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Saturday, April 16, 2016

Christ Healing The Paralytic





There is clear evidence of the great goodness of Christ in that He does not wait for entreaties from the sick but anticipates their request with His own loving kindness. See how He runs to the one who is lying down and how compassionate He is to one who was sick with no one to comfort him. 

But the inquiry as to whether he would like to be relieved from his infirmity was not that of one asking out of ignorance what was obvious, but of one stirring up an increased desire and diligent entreaty. The question as to whether he wanted to obtain what he longed for is huge. It has the kind of force and expression that conveys that Jesus has the power to give and is now ready to do so, only waiting for the request of the one who will receive this grace. 

St. Cyril of Alexandria 

Friday, April 8, 2016

A Wise Woman





The woman straightway believed, showing herself much wiser than Nicodemus, and not only wiser, but more manly. For he when he heard ten thousand such things neither invited any others to this hearing, nor himself spake forth openly; but she exhibited the actions of an Apostle, preaching the Gospel to all, and calling them to Jesus, and drawing a whole city forth to Him. Nicodemus when he had heard said, “How can these things be?” And when Christ set before him a clear illustration, that of “the wind,” he did not even so receive the Word. 

But the woman not so; at first she doubted, but afterwards receiving the Word not by any regular demonstration, but in the form of an assertion, she straightway hastened to embrace it. For when Christ said, “It shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting Life,” immediately the woman saith

    “Give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” (John 4:15)
St. John Chrysostom 





The woman straightway believed, showing herself much wiser than Nicodemus, and not only wiser, but more manly. For he...
Posted by Australian Copts on Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The Prodigal Son





All our attention must be centred on the parable of the Prodigal Son. We all see ourselves in it as in a mirror. In a few words the Lord, the knower of hearts, has shown in the person of one man how the deceptive sweetness of sin separates us from the truly sweet life according to God. He knows how the burden of sin on the soul and body, experienced by us, impels us by the action of divine grace to return, and how it actually does turn many again to God, to a virtuous life.
St John of Kronstadt 



All our attention must be centered on the parable of the Prodigal Son. We all see ourselves in it as in a mirror. In a...
Posted by Australian Copts on Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Bearing The Cross





The one who knows God will follow the Lord's footsteps, bearing the cross of the Savior. It is said, "The world is crucified to him and he to the world." The Lord says, "He who loses his life will save it." We can "lose our lives" in one of two ways. First, we can risk our lives just as the Lord did for us. Secondly, we can separate our lives from the customary things of this world. 

Bearing the cross means to separate our souls from the delights and pleasures of this life. If you do this, you will find your life again - resting in the hope of what is to come. Dying to ourselves means being content with the necessities of life. When we want more that these necessities it is easy to sin.

St. Clement of Alexandria




The one who knows God will follow the Lord's footsteps, bearing the cross of the Savior. It is said, "The world is...
Posted by Australian Copts on Sunday, March 20, 2016

Thursday, March 17, 2016

The Divine Gift






Fasting is not just a commandment from God, it is a divine gift. It's a gift, a grace and a blessing. The Lord, who created us as body and spirit, knows that we need to fast. And fasting is necessary for our spiritual life, for our benefit, for our spiritual growth and for our eternity. So, He granted us to know fasting and to practice it, and He commanded us to practice it as a tender, gentle Father and wise Teacher.

HH Pope Shenouda III  





Fasting is not just a commandment from God, it is a divine gift. It's a gift, a grace and a blessing. The Lord, who...
Posted by Australian Copts on Thursday, March 17, 2016

Endure With Patience






"Endure a person in their time of weakness and in their time of error, and win them with patience and forgiveness and a great heart. There is no doubt that they will regret what they did to you when they sit alone with themselves."

H. H. Pope Shenouda III 





"Endure a person in their time of weakness and in their time of error, and win them with patience and forgiveness and a...
Posted by ‎Australian Copts أقباط استراليا‎ on Thursday, March 17, 2016

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Prayer Is The Door







If you happen to fall into temptation, do not let the guilt of sin be an obstacle to prayer. If you cease praying till you repent, you will never repent, for prayer is the door to genuine repentance." 

St. Pope Kyrillos VI


 

If you happen to fall into temptation, do not let the guilt of sin be an obstacle to prayer. If you cease praying till...
Posted by Australian Copts on Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Monday, February 22, 2016

Jonah Resembles Jesus






And when we examine the story of Jonah, great is the force of the resemblance. Jesus was sent to preach repentance; Jonah also was sent: but whereas the one fled, not knowing what should come to pass; the other came willingly, to give repentance unto salvation. 

Saint Cyril of Jerusalem




And when we examine the story of Jonah, great is the force of the resemblance. Jesus was sent to preach repentance;...
Posted by Australian Copts on Monday, February 22, 2016

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Commemoration of 21 Coptic Orthodox Martyrs






The Coptic Orthodox Churches around the world remember their 21 Martyrs who were beheaded in Libya last year. 

The 21 Martyrs were recognized by Pope Tawadros II and the Holy Synod as saints and martyrs. 

May their prayers and intercession be with all of us. 




The Coptic Orthodox Churches around the world remember their 21 Martyrs who were beheaded in Libya last year. The 21...
Posted by Australian Copts on Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Thursday, February 11, 2016

IN HIS HANDS





Everyone worries, everyone stresses. They get scared, and they seem to forget the more important thing, We are in God's hands!! Simple as that. 
I'm telling you my brothers and sisters that if we are in God's hands then everything will be taken care of. Have faith and trust in the Lord always.

