Fight The Good Fight

Focus Quote

St.Tikhon of Zadonsk was a Russian Orthodox monk who lived in the 18th century (1724-1783). He discusses some practical steps to struggle against sin:

  1. Repent; “Virtue is not true virtue when it is not within the heart. Therefore, correct your heart and your will and you shall be good and your outward deeds will be good, for the inwards is the beginning of the outward”
  2. Listen and obey the word of God
  3. Arm yourself for the battle through prayer
  4. Remember the presence of God
  5. Avoid all occasions that lead to sin
  6. Mediate upon your own death and final judgement

Fight the Good Fight

Readings

New Testament passage

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Discussion Questions

As Christians in a modern world, we consistently find ourselves fighting against the flesh and against the ever-changing social norms, particularly in a society which prides itself on subjective morality. Often in these times, we feel that we are so different from those around us which can make us feel isolated and can make us question whether we want to continue down the narrow path. Yet, we are in a battle in this world – we might not see it and we might forget about it, but it is real and ever present. How do we remind ourselves of spiritual warfare?

What are some struggles we face as Christians in modern day society?

What are some practical ways to overcoming feelings of helplessness in the spiritual struggle?

Another New Testament Passage

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against thewiles of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but againstprincipalities, against powers, againstthe rulers of]the darkness of this age, against spiritualhostsof wickedness in the heavenlyplaces.13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstandin the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints

Ephesians 10:9-18

Discussion questions

When St Paul originally wrote this passage, he was using jargon familiar to his audience. What are some modern-day equivalents of the armour of God proposed by St Paul?

How can we utilise each aspect of the armour of God?

Owe it to God

Talents, Blessings and Spiritual Gifts Part 3

Owe it to God

By Ereeny Mikhail

God shows us that the differences in our talents, blessings and spiritual gifts are all puzzle pieces that complete a greater purpose. But before we understand the meaning of all this, let’s explore blessings and spiritual gifts.

Differently to a talent, a blessing (n). is described in the Oxford dictionary, as something that is good or helpful. So, living in a country that is not in a warzone is good, having a roof over our head is good, having decent health is good and so on. Yet, often we feel we are in a shortage when it comes to blessings. Sometimes we wish we had more money or looked a certain way or was doing a certain thing. We work hard to try to apply the secret recipe to increase our blessings and double them but find ourselves still hungry for more.

However, it is important to recognise that although working hard to increase our blessings is important, it is also essential not to get consumed in this. St Paul in Philippians 4:19 states, “God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” If we are applying the secret recipe then we must know that we are not in shortage. God is supplying all our need and we do not need more than this. On the contrary, we should be utilising our blessing for Christ, just as the woman with the two mites did; “but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” (Luke 21:4)

Further to this, it is essential to re-evaluate our standards. There isn’t a level of any vain thing that we need to live up to except our own and Gods. If we do so, then there is nothing we lack.

This means, if God has given us a body and mind in good health, then we must use these to the best of our abilities. But let’s consider that someone may not feel handsome or beautiful because they have gained a significant amount of weight due to overeating which has affected their health. I think then perhaps they must recognise that they are not using their blessing, of good health, that God initially gave them as best they can. Our body and mind are a temple of Christ and we should treat it as such. “…he will be a vessel for honour, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.” (II Timothy 2:21) If we do not feel that we are doing enough with the blessings God has bestowed on us, including taking care of our ‘sound mind’ and body, then we must. This is His vessel that we must make useful and prepare it for His good work. If we are doing so, then there is no more we need. There is no other standard we need to live up to.

Contrastingly, a spiritual gift is often differentiated from talents and blessings, as they are given to those who accept and believe in Christ. It is made for the “edifying of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). Though, it is important to note that talents and blessings, can be used as spiritual gifts.

This differentiation lays in the fact that the spiritual gift can be lost. The talent remains, but it cannot used for edification if it is degraded. St Paul states in Romans 12:4-8 “For as we having many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts different according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them; if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” Each of our spiritual gifts is different and useful and all for the purpose of ‘edifying’ the body of Christ. There is no one better or worse than the other. Thus, let us keep these spiritual gifts by recognising this.

