The troparion of Pentecost (Blessed are You, O Christ our God…) takes me back to the faces of the brethren in the Orthodox Youth Movement (MJO) in Beirut, to their very old house in “the little mountain” that used to bring us together in the eighties of the last century. At the onset of my ...
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Holy Spirit
The Fruit of the Holy Spirit
I had to lead a weekly group that brings me together with some brethren most of whom are married. I chose for myself to comment on the words of the Apostle to the Ephesians 6:1-4. The readers of the epistle know that Paul has prefaced his words on marriage and then on the family by ...
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My friend Riad Mofarrij once told me, in a meeting that brought us together, that he hardly ever hears from Church pulpits, priests uttering the name of Jesus in their homilies. This is a piece of news open for public scrutiny. He did not literally say that the mention of Jesus indicates that the pulpit ...
Read morePentecost
On this great feast, the word that imposes itself upon me is the word of Jesus, which tells of His eternal presence with us: “I will not leave you orphans” (John 14:18). It is Jesus Who has been revealed to be, through His Spirit, our way to God the Father. Those of you who have ...
Read moreLook for Saul
I woke up on Saturday morning repeating the expression: Look for “Saul” (Acts 9: 4). I know whom I am addressing. I am addressing brethren in the Orthodox Youth Movement (MJO) in Mount Lebanon who had invited me to participate in the evening opening of their annual conference. The opening program was faithful to our ...
Read moreThe Concern of Believers
When the Apostle Paul concluded an opinion that he gave in an urgent Church matter by saying: “and I think I also have the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 7:40), he ruled that there is no freedom of opinion without openness to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is the concern of the believers ...
Read moreGifts of the Spirit
He who seeks the gifts of the Holy Spirit for himself as well as for all people with one passion and one determination, is he who truly knows that the Spirit is the Giver. This does not only have to do with the awareness that the One Spirit cannot be monopolized up, but also that ...
Read moreThe Spirit of Our Renewal
Justifying sins is of no help to us in anything, it rather keeps our sins reigning over us. Do you really like to renew yourselves? Always keep in mind that justification cannot be a path to what you love. The path is delineated in Paul's word: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not ...
Read moreThe Working Spirit
There is no boring and exhausting work equivalent to the ecclesial work in which we rely exclusively on our own ability. Everything differs with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit, if we surrender to Him, gives forth in us the good deeds that please Him, revive us and please Him, please and glorify Him.
Read moreThe Giving Spirit
What will we ask the Spirit to give us today? If I may suggest an answer, we have today an urgent need for three gifts. The first is to see God. The world today lives in alienation from seeing God. God is here. “Sir, we wish to see …”. The second gift is to know ...
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