Teadfastness of the churches

[Mary Naeem]

TEADFASTNESS OF THE CHURCHES – Weekly Wednesday Sermon H.H. Pope Tawadros II – November 14, 2018
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, amen. May His grace and blessing rest upon us, from now and unto eternity, amen.

By the grace of Christ, I will read a portion of the 16th Chapter from the Gospel of our teacher St. Matthew. This is a definitive chapter because it is here where the Lord Jesus Christ ascends to the highest point in Palestine, which was in Caesarea Philippi, and begins to ask His disciples two important questions, after which began the preparation for the events for the Cross.

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

14 So they said, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
(Mt 16:13-19)

And in order to be sure that these words were not meant for St. Peter alone but for all the disciples, Jesus speaks the following words to the disciples as a group:
18 “Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”
(Mt 18:18-20)
The grace of God the Father be with us all, amen.
Introduction to the Creed
We exalt you, the Mother of the true Light, and we glorify you, O saint and Theotokos, for you brought forth unto us the Savior of the whole world; He came and saved our souls.
Glory to You, our Master, our King, Christ, the pride of the Apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the joy of the righteous, the steadfastness of the churches, and the forgiveness of sins.
We proclaim the Holy Trinity in one Godhead. We worship Him. We glorify Him. Lord have mercy. Lord have mercy. Lord bless. Amen.
On the occasion of consecrating the new Cathedral, but also appropriate with the ordination of new churches in general, I would like to speak to you about a statement we make in the Introduction to the Creed: “steadfastness of the churches.” After we exalt the Mother and give glory to You O Christ, we then state five characteristics of Christ:
1. Pride of the Apostles,
2. Crown of the martyrs,
3. Joy of the righteous,
4. Steadfastness of the churches, and
5. Forgiveness of sins
In previous sermons I spoke to you about the first three points, so tonight I would like to speak with you about the fourth point: steadfastness of the churches.
Glory to You, our Master, our King, Christ, the pride of the Apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the joy of the righteous, the steadfastness of the churches – and during Liturgical litanies we pray saying, “We ask You Christ our King, establish the foundation of the Church.”
And when St. Peter the Apostle declared this faith and declared it fervently and on behalf of the rest of the apostles, because he did not even give them a chance to speak, he said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” the Lord Jesus Christ told him, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church,” and this was the only time the words ‘My church’ appeared in the Gospels.
The Church belongs to Christ, just as you or I might say, “My notebook or my cross or my pen,” and so this verse is a very important one to show us that the Church belongs to Christ, He is the One who owns her, which is why we say that He is the steadfastness of the churches.
For any building to be steadfast it must have a foundation, and there is no stronger foundation than rock. If a house is built on sand, it is easily taken down by storms. And the word ‘rock’ here does not only mean material rock, but also the symbolic meaning of rock, because when Christ said “on this rock I will build My church,” He was talking about the rock of faith. So the Church is built on rock and the Lord Christ is the cornerstone.
But why did He specifically use the word ‘rock?’ Because the word ‘rock’ symbolizes a place of refuge. Mountain caves are always made of rock, and so they are places of refuge, places of protection.
The word ‘rock’ appears many times in the Scriptures, especially in the Psalms of David when he says, “The Lord is my rock and my fortress,” and “The Lord is the rock of my refuge,” and “You lead me to a rock that is higher than I,” and so rocks symbolize places of refuge and safety.
And whenever we think of the word ‘refuge,’ we think of a place where those who are in despair or weak take sanctuary in. I remember a story of a man who worked as a chef in a hotel. And when he considered all the food that was getting thrown out daily he thought, “This is too bad. This food is good and can be of benefit to others.”
And an idea came to him to open “Restaurants of love,” which would offer food to the poor, the needy, and those who were homeless. And he began to open these restaurants which can now be found in several countries, including Lebanon, France, and other countries across Europe. And these restaurants have become a refuge for those in despair, those who are needy, for orphans, and for youth.
The other aspect of the word ‘rock’ is its solidity, and solidity here means something that is unchanging. A mountain is mountain and a rock is rock, and so “on this rock I will build My church” means, I will build it on a solid, unchanging mountain, which is the mountain of righteous faith.
