Category: Blog

Follow me into the Dark

By Bethany Kaldas

---

‘Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”’

Luke 7:39

A friend, when she was going through a truly difficult time, once said that she thought our friendship was going to harm me. She said she didn’t want to drag me into the darkness with her.

Perhaps there was a little truth to this. Without going into the finer details, I’ll admit I wasn’t unshaken by her struggle. It seems, in a way, darkness is contagious. Hang around someone who’s in its thrall and it will soon ensnare you too.

What’s the advice we give our children (or the people we serve)? Choose your friends wisely. Don’t enter into bad crowds. If you can see that someone else is sinning, don’t get too close, or else they might take you with them. Toxic people breed toxicity and sin begets further sin.

That is, perhaps, sound advice to most children. Sound advice generally, to those of us who know that, honestly, we would only encourage poor behaviour, or that a dark personality is going to weaken our spirit beyond resistance. Being around persistent negativity can be genuinely damaging to our health, and there are a lot of circumstances where, truly, the best course of action for all involved is to step away from the situation. And there are some of us for whom this will simply be too much for us to handle, no matter how great or small the shadows we face.

But…that’s not all of us. We know that. And ideally, it shouldn’t be us.

‘But many of us do not follow half of this commandment. They rejoice with those who rejoice, but it is hard for them to weep with those who weep. Joy is what attracts them, sadly, not pain, and if they join others in their distress, they quickly get bored and leave, because joining others in pain causes us pain too, that is why they run away from it, while it is beneficial to them.’

Pope Shenouda III, Holy Week Contemplations

In its kindest, sincerest form, this sort of avoidance is spiritual self-preservation—often justified, if we truly know ourselves to be too weak to handle the company of the broken. But in many instances, this comes from a less well-meaning place. Sometimes—although we might not admit it—this comes from a place of social self-preservation. Nobody wants to be friends with a ‘bad egg’ or with someone who’s always got dark clouds over their head. Being dragged into the darkness doesn’t make getting on in a community any easier.

It happens in schools, universities, workplaces, social clubs—and, if we dare to look for more than a second, churches. Save for the especially lucky or especially oblivious of us, we’ve all seen this person. We’ve probably all been this person at least once in our lives. Haven’t you ever had a moment where it felt like the world inside your head was crashing down on you? Like all your mistakes were tearing you apart, like your heart would never be free of your sorrows…and found yourself utterly, despairingly alone? Haven’t you ever found yourself sitting in the dark, knowing full well that you are in the valley of the shadow of death, and yet still wishing someone—anyone—had been brave enough to keep you company?

‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.’

Psalm 23:4

Christ is the perfect example of someone who walks into the darkness, after those who have been captured by it.

We say that He rescued His children from death by entering into death itself—He was happy to be deemed a criminal for the sake of reaching those who were captives of the darkness. But even before then, who was Jesus spending most of His time with?

‘Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”’

Matthew 9:10-11

It wasn’t the rich, those of great reputation, it wasn’t even the ‘good’ people, the positive influences in society. Christ specifically, purposefully, sought out the people nobody else dared to go near (sometimes literally). Adulterers who were condemned by society, tax collectors who were abandoned by their community, lepers and the deformed and unpleasant who had been rejected by everyone, even their own families. These were the kinds of people Christ came for. These were the people Jesus followed into the dark.

‘If you do not carry people’s sins, then carry their suffering. Carry people’s suffering as Christ carried it, who told them, ‘Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’ (Matthew 11:28).’

Pope Shenouda III, Holy Week Contemplations

That might seem drastic to us, we might feel too weak for that. Maybe that’s true—you personally might not be able to go that deep into the shadows. That’s something only you can know. But there are some dark spaces that I, with a fair amount of confidence, can say that most of us are able to enter into…we simply don’t.

‘I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.’

C. S. Lewis

Depression, anxiety, poverty, grief, loneliness—you know at least one person who has been captured by some form of darkness. You know someone on whom the sun seems to have set and they sit, alone, in a night without stars, without light.

It’s uncomfortable. It’s scary. We don’t like hanging around these people—we can feel the dark on them, the shadows reek like death. And we’re scared they’ll infect us. Darkness is contagious, after all.

But it is also self-perpetuating, and left alone, it grows and grows, like a parasite feeding on the life of a broken heart. The more the darkness grows, the fewer people dare draw near, the worse it gets.

It sounds…almost unstoppable, like that. Something that eats and eats and gets bigger and bigger until there is nothing left of that soul but a husk. What hope do we have? Darkness looks impossible to beat when you’re in it. It looks impossible to defeat when you’re alone. But the thing about darkness is that—no matter how much of it there is—it only takes a little bit of light to dispel. Even just one other soul is enough to chase shadows away.

