Author: ramez

Purity and Oysters

by: David Ibrahim

Let me start by asking a question. True or false; every single jewel is made from the earth?

The answer… false. Every jewel is made from the earth, except one.

One jewel alone is made from a living creature. Any idea which one?

Yep, it is in fact… the pearl.

Let me tell you quickly how they are made.

Step 1: An oyster lays about until an irritant, like sand, makes its way through the hard, rough shell.

Just like that oyster which is surrounded by sand, we too are surrounded by desires to be impure. It’s everywhere.
To judge someone, to lust after someone, to envy someone.
And just like the grain of sand or parasite that bursts through the shell, so too do these thoughts and desires creep into our senses.
“Did you see what she was wearing?”
“How did he get that promotion?”
“You can look, but not touch”.
Or the infamous: “When an attractive girl comes my way,  God will only judge me if I take a second glance…. So I better make sure the first glance is a long one!”

Impurity has become so common that we are accustomed to it; we consider ourselves to be righteous relative to the world.

Step 2: The oyster is unable to expel the grain of sand. Wanting to protect itself, it produces a smooth, hard, crystalline substance to coat the intruder. If the oyster does not produce the substance its organs will be damaged and it will die.

This is the reality. The sin of impurity, for 99.99% of us, is already dwelling within me, and if I leave it untouched then it will become a source of destruction for me.

Now we have a choice. Do I let this invader dwell within me or do I protect myself by building layers?

If you choose the first, then be prepared for a rough time, because although the path seems wide and fun, the predator “comes only to steal, kill and destroy (Jn 10:10).

“Okay, I want to protect myself. But I’ve tried in the past so many times. What are some ways I can build these layers of protection?

1. Repentance

In Ezra 9, the people disobeyed every law (to the point where Ezra tore his garment and even PLUCKED OUT HIS HAIR). So what did he do? He fasted, fell on his knees, and said, “Our iniquities have risen higher than our heads… Yet Our God did NOT FORSAKE US in our bondage… So Here we are before You”

2. Make a covenant.

a. Ezra after this prayer, made a covenant to God with all the people to “put away” their sin.
b. Job said “I have made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I look upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1)

3. Flee

When Joseph was tempted he fled. He even left his garment behind and ran, because sin had touched it.

So our process:

1. Remember the Lord never forsakes us, even in the midst of the worst sin
2. ARISE and ADMIT my sin.
3. Make a covenant to the Lord that I will put away all my former impurity
4. Consecrate my eyes, my mind, my heart, my thoughts to Him.
5. Flee from temptation when it comes.
6. I must leave behind any TV Series, any place, any social media, and ANYTHING that causes me to be impure in thought, word, or action.

Step 3: Now back to the Pearl for the final lesson!

It keeps putting layer upon layer until the sand is completely covered. Now the grain of sand, the parasite, the intruder, has become a pearl.

Initially, the sand or parasite could KILL the oyster.
BUT if it protects itself, then this fatal enemy is what gives it WORTH.
It turns the ugly, useless oyster into a DESIRED, FLAWLESS TREASURE.

Impurity of mind, heart, soul, and body can KILL me.
BUT if I protect myself, purity is what will give me WORTH.
It will turn ugly, sinful, me into a DESIRED, FLAWLESS TREASURE!

Lord when I am drowning in sin; catch my hand like you did to St Peter.
If my eyes cause me to lust; give me new eyes like you did to the blind man.
If my ears are filled with impure words; give me new ears like you did to Malchus.
If my mind is filled with impure thoughts; give me a new mind like you did to St Paul. 

And whenever I feel the struggle against me is too great, remind me that the king of kings became the bloodied offering on the Cross for me and told me;“Whenever you feel that you are impure, look at the word ‘impure’, and let it be a reminder to you that ‘I’m pure’. So therefore you, YES YOU, are pure IN ME! ‘The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that He had and bought it.” (Matt 13:45-46).

You are that pearl of great price. You are worth me selling everything for. Yes You! No one else could make the same pearl that you can.  And your pearl, made from purity, is the one I want. I want you!”

The Effects of Reading

By: Anthony Zaccariotto 

I cannot think of a more excellent way for a person to change their perception and observation in life than by a good book. When I was in high school I had no desire to read or study, in fact I thought it was for nerds only. Yes, many times in my life I have fallen into the trap of misconceptions and have held many false views on other people. God has many times turned my wisdom into foolishness and I think if there was one habit that has contributed to growth in my life both spiritually and intellectually it has got to be the habit of reading. I am sure many people in the church are living very busy lives and can easily say that they don’t have the time. However, I am going to propose a few ideas to you throughout this blog and try work this powerful habit into your lives. I wouldn’t do this unless I genuinely felt that it was going to help you.

