وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Not only did the evil spirits come out by the Lord's command, but also in His name. When the disciples said to Him: "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name" (Lk. 10: 17), it was because He had given them authority over every power of the adversary. This is the difference between the Lord and human beings in casting out demons: He cast them out by His authority whereas they cast them out by His authority and not by their order. Thus the Lord said about those who would believe in Him: "In My name they will cast out demons" (Mk. 16:17). An example of this is the incident of the slave-girl who was possessed with a spirit of divination and who followed St. Paul. The Book of Acts says that St. Paul "turned and said to the spirit, 'I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.' And he came out that very hour" (Acts 16:18).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





We observe that casting out demons is mentioned under three different names for demons: either the plain word demons, or evil spirits, or mad persons, as is clear from the previous examples, and from the following verses: (Lk. 10:17,20), (Mk. 7:25,26,29), (Lk. 8:29,30), (Lk. 9:42), (Lk. 10:17,20) and (Matt. 10: 1,8).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The phrase: "To Him be glory and dominion forever"
belongs to God alone. It is included in the
Seraphim's praise to God in the Book
of Isaiah, chapter 6, verse 3.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





However, the Holy Bible gives us the idea that the Lord Jesus Christ has this glory which befits Him as God: He sits in His glory, as the Judge of all peoples and nations. Christ the Lord says: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne off His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him" (Matt. 25:31,32).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Moreover, the Holy Bible mentions that the Lord Jesus Christ has the same glory with the Father. Christ says: "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works" (Matt. 16:27), and: "Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels" (Lk. 9:26).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





How can the Lord Jesus Christ have the glory of the Father unless He is God Himself, because God is not rivalled by anyone in His glory, and He said: "I am the Lord, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another" (Is. 42:8)?

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The equality of the Son with the Father in glory is mentioned in the Book of Revelation with respect to the Son being "in the midst of the throne" (Rev. 7:17), and in the praise which the Visionary heard from every creature in heaven and on earth, . He heard them saying: "Blessing and honour and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!" (Rev. 5:13) The same glory and power due to the Father are due to the Son who is likened to a slain Lamb (Rev. 5:6). This equal glory is forever and ever and is undoubtedly proof of Christ's Divinity.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The Lord Jesus Christ says about this glory: "I.. sat downwith My Father on His throne"
(Rev. 3:21). He also says that He had this
glory with the Father before the world was (Jn. 17:4,5).

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Our teacher St. Peter the Apostle says: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen" (2 Pet. 3:18). The term "our Lord" together with the term "to Him be glory" are clear proofs of Christ's Divinity.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





The Apostle also says: "That in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen" (1 Pet. 4:1 1). How splendid it will be if we compare the last two verses with the words of St. Jude the Apostle: to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen" (Jude: 25). The glory attributed to the Father is the same glory attributed to the Son.