A session I sent a silly question up to the panel. “What is the right age to start dating?” Giggling trickled through the audience at the anonymous question. My technical little spirit wanted a magical number to look forward to, but little did I know that this question does not have a “right” answer. Now I give talks to youth groups about dating, and I always get the same question. I smile and remember the younger me who was just as curious to find an age to look forward to. Now I realize I was looking forward in the wrong way, and that I should have focused on the present.

How many days and nights do we spend daydreaming, hoping and praying that Mr. Right would come along? How much effort goes into chasing our crush and stalking them on social media? How many moments do we waste just waiting around to be in a relationship?

If I answered those questions honestly, my responses would make you cringe. There were countless moments that I spent doing all those things instead of enjoying my singleness. I saw my single days as lonely sad days, instead of seeing them for what they could have been: time to invest in myself.

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come.”

Ecclesiastes 12:1

I wish I could tell my younger self to use every ounce of free time I had to focus on myself. To give extra attention to my relationship with God, because it is the one relationship that surpasses all. It is timeless and eternal. I should have used the time to build a strong foundation that can withstand any spiritual storm to come (and many storms did come). I should have gone on every retreat and monastery trip I could find to spend that special quiet time with Him. I should have attended all the available church services to spend more time in His house. I now have two little girls, and if I want any alone with God it’s at 5:00 AM before they wake up. Also, going to church with them is more work than I ever imagined, forget trying to pay attention in liturgy. I can go on forever about how kids flip your life upside down, but I hope this is convincing enough for you to take advantage of the gift of singleness.

I wish I could have used the time and energy I wasted on those passing feelings on fruitful relationships instead. I could have gotten closer to my family. Served my parents more. Spent quality time with my brother. Bonded with my girlfriends more.

If I had the chance to talk to my younger self I would tell her to stop living for the future, and start living for the present!

I always used my prayers to pray for the right person to come along, and for God’s perfect timing. I prayed for my future spouse and children, years before any of them came along. I’m not saying to ignore those things or to not pray about them, I’m saying also pray about your singleness too. Pray for yourself individually and struggle in your own spiritual journey.

There are many direct and indirect messages in the media that might lead us to believe that we are incomplete without someone. Can we please take that idea and throw it out the window?! You are a strong, spiritually mature, beautiful (inside and out), bold young woman wrapped in His grace! All on your own. Do not ever forget that you were made in His image and according to His likeness (Genesis 1:26).

You can live a deeply fulfilling life, enriched with spiritual adventure, thrilling experiences, quiet moments that lead to aha moments, friendships that bring out the very best in you, journeys that take you deep into yourself and bring you back stronger, smarter, and wiser than you ever were. Being preoccupied with another can distract you from fully processing all of the awesomeness that is you.

If you find yourself only hanging out with couples the majority of the time, and seeing relationships all around you makes you feel insecure about being single, then it’s time to change your environment. Find a few single gals you can hang out with. People who share the same struggles and can encourage you to be the best version of yourself.

Or if you are the type of person who likes to jump from relationship to relationship, then maybe it’s time to break that cycle. If you are uncomfortable with being alone, then you must confront that feeling and become comfortable in your own skin. You must be whole before you bring another person into your life. I don’t believe in the “he completes me” mentality.

I know it also doesn’t help when every taunt [older Egyptian woman] is always asking if you’re single so she can set you up with her son. Or always hearing “obalek” at every wedding occasion; that word doesn’t even have an English translation. It’s essentially wishing you to be next. The next graduate, bride, mother, etc. It’s proof that people are always looking to what’s next, and not focusing on the now. The Egyptian culture sometimes doesn’t know what to do with single women. Unfortunately, it tends to value those who are married, and pities those who aren’t. (I’m making a general statement here, of course this is not true in every situation.) This is not a standard you should live by. Live by seeking the kingdom first, and trust that God will take care of the rest.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Matthew 6:33

We know that marriage is created for the sake of our salvation, but it is not the only way to salvation. God gave Adam a helper comparable to him so that he should not remain alone (Genesis 2). It was a gift given from God, and I would argue, not a gift meant for everyone. St. Paul starts 1 Corinthians chapter 7 talking about marriage, then he says, “But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment. For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.” (1 Corinthians 7: 6-7) St. Paul is referring to his singleness and celibacy when he wishes that everyone would be like him, but also explains that this is not for everyone.