H.H. Pope Shenouda



‪#‎HHPopeShenoudaIII‬ ‪#‎InGodsHands‬
‪#‎HaveFaith‬ ‪#‎TrustGod‬ ‪#‎FearNot‬

Everyone worries, everyone stresses. They get scared, and they seem to forget the more important thing, We are in God's...
Posted by ‎Australian Copts أقباط استراليا‎ on Thursday, February 11, 2016

The Strong Foundations






The roof of any house stands upon the foundations and the rest of the structure. The foundations themselves are laid in order to carry the roof. This is both useful and necessary, for the roof cannot stand without the foundations and the foundations are absolutely useless without the roof — no help to any living creature. 

In the same way the grace of God is preserved by the practice of the commandments, and the observance of these commandments is laid down like foundations through the gift of God. The grace of the Spirit cannot remain with us without the practice of the commandments, but the practice of the commandments is of no help or advantage to us without the grace of God.

St. Symeon the New Theologian


‪#‎StSymeonTheNewTheologian‬ ‪#‎StrongFoundations‬
‪#‎TheGraceOfGod‬ ‪#‎CommandmentsOfGod‬ ‪#‎SpiritOfGod‬




The roof of any house stands upon the foundations and the rest of the structure. The foundations themselves are laid in...
Posted by Australian Copts on Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Judgement of God





When Abba Anthony thought about the depth of the judgements of God, he asked, 'Lord, how is it that some die when they are young, while others drag on to extreme old age? Why are there those who are poor and those who are rich? Why do wicked men prosper and why are the just in need?' 

He heard a voice answering him, 'Anthony, keep your attention on yourself; these things are according to the judgement of God, and it is not to your advantage to know anything about them.' 




When the same Abba Anthony thought about the depth of the judgements of God, he asked, 'Lord, how is it that some die...
Posted by Australian Copts on Sunday, January 31, 2016

Friday, January 29, 2016

God's Love





A certain monk told me that when he was very sick, his mother said to his father, “How our little boy is suffering. I would gladly give myself to be cut up into pieces if that would ease his suffering.” 

Such is the love of God for people. He pitied people so much that he wanted to suffer for them, like their own mother, and even more. But no one can understand this great love without the grace of the Holy Spirit. 

St. Silouan the Athonite




God's Love A certain monk told me that when he was very sick, his mother said to his father, “How our little boy is...
Posted by Australian Copts on Friday, January 29, 2016

Friday, January 22, 2016

Changed Water in Jars Symbolize Changed Nature in Womb





Why then did our Lord change the nature of water in the first of his signs? Was it not to show that the divinity, which had changed nature in the depths of the jars, was that same divinity that had changed nature in the womb of the Virgin? At the completion of his signs he opened the tomb to show that the greed of death had no hold over him. He sealed and confirmed these two uncertainties, that of his birth and of his death. For these waters, with regard to their nature, were transformed into the fruit of the vine, but without the stone jars themselves undergoing change in their nature inwardly. This was a symbol of his body, which was wondrously conceived in a woman, and, without a man, miraculously formed within the Virgin.

He made wine from water, therefore, in order to give proof concerning how his conception and his birth took place. He summoned "six water jars" as witness to the unique virgin who had given birth to him. The water jars conceived in a novel way, not in keeping with their custom, and gave birth to wine. But they did not continue to give birth. Similarly the Virgin conceived and gave birth to Emmanuel, and she did not give birth again. The giving birth by the jars was from smallness to greatness and from paucity to abundance; from water indeed to good wine. In her case, however, it was from greatness to weakness and from glory to ignominy. Those jars were for the purification of the Jews, but our Lord poured his teaching into them, so that he might make it known that he was coming through the path of the Law and the Prophets to transform all things by his teaching, just as he had transformed water into wine. 

St. Ephrem The Syrian 


Changed Water in Jars Symbolize Changed Nature in Womb Why then did our Lord change the nature of water in the first...
Posted by Australian Copts on Friday, January 22, 2016

Thursday, January 21, 2016

THE LORD'S HUMILITY





The baptism of John was the baptism of repentance. The Lord Christ was not in need of repentance. Why then was He baptized? 
He was baptized instead of the human kind in entering the baptism of repentance.... 


Likewise He fasted instead of us, while He was not in need of fasting, just as He was dead instead of us, while He was not deserving death...... 


All this was in order to offer to the Father a perfect image of the human kind, and to pay the price of our sins. Likewise He presented Himself to baptism, in order "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. 4:15), so that nobody convicts Him of sin .... in order to be submissive to the Law, before everybody, although He is above the Law.....

H.H Pope Shenouda III

Wishing you all a very blessed Epiphany 





The baptism of John was the baptism of repentance. The Lord Christ was not in need of repentance. Why then was He...
Posted by Australian Copts on Wednesday, January 20, 2016


Friday, January 8, 2016

Divine Birth




Your divine birth, O Lord, gave birth to all creatures ….
Mankind gave birth to You in the body;
and You gave birth to mankind in spirit ….
Praise to You, who became a Child,
to make all things new! 


St. Ephram the Syrian





Your divine birth, O Lord, gave birth to all creatures …. Mankind gave birth to You in the body; and You gave birth to...
Posted by Australian Copts on Friday, January 8, 2016