My journey to the church didn’t just happen overnight. The one thing that initially helped me to open up my mind was my decision to pick up a book. This was not the Bible, however the book I picked up did assist my journey to my faith. For the first time in my life I felt that I was able to improve myself from reading other people’s experiences, and also experiencing something more real other than just watching actors on TV. The influence these books had on me was astonishing. I noticed some of the books I read had a different impact on me than they did on other people too. This could be directly related to how a person may read the scriptures. For example, an atheist may read it with a proud heart and get nothing out of it, whereas a person with a humble heart may completely transform their life by it. It was Edmund Wilson who said that “No two persons ever read the same book.” I can highly relate to this statement surrounded by many people with different worldviews.

How many times have you read a book, finished it, put it down and then felt tremendous peace and comfort? I love taking suggestions from people on what books have touched their hearts because I want to experience this too and experience what they felt. We really need to get into the habit of reading in our lives. If we spend the first 30 minutes to an hour of the day before we go to work or school and pick up a good, positive and inspiring book, this can set our minds up for the whole day. This is the moment you are absorbing the most after a night of rest. How often do you notice at the beginning of your day your mind is so much quieter and focused instead of the end of the day? By setting aside 30mins – 1 hour in the morning, waking up early and reading a good positive book can make a tremendous change in your attitude. When I first started reading I would read a lot of positive thinking books in the morning and everyone throughout the day would notice a huge shift in my energy and attitude. I was so much happier, focusing on the good rather than the bad. My preference in the morning now is of course the New Testament due to the profound words and wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. I need this to keep me in check and remind me throughout the day of where I am going and what I need to do.

It is very easy for us to make excuses and neglect the necessities in our spiritual life. I think the only way a person is going to break the habit of not reading or not praying is to first force themselves. St Ambrose of Optina once said “if you do not feel like praying, you have to force yourself. The Holy fathers say that prayer with force is higher than prayer unforced. The kingdom of heaven is taken be force (Matt 11:12).” Every time I have substituted time I could have spent reading to time I spent watching TV, playing games, eating copious amounts of food or watching YouTube videos, I always ended up regretting it. I realised that what was becoming the biggest obstacles to my reading was my distractions and excuses. Imagine the progress I would have made if I had cut out all the idle things I was getting involved in.

One of the traps I fell into when I first started receiving suggestions from people on what books to read, was the guilt of not finishing it. This was particularly difficult when the book was not interesting me at all. Please do not feel that you have to finish every book you read. There is nothing wrong with stopping and moving on to another book that interests you, lest you lose your passion and get discouraged. Josh Jameson said that “There comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page and closing the book.”

This can also work the other way around too. If a book has highly influenced you, transformed you or had a profound positive impact on you, read it again! Can you imagine if we only read the Bible once and then never picked it up again? C.S Lewis says “I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” Recently I started re-reading books that had a profound impact on me some years ago and I was now able to pick up some incredible information I didn’t pick up before. It was truly amazing and it helped me grow even more than other books I have been reading and wasn’t able to contemplate much on.

If you were able to set time aside and just read 10 pages a day of a spiritual book, the odds are you could read 20 books within a year. Can you imagine the spiritual progress you would make if you just read only 10 pages a day! What if you read only 3 chapters of the bible each day? You would be able to read the Bible at least once every year until you finally get to be with Him. “Every book we read is pouring ingredients into our mental faculties and the fabric of our lives are built from these ingredients” – Jim Rohn. Remember the parable of the sower that our Lord Jesus Christ told us. Imagine if we were constantly reading and allowing these seeds to fall on good ground and then bearing these fruits in our subconscious with patience. Can you imagine the spiritual progress we would make!

We should always keep a book on us at all times, whether in our car or in our bag. Many of us don’t realise this but the amount of time we spend in cars, standing in line for food at a shop, waiting for a friend to pick us up, going on the train or bus etc. can also be used for reading too. We should utilise the time we have and take advantage of these moments. Another opportunity we have is in our travelling. We should try to play more audio books in our car and pick up on some incredible life lessons and wisdom. By doing this we won’t get bored and we will always be learning and improving. Before we know it we will have achieved great progress in our lives and it was all done by filling in the time we had all along.