What is the meaning of all this? Talents? Blessings? Spiritual Gifts? St Paul tells us in I Corinthians 12:14-20: “For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.” If we all had the same talents, blessings and spiritual gifts we could not function. Imagine saying, the architect is more important than the builder. So, if we were all architects, then who would build the house? Or what if we said being a good speaker is more important than being a good listener. Then who would be listening to us when we speak? Every talent, blessing, and spiritual gift is important to complete the cycle of life. It is all important for the greater purpose, that is Christ.

Conclusively, we need to remember that we are all clay in the Hands of the Potter, moulded for His use. Let us acknowledge that:

“Our gifts and talents should also be turned over to Him. They should be recognized for what they are, God’s loan to us, and should never be considered in any sense our own. We have no more right to claim credit for special abilities than for blue eyes or strong muscles. ‘For who makes you different from another? And what have you that you did not receive?’”

A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

The Secret Recipe

Talents, Blessings and Spiritual Gifts Part 2

The Secret Recipe

By Ereeny Mikhail

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them and made another five talents. And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground and hid his lord’s money.” 

Matthew 25:14-18

Three particular things strike me about this parable.

The first thing is the fact that they ALL received talents. He did not leave one of them with nothing. So, I think when we state that we have no talents, we are offending God. We are acting as that foolish servant who claims God to be a ‘hard man’. God gave us each according to our own ability.

Secondly, the way the servants and lord reacted to the number of talents is so important. The servant with two talents did not look at his neighbour with five talents and think about how much more than him he had. He focused on himself and went and made two more. And as we know later in the parable, the lord of the servants rewards the servant who doubled his five talents into ten, and the servant who doubled his two talents into four, equally. And the servant with the one talent ends up with nothing and is cast out. The significant thing to take from this is the lord did not look at the servants and think he only has four and the other has ten. The number of talents is not what we should be looking at and it is not how God will judge us in the coming days. Rather, it is how we utilised the talents he gave us.

Now let’s twist the story a little bit. Imagine if the servant who didn’t use his talents was the one with the five talents. And the servants who doubled their talents were the ones with the two and the one talent. The master of the house would have reacted the exact same. The servant with the five talents would have been cast out. It is in fact better for someone to have one talent but to use it and increase it than to have five talents and use none of them at all and waste them.

Finally, another message we can take from this parable is, exploration or investment. The servants with the five and two talents did not just get excited and think about how much they had. They chose to act wisely and put in the effort to increase their talents.

Think about it as an investment of money in the bank. You place the money there and over time it continues to increase. You act wisely with what you have, rather than just celebrate your talents.

More importantly, the effort these two servants put in is essential. They went and actually explored how to increase their talents. So perhaps your talents are sport and being a good speaker. This does not mean you settle for the two talents and thank God only. It is fundamental that you find ways to use these talents in more than just the one way. I think about the sportsmen or sportswomen who sign the cross before a game. This must spread waves into the world. Maybe that day someone will pray for the first time in a long time. Or if you are a good speaker, don’t just use it for your job. Use it to speak at your church or preach the name of the Lord to others. Perhaps if you feel you cannot expand on these talents, then it is essential to explore yourself more and find more talents in order to increase what the Lord gave you.

We must realise talents come in different forms. We must recognise the talents God has given us and not disregard them. We must always ensure that we do not compare our talents to others. We must ensure that we explore these talents and invest in them. This is the secret recipe to all talents, blessings and spiritual gifts.

The Comparison Game

Talents, Blessings and Spiritual Gifts Part 1

The Comparison Game

By Ereeny Mikhail

“I don’t think I am talented at anything.”
“If only I was prettier or smarter.”
“If I am not one of the best at it, then I am not talented.”
“I just wish I had more money.”
“But so-and-so is more spiritual than me.”
“I am not worthy enough.”