You might have to embrace singleness for a temporary time, but might have to also embrace it for a lifetime. Either way, the end goal is your salvation. Always focus your eyes on the prize: that is Christ. Whether He leads you to marriage or singleness, you should be following Him regardless of the season and the circumstance.

So take a deep breath, set aside any obsessive tendencies you have around relationships, and just focus on you and Him. Embrace it all!

Called to Blessings

Called to Blessings

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Augustinos Nada

Passage Luke 6:27-38

What is expected from us as people of God? The Lord gives the sermon on the Mount as instructions on how to live as Christians; how to live as the children of God. These may seem completely different to what the world teaches us. He is saying, “love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”

Human nature tells us that this is difficult to accomplish. It is difficult to love an enemy, to do good to those who do evil. The Lord is trying to give us an understanding that a person of God is different. We need to be different. If we want to have a life in Christ, to love Christ and to love the church, there are higher expectations placed. You have to shine differently to others. This is why He says, “you are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). We may be living in the darkness of the world, but it is the duty of a Christian to take light from Christ and shine in a dark place.

What Christ is asking of us today is to go the second mile. To push harder when human nature tells us it is enough. It is not easy to love those who hate you, to bless those who curse you, to pray for those that spitefully use you.

The world teaches us to not associate with those that hate us, we should not love them, we should not pray for them. St Charbel is a 19th century saint of the Maronite church that many miracles are attributed to. He was a hermit monk that lived in the mountains of Lebanon. The Turks were invading the country at that time and they were persecuting many of the Christian monasteries. The Lebanese monks were very strong and full of zeal for the faith. They decided to take arms against the Turkish armies and defend their monastery. These monks went to St Charbel wounded and hurt, seeking his advice. St Charbel was greatly disturbed when he saw them and said, “What are you doing? The Lord calls us and says, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you, so you haven’t done what the Lord has instructed you.”

It was from that moment that the monks changed their approach to the persecution. They were not loving the enemy but fighting them. It defeated the purpose of the Christian faith to hate your enemies.

The Lord continues, “to him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.” Do we give to anyone that asks of us? Do we give the clothes on our back in addition to the clothes that were taken from us?

“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.”

We love those who love us because it is easy to do, but the Lord is telling us this is of no credit to us. He goes on to talk about specific characteristics of our Christian faith. You cannot reach these levels unless there is an internal change. I have to be a certain person that understands the love of God and has a strong relationship with my Lord. I must strive daily to build virtues of love and forgiveness. It requires a person that has such great love for the Lord that these difficult commands become second nature. If you live a life of sin, it is impossible to forgive your enemies. If you are living a distant life from God, there is no way you can pray for those that hate you. If you live a lukewarm life, you will not bless those that curse you, or pray for anyone that spitefully uses you. If you don’t have a relationship to please God, these things become impossible.

In my own internal struggle, I must look within myself and see if I have any kind of hatred or animosity concealed within my heart. It’s okay to stay away from them but if they are near to me, do I retaliate? Do I seek revenge? Do I wish bad things for them? For me to be a person that loves my enemies and does good to those who hate and prays for those that spitefully use me, I need to be a changed person.

We see this in many of the saints. St Moses the Strong was a thief and head of a gang that murder, stole, committed adultery – an extremely violent person. He was the opposite of what the Lord commanded in the Sermon on the Mount. A man full of hate and of the world. What made him transform into a saint?

His repentance. His life with God. His struggle to overcome wrongdoing.

It may take time, but if we have the willingness then the Lord will give us strength to overcome.  Everything that the Lord tells us is a reflection of His character. If He tells us to love those who hate us, it is because He loves those who hate Him. If He tells us to do good, it is because His goodness does not depend on our deeds. He says bless those who curse you, because He blesses those who curse Him.

All these qualities are exemplary of how the Lord deals with you and me. He will never hate you, no matter what you did against Him, He continues to do good. On the contrary, He loves you even more. He shows boundless mercy, He tells us to forgive so that we may be forgiven. We know that He forgives us all, even on the Cross, He says, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.”

What amazing forgiveness. He was suffering and in pain but His focus was on their forgiveness. This was the greatest act of forgiveness and when we look at Christ on the Cross, surely we can look within ourselves and see why I need to forgive, why I need to love those who hate me, why I need to pray for those who use me, why I need to bless those who curse me.

A lot of people will come and say, “Abouna, it is hard to forgive those who hate me.”