‘Compassion asks us to go where it hurts, to enter into the places of pain, to share in brokenness, fear, confusion, and anguish. Compassion challenges us to cry out with those in misery, to mourn with those who are lonely, to weep with those in tears. … Compassionmeans full immersion in the condition of being human.’

Henri Nouwen, You are the Beloved: Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living

But what then, you may ask? So, I can follow you into the dark, but I am no healer. I can forgive no sins, I can redeem no souls, I can cast no demons from your heart. I am not Christ. Who am I to think I could help you?

It may be true—maybe you can’t heal them. You probably can’t solve all their problems—or any of them. Maybe you can do nothing for them. But you can be there. Christ’s ministry was not only in healing illnesses and forgiving sins—part of it was simply showing people that there was still hope, that they were still loved, that they were worth following into the dark.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.’ These men without possessions or power, these strangers on Earth, these sinners, these followers of Jesus, have in their life with him renounced their own dignity, for they are merciful. As if their own needs and their own distress were not enough, they take upon themselves the distress and humiliation of others. They have an irresistible love for the down-trodden, the sick, the wretched, the wronged, the outcast and all who are tortured with anxiety. They go out and seek all who are enmeshed in the toils of sin and guilt. No distress is too great, no sin too appalling for their pity. If any man falls into disgrace, the merciful will sacrifice their own honour to shield him, and take his shame upon themselves.’

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

We can’t do much. We’re only human—and deep inside, we’re all quite broken ourselves. We’re all fighting our own shadows. But we don’t have to do it alone. He never let us do it alone. He’s been in every battle you’ve ever fought, He’s followed you into the deepest and darkest valleys. You may not have seen Him, but He was there, every time.

‘If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.’

Psalm 139:8

It’s uncomfortable, it will probably hurt, and at times, it may not seem like your presence does very much. But one light is enough to stave off the shadows, even just a bit. And there are times where that’s all someone may need. So don’t let them fight the dark alone. Remember that He’ll be by your side there, too.

‘Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The Lord will be a light to me.’

Micah 7:8

Staring into the Universe

By Mourin Youssef

---

Salome must have been one lucky woman. Imagine being able to witness the birth of Christ. She, sometimes interpreted as the midwife of St Mary, would have seen a sight to dream of. A beautiful, sweet baby swaddled and nestled, peaceful and undisturbed. Even if she was standing across the room, the mere opening of His ethereal eyes could have penetrated the entire atmosphere and melted her heart.

A physical description of the eyes of our Lord can only really be found in the book of Revelation. You know… that book that people often fall asleep to during the apocalypse night prayers. It describes the eyes of the son of God in “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire.” (Revelation 1:14) A “flame of fire” St John the beloved wrote. How amazing must it be to even catch a glimpse of these glorious eyes that can set our spirits and souls ablaze with a heavenly fire!

The eyes of God are mentioned much more frequently in the Bible in a spiritual sense. One of the most comforting and beautiful qualities of God is that He does not view the exterior of a man, “…For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) We are often told to not ‘judge a book by its cover’ and to always make excuses for people, but how often do we really do this? How often has someone wronged us and we still view them with the same softness and love as Christ?

Just as He looks to that person with love, we must also try to do the same, otherwise, how can we possibly expect to be treated with the same mercy? In the same manner that God views someone else’s heart, He views ours. It aches Him when He sees that we are holding a worthless grudge that weighs us down and diminishes that fire He sets in us.

So, why is it important for us to view others with the same eyes as God? “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10) We were not formed to do the bare minimum… forgiving someone on the outside but harbouring feelings of resentment. Conversely, we were created to not only forgive but to take extreme measure to ensure the person we forgave feels loved. Otherwise, we cannot expect, nor can we experience or feel the love of Christ in a similar manner.

Seeing others through the loving eyes of Christ will give us countless daily opportunities to be more like Him. To be Him is to feel Him. In this manner, when our time of judgement comes, we will not feel estranged or bewildered by the beauty that we will behold. Life in the eternal kingdom will be an extension of the life we create for ourselves on Earth if we maintain this effort to be as much like Christ as possible.

So, what if someone doesn’t live through the eyes of Christ? There is a greater and deeper displeasure for the one that views the world with hate as they will become a product of their own internal hatred. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) If we go about our days with a thick darkness clouding our eyes, we will never experience God’s magnificence in our lives. A lot of the time we overlook it and can even refuse its presence. How often during our day does the Lord try to communicate with us? How often does His heart yearn for our attention? And yet, we are the ones that reject Him.