Take some time to examine things in your life that are preventing you from picking up that book. How much TV are you watching, how much food are you eating (this can make you very lazy and unfocused), how much time are you wasting on non-spiritual things,

how much are you sleeping in, how much time are you spending watching YouTube clips or going on Facebook, Instagram, snapchat etc? Don’t let these things be an obstruction in your spiritual life. Remember what our Lord Jesus Christ said to us in Matthew 5:29 ^“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” Its time for us all to start eliminating the junk from our lives and start building ourselves up for the Kingdom to come and one of the best ways to accomplish this is by forming the incredible habit of reading.

I have read many books and I will leave you with a short list of the ones that have really stood out for me in the church, if anyone would like some suggestions:

-The Bible
-The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
-Mere Christianity by C.S Lewis
– Jesus the bridegroom by Brant Pitre
– Our Thoughts Determine our Lives by Elder Thaddeus
– The Gurus the Young Man and Elder Paisios by Alexis Trader
– The Imitation of Christ by Thomas E Kempis
– The Fear of God by Pope Shenouda
– Everyday Saints and other Stories by Archimandrite Tikhon
– Father Arseny, 1893-1973: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father

By Mark Ghali

The upper room was foundational in the formation of the early church. The use of the upper room is established by Old Testament practice, cradled by early Christian doctrine and acted as the springboard for the spread of early Christianity. Even though there is debate if there is a single or many upper rooms what remains clear is that it was the location where union with God and others could be achieved. The upper room held great significance to the early church as it seemed to be a place for the founders of the Church to congregate, especially during her formative years. This includes events which form the backbone of Christianity such as: the Last Supper, where the New Covenant was instituted and the Eucharist was first celebrated and Pentecost where the Holy Spirit descended. The upper room also proved to be the place of various meetings and miracles which strengthened and emboldened the faith of early Christians, proving to be a place conducive to meeting in fellowship and in prayer which are crucial elements of the Christian faith.

From the time of the Old Testament, the ‘upper room’ was usually a room that was built on the roof of houses and was used as a place of prayer to entreat God’s power. It was so essential to those of the Jewish faith that even the poor kept such a room furnished so that guests could be welcomed. There are a number of examples in the Old Testament of an upper room being used. An example of the upper room being used as a place of prayer and worship occurs in the story of Daniel, where he retreats to his upper room to pray, as it was his custom, even when a decree is put out to kill those who worship anyone besides the king. This is also seen in the book of Tobit, where Sarah goes to her upper room crying and supplicating to the Lord in despair, with her prayers even being answered there. Examples of the use of the upper room in entreating God’s power can be clearly seen in the miracles performed by Elijah and Elisha in raising the widow and Shunammite’s sons respectively Therefore, it is clear that an upper room was common amongst the people of Israel, and that it was considered as a place of retreat and prayer, as well as a place where God’s power was shown.

Key elements of the Christian doctrine have found their roots in the upper room. One of the key events of the early church that occurred in an upper room was the Last Supper with Jesus and His disciples, instrumental members of the early church, being present. It states in the gospels of Mark and Luke that there was a large upper room, that was furnished and prepared for the Passover which the Lord asked to use. It was here that the Lord washed the disciple’s feet, providing for them a model for Christian service which would prove to be a defining characteristic of the early church, continuing to communities such as those established by St Basil. Another key aspect of early Christianity established in the upper room during the Last Supper was the Sacrament of the Eucharist, considered to be the pinnacle of Christian worship, and the centre-thought of many early Christian writers. St Paul describes appropriate decorum when partaking of the Eucharist in his epistle to the Corinthians showing the early Church would meet together to partake in it. Its importance is also clear in the inclusion of the Eucharist, alongside the rituals of baptism, in the Didache, a document that describes some of the practices of the early church as well as its being described by St Justin Martyr in his ‘First Apology’. St Ignatius, an Apostolic father, highlights the Eucharist’s significance to the early church in his epistle to Smyrna, by stating that where a bishop is celebrating the Eucharist, surrounded by the faithful, then there the fullness of the Church is present. Therefore, we see that the upper room was the site of an event which was a fundamental element of the early church.