But the early church fathers teach us the best way to overcome wrongdoing is to pray for them by name. Sometimes it may be difficult at the start, but if you are encouraged enough to name that person in your prayers, do you not think that God will hear you?

That person will change before you. Their evil will turn to good. Their hatred will be dispersed. And your heart will change toward them also. God will channel inner peace within you to accept the circumstance. When you feel the grace of God within your heart, nothing of this world can move you. The peace of God supersedes all your troubles on earth. The trick is to mention that person in your prayers by name.

Dear Lord, remember ____ make them a person that I can love again. If they are at fault in any way, help me to forgive them. Make them the person that You have called them to be.

When we mention them by name, it breaks our pride. We stop thinking that we are owed an apology. They may never apologise, but if this is what you truly need to forgive, it becomes more probable when you pray for them by name. They could change toward you, and more importantly, you want good feelings toward them to flourish in your heart.

With any difficult instruction, there is always reward from our compassionate Lord. “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you”

If you do good, good will come back to you. So often in our church, giving is the most powerful tool. We always see how God repays those who give. He can’t help but give back to those who give in love. Practice giving and see how God will give to you. If God hasn’t given back to you, remind Him of His promises. All of God’s promises are justifiable before our eyes.

✨ Full sermon ✨

Put Off Doubt, Put on Faith

Put Off Doubt, Put on Faith

By Louise Makarious

Having faith sounds simple. It’s something we’re taught to do early on and as Christians we pledge in every liturgy to have faith in the Christian paradigm – that is, Christ’s resurrection and our salvation, with eternal life. If I believe in Christ, then I gain eternity, simple.

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” – John 1:12

Personally, I have spent a lot of time trying to make logical sense of Christianity. How can Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection actually save us or how does the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ during each liturgy, and so on? These were typical questions of doubt, from a faith not yet fully grown. “We walk by faith, not by sight” – St Paul teaches us this in 2 Corinthians 5:7. It is not unusual to presume that faith is blind based on this verse. On the contrary, faith is to walk with spiritual eyes, and not our earthly vision. Doubt is warranted, and should be explored. If God did not want His children to question, He wouldn’t have given us free will.

Hebrews 11:1 describes faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Faith is complete belief and trust without a seemingly logical explanation. Daniel was a great prophet that many could see God dwelling in his humble being. After presenting him with a series of visions that were interpreted by Gabriel, the messenger of the Lord, he was left with a final sentence – “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” – Daniel 12:9. Our doubts are not ignored by the Lord, He listens and He answers, but there will always be a limit to how much we can handle. Not even in the greatness of faith of Moses could He witness the glory of God. Ultimately, our God is incomprehensible, eternal and comparable to none and this is where our faith comes in.

God speaks to our hearts in our every day lives, pushing us along the path of salvation, but He is not the mighty wind, nor the earthquake, nor the fire, but the still small voice (1 Kings 19:13). He will guide each of us along the path for as long as we are open to hearing His voice amid a world of tumult and tribulation. Through it all, we know that He is in control in ways we may not fully know, but we trust based on His providence to this date that He will leave us nor forsake us.

Slowly, I’ve learnt that having complete faith in God isn’t something of the head but of the heart. It does not require the struggle to try and comprehend Him, a power too divine for us to understand, but to trust in Him despite the unknown.

How can we practice faith in our everyday lives? Whenever we’re struggling with a dilemma, unsure of the future or going through a rough time, the most common advice we hear is to “have faith” or “God’s got a plan”. At the time, it usually seems like pretty useless advice, but what does it really mean to “have faith”? How can we trust in “God’s plan” for us, if we can’t see any plan that would relieve us from our problems or stressors? Again, doubt. Doubt often makes us feel alone in our problems and responsible to find our own solution, contributing anxiety and worry. Faith, on the other hand, means we are never alone and there is always a solution, even if we can’t see it.

One way for faith to practically change our lives everyday is by prayer. Psalm 138:3 says, “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul”. Making our worries and concerns known to God gives us inner strength that we will never experience turmoil alone. Like David, who had faith in God to help him defeat Goliath and deliver his people, we too can practice faith in situations that may seem unlikely or impossible to us. Faith allows us to act on what we have not yet experienced and trust in God’s plan when our situations seem hopeless.

With practice, faith becomes less of a vague, unreachable religious concept to a more practical, tangible and incredible experience everyday.

