منتدى الفرح المسيحى - وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

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H.H. Pope Tawadros II

“Stories of the Planted Tree Series” (Part 8) – “The Salvation of the World and the Trinity in the Angel’s Annunciation to the Virgin”

H.H. Pope Tawadros II delivered his weekly sermon this Wednesday evening from El-Botroseya Church at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in Abbassiya. The sermon was broadcast through Christian satellite channels and via the online C.O.C channel of the Church’s Media Center.

His Holiness led the Vespers service with the participation of a number of bishops and priests, followed by a welcoming address from Hegumen Antonios Mounir, priest of the church. Fr. Antonios expressed his joy at His Holiness’ visit and commended his multiple roles in advancing pastoral ministry in the church.

The church’s “Ni Apostolos” choir performed a selection of hymns and praises, for which Pope Tawadros offered words of encouragement. His Holiness also honored the church’s high-school students for their success.

Continuing the series “Stories of the Planted Tree”, Pope Tawadros spoke on the topic: “The Salvation of the World in the Annunciation to Virgin Mary”, reading from the Gospel according to St. Luke, chapter 1, verses 26–34, and highlighting God’s love for the world as revealed in the angel’s message to Virgin Mary.

He explained God’s love for the world through the verse: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

He showed how God’s love was manifested at the very beginning of the New Covenant: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35).
For our knowledge of the Trinity in the New Testament began through the angel’s annunciation to Virgin Mary.

Pope Tawadros pointed out that in the minds of the Fathers of the Council of Nicaea, during their theological discussions with the heretic Arius, was the expression: “God is love” (1 John 4:8).

It was from this truth that they formulated the Nicene Creed.

His Holiness explained that the Creed contains affirmations of our faith in the one God, which we express through “God is love,” as follows:

“Truly we believe in one God” – meaning God loves all people; He is the Pantocrator and beneficent.
“We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ” – in this we see the beloved God for what He has done for us: “We love Him because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19).
“Yes, we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Lifegiver, who proceeds from the Father” – meaning God is the Giver of the Spirit of love to mankind, and when one receives the Holy Spirit, one becomes heavenly.

Pope Tawadros also noted some foreshadowings of the Trinity in the Old Testament:

-“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
The word “God” here, in Hebrew ‘Elohim,’ is plural in form – a hint toward the Trinity.
-“Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’” (Genesis 1:26)
This shows that each of us carries the breath of life from the one God.

He further explained that the Trinity is clearly revealed in the New Testament, for example:
“In the beginning was the Word (the Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life (Holy Spirit), and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:1–5).

His Holiness offered an explanation of love through the word “Hypostasis”:
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
For there is no salvation for humanity apart from the three Hypostases:

The Father – a Syriac term meaning source, origin, or fountain.
The Son– a human expression without reference to biological generation, similar to the phrase “son of Egypt.”
The Holy Spirit – it is the fire that gives life.

He clarified that the term ‘Hypostasis’ is Syriac, meaning distinct personal characteristic. Without it, the divine essence does not exist. The divine essence is one, and the three Hypostases are distinct in operation but inseparable.

Pope Tawadros concluded that Virgin Mary opened for us the door, and through her God inaugurated the salvation of the world:
“The Holy Spirit (Hypostasis of the Holy Spirit) will come upon you, and the power of the Highest (Hypostasis of God the Father) will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Hypostasis of the Son)” (Luke 1:35).

Thus, when we pray the Creed, we ought to keep in mind: “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and so confess the Holy Trinity.