Similarly, the upper room is the site of a significant and transformative event in the early church. Following the ascension of Jesus, when the disciples are gathered in one accord in prayer and supplication, the Holy Spirit descended upon them on the day of Pentecost, and they prophesied in fulfilment of the words spoken by Joel. There is a clear transformation that occurs in this upper room. Peter, who had previously denied Christ in front of a servant girl, miraculously and courageously converts three thousand men, with his first sermon, during the Feast of the Harvest in Jerusalem. It was from here that the fearful disciples, who previously gathered together for fear of the Jews, were now able to go out boldly, preaching and converting people, even to the point of martyrdom. This model of martyrdom would later be followed by countless others and would be crucial in establishing the early church.

There is debate if there was a single upper room that was used in the early church which held intrinsic value or whether the disciples were merely congregating in many upper rooms. This debate arises because it is unclear whether the upper room used for the Last Supper and in Pentecost were different rooms. In the gospel of Mark and Luke, the word used for the upper room of the Passover comes from the Greek root noun, “anogeon”, and it is the only time it is used in the New Testament. Whereas, in the book of Acts, which is believed to also have been written by Luke, the Greek root noun “huperoon” is used, also referring to an upper room. Therefore, it is uncertain whether Luke meant different upper rooms, or whether he simply used a different term for the same room. However, according to the Coptic Tradition it is believed that St Mark the apostle’s mother, Mary, ministered to the Lord with her resources by offering her house for the Passover to be held, and that this was the same upper room that the Holy Spirit came down upon the disciples as they assembled. This is hypothesised because the man carrying the pitcher of water, of whom Jesus said that they would eat the Passover at his house, is believed to be St Mark. St Cyril posits the reason Jesus did not reveal the owner of the upper room was because the devil had already entered Judas’ heart, and so it was important that the name of the owner of the upper room was kept secret so the betrayal plot could not occur in the upper room during the Last Supper. This was so it did not occur before the institution of the New Covenant and the giving of the Eucharist, again illustrating the importance of the Eucharist to the church. The fact that Mark’s mother’s house was ever used is attested to in the book of Acts, where it is mentioned that St Peter came back to the house of Mary following his release from prison, where many were gathered together praying. Therefore, it can be seen that there is evidence for and against whether it was the same upper room that was used.

However, despite it being unclear whether it was or wasn’t the same upper room, what is clear, is that the use of an upper room is a feature of the apostle’s ministry in establishing the early Church. This is shown in the book of Acts where many events such as miracles and preaching occurred in the upper rooms of the faithful. For example, when entering the city of Joppa, Peter is taken to the upper room to raise a charitable woman called Dorcas. As a result, many people in the city hear about Peter and accept the faith., The aforementioned return of Peter occurred following his release from prison by an angel as he went to encourage the disciples and tell them about the amazing work of God and His care for His church. In and amongst their spiritual atmosphere of prayer, Peter stood to tell them about how he had experienced the power of the Resurrection and how the Lord frees those who are imprisoned and under captivity, freeing them from darkness and taking them into life, drawing both spiritual and literal contemplations, about how God opens doors. Later in Acts we see Paul preaching to a group of people in the upper room, and then a young man called Eutychus falling to his untimely death. Here we see an early form of liturgical worship in the early church with the faithful gathering to listen to the word of God, and then breaking bread at the dawn of Sunday, that is, celebrating the Eucharist. This gathering may have needed to occur in the upper room of a house due to practical reasons as the Jews would have been using the Temple, therefore Christians needed to have their own place of worship. Hence, we see that the upper room was a practical place of meeting for the faithful in the early church, and served as a place for the strengthening of their faith.

However, there isn’t only practical significance to the use of the upper room, with many of the early church fathers seeing spiritual significance to the events being held in such a space. Some, such as St John Chrysostom, see that the upper room is merely a meeting place that is representative of a dwelling together of men and women in prayer, remembering the words of Christ that “where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” and that indeed nothing is more powerful then this gathering together of people in the name of the Lord. Whereas others like St Jerome, see that prayer would occur in the upper room, such as with Daniel, as a means to elevate the soul to meet God above earthly matters. St Cyril goes further to state that the upper room represents the exalted and high thought of dwelling with Christ and not remaining on earth, but instead having their thoughts and “their citizenship in heaven.” Therefore, it can be seen that not only was the upper room a space conducive for the gathering together of the faithful, but it was also representative of their elevation above the world to be united with Christ; which is the ultimate aim of the Christian life.