The Battle in Eden

The Battle in Eden

By Sarah Beshay

How long would you have lasted in the garden of Eden?

‘For no one is clean from the stain of sin even if his life on earth has been but for one day’ (Letter 133.2 – Saint Jerome).

As Saint Jerome wisely spoke, I have come to realise that my strive to live a sinless life, for even a day, is impossible. Not just impossible, but a never-ending battle. It’s a spiritual war. One where I’m ‘wrestling against powers and principalities’ (Ephesians 6:12). For I am warned, that the Devil, the ‘highest of angels’ who by his pride fell, is the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44). The cunning deadly beast. He slithers around observing his prey before he attacks them at their most vulnerable, lowest moment. I wonder what Eve was doing at that moment? As for myself, I imagine I would have been pondering and drifting into my own thoughts whilst strolling for the first time down through the Garden.  So just as Eve was deceived into the Serpent’s craftiness at that solitary moment, I, without a doubt, wouldn’t have been any stronger nor wiser than the Mother of All the Living to surpass his temptation. The matter as to how long I would have lasted in Eden, well for me, that answer is, at most, not even a day following my creation. But before my Creator, the answer is irrelevant, ’for a thousand years in His sight, are like yesterday when it is past’ (Psalm 90:4).

‘For what I will to do, [abide by the Law], I do not practice, but what I hate, [that which is evil], that I do’ (Romans 7:15-20).

For in the end, I am only human, like Eve, limited in the flesh. For ‘my spirit is willing, but my flesh is weak’ (Mathew 26:41). Not that my flesh is evil, but that my roaring flesh is not as great as my soaring spirit. For my flesh has less of reason and discretion. If it is not led by the spirit it will eventually indulge in what it pleases and become carnally minded. I whose body obtained mortality, because it became an easy prey to sin (St John Chrysostom). For once Eve was tempted, ‘she saw that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, and ate of its fruit’ (Genesis 3:6). So, it is true, that for ‘all that is in the world are the desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes and the pride of life’ (1 John 2:16). I know not where the Garden of Eden was located, but it truly was a slice of paradise on earth. One that I lost at first sight. Therefore, I was prone to sin at any instant, by one of these ways or another, being born in the flesh on earth. I too am ‘bound to have fallen by the guile of the enemy and by my own free will disobeyed God’s holy commandments, [separating myself from my Creator] and bringing upon myself the sentence of death’ (The Liturgy of Saint Gregory the Theologian).
 

‘When your enemy presses in hard do not fear. The battle belongs to the Lord! Take courage my friend, your redemption is near. The battle belongs to the Lord’!

The Battle Belongs to the Lord by Petra (Hymn)

What this means for me is that this is not a war that I can conquer alone. So, what can I do? I can only lean on God, for it is God’s war, for He is my divine spiritual source. I will firstly ‘come to the holy font, wash in saving baptism and be renewed in the bath of rebirth’ (Sermons 213.8 – Saint Augustine). In Eden I ate what was hanging from the tree and thereby died, in the Holy Liturgy I eat what was hanging from the tree and thereby live. For by both Baptism and the Holy Eucharist I will come into union with God again. Now He has given me the Holy Spirit to work within me. And as long as I am feeding the flame of the Holy Spirit by living in the spirit, ‘He shall convict me of sin’ (John 16:8) and encourage me to do what is right. I shall ‘put on the full armour of God’ (Ephesians 6:10). to defend myself in this battle. That is by dwelling in Faith, the Word of God and by Prayer in the Spirit. I shall rise, repent and return to my Creator.   


So at an end, in my daily reality and challenges of life, I will confirm to these things, and I will unworthily cry to you my Master: ‘to forgive those sins I have committed this day, whether by action, by word, by thought or any of my senses’ (The Absolution of the Twelfth Hour – Agpia). And ‘to absolve, forgive, and remit my transgressions; those committed willingly and those committed unwillingly, those committed knowingly and those committed unknowingly, the hidden and manifest’ (Holy, Holy, Holy – Agpia). I plead to You oh Lord, ‘for ten thousand times ten thousand sins are too few for Your mercy to forgive in one hour’ (Saint Athanasius of Alexandria).

Hidden Warfare

Hidden Warfare

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Jonathan Ishak

Passage Matthew 12:22-37

“Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? – Matthew 12:29

This verse on its own is a parable that the Lord eloquently presents to us. If a person wanted to enter the home of a strong man, they would first need to consider binding the strong man so that they would be successful.

