وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

Holy sayings

TEACHING

Truly wise is not the one who teaches with words, but the one who teaches with his example.

Abbas Iperehios

THE TEACHER

The true teacher is the one who doesn’t desire high positions and he is clear of vanity and pride. Further, he cannot be tricked by flattery, he is not blinded by presents, he is not ruled by anger, but on the contrary he is forbearing, lenient, more humble than everybody, accepted by everybody, patient, farsighted, and philanthropist.

Amma Theodora

THE LEADER

My brother, if they put you in charge, don’t be prideful, but be among your subordinates like you are still one of them. Always think your previous hard work, when you were under someone else. Care about your subordinates and don’t forget them. Because the one who cares about his subordinates and teaches and helps them with proper advices, he will be rewarded by God.

Saint Ephrem

[Mary Naeem]

Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee

We must take the Christian life seriously

Today, my brothers and sisters, as we enter into the holy period of Triodion, I would like to highlight how seriously we must take things. Look with what zeal others do that which they believe! They work with zeal, with cheerfulness, with drive, appetite, and boldness. Why must we Christians be such pseudo-Christians? Instead, let us be true Christians. Everyone tries to be faultless in that which they believe. Why, then, are we Christians not consistent with our faith? Why do we not take the truth of Christianity and the Christian life seriously –with cheerfulness, and with boldness? We must give our whole self to the spiritual life, to hurt a little, to keep vigil, to labour, to rouse one another.

The Lord has everyone in his hands, and truly wants all to return to him. All those, however, who do not return to him, all who want to follow their own faith and their own road, God allows them to do this. Turning towards us, however, God says to us: “You who profess to love me, and claim to acknowledge me as your Lord, what are you doing? Do not look at what the others do. Do not focus on what they lack regarding my commandments, and how much they sin against me. Those people have chosen this road and try to live in accordance with their faith. You who say you have chosen my road, how do you live?” With these words and in such a way, the Lord most certainly scolds and governs us.

Let us wait with longing for the period of Triodion. And when it comes, let us enter it not wearily but –as the troparia stress– with zeal, and with joy. God can not work with disinterest and sluggishness. He cannot work with a person who slumbers and is tired of living. God wants a zealous person, someone who is awake. He wants a person who does not hesitate to give his whole self, a person who gives whatever strengths he has to God and works with him.

[Mary Naeem]

Holy sayings

Proper leadership

When you are in charge, the one who doesn’t listen to you and obey you with your first word, don’t pressure and quarrel with him, and you will gain the profit of obedience that he lost. Your forbearance will give you much more than to correct him.

Abbas Mark the Egyptian

Guidance

If you will feel anger, when you lecture and try to guide someone, then you are satisfying your own passions. It is not good to try to save others and to lose yourself.

St. Macarius the Great

[Mary Naeem]

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

And with our sins, even though we are Christians!

Theword ‘prodigal’ (ἄσωτος)comesfromtheverb ‘tosave’ (σώζω) and its negation, as is indicated by the alpha (α). After the fall, man finds himself in sin.Man’s purpose in this world, therefore, is to be savedfrom sin. Not simply for a few problems to be solved, a few difficulties fixed. Christ came into the world and took the name ‘Jesus’, which means Saviour. He came as the Saviour, to save the world from sin. Andwhenyoudonotthinkaboutsalvation, butdrowninallthese worldly things, then you live prodigally. It is not necessary for you to completely resemble the prodigal in the parable. As long as you spend your time in this world without concern for your salvation, you are prodigal.

What happened to the sin within you, my brother?Your soul, was it washed andhealedfrom the sin?Did you escape from sin?St. John the Evangelist and Apostle Paul tell us that, he who believes in Christ, who is grafted into Christ, and who is baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity–is baptized in the font and comes out a new man–has died to sin. Sin has no place in the saved man, i.e., in he who has died with Christ and is resurrected with Him.

We do nothing good when we become comfortable with things as they are: and with our sins, even though we are Christians. This will not work. And do not say: “Bah, man is weak”.Certainly man is weak. ButdoyoubelieveinChrist? Doyourun tohim? KeepHimwithinyou? IfyoubelieveinChristand He enters your soul and lives with you, he will heal you.It is impossible forChrist and sin to exist together within you.Man is not able to rid himself of even the slightest sin.Only Christdoes this work. And Christ will accomplish this in the man who entrusts his very being to Him. Otherwise, it is not possible for this to happen.

[Mary Naeem]

Cheesefare Sunday

Return to God

Great Lent is a forty-day period for us to return to God. Due to our sins, we find ourselves outside of paradise. Realizing this fact we seek forgiveness of our sins. If God forgives us, He will put us in paradise. For this reason, the Gospel reading for today’s divine liturgy highlights the first thing needed: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses,” (Matt. 6, 14-15). Run and do whatever you want. Strive according to your desire. But if you do not look after this very first thing, do not expect your sins to be forgiven. And if your sins are not forgiven, you will not enter into paradise. However much we seek forgiveness from God, that much more must we too forgive others.