Another issue arises when we do less than the bare minimum. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” (2 Chronicles 16:9) We are always under His observation. This might be a scary thing to think of. He sees our wickedness and all our flaws. He sees what others don’t see. But this is not only a point of warning, our Lord cannot help but love us. He sees our sorrows and the desires of our heart and grants them to us if we pray fervently and with humility.  “The preparations of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits. Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.” (Proverbs 16:1-3)

How wonderful would it be to witness and experience the eyes of God? To witness them is to stare into the universe and to experience them is to be a mirror image of His love.

“But above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.” (Colossians 3:14)

Co-Crucified with Christ: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

By Anthony Tawadross

---

This story is from Plato’s Republic. It’s very lengthy so I will try to condense it:
Imagine that there were some prisoners, and from childhood, they were tied up with chains facing a wall of a cave. And they hear sounds echoing off the cave walls. All they have seen were shadows that were on the wall from the fire that was burning behind them. Nothing else.

On the wall they see shadows from the people that were behind them holding up artifacts, statues and figures of animals and other things of creation. They have never seen anyone, not even their fellow prisoners because they were bound with chains from their necks, only facing the wall.

Throughout their whole lives, they have only seen the shadows and only heard the echoes that were from the wall. Nothing else. They think that these shadows are real, and all there is to society and to truth.

Plato says, imagine if one of these prisoners were set free. And you told him to look at the fire that was burning behind him. The prisoner’s eyes wouldn’t be able to handle the light from that
fire. His eyes would burn and ache from looking at that source of light. He sees the statues of the animals, and refuses to believe that the statues are real, only the shadows. He begs to be chained
again to live in his reality of the shadows.

Now imagine you took the same prisoner again, and you dragged him into the sunlight. He wouldn’t be able to see anything at all. He moved from a pitch-black cave into a flickering light, and now going into direct sunlight, after being there for the entirety of his life. Not for a day, nor an hour, but through his entire life. His eyes have never seen bright light like that. He is so overwhelmed by the sun. And only after a while, when his eyes are able to adjust, then he will see. Then he will be able to discern, and feast his eyes on the sun, and on reality. Now, what if that very same prisoner came and told the others the real truth? Wouldn’t they say that he was delusional? Or that he came back with eyes ruined? Wouldn’t they say that they knew the truth and that he was psychotic and stupid? Perhaps they would kill him or anyone else that would try to set them free and bring them up towards the sunlight.

Now concerning the crucifixion and the Resurrection of Christ, here are a few things that are outlined in this story (I refer to capital “T” and “L” of Light and Truth as being Christ):

1. In order for us to actually live in the Truth and under the true Light, there must be suffering that takes place. Yes, it is nice and cozy to live in our chains and to see comfort in the “shadows” of a false reality, especially if we have been living in it for quite some time. But we must suffer the burning pain of looking and living in Light, if we were to yearn to fully live in real Truth, i.e. : being co-crucified with Christ.
2. To live in the true Light, which shines on everything that is True and good, we must acknowledge Light and Truth, and reject shadows and false imitations of truth. When the prisoner in the story was exposed under the light of the sun, he came and told his fellow prisoners about his experience. In response, they accused of him of being psychotic, delusional, and stupid. They were convinced that the shadows on the walls were real and that everything else was not. They threatened to kill him and anyone that would try to set them free and drag them into the sun. As for that freed prisoner, he enjoyed the beauty of the True Light that touched everything. Every True thing that he saw was under the Light. He wouldn’t continue to live in Truth, if he did not understand his error and reject his previous understanding of truth.
3. To continue living in Light and in Truth, we must resist darkness and pursue Light. Notice that in the story, living in darkness is extremely comfortable and going to the Light is very painful and hard. Even getting a glimpse of light is difficult. To pursue light is to live in Christ all the time and to discover beautiful things of the Truth. By understanding and living the Bible through the lens of the Church fathers and mothers and those who were fully obsessed with Truth (the monks and nuns), reading spiritual books, and partaking of the Eucharist, our minds and hearts will be constantly enlightened. In this we become “the Light of the world”, just as our Resurrected Savior said. In this we become agents of Truth, witnessing to those who don’t live in it. We will be like Christ; little Truths living in the world. (ie: Deification).
4. The last point about this story that immediately came through my mind are two sayings of St Antony: “To say that God turns away from the sinful, is like saying that the sun hides from the blind.” “A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, ‘You are mad; you are not like us.” Yes, by following the True Light (Christ) we will be called “psychotic, delusional, stupid,
   and crazy”, as the prisoner in the story. But in reality, it is the opposite. (Pulling a UNO-Reverse card). By being co-Crucified with Christ on the Cross, we experience pain, sadness, suffering, and even abandonment and criticism from our friends. We die with Him. But we are Resurrected and glorified with Him. Let us fully and freely live in the Light of the Resurrection.