We have something good concealed within our hearts. Satan would like to take this from us. In order to defeat us, he first finds ways to bind us so that we are restrained from fighting back. If we are strong, we are untouchable to Satan, but if we are weak, he can steal and destroy as he pleases.

The most valuable thing we own is our faith and the devil wishes to plunder our faith and void our hope. He cunningly seeks out our destruction through a variety of methods. We would be foolish to think that the devil would leave our faith to flourish undisturbed. His aim is to make us believe that we do not have a place in heaven. For every step of faith, the devil fight to pull us back to where we started.

The question remains, if the devil wishes to plunder our houses and our goods, how can we be strong? A certain youth once answered this question with three main attempts;

  1. I can work on my physical strength
  2. I can grow in knowledge and respond in wisdom
  3. I can use weapons

Spiritually, we can do the same. We can be physically strong as Christians so that we fight against the attacks of Satan. Mother Teresa was once asked, “why do you serve in the poorest and sickest of areas?” To which she responded, “Because I love Jesus.” She didn’t give a nice, worldly answer, that is she kind, or altruistic, or it’s a service to Christ, but a simple answer that shows her spiritual strength. Her motivation and goal is to love the Lord our God. Her motivation never faltered, if you love the Lord, you will have strong faith that will compel you to walk on the path of Christ.

When speaking of his book, The Imitation of Christ, Thomas Kempis says, “the most beautiful thing I found in this book is the title because it contains the name of Christ.” When we go to heaven, our Lord will give a summary of our lives on earth as an example of how much we love Him and how much effort we made to grow closer to Him. This is how to be a strong Christian. Satan cannot plunder a heart that loves God.

When the Lord came to Peter after His Resurrection, He only had one question for him; “Do you love Me?” (John 21:15). He didn’t ask him why he betrayed Him or why he denied Him. Only after he said that he did love Him could he be a shepherd of Christ. In everything you do in the church, love the Lord. Measure your Christianity by the amount of love concealed within your heart. If you grow in loving the Lord Jesus Christ, your house is built on a firm foundation.

Next, we must have a strong mind. I can fight back if I can think and mentally prepare for the battle. This preparation comes from the Bible and applying the teaching of the Lord. Read the Bible, know the teaching of the Lord and apply this to the battle that befalls you. When Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, he applied the wisdom of the Lord. Even if it meant defying her authority, he knew the words of God and remained pure. The word of the Lord was clear before his eyes.

In life, we too, must have the word of God at the forefront of our minds in all our actions and deeds. Those around us have their own thought processes but we remain strong in the Lord. We do not follow the teaching of the world, but the commandments of the Lord. Pope Kyrillos VI during the liturgy was sitting inside and fell asleep. A person was brought to him who was demon possessed. Even while asleep, the demon immediately fled from the man in the presence of Pope Kyrillos. This reveals the power of the Word of Christ within him.

The Lord said, “in vain they worship me, teaching the doctrine of men” (Matthew 15:9). If you would like to be strong, apply this teaching. Never follow the teaching of the people for they lean on their own understanding.

The final thing is to arm ourselves with weaponry. Our weapons are the sacraments of the church. Pope Shenouda III once said that you cannot stand strong against the attacks of Satan without the sacraments. These are Holy Communion, confession and a spiritual canon that you follow without fail. Ask your father of confession to give you a spiritual canon that you can stick with. These are our weapons in the Body and Blood of Christ, in our repentance and confession. Together, these make us strong against the adversity of the devil. This will make the devil flea from you.

When we look at the secret place of our hearts, is it open to attack, or have we armed ourselves with the strength of our faith, the knowledge of the Bible and partaking of the sacraments? At any point when we sway towards things of the world, we let our guard down in the face of adversity. Continual nourishment of these three elements helps us withstand the wiles of the devil. Let us make our homes full of prayer, full of almsgiving, full of blessing, full of love for the Lord and a welcome space for Christ to dwell. Be strong in the Lord so that the devil cannot snatch your faith and claim your eternity.

The Paralytic Man

St Luke’s transcribed sermons- Fr Samuel Fanous

There are some beautiful readings today, and if you look through them there is a common theme that runs through all of them. That theme is healing.

If you look at the Pauline it says;

“eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

So, you can’t even begin to imagine what God has prepared for you. Then if we go to the Catholicon;

“by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature having escaped corruption that is in the world through lust.”