Whether it was the one upper room, or many upper rooms, one thing is clear that many of the early events of the church occurred in an upper room. These events, such as the Last Supper and Pentecost, were attended by the founders of the church and placed an indelible mark on the foundation of the early church. The upper room may have been chosen because it was conducive to the requirements of Christian life, as a place where the disciples could congregate together and pray and offer up their hearts to God. It was from here that they underwent their transformation before going out and preaching to the nations, proving pivotal to the spread of the early church. Finally, the spiritual significance of the upper room means that the upper room is not only foundational to the early Church, but indeed to all Christians who are similarly called to congregate, to raise their hearts in prayer, and to ultimately be transformed and united to Christ.

Glory be to God forever Amen.

Mental Health and Christianity

What are our unique tools?

By Dr.Bassem Wilson

Mental health is a major issue that affects many people, and even Christians can struggle with it. We will discuss a few points on how a working faith will help mental health.

• Having access to a support network is one of the most important fundamentals when dealing with mental health. A support network is not classified as having people surrounding you but further, having people that you can talk to and open up about any struggles you are faced with. The main people that struggle with mental health issues, like depression, are those that lack an active support network in their lives. Support networks may include people like family, friends, psychologists, or your confession father. But the main and ultimate support is the Lord himself. Prayer allows you to communicate and put all your problems before the Lord, essentially like a 24/7 support network.In Christianity we often look at prayer as a ticked boxed that needs to be completed, although it should be used more for our own benefit. As such, the Lord places us in certain tribulations, so that we can reach out to Him and so He can hear our voice.

• The second point is the concept of ‘conflict resolution’. Conflict can be one of 2 things: either between you and someone else, or it can be between you and the Lord (separation). If it is conflict with another person, you won’t be forgiven unless YOU willingly and solely forgive, as this is a mercy act for yourself and not the person. If the conflict is between you and the Lord, the only way to resolve it is through true repentance and confession.Confession acts as an advantage because you are able to be persistently absolved. The partaking of the Holy Communion is one of the most important yet highly underestimated tools against mental health issues. Having the body and blood of God with a repentant heart acts as an enormous support. “When He opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come and see.” So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand.  And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not harm the oil and the wine” – Revelation 6:5-6 NKJV. This passage highlights the fact that although barley and wheat were valuable at the time, while wine symbolising the sacrament, and oil symbolises the Holy Spirit, were not harmed.

• The last and final tool for use, is praising God at all times. Being thankful and showing praise to the Lord is a tool that can bring us up. It allows us to continue prayer and feel joy, not by asking but rather praising. It is a really strong tool that is able to lift our spirits and allows us to feel happiness without complaining or seeking anything from God.

Glory be to God, forever Amen.

Living in the moment

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Anthony Messeh

Everyone has aspirations and goals in life. You may want your marriage to be stronger. You may want your careers to reach higher. You may want your friendships to be deeper. No matter what your aspirations may be, you will not achieve these goals by accident.

You can get into a car and drive to the beach, drive around America or drive to a park. However, you do not get there by accident. You must physically follow navigations to get to your destination. This is a metaphor for life. Goals are not achieved by accident. Goals require blood, sweat and tears.

A new bank opens up in town and every Monday morning they give away $10 000. You can use this money in whatever way you like but there is one rule. You must spend all the money by the following Monday otherwise you will lose it. How would you feel living next to this bank? This bank could change your life forever. Only a fool would let an opportunity like this pass by. Well, every week God gives you 10 000 minutes. This is the currency which can change your life forever. You can buy a new career, a new relationship or a new marriage. You can use those minutes in whatever way you desire. However, at the end of the week, those minutes are gone and you cannot get them back. You choose how you want to spend those minutes. You can invest in your relationships, in your spiritual life or in whatever you choose. We need to make the best of those minutes otherwise we will look back on 2017 and wonder where it all went.

There are three turning points that help us make the best of 2017. There are three ways to approach the year. Three ways to take our minutes and use them in the way God intends them to be.

1. Turn “when” into “now.” The words you say and the thoughts you think will always change your life. When (this) happens, I will (do this). “When” never happens. Stop saying “when” and start saying “now.” Are you waiting for everything to fall into place before you act, well, life will never fall into place. You need to change “when” into “now.” Do things now because your minutes will disappear at the end of each week.