And, now for the second point. It is impossible to conceive of Great Lent without fasting, as this fasting is a law of God and a law of the Church. During this period, our Lord, and our Church, want us to fast from material foods, but also from our passions, and from our weaknesses.

The third point that we, during this period, must pay attention to for our return to be true is: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth … lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” (Matt. 6, 19). When you do almsgiving, when you love, forgive others, think of others, think of heavenly things, of spiritual goods, and of all the things the Lord has promised us –not the earthly things down here–then you gain treasure there. Your heart, then, is there in heaven.

If your heart truly desires Christ, it will go towards heaven. From that perspective, we can take stock. Since our hearts do not go towards God –as if difficulties come to us, and like clockwork there are roadblocks– this means that we love other things more deeply than we love our Christ. This is in accordance with that which the Lords says: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also, ” (Matt. 6, 21).

[Mary Naeem]

Holy sayings

It is the light

The continuous study of the Holy Scriptures is the light of our soul and it protect us from the passions.

St. Isaak the Syrian

The enemy’s achievement

The devil achieved to hide himself and to make people to use other names for him. They are not willing to accept that is the devil who incites and stimulates egoism in all human beings.

St. Porfyrios of Kafsokalivia

They grow in there

Endure all afflictions, because in them they grow all virtues.

St Nilos the Ascetic

[Mary Naeem]

1st Sunday of the fast. Sunday of Orthodoxy

(John. 1, 44-52)

Orthodoxy is Christ

Orthodoxy isn’t a philosophic system or religion that forces us to suffer hardships, to be disciplined, or that has a list of requirements. Orthodoxy is Christ, and Christ is everything. And the point is to find that which is Christ, to be united with Christ—with the true Christ—for Christ to live in you and you to live in Christ, for you to find true life and to become a true human being. This is Orthodoxy. Through this thing called Orthodoxy, this thing called the Orthodox Church, the true Christ is revealed, who fills a human being, heals him, gladdens him, and makes a human being human.

An Orthodox person is someone who humbly, innocently, guilelessly, without insolence and being wise,bows the knee before God, and within the Church. He encounters Christ, and Christ is revealed to him, speaks to his soul. Such a person will spontaneously confess: “My Christ, you are my God; you are my Lord; you are everything. This is what I have been seeking my whole life, this is the truth, this is what every human being seeks: and I thank you that I found it”.

May God help us and make us worthy to become Orthodox in this sense. Then we will realize that what humanity lacks today is Orthodoxy in this sense of the word.

If things go badly in all the world, this happens so as to manifest to what degree everything has and will fail, because everything is a lie. The only thing that will remain is orthodox truth, that is, Christ, who did not make the world to be destroyed. The world moved toward destruction, but Christ became man and was revealed to men through His Church in order to save the world. And Christ will save the world by saving His Church.

[Mary Naeem]

Holy sayings

LISTENING

When someone has a problem, you must listen to him carefully. The entire time that he is talking do not show him that you got tired, because then you lost everything. One time I was listening to a young man for nine hours without moving. This is why I got a problem with my intestines!

St. Paisios the Hagiorate

PREPARATION FOR PRAYING

To pray, you need to create for yourself the proper “climate”. Then the Lord himself will teach us how to pray. An Elder used to say that in order to have light in your house, you need to install in your house the right hardware, switches, etc. Therefore, there are certain prerequisites to praying. These are: 1) some preparatory prayers, 2) to ask the Lord to have tears, 3) burning incenses, 4) lighting of a candle, 5) silence, 6) no worrying, 7) some prior study (i.e. lives of Saints), 8) removal of yourself from everybody and everything, 9) burning oil lamp, 10) desire to be happy, 11) complete dependence from God, and 12) complete let go of yourself for God.

St Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia

[Mary Naeem]

كيف أتحقق من أنني قد خلصت؟

الجواب: كيف تعرف أنك قد خلصت؟ تأمل يوحنا الأولي 11:5-13 "وهذه هي الشهادة أن الله أعطانا حياة أبدية، وهذه هي الحياة في أبنه. من له الابن فله الحياة، ومن ليس له ابن الله فليست له الحياة. كتبت هذا اليكم، أنتم المؤمنيين بأسم أبن الله، لكي تعلموا أن لكم حياة أبدية." فمن الذي له الأبن؟ الذين قبلوه وآمنوا به (يوحنا 12:1). ان كان لك يسوع، فلك حياة. حياة أبدية. ليس بشكل مؤقت ولكن بشكل أبدي.