The word ‘rock’ also means steadfastness and continuity, for example, when we speak of a mountain range, we know that it will remain to be a series of mountains. When we make maps and map out mountain ranges, you see that mountains continue to be mountains and they remain in place. And although in Egypt we celebrate the story of the moving of Mount Mokattam, this was an exceptional event. The rock is the rock of faith.
We also say of Christ that He is the cornerstone and cornerstones have two meanings. In the past they would make the bricks in the shape of the building that was being built, for example, if they were building a rectangular building, they would make the bricks in the shape of rectangles, as if each brick were a miniature model for the entire building. Similarly, if a building was going to be square or circular, the bricks would be made according to that pattern and would be called the ‘cornerstone’ or the ‘foundation stone.’
Another meaning of ‘cornerstone’ is taken from when they used to build doors, they would build them rock by rock, from the bottom up, placing a rock on the right and a rock on the left. And when they reached the top they would make the arch of the door, at which point they would place a rock at the center of the arch to wedge the two shoulders of the door, and that rock would be called the cornerstone.
Christ is the cornerstone in the Church building. And when we build a physical church building or any building, the person in charge will usually place a foundation stone in the ground where the building will be built, to initiate the construction project. And so this engineering expression is a nice way of saying that being the cornerstone, Christ will be our pattern, example, and leader, as St. Peter says, “As He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Pet 1:15).
We call the Bible ‘holy,’ we call the Liturgy ‘holy,’ we call our prayer books ‘holy,’ when we speak to God we say, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy,’ and when a person lives a virtuous life we say they are ‘holy,’ and so the spirit of holiness and words of holiness are always present with us in the Church.
Where does the steadfastness of churches come from? As we know, the Church is the body, bride, or Church of Christ, as the Lord Christ told St. Peter in the Scripture we just read. But keep in mind that the nature of the Church is heavenly; the Church is a part of heaven. Yes, it has walls and stones and a roof and a door, but in its nature, the Church is a part of heaven, as we say at the end of every Liturgy, “Praise God all you His saints,” because we have entered into the company of the saints.
And it is because the Church is a part of heaven that the enemy of Good is always fighting against her; he wants to prevent people from heaven. And this is his goal, he wants to prevent people from heaven.
And when we pray we say, “On earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10) – as beautiful as heaven is, so the Church must also be beautiful, it must be magnificent, astonishing; it must be heavenly. I don’t suppose that in heaven I would find a piece of trash or dust, and so I should not find anything dusty in the Church. And so, “on earth as it is in heaven” means we are to maintain the Church and churches in this image.
And when the Lord Christ said, “And on this rock I will build My church,” He is declaring Himself to be the owner of it. There is a very nice statement made in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah 27, it says, “In that day sing to her, “A vineyard of red wine! I, the LORD, keep it, I water it every moment; Lest any hurt it, I keep it night and day” (Isa 27:2-3).
What does steadfastness of the churches mean? How can the Church be steadfast, or what are the causes for the steadfastness of churches? I will tell you four main foundations.
1- The Holy Bible
The first thing for the steadfastness of churches is the Holy Bible, for the Holy Bible is the primary document of the Christian faith. Where is it that we get our faith from? From the Holy Bible that we live by; it is the source of faith, the source of doctrine, and the source of spiritual life – all this comes from the Bible.
When we pray the Liturgy we are told, “Stand in fear and trembling,” why? “For the hearing of the Holy Gospel.” Because every letter and every word is of importance in a person’s life. One of the great sins of this age is the disregard of the Word of God; the Word comes in one ear and goes out the other.
Do you remember the parable of the sower? When the seeds fall on the path the birds come and take them, and then they are gone. One of the great sins is disregard for the Word of God – to not believe it, to not take it seriously. We think they are just words, just some nice words. And because the world, more than ever before, is full of words, we do not even notice the Bible, despite the fact that the Bible is what teaches us about all the details of life; both your personal life and the life of the Church.