2. Turn intentions into actions. Everyone has something in life that they aspire towards. You may want to exercise more. You may want to apologize more. To him who knows well but does not do it, to him it is a sin. Turn intentions to actions today. There is something called the law of diminishing intention. The law states that if I really want to do something, and I leave it to the next day, the intention diminishes. Anyone can set goals but the difficult thing is setting it to actions.

3. Turn my whole heart to Jesus in 2017. Most people want to fast forward this point, but it is actually the most important. Imagine a guy who meets the woman of his dreams. They have the happiest honeymoon ever but after all this ends, they are caught up with the busyness of life and they go a day without meeting or speaking to each other. What kind of marriage relationship is this? Well, do you love Jesus? What kind of relationship do you have if you are not going to speak to Jesus on a daily basis?

As we live in 2017, the above three turning points will help us make the best of the minutes of the year. Where there is no vision, marriages, friendships and purpose of life perish. We have control over our goals and how we use our minutes.

Social Media

by: Monica Gerges

Social media has quickly become a major part of the way we as a society and a community, communicate and spread goodness, positivity, love and oddly enough grow in unity. It has a great capacity for good, but in saying that, it has an even greater capacity for destruction if we are not careful about the sort of things we are exposing ourselves to, as we scroll through our Facebook or Instagram feeds.

Every social media platform includes large amounts of content that can lead down the path of destruction. Things that can influence us negatively, cause us to think lustfully, incite feelings of anger, jealously or provoke us to any other sin of the body or mind are easily accessible. They are more prevalent than one might think, but in actuality such content can also be easily avoided by simply disassociating yourself from the direct source.

What is harder to avoid however, is content coming from within our community about seemingly controversial topics. The topics themselves have the potential to cause major confusion and divisions among the Church if not handled appropriately, and it is content like this that some might argue is the most destructive.

So how do we go about avoiding such content? 1 Corinthians is a good place to start. In Chapter 10 St Paul says,

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me but not all things edify.” (1 Corinthians 10:23)

Simply put, an article or post is only worth reading if it will edify, enlighten and improve your relationship with God. However, knowing whether something will edify you requires some self-assessment and an understanding of your own limits and faith.

Having the zeal and interest to know what is happening within our Church is in no way a bad thing. If you are eager to know such things, perhaps the safest option is to seek such information from a reliable, trustworthy and honest source (like a Church Father) rather than a random opinion piece on Facebook.

Above all however, we have to keep in mind that at the end of the day all that matters is how we chose to love God and others. To focus on our salvation, the salvation of those around us, to spread the gospel and the love of God through our actions is our ultimate purpose.

Feelings of Doubt

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Lazareth el Antony

I continued being an atheist until my mother died. I suffered from my own doubts and fears. I suffered externally and internally. God was not a presence in my life. I suffered 4 years and I never found consolation. I read a lot about Buddhism and Hinduism but it was a taste only. I didn’t arrive at any deep personal commitment with any of these religions.

When my mother died, I felt a hole in my heart. It hit me that I had no mother and no source. I didn’t understand that God was the origin and the reason for my being. After a year of grieving my mother’s death, I went back to the hospital where she had died of cancer. I wanted to remember the days of her suffering. I wanted to go to her room and recapture that last moment with her. For me, death was a darkness that I could not escape. The nurses told me that the hospital room was being used and that I can come sometime afterwards. They sent me to a library to wait for them there.

While in the library, I found a book about the life of a monk called Thomas Merton and I began to read it. The nurses forgot about me and I forgot about them. The book was so engrossing. It was an exact copy of my whole life. Thomas Merton was a philosopher, studied politics and his mother had died.  He was a fan of films and books that I had liked. The only difference is he grew up in America, while I grew up in Australia. After his mother died, Thomas worked his way to a Roman Catholic monastery. Well I thought to do the same. I ignored the pages that talked about Thomas’ growing faith in God. He had a friend who converted him to God but I ignored reading that part. I just took the simple idea that Thomas had exchanged his university life to a monastery life. I wanted to do the same because in the monastery, Thomas had found peace.

The next day, I telephoned a Roman Catholic monastery and asked to become a monk. The head monk answered the phone and asked which church I went to and who my confession father was. I told the monk that I did not go to church and I knew no priest. On hearing that, the monk closed the phone. He thought I was crazy and that I had a weird idea about monasticism and he wasn’t going to buy into that. I looked into a phone book and I found another monastery. It was a Serbian Orthodox monastery. I rang and asked for a visit. The bishop of the monastery answered the phone and without questioning me, he said “come and see.” Later I understood why he said this sentence. Rather than ask me questions like the Catholic monk, he didn’t want to prejudge the issue so he said “come and see.” I was pleased with that, and I went.