This is one of the most famous passages in the whole Bible because St peter teaches us something very profound in this passage; the true incarnation of Jesus Christ through Him coming as fully God and touching humanity in the way He did and uniting it to Himself, He has touched all flesh so that we become like God. God became man, so man could become God. So, this is what Christ offers us through healing our flesh, through touching it and making it holy and divine. Hence why this is one of the most famous passages in the Bible.

If we go to the acts, we hear of St Paul healing a cripple from Lystra. They thought that he was a God because of this healing. As we also hear of St Moses the Strong in the Synaxarion, which is one of the most beautiful stories of repentance we have in the whole church. A man who was so far gone and yet he became one of the greatest saints that we have in the church.

Finally, in the Gospel we have Christ healing the paralytic man, and if you have a look at the order, He doesn’t heal him then forgives his sins. He forgives his sins then He heals him. And the question is, what is the greatest miracle in the Gospels?

He raises Lazarus from the dead after 4 days and He made eyes for a blind man. But is this really what He came to do?

Lazarus rose and then died later on in life. The blind man saw but became blind again when he died and saw nothing. So, is this really what He came to do?

All of these miracles don’t achieve any lasting service in and of themselves, because the healing that he achieves is temporary.

Matthew Henry, one of the great biblical commentators says;

“The only reason Christ did miracles, was to show what He could really do.”

The miracles were just a little taste tester to show what he could really do. The miracles don’t mean anything in and of themselves because of how many people saw his miracles and walked away and kept going on about their lives.

What Christ is teaching us today is the real miracle, which is the forgiveness of sins. The real miracle is the healing of the soul, not the body. The healing of the soul has eternal ramifications, and it is so much harder to do than the healing of the body. That’s why Christ questions, “what’s easier to say?”

It is much easier to heal someone than to forgive their sins. Now in modern medicine, you come, and we have miracle drugs because they cure many diseases and fix problems that we never had before. That’s what medicine can achieve, but what medicine can never achieve is the change of heart, the change of person, helping someone to overcome a particular sin. So, when Christ came, He did not come for miracles, He came to say, “look, you have a physical disease and I will heal it for you. Just to show you. Imagine what I could do with your spiritual disease. For us its standard, I repent, and the sin is gone. This is what we have been taught in Church, but if you look, it wasn’t always the case. In the old testament, if you sinned; let’s say you killed someone, there’s no forgiveness. The punishment is death. It is only through Christ that that changes. Now everything is forgivable, everything is healable. This is why the Pharisees were shocked, they said; “who can forgive sins but God alone?” And God doesn’t refute them, because He forgives the sins to show that “I am God.”

So, all of these readings today show us the process from sickness to health is an incredibly joyful process, not something sad. We often think that repentance is something sad, we should cry and lament, which might be the first part of it. But the reality of repentance is exceeding joy, to that that ‘I was sick and now I am healed’.

From now on in your life, you have to remember that there is nothing that can separate you from God except yourself. The only person standing between you and God is yourself. Many people sin and then they think that is the end of the line for them; ‘Now I am a sinful person; how can God accept me …’

And that is what you call despair, which is the worst thing that you can do in life. Many people think that despair is humility, but it is the opposite. It is pride. When you think of yourself as so good, that you can’t imagine how you have fallen so much, you think that you are better than that, but none of us are better than that. At our best states, we are still the biggest sinners before God, comparatively speaking. But when I think, ‘wow look at what I’ve done, how could I have done this?’ You think your better than what you are, but if you saw realistically you realise that when you sin it is what you are without God’s grace. So, we must remember that nothing can separate us from God’s grace. St Paul says;

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, nor power, nor things present, nor things to come, not height, nor depth, nor any other created thing should be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

But there is a catch; and that catch is ourselves. If you do not repent and not feel as though you have sin in your life, or you feel as though you are not worthy before God and you feel that you are ok, you can never have this relationship, it’s impossible. It is you putting yourself a big barrier between you and God, and not allowing God to enter. For us, repentance starts with an acknowledgment of the sin and is completed in the act of confession and achieving healing. Many people feel as though the church made confession up, but if you look at the old testament people would take 2 goats and bring them to the altar and cast lots for them. One of them is God’s lot. And the goat which the Lord’s lot is cast, that goat is slaughtered. The Lord’s one is slaughtered, and the goat that didn’t get killed is set free into the wilderness. Before they set it free, the priest lays his hand on the goat and he confesses the sins of himself and of the whole Jewish people, and that goat goes free while the Lord’s goat is slain. And so, when you come to have confession it is the exact same process; when the priest lays his hand on your head and you’ve confessed your sins you go free as the scapegoat, you’re the one who escaped. But the Lord, the Lamb himself, Jesus Christ, is sacrificed for your sake. Confession is a sacrament in which there is a hidden mystery, in which something happens that you don’t see with your eyes. This is a very beautiful thing that we have to remember, this is the miracle that God gives us in healing. The physical miracles in your life are nothing compared to this healing that can happen to us.