Christ is Risen.

The Beauty of the Beginning

By Mourin Youssef

---

Then God saw everything He had made, and indeed, it was very good

Genesis 1:31

Everything in the beginning was made to be good.

Genesis. So many of the stories we would’ve learnt as kids originate from the book of Genesis. Adam and Eve and the story of creation, Cane and Abel, Noah’s Ark, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and the list goes on.

However, what wasn’t emphasised as much was the immense beauty and strength of each of these characters and how pivotal their stories are in setting the concrete foundation, we, as Christians, require to sustain a deep spiritual connection with our creator.

For most of these characters, their reliance on God was what got them started on their divine path. And when fallen or hindered, they offered their imperfections to the Lord for Him to utilise, and make a tool out of to execute his perfect plan. We are not called as equipped but rather made equipped through His perfect calling.

Joseph near the end of Genesis can be recognised as an extremely influential figure. He saved his family and their livestock from a severe famine. One might observe the story of Joseph through a superficial lens and think that a lot of his success was given to him because he was a follower of God. “the Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man”, (Genesis 39:2) right? But when one digs deeper what they will see is that the context of this verse holds more power than what a mere skim read would expose. A poor, helpless slave, abandoned by his brothers, trodding on unfamiliar land all alone, soon to be imprisoned. What type of success is that? How did it all go so wrong if Joseph was a man of the Lord? “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28) This is the answer.

The beginning of Joseph’s life was full of tribulation and he was faced with so many moments anyone would describe as impossibly redeemable. The beauty is His beginning was that He did not define success by an arbitrary means of gaining secular pleasures. He defined it as a reliance on God so powerful that “the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand” (Genesis 39:3).

Joseph was a prisoner like no other. Not only did God turn the hearts of the prison guards to favour him but he then went on to manifest the power of God by interpreting the dreams of the prisoners and later on, pharaoh.

The magnificence of Joseph does not stop there. Yes, he was ready to serve God and yes, he accepted tribulations but furthermore, Joseph acknowledged the sovereignty of God. “Then Joseph said to them, ‘Do not interpretations belong to God? Therefore, relate them to me.’” (Genesis 40:8) He glorified God and not himself for he recognised that anything he could offer as a man was a gift presented unto him by God.

Joseph was showered with the blessings of God. Not only was he released from prison, but he was made to be ruler of Egypt. “Joseph gathered very much grain as the sand of the sea, until he stopped counting, for it was immeasurable” (Genesis 41:49). Immeasurable! Our God is not a god of holding back, he pours His rich grace upon us and loves us, but only if we keep him close.

How did he manage to turn his life around so significantly? It’s simple. He projected his love towards the Lord at all times. He trusted in the Lord. He waited for the Lord.

Joseph was successful.

Let us always carry around this spirit of patience and longsuffering, aspiring to be reborn everyday to remain close with Christ. The beginning will always be the best, the peak of motivation and in some cases the highlight of the journey. Just look at Joseph, he was his father’s favourite, clothed in a colourful garment to testify for this very fact. The beginning of his journey retained some of the best moments, but he did not forget the Lord. In joy and in misery.

The success or failure of an endeavour is solely dependent on the beginning, and this beginning will be prosperous if made as sacred as the relationship Joseph upheld with God.  Whether it’s study, work, getting active or even starting a new spiritual cannon. Did you build a strong enough foundation to ensure that failures are limited? If fallen, did you ensure that you have something to lean on to get back up? “In God I have put my trust; I will not fear.” (Psalm 56:4)

We must never feel comfortable with our current state of spirituality. This sensation of comfort is prime time to be under the strike of the enemy. Just as the beginning was good, striving and praying for the end to be equal is the best form of preparation we can do to be able to reach our ultimate goal.

When a man completes his search, then he starts over; and when he stops, he will still be perplexed.

Wisdom of Sirach 18:6

Standing Before God

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Mark Basily

---

Passage Luke 1

We are presented with the opening of the gospel of St Luke. Each character is introduced by St Luke with an underlying tension; a problem personally applicable to each one.

He starts with Zacharias; “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.”

What an amazing way to be described, and yet, they had no child. Elizabeth was barren and they were both advanced in years. This is a real problem. You would think that living a righteous and blameless life would lead to blessings, especially a priest. This would be a real point of hurt for them.