How many times have you heard someone you know say one of these statements or something similar? In fact, I think most of us have fallen into that trap at some point in our lives. In this day and age, we are exposed to so much information and content via the internet, social media, books, talks and the like. And often, the line between what is true and false, right and wrong, and good and bad, becomes blurred. We see an incredibly talented individual and we think there’s no point trying because we will never be as good. We see people share their success and think what we have is not enough. And we see one another spiritually progress and feel we are left behind, drowned in our own sin.

One of the greatest pitfalls of how we perceive our talents, blessings and spiritual gifts, is comparison.

The Oxford dictionary defines a talent (n). as ‘a natural aptitude or skill’. This natural aptitude or skill can come in many forms. Some of us are good speakers, some of us are artistic, some of us are financially gifted, some of us are talented at sports, some of us are musically inclined and so on. However, what I find most striking about the definition is it does not in any way state that we need to be at the top of the game. We simply should just know how to do a certain thing to be talented. St Paul, in II Corinthians 10:12, states, “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they are measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.”

Take this for example, two women take a painting class together. Both women had good paintings, and enjoy painting, but one painting is totally abstract, and the other is perfect to the last stroke. Now, let me pose the question. Who is more talented? Is it the woman who had an abstract painting or the woman who is a perfectionist? The answer is actually both. Not one painter is better or more talented. Both are there for a purpose. One artwork is for the person who enjoys looking at something relaxed and expresses a bit of chaos in their art. The other is for the eye that loves to see everything in a particular place at a particular time. The point of the story is talent is not defined as something you are better at than someone else. It is defined as something that someone just naturally knows how to do, which in this case, both women enjoyed the activity, and knew how to do it, in different ways.

Sometimes the key to recognising your talent is stop comparing your talents to other people. That very person that you look at and think that your talents are insignificant compared to, probably looks at you in the same light. This breeds jealousy, contempt, insecurity and so much more that is harmful to our inner selves.

Further to this, what kind of friend do you want to be? The one that compares yourself and is trying to do better than those around you, or the one that supports, encourages and tries to build the talents of those around us?

When we stop comparing ourselves to others, we begin to see the beauty in the differences we possess. We see each individual as part of the body of Christ. A fearfully and wonderfully made masterpiece, that could never compare to another.

Ready for the (Coptic) New Year

Ready for the (Coptic) New Year

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Elijah Iskander

Readings: 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:13, James 4:7-5:5 and Mark 13:3-37

As we approach the end of Coptic year, the church prepares the readings so that we reflect on the year that has gone by. I remember that another year has gone by, and where am I at the moment?

We are lucky, as Copts, because we have two chances to make some resolutions. I imagine most of us make resolutions on the first of January. Generally our resolutions go well for the first few days but by February, it’s all over. We’re lucky to be able to make some resolutions in September as well.

There are three New Year’s resolutions in the readings of today;

The Pauline epistle is taken from 1 Thessalonians 2:13-3:13. What is your hope for this year? Where is your rejoicing? Where is your crown of joy?

For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God.

1 Thessalonians 3:9.

St Paul was wishing, and hoping, and his crown was in the people’s presence with the Lord and His coming. Perhaps, we can say with St Paul this year that my joy, my hope and my crown is to be in presence of my Lord Jesus Christ and His coming.

St Paul wished for the spiritual life of those around him. Maybe my concern is in the spirituality of those around me. Maybe I see myself as not the most spiritual, I don’t pray often enough, so maybe my New Year’s resolution is to encourage those around me. When we push each other to be better, we are first enhancing our own spiritual lives.

Any time you sit with your spiritual father and you tell him what you strive for, he learns from you! Let this year be a year where we all encourage each other spiritually. Even if I’m not the best, I can still encourage others to be their best.

One of the most common reasons people leave the church is because that one week they missed church that turned into two and three, and nobody noticed, so it became a habit.