The worst cases as a doctor to see is when somebody comes in with mental health problems. The first thing you ask is a question that tells you what their insight it, do they have insight into their disease, and if they have good insight it is excellent. We can fix it as they will comply with treatment and do what needs to be done because they know that they need it. If you have no insight it becomes infinitely more difficult to treat, if the person has no insight of their mental health problems they won’t comply and thus we can’t treat them. And so, the number 1 marker of whether a person can be healed is whether they have insight into their disease. Sometimes, we walked around like this, with zero insight into what we are. Zero insight into how sinful we are and how much we need God; ‘I’m fine, I’m a good person. I don’t fight, I don’t kill, I don’t do anything, what do I need God for?’ And that is the hardest thing to cure. St Moses the strong, big sinner, no problem, he knows he’s a big sinner. But most of us going about life ordinarily thinking everything is ok, that is a big problem because we don’t recognise what we need and don’t have. This is the hardest job for any priest and even Jesus Christ Himself who came and could not convince the Pharisees that they needed Him.

So, I think for us, God is offering healing for us and if you seek Him as a Physician, He will be given to you. But you must never feel or think that you don’t need it, or that you are too good for God. The moment you do that you are making yourself out to be God.

Glory be to God forever.

Put off Worldly Lust, Put on Spiritual Nourishment

The New Man Part 2: Put off Worldly Lust, Put on Spiritual Nourishment

By Ereeny Mikhail

I want you to think to a time you bought your favourite treat. A box of Favourites chocolates. A dozen of Krispy Kreme donuts. A container of cookies. You bought it at the end of the week after you’ve spent the week eating healthy and exercising. You tell yourself I will only have one. Then you have one, enjoy it and carry on with your day. But then you see the rest of the treats sitting there…you eye it…think about it…then you have one more. And once you start, you can’t stop.

How do you feel after it? Guilty? Angry with yourself? Upset? Or maybe you feel happy? Joyful? Satisfied?

Our initial aim is self-control but when the temptation presents itself, we often act on impulse, desire and lust. You may ask yourself; why don’t I have self-control? Why are others able to control themselves with certain things while I cannot?

Let me reassure you, there is an explanation to all this. There are different parts to the brain which control for these responses. The frontal lobe, specifically the prefrontal cortex, controls for resisting temptation. It is actually responsible for something described by scientists as “executive function”. In simpler terms, “executive function” refers to judgment/decision making, focusing, planning, coordinating, social control and emotional control. Individuals who have less activity in this part of the brain may struggle with impulse control problems, lack of self-control, trouble learning from past experiences amongst others. Of course, each individual is affected differently depending on the level of activity. There are multiple other sectors of the brain which ultimately play a role in our fleshly lusts such as the limbic system which supports different functions including our emotions. Our hormones are also responsible for feelings of joy and happiness which results in people seeking certain fleshly lusts. Essentially, multiple factors play a role in temptation. These all interact in ways that we still do not fully understand.

Does that mean we give up? When my brain is wired like this, is there a point? If my brain tells me to fulfil the lusts of my body, should I do it?

St Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:20-24: “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” He specifically says to ‘be renewed in the spirit of your mind.’ St Jerome reflects on this and says:

“We are not being renewed in our thinking process apart from the renewal of our spirits. Nor are we renewed in our spirits without thinking.”

We can only renew our spirits when we renew our mind and vice versa. How can we renew our mind if we are wired as such? Again, let me reassure you, the mind controls the brain, which is the single most malleable organ in the entire body. As it says in 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” God has given us a sound mind which we can train.