The gospel begins with this tension. This same tension is lived in many of our lives. We carry very similar questions; “I am doing all that I can do, I’m praying, I’m coming to church- why does this problem exist?”

“I asked God to help, but I heard nothing. I’m praying, I’m trying my best but I feel I’m going nowhere.”

Zacharias and his wife, Elizabeth’s story unfolds with this tension. ^“So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹ according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰ And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹ Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.”

And then Zacharias receives news that his wife, Elizabeth will have a son. If we look back upon the context under which this tension was released, we note some key points of resolution to the tension they faced for so long. It was Zacharias’ first time in the altar burning incense. He had the opportunity to present himself before God. The first clue is that tension is released when we stand before God.

Fr Dawood Lamey once said when addressing priests and asked, “Do you know why God chose you to be a priest? For your own salvation, so that you can stand before God at the altar, not because you are not here to save, but so that you may be saved before the altar.”

The first thing that released Zacharias from the tension was standing before God. And who was behind him? The whole multitude of people were praying outside the altar at the time of the raising of incense.

I once asked for Fr Yacoub’s guidance during a matter that someone had come to me about. His response was that we make a canon of prayer. I figured it must for the person to pray, but he meant the seven priests. Perhaps we pray the midnight prayer every night and a certain number of liturgies throughout the week for this purpose. And make sure that the person doesn’t know that we are doing this.

The whole multitude was standing behind in prayer. There is so much power in this. In that context, resolution begins to take place to ease the tension in Zacharias’ life.

“And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.”

Sometimes we rush prayer, we can’t wait to get out and get to sleep, as quickly as possible. What if we linger? An extra psalm, an extra matania, more time with the Lord. I don’t want to leave just yet. The Agpia helps us to spend more time, and to linger with God.

One time, I was praying with Fr Augustinos and he pulled the most mangled Agpia I had ever seen. Held by three elastics and a missing front cover. Such an overused prayer book. What’s the condition of my Agpia? Let us to learn to mangle our Agpia by lingering more with God.

In Psalm 73, King David says, “I am a beast, presented to the Lord. I was like a beast before You, nevertheless I am continually with You, You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel and afterward receive me to glory.”

In the same psalm, after calling himself a beast, it was too painful to understand until I entered into the sanctuary of the Lord. Only then, could I understand. The solution to any tension in our life is found in the sanctuary of the Lord. It is found by presenting ourselves to the Lord as a beast. Insufficient faith, insufficient knowledge, but then I begin to understand. Then my tension is resolved.

Full sermon available here

Seeking Purpose

By Maria Hakim

---

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. – Jeremiah 29:11.

One of the greatest struggles of humanity is finding purpose. To choose the best and most fulfilling path. In doing so, we may look to our achievements as a method of validating our purpose. However, it’s a dangerous path that will inevitably lead to a self-seeking cycle. An attempt to quench an unquenchable thirst for feeling constant pleasure. And that terrible feeling of emptiness and loneliness will eventually creep in. Moreover, we are more precious than to give our self-worth to the ‘treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal’ (Matthew 6:19-20). The temporary things of the world we pursue with our abilities are not reliable.

 But did not Christ use the parable of the talents to encourage us to utilise our abilities? Are we not fulfilling His parable? Yes, we have every right to use them, but it is so easy to fall into the trap of prioritising these temporary joys. The amazing thing is, God knew from the very beginning that because of our nature, it would be one of our greatest struggles: ‘Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails’ (Proverbs 19:21). So, He gave us the simplest set of instructions for the times we slowly regress to the lifestyle and trajectory the world has set out for us.

‘For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbour as yourself.”’ Galatians 5:14

Quite simply, love in God and others may be the very answer we seek. ‘Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others’ (Philippians 2:4).  Use your talents for service. This cannot be achieved without having love. For with love in service to others, you are working towards something great, both in your relationship with God and for yourself. Purpose will weave itself in. Essentially, it is the answer to direct our earthly and spiritual lives.

Of course, it doesn’t seem right that the answer appears so simple. But think of it this way:  Look at the beatitudes. Look at the ten commandments. Pivotal principles in our faith. And think to yourself, would having selfless love and devotion make them easier to achieve? For with love comes respect, sacrifice and clarity of mind. In contrast ‘for where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice’ (James 3:16). There is no controversy in this. In fact, democratic socialism, a political philosophy that our secular society values, is all about altruism. A concept that moral goodness lies not in the devotion to self, but in concern for others, to which it is then society prospers. Although the term was not formulated until the 19th century, these values were already ingrained in our bible. 

