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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