I arrived to the monastery on a Saturday, which is the day they commemorate the dead.  As we entered the cemetery, the bishop asked me to walk with a certain lady and gentleman. I later realized that they were a couple who had lost their daughter in a car crash. The couple was bitter over the death of their daughter and so was I, over the death of my mother.

After the cemetery, the Serbian monks went to the church for prayer. They started to pray in front of the icon of St Mary. I had seen icons as part of Art and History but I knew very little of them. I had heard of St Mary but I knew nothing personal about her. I had no understanding of her role in the church or as a Theotokos. This was the start of my journey to Christianity.

Despite the doubt, every experience I had was a stepping stone to the true faith.

Apostles Fast

by Shery Abdelmalek

Why do we fast the Apostles’ Fast? Isn’t that only for Priests? I know you’ve heard that one before. But where did it come from and why do we so readily use that excuse when chances are we don’t even know its true purpose?

For many, this excuse is accepted because of the inconvenience of yet another fast of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Apostles fast begins immediately after the Holy Fifty days and ends on July 12 – the Feast day of the apostles, St Peter and St Paul. This means it could either be as long as the Nativity fast (40+ days) or it could be a couple of weeks. The lack of preparation associated with a fast that varies in length from year to year makes it especially difficult, as focuses shift to, “how long this year?” as opposed to, “what can I learn this year?”

So back to our original question, why do we fast the Apostles Fast? The church fasts, my family and friends fast, therefore, I fast too. If that is your reasoning, then why fast at all? There is much greater meaning behind the Apostles fast and as it draws to a close, do not allow its value to go unnoticed for another year.

The Apostles Fast is one of the oldest fasts of the Coptic Orthodox Church and dates back to the fourth century, during the time of St Athanasius. It was officially named, the Fast of the Apostles during the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. The Canon of the Apostles written by St Clement of Rome states that,

“They continued to speak in the new tongues of the nations, in which they preached, and He told them what must be done by the congregations with regards to prayer, worship, and the laws, and they thanked God for this knowledge they received. They fasted for forty days, thanking God through it, and then Peter washed the feet of the disciples… then they departed to all the nations to call people to the faith.”

From this, we see that the disciples began fasting immediately after receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. In essence, the Apostles Fast is a fast of service. Although means of service differ greatly in modern times in comparison to the time of the Apostles, what remains constant is the need for a Saviour – the need for creation to become united with their Creator. Fasting was the means by which the early church became in tune with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. For every encounter, the Holy Spirit is within us and instructs us of what we should say and what we should speak. God gave us His Spirit so that we are never alone along the path of salvation and sanctification from this world. Moreover, through the Holy Spirit, we are to spread His light so that we take as many people as possible along the way with us. The early church responded to receiving the Holy Spirit by fasting. To us, who also freely received the gift of the Holy Spirit, should we not also be thankful and be united to those that preceded us through fasting? During the fast of the Apostles, we remember the Apostles and those that followed in their footsteps – those that were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of the Gospel. A truly worthy example of how we ought to dedicate our lives. Through fasting, we stand united as members of the body of Christ, each to their own unique role, striving for the edification of the church. When you fast, you not only achieve your own spiritual goals, but you aid your brothers and sisters through your communal spiritual struggles in Christ.

What can YOU achieve through the Apostles fast? This is an easy one. Our God never changes and so, all we need to do is look back to the Apostles and recognise that the same Holy Spirit that worked in them is present, willing and able to work wonders through you, too.

–  St Peter was a coward that denied his Saviour yet through the Holy Spirit, he became a man that spoke boldly with no fear of death (Acts 1:14)
– St Stephen gained the courage to imitate Christ’s love fully as he preached the faith even unto death, thus becoming the first martyr (Acts 6:8 – 7:60)
– St Paul went from a persecutor to a great preacher of the faith
– St Mark who turned back from St Paul and St Barnabas went on to become the heralding father of the faith in our very own country, Egypt, through the Holy Spirit.
– And the Holy Spirit that guided the entire early church to deny all possessions for the sake of their brethren in need (Acts 4:34).

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.”

1 Cor. 2:9-10

Let us pray that God reveals Himself to us all through the blessings of the Apostles Fast.

Glory be to God forever, Amen.