And so the first thing in the steadfastness of churches is the Holy Bible, which gives us the true faith. In 2 Timothy he says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17), and “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:20-21).
I think you all like and have memorized the verse in Matthew 4:4, what does it say? “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Do we mean this when we say it? Do you really understand this commandment? Do you take every word from the mouth of God and apply it in your life, or do you just have the attitude of, “Well, I come to church, I hear some words, some nice words, and that’s it,” or do you actually live by the commandment?
Do you actually enjoy the depths of the commandment? As St. John the Golden-Mouth tells us, “The Holy Bible is a pearl mine” – a mine. Mines are deep underground, and people have to descend into them to retrieve what is precious, what is hidden. The Holy Bible is also like this, it is a mine you enter into so that you may come out with precious pearls.
The Holy Bible is what gives you light along your path, and the more you read it, both in church and at home, the more it will give you that inner light whereby you can understand your path and your life, which will in turn strengthen your faith.
In the Old Testament we read about when King Saul disobeyed the commandment of God, how although he was a king and not a priest, he offered a burnt sacrifice anyway. Instead of waiting for the Prophet Samuel to arrive, King Saul lost his patience and offered the burnt sacrifice in his stead.
And this is what Samuel said to him: “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue” (1 Sam 13:13-14) – because he broke the commandment. Because he broke the commandment.
When you find some weakness in your life, know that this is a result of a commandment that has been broken. Samuel went on to say, “The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you” (1 Sam 13:14) – he broke the commandment.
The Holy Bible is what gives the Church steadfastness. And that is why one of the beautiful things about our Church is Bible study – to have Bible study meetings. In the history of the life of St. Anba Abraam, Bishop of Faiyum, he would have group meetings with people where they would come, read the Bible, close it, go home, and come back again – reading only. This is a good thing.
And so I want you to know that wherever you read the Holy Bible, whether at church or at home, you are making that place more holy and giving it steadfastness. And it is in this way that as individuals, as believers, and as the body of Christ, we work together with the Bible to make the Church steadfast.
You may also remember the story of Timothy the deacon and his bride, Maura. While they were still on their honeymoon, the persecutors came and demanded that Timothy give them the holy books of the Church, which must have of course included the Holy Bible – and keep in mind that books back then were not as abundant or in the form we have today, but they were most likely written manuscripts – his response to them was, “Does a person hand over their children?” He considered these books to be his children. These books were rare and only found in churches. His wife responded to the persecutors in the same way and thus, they both attained their martyrdom on the same day.
The Church is made steadfast by her relationship with the Holy Bible. And the Holy Bible does not just include the literal Holy Bible, for many other things have come from the Holy Bible. For example, praises and doxologies are all taken from sections in the Holy Bible, and the Agpeya – it too contains sections from the Holy Bible, and the Liturgy – it too contains sections from the Holy Bible, and the Faith Creed – its statements come from the Holy Bible.
Know this: we learn the Bible in the church and we practice what we learn in our daily lives, everywhere. As St. Paul tells us, “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Phil 1:27).
2- The Holy Tradition
The second matter is that of the Holy Tradition. Our Church is a traditional Church, but what does that mean? It means that it is a Church who received certain matters orally. A father teaches his son, the son grows up and teaches his son, and as we say in church, “From generation to generation.”
For example, the most basic and simplest thing we received from the Oral Tradition was making the sign of the cross. There is no commandment in the Bible that tells us to do this nor that tells us the manner in which to do it, then where did we get it from? From the Oral Tradition.
We can see this when parents teach their young child how to make the sign of the cross. At first the child does not know how to do it and may do it incorrectly for some time, but once the child gets it, he gets it, and we can say that he has now “received” the right way to make the sign of the cross. Or when we teach hymns or praises with their specific melodies, where do we get all this from? From the Oral Tradition.
Tradition is the passing down of certain matters from person to person and from generation to generation, and this handing down encompasses many different things, for example, St. Paul tells us, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you” (1 Cor 11:23). And so the Holy Tradition is what has preserved many things for us, such as the hymns, the Liturgies, and the various forms of art we learn in church, including musical art, the making of icons and handicrafts, such as the leather crosses we make in our monasteries; all these things were handed down from and taught from one generation to another.
Add to that the many other things we received from past generations and we continue to live by and practice today. You can also see this handing down tradition when you read books such as the The Paradise of the Holy Fathers, where you will often read, “A monk asked an elder” – and so knowledge was passed down.
