To celebrate the great Pascha of the Lord is to accept the life freely bestowed upon us, and to extend its light into our lives day by day. For Christ is truly risen. This defines the value of existence in a world given the calling to strive to belong to God alone. One characteristic of ...
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O Christ, before Your precious Cross, death was fearsome to men.But after Your glorious Passion, man became fearsome to death.(Doxastikon for Vespers, Feast of the Holy Martyr Callistratus) The Gospel readings which the Church appoints for the Paschal season share a singular purpose. They call out to us, that our certainty may grow: that Christ, ...
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Any discussion of the Paschal season, that is, the season our Church's liturgy presents to us following the Feast of Pascha, presupposes an understanding of its purpose and requirements. This, in turn, requires an awareness of the season that prepared us for it: Great and Holy Lent. Without delving into excessive detail, those familiar with ...
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I was recently struck by a passage in an article by an Orthodox writer from the Russian Church (whose name escapes me at the moment). Speaking of the Dormition Fast, he wrote that we prepare for the Feast – the Feast of the Theotokos’s Dormition – by intensifying our love for the Virgin Mary. Now, this ...
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If we take an honest look at ourselves, searching for an answer to this awesome question, we might find many among us who believe that Christ is truly Risen. Yet, this same reality makes it plain that for many, this belief seems almost seasonal, applied only at certain times.
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Discover the Ministry of Joy in Christianity - Christ's Resurrection as the Source of Comfort and Hope. Explore the power of consoling one another with the words of Pascha during times of grief and sorrow.
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On the abduction of Archbishops Boulos (Yaziji) and Youhanna (Ibrahim) He had to help people remember good deeds. In a land beset by all manner of evil and shrouded in darkness, many of his kinsmen had died, many were exiled; death stalked them at every corner. When darkness lingers on indefinitely, your call for good ...
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It is the title of a Lebanese documentary by “Philip Araktinji” that was shown by a local channel on Friday, about a trip to Lebanese places that have been “visited by Christ”. Has He really visited them? I believe He has visited them through the “Gospel of the Word”. So, I am not discussing, here, ...
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In the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Antelias, I have friends who are engaged in the Church ministry. After the Diocese got widowed by the passing away of Archbishop Camille Zeidan of thrice-blessed memory, my friends made me worry for their worry and rejoice for their joy, then await, like them, this blessed day in which ...
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My hope for you is to remain preserved. Days ago, you were in the Church, during the prayer, free of any precautionary measure to stave off the pandemic from you and from those who are with you. Images of the well-known instructions are emplaced at the entrance of the Church. You did not bother with ...
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I have a friend who sends me, at times, an article by the writer Samir Atallah. My friend knows that I follow Atallah every day. What he does not know is that, every time I receive an article from him, I read it again. I have never offended his generosity. In a gathering in which ...
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God Who is in the Church is the One Who gives her life, as do those who accept His dwelling in them. I will tell you this story: “a famous artist was entrusted with painting the picture of a dying church. Those who entrusted it to him expected him to present to them a painting ...
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Anything I separate from God is meaningless. I am meaningless. My life is meaningless; my emotions; my friendships; what I remember or forget is meaningless. My education is meaningless. What I do well or lamely is meaningless. My works and accomplishments are meaningless. My failure is meaningless. My marriage is meaningless; my children; my grandchildren. ...
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Why did Jesus have to die? It is essential to mention that since Jesus had committed no sin, death had no power over Him. What happened is that He had condescended to His death. This causes His death to be salvific. As to why He had to die, it is because death is the true ...
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Life is a journey in God towards God. Everything can leave you except the sins you commit. These weigh you down and hinder your progress in the Truth. You cannot move forward with confidence unless you cast out every sin that woos you. Be free. He who is free is the one who completes the ...
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A friend of mine asked me to meet with his relatives whose father had passed away. He said, "They have questions about death which I want you to address”. I met with them. The questions I heard are familiar (Where is our father now? What awaits him? Can he see or hear us?...). I shared ...
Read moreSome people have allowed themselves to answer, with excessive negativity, Jesus' question at the end of the parable of "The Widow and the Judge": "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). They have said emphatically, "No, He will not"! I do not know where from these negative people ...
Read moreToday, if you hear anyone in the Church of Antioch, anyone at all, keeping any good off of others, you should understand that he is speaking a language foreign to our heritage. Do not be fooled by appearances! Do not be deceived by positions! Extremism is not of Antioch’s nature. I know that today we ...
Read moreThe priests are there to serve. Their faces are a destination for the people, particularly the poor and the oppressed... I do not believe there is a single believer who, if in need of a service, any service, can feel at ease asking for it from anyone as he would from a priest (the priest ...
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