When service begins, Love grows in us. It seeds itself and is nourished in our actions and devotions. Before you know it, it becomes easier to serve God. More enticing to fulfil His Word, and to be a reflection of Christ by the purposive instructions he has laid out for us. In return, God does not let this go unnoticed. The closer you get to Him by fulfilling his commandments, the more opportunity you give him to works on His plans to ‘prosper you’ and ‘give you a future’.

How amazing would it be to contribute to bringing someone to God or to be a light in their lives where struggle is a constant battle? Can this not be the greatest worth? Even more so, the love, devotion and selflessness in our hearts will radiate and touch not only others but every aspect of our lives.  For Christ says, ‘a city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house’. Think of the basket as the life we weave for ourselves on earth. The more we focus on it, the more layers we build. It begins covering the light underneath and harder to reflect the values and principles of Christ. As a result, it requires more effort in our spiritual lives. If you have more earthly blessings the basket gets thicker, so you have to work harder spiritually to strengthen the light through love and service. As we strengthen this light, we see a clearer path for ourselves and reflect a stronger light that reaches further out to others, bringing more people to comfort in Christ or even in the care we show them.

God has us in this world to humbly serve others as He came to earth once to serve. Therefore, He has left us in charge of caring for one another where in service, you may ‘unwittingly entertain angels.’ This may be taken literally for the time angels have disguised themselves as humans, but also figuratively, angels can be servants of God. We may unwittingly attract, with our passive or active services, people that have the capacity to show endless dedication and service to God. We could essentially be a beacon of light to those that have dwelt in darkness. It is the love and selflessness we have for others that not only attracts more people to God but gives us worth: “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge … but have not love, I am nothing” – I Corinthians 13:2.  

We truly lose value when we purely live for ourselves with no consideration of God or others. There always needs to be some practical approach and quite simply ensure you achieve even the slightest acts of humility and service. It will never be a show of weakness, it is in fact a strength that is unparalleled. For what may seem like ‘the foolishness of God is wiser than men’ (1 Corinthians 1:25). In essence, what may seem like vulnerability and weakness to the world is the wisdom of God. It is the ability to resist all show of pride that is admirable. God has given you talents, and it is your capacity to humbly apply your talents to the benefit of others that reaps the greatest reward.

One of the most important principles I have learnt it is that life begins to lose value and purpose when you purely live for yourself and that is an easy and gradual process to fall victim to. That’s why you should consistently live for others, even in the smallest actions. It is then that service gradually loosens you from the values of a world that convinces you that joy and self-worth is given purely by enjoyment and self-achievement. They amplify and inflate a portion that should be enjoyed in small doses to the point where it masks any concern for others and the true purpose God has given you. Then eventually you’re caught in the endless current of finding your purpose.

“Our hearts were created for God, and so they remain restless until they rest in Him.” As St Augustine beautifully puts it, we will always remain restless until we fulfil God’s purpose. One biblical character that desired to rest in God was David, “a man after God’s own heart”. If like David we desire to find purpose, it is to seek God’s heart and that it to pursue he’s greatest commandment – service to one another.

To conclude, one important thing to note is Christ’s response to his disciples in Matthew 25. This also happens to be straight after His parable of the talents. The disciples ask Christ, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?…And the King will answer … ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ (Matthew 25:35-40). God’s purpose can remedy the emptiness and lack of self-worth we will always attempt to fill in validating ourselves.  If we persist in our love for God and others and his simple commandment, we will reap the most benefits from our lives. We not only achieve His good purpose but the greatest and most fulfilling purpose we can have.

The Devil Made Me Do It

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Samuel Fanous

Matthew 4:1-11

As we start losing motivation to sustain our spiritual goals, an important reminder is the story of Christ’s temptation from the devil after He had fasted 40 days and nights.

Christ was baptised in the Jordan immediately before this encounter. A voice came from heaven and said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). This was the glory that proceeded this passage. After the glory, immediately, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil” (Matthew 4:1).

In any spiritual life, progress is typically accompanied by temptation and difficulties. The devil looks upon our progress and ensures we are stopped us in our tracks.

All too commonly with those on the cusp of their spiritual life, as they are about to make a commitment to Christ, things begin to fall apart. Everything goes wrong. How can someone be making a lifelong commitment before Christ and then see everything around them falling apart?

God allows this to happen for our benefit if we overcome. If we don’t make it through, then we are not worthy of the prize. If we do get through, then it demonstrates our zeal for the prize and this is how we achieve it.

We can expect life to become harder if we are trying our hardest spiritually during lent. The typical temptations faced by humanity are the same in which the devil tempted Christ with.