And so it is that the observance of the practices handed down by the Holy Tradition give the churches steadfastness, as well give the Coptic person his or her identity as a Copt. For example, when a person enters a church, makes the sign of the cross, kneels before the altar, touches the veil and the icons to receive blessings, participates in the hymns, enjoys the icons, and practices this entire way of thinking, and all this, we learned from the Holy Tradition.
In 2 Thessalonians 2:15 he says, “Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle,” meaning whether they were oral or written teachings. And so both the Holy Bible and the Holy Tradition make churches steadfast and shape the lives of Coptic people.
3- The Holy Sacraments
The third thing that makes for the steadfastness of the churches are the Holy Sacraments. Because what else is a church except a place where Divine Sacraments are practiced? And there are two types of sacraments: ones that are not repeated (like baptism, confirmation with oil of holy Myron, and priesthood) and ones that are repeated (like repentance and confession, Holy Communion, anointing of the sick, and holy matrimony).
We receive the grace of God through the holy sacraments, and we receive this grace from within the church, that is why Christ said, “I will build My church.” And so when you enter a church you are entering a place that belongs to Christ; I am coming to meet with Christ, and I meet with Him through these sacraments.
On days we go to church to attend the Holy Liturgy, these are special days in the life of a person, days of unique grace, especially because they are opportunities to prepare with the sacrament of repentance and confession, and to participate in the sacrament of holy communion.
We even learn other nice things from the Holy Tradition like to not walk barefoot or cut our nails or hair after having had Holy Communion. These traditions are so simple, but they are that which give meaning and essence to the Church. And when in church and I sing a hymn, pray, praise, hold the communion cloth in my hand, and so on, I get the opportunity to enter into a heavenly environment. And as I said before, on earth as it is in heaven, so we try to make earth more like heaven.
God’s Spirit works through the sacraments and this gives steadfastness to the churches, and you can feel this specialness when you enter a monastery or a church, it’s like they have a special scent and a unique holiness. Because how many times has incense been raised, Liturgies held, hymns sung, prayers made, the Bible been read in such places? All these practices make a place holy and of historical value.
4- Holy Fatherhood
In 1 Peter he tells us, “For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Pet 2:25), and by this he means Christ. The first title or characteristic we see in Christ is that of the good shepherd, and during Liturgies where we are ordaining bishops, metropolitans and popes, we pray from John 10, the chapter where the Lord said, “I am the good shepherd” (Jn 10:11).
The work of the Church is that of shepherding, and the perfect picture of this is when the Lord says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (Jn 10:27). Whether a bishop, a priest, a deacon, or a servant, a shepherd knows every single person in his flock. Examples of this are a Sunday School teacher who knows the names of every child in their class, or when a priest knows everyone in his congregation, or when a bishop knows everyone in his diocese; this is what it means to shepherd.
And one of the great things we have in the Coptic Church is pastoral care visits (whether by priests or Church servants) which we always say is the primary work of a priest, a bishop, or a church servant – to visit people is a form of shepherding and care.
In John 20:22-23 it says, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained” – this is fulfilled through the work of pastoral care that reaches every person and helps each person come to repentance. And St. Paul confirms this pastoral responsibility when he tells his disciple Timothy, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim 1:6).
Pastoring is a responsibility, and so when the Lord Christ talks to us about the good shepherd in John 10, He presents the negative version right alongside it – which is the hired shepherd, who is the thief. And so what keeps our churches steadfast and protected is the continual work of the shepherds – watchful shepherds, shepherds that pay attention and care for their children, shepherds who provide for their flocks, their congregations, with their needs.
Providing this care is one of the works of the Church, for the Church is not merely walls or buildings, but the Church is care, and those who serve us in the Church are given the name “Abouna,” which is a topic I would like to speak with you about another time, the topic of the meaning of fatherhood .
The title of “Abouna” and Abouna is what gathers us together as a group, because we are his flock and he is responsible for us all. Just as we say to God “Our Father in heaven” (Mt 6:9), we address the priest who cares for us as “our father,” which is the meaning of the word “Abouna,” and this word has its own unique charm during ministry service and in the church.
And the work of shepherding is a work that extends throughout history. When we look at the lineage of Church Popes, we call them by their number in the chain, for example, Pope Kyrillos the 116th Pope, Pope Shenouda – the 117th Pope. And we continue in this orderly chain in order to demonstrate that the Church’s work of shepherding is continuous.
And if you were to read the history of the Church over the last 20 centuries you would find it to be a beautiful story; she faced difficulties but she also had victories, and she lived on. Beautiful stories of how Abounas of times past would use very primitive means to travel long distances, on unformed roads, just to visit everyone in the flock and care for them.
Glory to You, our Master, our King, Christ, the pride of the Apostles, the crown of the martyrs, the joy of the righteous, the steadfastness of the churches, and the forgiveness of sins.
Churches steadfast in the faith and who continue to live by this faith across the ages, from year to year and from generation to generation.
Glory be to God forever and ever, amen.