We love our big church, but it’s very each for people to get lost in the crowd. Let this be the year that I make my hope, my joy and my crown in the people around me and their presence in the Lord. Let this be a year where I take care of the spirituality of those around me. I pray with them, and for them. I encourage them and be there for them. This is my hope. This is my joy. This is my crown.

In the Catholic epistle, we read James 4:7-5:5. I can give to others. St James says, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten.”

After a little while, my new clothes grow old. After a little while, my parents will come and says, “what are all these clothes that you don’t even wear?” Sometimes they even say that it is not even suited be donated but can only be thrown away. These that were once are most prized possessions.

“Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire.” Even the finest of jewels can corrode, rust and deform.

A lot of the time when we hear about giving, we think money. If we don’t have money, we think it’s okay to postpone that blessing. Let this be the year where I will give. Not necessarily money, but my time, my comfort, my own enjoyment. Even if it’s from a place of absent mindedness or in a way that doesn’t understand the blessings of giving. When we give, we God’s rewards.

The third resolution comes from the gospel (Mark 13:3-37), “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.”

I don’t know when the end of days is, I don’t know when the end of my life is. “It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

It’s really sweet when people stop what they’re doing and they rush to greet Abouna, out of their love for God. What’s even sweeter than that is when you are walking around church and you see some people praying together, a few people cleaning, or doing anything. How genuine are these people? For this is done out of deep devotion for the Lord.

When the Lord comes, will He find me sleeping, mucking around, wasting time, running after gold and silver that corrodes? Or will He find me, even though I wasn’t expecting Him, in the church, serving, loving, praying, giving?

Perhaps a third resolution is that the Lord does not find me sleeping. I will take heed, I will watch, I will pray. I will not let another day go by without spending it in Christ’s presence. The Lord will us faithful when He comes unexpectedly.

This new year, we have a reminder that our time is running out. Let us show love and concern for the spirituality of others. Let us give to those in need. Let us watch, so that the Lord does not find us sleeping when He returns.

Full Sermon

Which Way To God?

Which Way To God?

By Fr Antonios Kaldas

Original post by Fr Antonios Kaldas blog site

‘They do Him wrong who take God just in one particular way. They take the way rather than God.’ Selected German Sermons, 20, p. 191, in Meister Eckhart. (1994). Meister Eckhart: Selected Writings. (O. Davies, Trans.). Penguin Books.

We seek God via various means and ways: prayer, contemplation, sorrow and repentance, rejoicing, thanksgiving, praise, solitude, community, stillness, service, and so on. Is there a right way? Is there a rule that holds for everyone? Must we all seek stillness? Or service? 

These are important questions. Many have wasted years of their lives grinding slowly along a difficult way, only to come up empty-handed; or worse, resentful at the end. I see someone else progressing joyfully closer to God through solitude, but when I try to follow the same path, I find myself lonely, despondent, angry, left out, unfulfilled. Is this just the struggle required to find the precious divine treasure of God’s presence? Or (dare I contemplate the thought) is this just the wrong path for me?

Meister Eckhart’s words point out something very important here: step back a moment, and ask yourself, “what is it really that I am seeking?” There is a key difference between seeking the path to God on the one hand, and seeking God on the other. To seek the path—to insist on this path and no other—is to make an idol of the path. To seek God is to be open to any path that will get me to my destination. 

We often pay great attention to what we like or dislike about a path to God. If by my nature I like the company of others, then I will naturally gravitate to paths that involve being with others, serving others, sharing with others (e.g., group activities, face to face charity work, etc.) I develop a preference for such practices and actively seek them out. I enjoy them. 

There is nothing wrong with that, so far as it goes, until the path itself becomes my goal, rather than a means to the goal of God Himself. If the joy I find in the company of others is just that—the satisfaction of my social nature, then this is a path to my own satisfaction, and not to God. There is nothing wrong with satisfying a need for social interaction—just don’t kid yourself that this is a profound and powerful spiritual practice. 