After fasting for 40 days, we can expect Christ to be hungry. The devil comes to Him, tempting Him with food. He says, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

In Lent, that can mean breaking our fast. It can mean concluding that fasting is too hard with so many commitments. We can also break the fast in other ways despite maintaining the right food. We can live life to satisfy the pleasures of the body. We can live life for the lust of the flesh. Temptation during this time comes from things that I thought were long dead are revived in me when I try to engage in my spiritual life.

If we give in to these pleasures, our spiritual progress is halted. Now is the time to increase our fasting, our abstinence. Fasting is not abstinence from food only, but from the life of the flesh and the pleasures of the flesh.

Now is the time to reduce the amount of television I watch, to reduce my time spent on Netflix, on social media. We can unwind my watching television, or we can unwind by spending quiet time with the Lord. I can give what little free time I have on something mindless, or I can attempt to make use of it spiritually.

We all have thousands of excuses to demand me-time. This can develop into a pattern over years and becomes difficult to break. During Lent, we can devote me-time to time with God. Me-time can be prayer time.

The second temptation involves power. The devil takes Christ upon a very high mountain and says, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

You can have it all, if you just sell your soul to the devil. The modern day translation would be, you can have it all, if you sacrifice your Sundays, or you can have it all, if you work hard enough, sacrificing your time in prayer. Forgot all your spiritual goals, because you cannot do both. You cannot achieve everything spiritually while achieving the status you want on earth. You can have all the money you want, if you lie and cheat and steal your way there. You have to sell your soul to the world to achieve what you want. This is a never-ending temptation and so, the question we must ask ourselves is, “What am I giving up to achieve the things I want in this life?”

If we devout our entire lives to anything of this world, what will we have to show for it in the end times? Jesus asks a similar question when He tells His disciples of the second coming; “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:36-37).

For us, we need to be careful not go along with the flow of life. Lent is a good time to take note of my goals in life? Good family, good house, good status? Sometimes we don’t even know our goals. Think of a normal day in the last week, how much of your mental and physical time were spent on things of the world? Maybe 10-12 hours. Think on that same day, did I spend thinking about God, the Bible, my spiritual life? Maybe 10-12 minutes if we’re lucky.

If this is the truth, then this is our answer. If we spend all day in the world, and one minute is given to God throughout the day, you know where your goals lie. If you are forced to spend most of your time at work, contemplate on Him while you are there. Find a church in your lunch break, pray there. If you spend your time looking after young children, find God while your feeding, bathing, playing. Whatever you’re doing, take God with you. Your goal will still be God and spiritual things.

The final temptation is the one where I do not need God. I don’t need God to be a good person, I don’t need to go to church for that. If I convince myself that I am a good person, that is all I need. If I throw myself down from a pinnacle then I will be saved by my good deeds. This is the hardest thing to breakthrough – the awareness of my own sinfulness. The one that confesses of murder has a much greater chance of going to heaven then the one that confesses that they are a good person.

The lack of insight into ourselves is the biggest problem, and this is nothing short of pride. The woman caught in adultery was not condemned by Christ, but the Pharisees who never did anything wrong were condemned; they were called snakes and brood of vipers! They did not understand themselves.

Think to yourself- have you ever shed tears of repentance? Have you ever felt remorse for your sins? Have you ever felt joy at the undeserved grace on the Cross? If this does not mean anything, then it makes the heart further from Christ than the worst of all sinners. Only by contrasting myself with the glory of God will I know who I am.

In the presence of God, you will know who you are. Only in the presence of God that we can describe ourselves as St Paul does as, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15), but also, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:17).

Let us remain steadfast and work harder that in all tribulation we are glorified in Christ.

A Lent Like No Other

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Elijah Iskander

---

Passage: Matthew 6:1-18

As Lent approaches, we generally have one of three reactions. Sometimes it is excitement, at the opportunity to wake up from my spiritual sleep. Sometimes, it is nothing, we are indifferent toward the fasting period. Sometimes, it is resentment – it is going to be long, it is going to be hard, I’m going to spend my time looking through ingredients. On the eve of Lent, it is good to reflect upon which of those three categories I fall into.

Fr Bishoy Kamel writes about the Journey of Lent;

“The forty days of fasting is a gift from our Lord who fasted for us, and a gift from the Church to her children that they may struggle and become liberated from bitter slavery – the slavery of hatred and grudges; the slavery of worldly desires, idleness in prayer and obedience of the commandments. The Great Lent is a time of rejoicing for the children of the Church, to pass over the weakness of the soul, particularly very difficult matters which we cannot solve. Our Lord, who is fasting with us, will over with the Cross to His church and show the glory and the power of His Resurrection.”