I am reminded of the story of the World War II veteran, Louis Zamperini, who later became a Christian evangelist. His biography “Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption,” is the exact example of the flexibility of the mind. At the beginning of his story, he and two others survive a plane crash which leaves them stranded at sea for 47 days. Zamperini and one other plane crash survivor, Phil, live through the extreme circumstances. The third plane crash survivor, Mac, on the other hand, who does not believe he will survive, is the one that dies. All three individuals were put under the horrible circumstances with the same supplies. However, Mac dies because he believed he would die. After the 47 days, they are caught by the Japanese and become prisoners of war. They are faced with extremely harsh and violent conditions but still continue to survive. Zamperini, specifically, is violently targeted by the Japanese corporal, Mutsuhiro Watanabe. Watanabe often hurt Zamperini, leaving him weak and hungry. On a day, when Zamperini’s body was not able to continue working at the camp, Watanabe punishes him by telling him to carry a heavy beam above his head. Watanabe asks the guard to shoot Zamperini if he drops it. Zamperini, put his mind to it, lifts the beam and held the beam above his head for an impossible 37 minutes. Through his weakness, he controlled his mind to believe he could do it and he did. If the mind is focused on something, it can achieve it. No matter the circumstance, no matter the temptation, no matter the spiritual warfare, the ‘sound mind’ Christ has given us can do anything. Thus, we must exercise our mind to overcome our fleshly lusts.

As I mentioned, both the mind and the spirit work hand in hand, not one before the other. St Paul in Galatians 5:16-17 tells us, “Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” The mind can be trained by ‘walk[ing] in the spirit’. And, if we train our mind, then our spirit is also lifted. By doing this, we overcome the lusts of the flesh.

I think the first hurdle to train our mind and spirit, should really be answering the almighty; WHY? Why should I overcome the lusts of the flesh? St John Chrysostom reflects on this and says;

“Pleasures often are destructive. They end up being not really pleasures but bitterness and deceit and pretense, like a theatrical illusion.”

Our lusts are but masked happiness which lead to eternal condemnation. We must not live in lust, because we don’t know when our last day may be. We often tell ourselves, its ok if I overindulge today, I will be better tomorrow. By we must deny ourselves because “…you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14) Likewise, “His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish.” (Psalm 146:4)

A priest once described to me the notion of something called a “beloved sin.” He said it was a sin that a certain individual always finds themselves returning to, a sin they sometimes think they have no control over, a sin they might even enjoy. Let’s return to the donut, the cookie, the chocolate…I asked a question…How do you feel after it? You might feel guilt, upset, or angry. Or you might feel happy, joyful, and satisfied. Our favourite treat is like our ‘beloved sin’, our fleshly lust. We may be burdened by our fleshly lust, we may feel we have no control over our fleshly lust, we might even enjoy fulfilling our fleshly lust. But because our life is but a ‘vapour’, we must put on spiritual nourishment. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26) We must endure and deny our burden, that is our fleshly lust, whether that be money, sexual desire, gluttony, or other sins… because as St Peter says in 1 Peter 2:11 it is a “…war against the soul.”

Most importantly, we are reminded of God’s love. That love is the single, most epic love of all time. No other love can compare. If our body, mind and spirit recognise this love, then all impulse drive in our mind, all emotions in our systems, and all hormones which are associated with temporary fleshly lust, will then desire that eternal love because it is the only way to feel full for longer. Like in the story of the Samaritan woman, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14)

Now that I have answered the almighty WHY, we know that our fleshly lusts may be a burden, an ‘illusion’ of happiness and to overcome it we are reminded of Christs love and must take up our cross. How do we practically take up our cross? The contemplations of the Saints guide us.

“But the Word of God kills in such a way as to make the dead one come alive. He then seeks the Lord whom he did not know before his death. He does not corrupt but kills the old man…As the outer man decays the inner man is renewed.”

St Jerome

“When you control your body, the spirit will do its job and the might of the body will be controlled by fasting.”

Pope Kyrillos VI

“Ignore the needs of the body when you stand for prayer. Even if you are bitten by a fly or an insect, do not be bothered by it so as not to lose the great benefit of prayer.”

St Evagrius

Through fasting, prayer and the word of God, we put off our fleshly lusts. We put on spiritual nourishment. We become one with God.

“Let us see how the saints reached heaven. They did not have an easy life but had to struggle in patience and great long suffering. The Scriptures gave us the commandments, and the saints left us their experience regarding the path leading to the Kingdom. Let us see how much they loved God. Let us contemplate their lives. We will realize that they lived in humility and meekness, in hard work, in struggle, in love for God and others, in vigilance and prayer, in addition to their manual work.”

Tamav Ereeny