Mostrando resultados por autor "Bishoy Boshra Behnam" en Todas las categorías

Repentance is an opening up of the heart so it can accept the joyful Kingdom of God; it is the exercise of a son or a daughter who longs to enter inside the new depths of his/her heavenly Father’s bosom; it is a renewal of the inner man as he/she longs to reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Epistle to Ephesians 4:13). Indeed, repentance is a renouncing of sins that prevail in the darkness, and the bonding to the divine Light, the Grantor of victory. As for confession, it cannot be separated from true inner repentance. They both work together to fulfill the ...

The Lord Jesus granted His disciples His name, not merely to perform miracles, heal the sick, take out demons. Still, also He has emphasized to them the power of His name while saying: "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you." (John 16:23), meaning through Him, we can reach the Father and enjoy eternal glory. The seventy apostles realized the power the name of Jesus as they said: "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." (Luke 10:17). Isaiah the prophet described in his song of thanksgiving...

The Book of Psalms is the Church’s eternal prayer book: uniting heaven and earth, soul and body, suffering and glory. In this Patristic Commentary, the Psalms are presented as a living journey of the soul, shaped by the voice of Christ, the experience of the early Church Fathers, and the rhythm of salvation history. This first volume introduces the structure, spirit, and depth of the Psalms, preparing to walk through each Psalm not only as prayer and poetry, but as prophecy fulfilled in Christ. Themes include: The fivefold division of the Psalter and its spiritual meaning The Psalms as ...

Perhaps some may wonder why the divine inspiration used this courting style to express the mutual love between God and His Church. Through the divine inspiration, God speaks to us with the same style in a colloquial manner. Moreover, He also uses the same expressions we use, so that the inspiration is not foreign to us. This interpretation of the divine love as a spiritual marital love that binds the soul with God is not strange in the Bible, but has been used by both the prophets of the Old Testament as well as the Disciples of the New Testament. We shall see this when we discuss the “...

Whoever reads the Book of Revelation discovers what Christian worship actually is. It is not just duties to be carried out, rituals to be performed, or orders to be observed, but one sees through all that the invisible divine hands hurrying towards him to receive him, embrace him and raise him to heavens where he lives as a partner in the eternal glory. Whoever tastes the Book of Revelation, no matter how much his fasts are, how long his prayers are, his kneelings, asceticism, suffering and his everyday crucifixion, they all turn to unspeakable joy and happiness. Through this Book, one is ...

Every believer can relate to this Catechism series, regardless of his nationality. He is about becoming a man of God and His beloved Son, so that his heart may be filled with love for all humankind, praying for everyone, even to those who persecute the Church. It invites us to enjoy the heavenly experience, righteousness in faith and growth in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our teacher St. Paul talks about “the mystery that was kept secret since the world began” (Cf. Rom 16:25). He refers to God’s work in the New Testament, Who fulfilled the mysterious Heavenly plan so that ...

Christ our Lord entered with us into the experience of His Glorious Resurrection through His death. His death is called a Christian Pascha or Passover; He passed over with us while we are still in this world into the token of Heaven (1 Cor. 5:7). That is what all believers experience, from the young to the elderly. Under all circumstances, the believer feels that the week of Holy Pascha is the generator, that brings forth the power and joy of the Resurrection, to live all the days of one’s life as if one is in Heaven itself. In that week, a wonderful message is noticed: cleave to the ...

With every book of the Holy Scripture, in both the Old and the New Testaments, our hearts are drawn more toward Jesus the Lord of Glory, in order to get to know Him more and to kindle the fire of our love for Him inside us. It brings us to anticipate with great longing His coming to carry us with Him up to the bosom of God the Father so we may enjoy the exalted secret of God. This book confirms the preoccupation of God the Creator in the affairs of men. In His care for us, He grants us the divine wisdom to keep us in this world, to let us bear a creative mind and by it to grants us eternity...

- The Book of Genesis, as the first Book in the Holy Bible, is considered as the living prelude to understanding the word of God. It gave us the broad lines that were manifested and realized in the Books to follow. In the Book of Genesis, as God reveals His love for man through creation, He continues to talk about His love by renewing creation, until the new earth and the new heaven appear in the Book of Revelation. - In the Book of Genesis, God promised Abraham that his children will inherit the kingdom of heaven. And, in the New Testament, the kingdom was revealed in the children of ...

This final volume in the Patristic Commentary on the Book of Isaiah brings the prophetic masterpiece to its majestic conclusion. Covering chapters 40–66, this section of Isaiah shifts from chastisement and judgment to comfort, renewal, and the vision of ultimate salvation. Through the voice of the prophet and the lens of the early Church Fathers, Isaiah now proclaims God as the Holy Comforter—the One who lifts, restores, and redeems His people. Drawing from the Coptic Orthodox tradition and the writings of saints and patristic scholars, this commentary invites readers into a profound ...