Remember this then: ‘intend God alone and seek Him only. Then whatever kinds of devotional practice come to you, be content with those. For your intention should be directed at God alone and at nothing else. Then what you like or dislike is all right, and you should know that to do it differently is to do it wrongly. They who desire so many ways of devotion push God under a bench. Whether it is the gift of tears or sighings or the like—none of this is God. If these come to you, all well and good. If they do not come to you, that too is all right and you should receive what God wishes you to in that moment, remaining always in humility and absence of self …’ Selected German Sermons, 20, p. 191, in Meister Eckhart. (1994). Meister Eckhart: Selected Writings. (O. Davies, Trans.). Penguin Books.

What does it mean to seek God alone? Does it mean to neglect or look down on other people and things? Not at all! It means to find God in other people and things. We cannot gaze upon God directly, we can in our current state only gaze upon God through the things He has made: people and things. The mistake is not that I pay attention to them, but that I see them apart from God, the God who created them, sustains them, reflects Himself in them, and fills them with His presence and love. God is present in both the stillness and the activity, in both the solitude and the community. He knows at any given moment which of the paths is the clearest for me to follow, and the grace of His Holy Spirit is constantly, gently nudging me here and there. When I insist upon my own prejudices and preferences, I wrench myself free of His gentle guidance, and shift my attention from God my true goal to the path I prefer. I make of the path an idol.

To learn how not to do this is no easy thing. But it is a good thing. It is the way to God.

‘The wind blows where it wishes, 
and you hear the sound of it, 
but cannot tell where it comes from 
and where it goes.
So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ John 3:8

Original blog found at: http://www.frantonios.org.au/2020/08/14/which-way-to-god/

Society’s Will or God’s Will

Society’s Will or God’s wills

Adapted from a sermon by Fr Daniel Fanous

Passage Mark 3:22-35

In this Gospel, we read about Christ’s rebuttal against the scribes who claimed He was Beelzebub. This was due to Christ making himself known. After all, who is this carpenter who claims to be the Son of God.  We read that even his family felt emotions such as embarrassment, shame, dishonour. Similarly, are we, being sons and daughters of God, ashamed or embarrassed to call God our Father? Are we embarrassed to go out and fast? Are we embarrassed that each Sunday we go out to church whereas the rest of the world sleeps in?

Embarrassment may also come in the form of our morals. The secular world says that some things are okay whereas the Church explicitly tells us that it is not. Thus, we encounter this tension between the secularly accepted views and morals and the morals of the Church. Do I live according to society’s will or God’s will? Embarrassment may also be found in our ritualistic worship or that we even believe in a God to begin with.

Perhaps the biggest embarrassment is that we are unable to live according to our own will. We submit to God’s will and thus give up our freedom. Nowadays, freedom and rights are some of the most important values of society and often we are told that no one should be able to take these away from us. My family cannot tell me how to live. God cannot tell me how to live. However, perhaps it is the other way around. Perhaps, freedom is found in Christ, and lost when we reject him.

Often, we pray to see God or to encounter him,

“Just reveal yourself once in a dream and I will never commit this sin again.”  

“Just give me a sign that this is the right path for me.”

“Just provide me with this promotion or job and I will serve you every day.”

However, if we are embarrassed to follow in His path or His teachings, how can we see Christ who is a stranger to us. How can we encounter Him if even his own family felt ashamed of His teachings? If we are unwilling to become the outcasts, to act abnormally to society, to follow His will instead of our own; If we are unable to do all these, then how can we possibly encounter Him. Instead, we should find joy and confidence in His word, knowing that He is indeed the Son of God.

Confessions of a Priest’s Wife

Confessions of a Priest’s Wife

By Dalia Fam

Originally seen at goCoptic blog (March 12, 2019)

Even a Priest’s wife is not perfect and has to do confessions. Here are some of mine:

When I was in high school, I remember being embarrassed to walk around in public when there was a Coptic Orthodox priest with us. A priest came to my high school graduation and I was so embarrassed! I hated other people’s stares at this “unusual” person wearing a black robe and with a beard.