Lent is a gift, a time of liberation, a time for the unsolvable to be solved, for our Lord is fasting with us and for us. If we were to ask Fr Bishoy how he felt about Lent, we have his answer here.

He also adds that fasting is not a prison to the senses, but a soaring without hinderance toward contemplation about the Lord. This is a time for all of us, as a church, to soar, without hinderance, in contemplation of the Lord. It is a gift, it is a liberation, it is a time for the unsolvable to become solvable.

When I consider Fr Bishoy’s thoughts of Lent, I feel like I have been fasting wrong my whole life. How many Lents in my life have come and gone and I don’t experience any of this? We are assured that we aren’t the first to think in this way. The people of Israel also thought the same. They questioned Isaiah in chapter 58, on the famous chapter on fasting.

Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?

Isaiah 58:3

Why have so many Lents come and gone, and I do not even know in the slightest what Fr Bishoy is talking about?

The Gospel on the Sunday before Lent gives us a number of clues. We are instructed to do charitable deeds, to fasts and to pray. There are two phrases that are repeated and emphasised by the Lord.

Regarding charitable deeds, the Lord says, “do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” – Matthew 6:3

He goes on to tell us how we should perform charitable deeds. “But when do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” – Matthew 6:4

He tells us not to be like the hypocrites; “For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” – Matthew 6:5

But we do not pray in this manner. “You, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” – Matthew 6:6

Again with fasting, He tells us, “do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” – Matthew 6:16

If we want to fast properly, the Lord tells us, “anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” – Matthew 6:17-18.

He uses the exact same two phrases throughout. When I fast, when I pray, when I do charitable deeds, I need to determine which of the two categories I fall into – will I have my reward from the praise of men, or will my Father who sees in secret reward me openly?

St John Chrysostom says very simply, “because the Lord is invisible, He would like your prayers to be the same.”

Can this Lent be a time where I taste that this is a gift from the Lord? That I taste that this is a time of liberation? That this is a time for the unsolvable to be solved? That this is a time where I can complete unhindered?

One of the keys is that I must pray, I must fast and I must do my charitable deeds in secret. Can I perform my charitable deeds not looking for praise? For if I am praised, then that is my reward.

The church is very active during Lent, when I attend church services, am I attentive? Do I pray more frequently at home, where no one can see?

What am I doing with my fasting in secret that is different? It could be abstaining for a period of time, giving up other things that I enjoy. Whatever hinders my soul from contemplating on the Lord are things that I consider putting aside for the period of Lent.

The promises of an acceptable fast from Isaiah 58 are something that we can all strive for;

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked, that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

Isaiah 58:7-9

I will fast, I will pray, I will endeavour to do my charitable deeds in secret so that the Lord may reward me openly. May we beg the Lord that this Lent does not just pass us by, that this time is different. This time we see the joy, we see the liberation, we see the solution of the unsolvable, we contemplate on the Lord, and I focus on building my spirit in the secret place so that in the secret place I may cry out to the Lord and He responds, “Here I am.”

Full Sermon

Renewed in Love

An anonymous poem

---

As we walk through life’s valley in the shadow of death,
We look around seeking light to penetrate into its depth,
As we struggle, persevere, lift our eyes to the cleft,
Seeking hope, life, deliverance that’s impervious to theft

When we find ourselves consumed by our daily trouble,
As life’s happenings build up to burst our fragile bubble,
We try to grit our teeth, pushing through our struggle,
Ignoring the only One able to deliver us from this self-made muddle

Neglecting Him we try to resort to our own efforts and means,
Thinking of strategies and ways our minds earnest and keen,
Forgetting His mighty hand and workings that are hidden, unseen,
Working this trouble all for good from behind the visible scenes

Believing all is for good can be doubted, misunderstood,
Crossing our mind a natural question often humbly could,
And so we turn to His word as our source of nourishing food,
Where we will feast on holy examples which the Bible gracefully exudes

When we look at Abraham, his life’s efforts and toil,
Called to leave his country home and familiar soil,
His faith tested through fire, simmered up to the boil,
And yet God rewarded him because he was loyal

Next up we have Isaac who was always obedient,
Who thought not bringing a ram was quite inconvenient,
Who humbly submitted himself, although not expedient,
And so God blessed in a way that he had not seen yet

Now in Jacob we have one who seems awfully real,
One who wrestled with God and experienced his feel,
Although challenges abounded late in Jacob’s ordeal,
God was working all for good for his children to meal

Three examples we see of the patriarchs of old,
Whose experiences with God give hope to the fold,
That God can deliver all who draw near Him and hold,
Working all things for good to those love Him bold