A long time ago, Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and had destroyed the city and its walls. The Samaritans and the opposing gentiles found destroying the walls an opportunity to enter without resistance from its inhabitants. God has allowed that to chastise His people for a time. Also, God ordered Cyrus, the king of Persia, to return the Jews from captivity and build the temple. So He sent Zerubbabel and all the Jews who wanted to return, and they started putting the foundation of the temple; however, the enemies opposed them, but finally, it was built. After...

Young children as well as grown ups can gain much happiness from listening to the beautiful stories which are told in the book of Exodus, despite the fact that these stories took place more than thirty centuries ago. Now I want you to close your eyes and imagine Miriam, the prophetess and sister of Aaron and Moses, imagine that you are sitting by her side along with the other children gathered around. Miriam loved to tell stories, and the children loved to hear them. She would tell them about things she herself had seen and had heard. Miriam kept many of these stories in her heart and mind,...

Immerse yourself in the spiritual journey of "Fasting," a short pamphlet exploring the ancient Christian practice as viewed through the lens of the Coptic Orthodox Church. With a blend of biblical narratives and theological insights, this guide invites believers and seekers alike to experience the transformative power of fasting. "Fasting is a calling to see God," begins the pamphlet, addressing the innate questions about the purpose and necessity of this discipline, far from a mere abstention from food. Journey through the experiences of Moses and Elijah, whose mountaintops during periods ...

The Books of the Prophets were written during the Dark Age in the history of the Jewish people. God sent His prophets to deliver His message fearlessly before kings, priests and ordinary people. God proclaims His love of mankind by bestowing the gift of prophecy on His children. The essence of prophecy is to reveal God’s secret thoughts and plans for His children. Prophecy is highly esteemed and occupies nearly one third of the Bible. Scholars traditionally divide the Books of Prophets into Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel) and Minor Prophets (the rest of the Books of ...

The child Mark brimmed with excitement as he and his family made their way to Kennedy Airport in New York to board their flight departing for Cairo. It would be the first time he would travel by jet and his first visit to Egypt. Mark sat next to the window; on the other side sat his older brother, Andrew. Mark was deep in thought while the aeroplane ascended through the clouds going toward Egypt. After a while, Andrew asked his younger brother, "O Mark, what are you thinking?" Mark answered him: "Andrew, as we jet our way above the clouds toward Egypt, I remember what Tasony (Sister) ...

Rediscover Divine Love and Holiness with Malachi "The Book of Malachi" stands as a divine beacon, concluding the Old Testament of the Holy Bible with a powerful declaration of God's unconditional love for all of humanity. This work is a call to authentic worship, a stirring invitation to return to God through sincere repentance, opening the way for anyone to join in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. That volume explores the historical and societal contexts that shaped Malachi's words, revealing the challenges a community grappling with disillusionment and spiritual neglect faces. He ...

The Book of Ben Sirach clarifies that the first step towards enjoying wisdom is to attain the fear of the Lord. Then the believer is prepared to receive wisdom as a gift from God. The fear of the Lord is not unjust, but a means to honor; it is a crown of glory, loftiness, and constant gladness and rejoicing until the moment of death. Ben Sirach differentiates between fear leading to grief and shame, and fear which grants honor and glory (4:20-21) and lasting gladness. The first kind of fear occurs as a psychological disease leading to a condition of depression. In contrast, holy fear, which...

This epistle is considered the sweetest of the epistles written by the apostle Paul. It is as though an essay sent by him to the church in all eras, and to every believer in all times, exhorting them to live perpetually exulting, despite any situation prevailing around them; through practicing the new life that knows no idleness, but is on an un-ceasing motion in Christ Jesus. The apostle wrote this epistle to a congregation with which he had a special relationship of love, that made them provide him with gifts to spend on the message of the gospel; whether concerning his necessary needs, ...

The Family and Friends The Book of Ben Sirach may be considered a book of wisdom based on God's precepts and intended for practicing a life that is pleasing to Him. The book carefully examines the relationships between men and women, especially those between the couple, the family members, and connections between friends. Amazingly, it deals with some issues that date back to about 2200 years, yet these writings continue to be helpful and applicable up to the present day. Marriage or family life is the basis upon which society is founded. If it is dissolved, the corporation is dissolved ...

Dogmas are the interpretation of our experience of God, in the Crucified and Risen Jesus Christ. This experience through the ages does not alter, for Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). The disciples and apostles (and bishops afterwards) did not sit around a table and agree to teach new dogmas, but rather they preached their Christian experience. As St. John says, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John 1:3). Thus, all Christian dogmas produced are the church's experience of the Crucified and Risen Christ. "Truth" and "Love" at the...