God has a funny sense of humor because now I am married to a priest! I have to walk around in public with him whether I like it or not. Although I do tell him that when we travel in the airport that the kids and I will go in a separate security line so we go through security a lot easier!

Another confession I must say is that when we are on vacation, I often tell my husband to ditch the robe and go in “normal” clothes. Every time, I do this, God again shows me his funny sense of humor. Many times, because of the robe, random people will stop him and ask for prayers. One lady we ran into once had just found out she had cancer and she wanted his prayers. Others need the encouragement of a man of God and his wisdom and love. I can write an entire book of the beautiful conversations we have had with so many people all over the world. From the Uber driver to the security officer at a hotel to people at a restaurant, they are looking for God’s love. They are encouraged with messages that God is giving them through us. Or they are searching and seeking.

Why would I encourage my husband to hide this gift of God from others?

My husband says he is blessed because he can stand out in a crowd. He does not shy away from the stares but confidently uses it to his advantage to share the love of God. Fr. Michael Sorial, a good friend of ours, recently made a vlog to discuss how he stands out and challenges us to stand out in the crowd too!

We have this same gift. We may not all be wearing a black robe and have a beard, but we should all stand out in a crowd. We have a special treasure of God’s love and should be able to use that to open discussions with others about this love. From my experience, people desire to hear it. Imagine the lives we could have missed because of my fears or limitations.

As we start the blessed fast of Great Lent, there are three characteristics that define this fast: Prayer, Fasting, and Giving.

Giving is not limited to my money only. It is giving the precious gift of my love, time, grace, and talents for the salvation of others. Using this gift so others may know who Christ is.

We see people caught up in their own lives. Headphones are getting bigger to make sure we cancel the noise around us when we travel or commute to work. Internet is getting faster so we can spend more time on social media and watch YouTube videos. Everything is getting less and less personal around us.

We have the gift of a personal God. A relational God who wants to love others personally and deeply. We have it. We should share it.

I remember when I first decided to truly commit my life and my gifts to the service of God. One parable that Christ our Savior said really stood out to me over and over. The parable in Matthew 25:14-30, where a man gives talents to three servants. Two of the servants gain more than what they receive. But one servant buries his treasure, afraid to multiply it. I used to feel like that one servant. I was given a treasure but I buried it in my fears, selfishness and self-absorbed life.

My prayer this Lent is that we are like the servants who were given the treasure and they went out and made more treasures.

There are many things that stop me and stop us from giving. Maybe I limit myself by my lack of knowledge, language, fears, rejections, perceptions of myself and my past life, and my insecurities. What limits you?

One of my son’s favorite movie is Evan Almighty. After the main character, Evan, faces a lot of ridicule from his family, neighbors, co-workers, and more for following God’s call, a news reporter asks him, “what makes you so sure that God chose you?” Evan’s response, “God chose all of us.”

God calls all of us, not just the ones who are ordained as a priest. We all carry His gift and treasure. Now it is up to you to respond to that call and share that gift. So others may know Him and His love.

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

Naturally, when you have a relationship with God, you will want to share your gifts with others. Maybe God has gifted you with song, medicine, teaching, writing, fitness, hospitality, or many more things. Use those gifts to serve God and show others God’s love. Don’t be afraid to use your gifts.

Put aside the things that limit you, pray and fast for them during this time of Lent. And give. Give the gift of His love to others by using your gifts.

(c) Fr Abraham and Dalia Fam. goCoptic (March 12, 2019). Original post – https://gocoptic.org/confessions-of-a-priests-wife/

What Goes Unheard

What Goes Unheard

By Makrina Williams

Originally seen at goCoptic blog (September 19, 2019)

There is a woman who despises her femininity; loathes any sign of beauty that can welcome trespassers, like the time she was 7 years old. Because he took what was never meant for him, and amongst the broken pieces he shattered, he left her not only hating him, but hating herself too.

Behind her tough exterior, she is beautiful and she is soft. To everyone, she hides her vulnerability and femininity; no one ever thought to look deep into her heart. No one ever thought to ask her why. Instead, they criticize and laugh.

We sit in each other’s presence; ask questions like we are students of each other’s heart. She opens out her beating muscle and shows me every place that it has been pierced. And though there are puncture wounds that cause my body to shut down in anguish, I keep listening, and watch the map of her unfold before my weary eyes.

For we are more than what we choose to display on our surface. We are more than the stories we tell every day. We are all a uniquely precious story.

She asks me what it feels like to live with both my parents. 

I tell her the truth; it is both beautiful and painful. Beautiful in the security and love I have always known. Painful because I know a beauty that many people have been robbed of. I tell her that sometimes it hurts and I think it is not fair, that I fight with God, asking why only me. I tell her I wish she had what I had. I tell her I’m sorry.

She tells me he raped her at 7 years old and no one believed her. How he’s still a free man, walks down the same streets as she does, without any punishment. She sees him, but can’t bear the thought or sight of him. She desires to kill him with her own bare hands.

Her father is a polygamist. Aside from her mother, whom he left, he now has two wives. He can afford to pay double of all her needs, yet he does not pay even a tenth. She loves him and she hates him, and she prays that he would know that someone in the world is searching for him. He tells her she’s an adult now, that she has no need of a father. But she looks at me and tells me she craves fatherly affection. 

She asks me what it feels like to not be heard. 

She asks me what it feels like to be disowned. 

I am unqualified to answer. But I ask her right back.

What if we are called to be pursuers of each other’s stories? Instead of living on the surface of each other, caressing only the superficial layers. What if we are to whole heartedly pursue the truth in others, like when Christ met the woman at the well, pursuing her story beyond what people see and know, asking her real questions. Because to Him, the heart matters.

What if this is the real liturgy we are called for; the real work of the people? To hold hands and embrace hearts, to learn the story behind every war, and never let a day fall without calling out the beauty from the ashes left by the wars.

What if this is the real liturgy; witnessing the presence of Christ in everyday life? To behold Him in the man with post-traumatic stress, within the ache of every father wound, amidst the hunger for power and success, more than in the steeple and in the liturgy books?

Sometimes the books, the services, all equate to great things, but what if the Greatest is found on the streets? Like the Mama by the roadside selling fritters, who greets me daily, the woman who cries out for Jesus no matter how intoxicated she is. What if the battle stories, and the scars, those tears and the way they have formed behaviors are the most glorious thing we will ever encounter? Like Christ who lived most of his days not in the synagogues but on the streets, and allowed every interruption to befall him. 

What if living lies right here, amidst the stories of love, loss and abandonment. What if these stories are what we are called to pursue?

This here is her story. This is her voice.

True Christian spirituality is not just about “my soul” or the “self.” Spirituality that is Christian is always about taking responsibility for belonging to others, about sharing their concerns, about bearing others’ burdens and washing each other’s feet.  – Kevin Irwin, Models of the Eucharist

What can you do? 

There are many with her story and others like her.

Of women with a broken past and they try to find their healing in the streets.

There are now over 20 women who work daily and not with their bodies. Some nights they are back on the streets, not to sell themselves again, but to reach out and empower other women. They take food to their sisters on the street, they pray and share the Word of God with them, and encourage them to come and start earning money in a new way. This ministry is now led by these courageous women who chose to leave the street that they may have life.

Sometimes the mission field sounds glamorous and easy, but for many of these women, leaving their former life behind is extremely difficult. After years of quick, easy money and sensual pleasures, it is difficult for them to now deal with the emotional wounds they once masked. Recovery and healing are a long road to walk, and we are so proud of our sisters for choosing to take on this journey.

The need here is greater than ever before, and the devil’s playground is ripe and ready for Gods laborers.

“being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ”

Philippians 1:6

(c) Fr Abraham and Dalia Fam (September 19, 2019). goCoptic. What Goes Unheard by Makrina Williams. Original post – https://gocoptic.org/what-goes-unheard/