الله يريدنا أن نتأكد من خلاصنا. فلا يمكننا أن نعيش حياتنا في حلة من القلق وعدم التأكد من ان كنا قد خلصنا أم لا. لذلك يجعل الله خطة الخلاص واضحة تماما في الكتاب المقدس. آمن بالرب يسوع المسيح فتخلص (يوحنا 16:3 وأعمال الرسل 31:16). هل تؤمن بأن الرب يسوع المسيح هو الفادي المخلص؟ هل تؤمن بأنه قد مات ليدفع ثمن خطيئتك (رومية 8:5 و كورنثوس 21:5)؟ هل تثق به وحده لخلاصك؟ ان اجبت بنعم، فأنك قد نلت الخلاص! والتأكد يعني التخلص من أي شك. فبالأيمان بوعود الله يمكننا التخلص من أي شك متعلق بحقيقة وواقع خلاصنا الأبدي.

والرب يسوع بنفسه يقول ذلك عمن يؤمن به: "وأنا أعطيها حياة أبدية، ولن تهلك الي الأبد، ولا يخطفها أحد من يدي. أبي الذي أعطاني أياها هو أعظم من الكل، ولايقدر أحد أن يخطف من يد أبي"(يوحنا 28:10-29). وهنا نري للمرة الثانية أن لا أحد يقدر أن يأخذ هبة الله منا أي الحياة الأبدية.

تذكر هذه الآيات: خبأت كلامك في قلبي كي لا أخطيء اليك (مزمور 11:119) وهذا يتضمن الشك. أفرح بما تقوله لك كلمة الله : أنه بدلا من الشك يمكننا أن نعيش بثقة. يمكننا التأكد من كلمات المسيح نفسه أن خلاصنا أبدي وليس موضوع للشك أو التساؤل. ونتأكد من ذلك بسبب محبة الله لنا في المسيح يسوع. يهوذا 24-25، "والقادر أن يحفظكم غير عاثرين، ويوقفكم أمام مجده بلا عيب في الأبتهاج، الأله الحكيم الوحيد مخلصنا، له المجد والعظمة والقدرة والسلطان، الآن والي كل الدهور. آمين."

[Mary Naeem]

كيف كان الناس يخلصون قبل أن يموت المسيح عن خطايانا؟

الجواب: منذ سقوط الأنسان،كانت خطة الله لخلاص الأنسان مبنية علي أساس موت المسيح. ولا يوجد أي شخص قبل الصليب أو بعده، قادر أن يحصل علي الخلاص من غير هذه اللحظة الهامة في تاريخ البشرية. فموت المسيح علي الصليب دفع ثمن الخطايا القديمة التي أقترفها قديسوا العهد القديم والخطايا المستقبلية التي يقترفها قديسوا العهد الجديد اليوم.

والأيمان مطلوب للحصول علي الخلاص. ومحور الأيمان هو الله. ففي المزامير "طوبي لجميع المتكلين عليه" (مزمور 12:2). وتكوين 6:15 يقول لنا أن أبراهيم آمن بالله وان الله قد رأي صلاحه (أيضا روميه 3:4-8). ونظام التضحية كما هو في العهد القديم لم يكن يكفي لمحوا الخطيئة، كما هو في 1:9-10 :4. ولكنه أشار الي اليوم سيأتي فيه أبن الله ويسفك دمه من أجل خطيئة العالم.

فما الذي تغير خلال العصور من حيث ايمان الأنسان بالله؟. الذي تغير هو ما منحه الله للأنسان في وقت ما. فآدم آمن بوعود الله كما هو مذكور في سفر التكوين 15:3 بأن نسل المرأة سيسحق رأس الحية. وآيمان آدم يظهر في أعطاءه حواء أسمها. وأعلن الله قبوله لهم بأعطائهم غطاء من الجلد. وفي هذا الوقت كان هذا كل ما يعرفه آدم ، ولكنه آمن.

وآمن أبراهيم بالله تبعا لما هو أعلن له في سفر التكوين 12 و 15. وقبيل موسي كان لا يوجد شيئء مكتوب ولكن كان البشر مسؤلين عن ما أعلنه الله لهم. ونري من خلال العهد القديم أن كثيرا آمنوا بأن الله سيمحوا ذنوبهم يوما ما. واليوم ننظر الي الخلف بأيمان أنه حمل ذنوبنا في الجلجثة (يوحنا 16:3 و عبرانيين 28:9).

فماذا عن المؤمنيين أيام المسيح، قبل الصليب والقيامة ماذ كانوا يؤمنون؟ هل ادركوا أن المسيح سيموت علي الصليب من أجل خطاياهم؟ قبل نهاية أيامه علي ألأرض، بدأ يسوع في الأعلان لتلاميذه بأنه يجب أن يذهب الي أورشليم، وأنه سيعذب من قبيل الكثيرين، وأنه سيقتل، وسيقام في اليوم الثالث "من ذلك الوقت ابتدأ يسوع يظهر لتلاميذه أنه ينبغي أن يذهب الي أورشليم ويتألم كثيراً من الشيوخ ورؤساء الكهنة والكتبة، ويقتل، وفي اليوم الثالث يقوم" (متي 21:16). فماذا كان رد فعل تلاميذه لهذا الأعلان؟ "فأخذه بطرس اليه وابتدأ ينتهره قائلا: حاشاك يارب! لا يكون لك هذا" (متي 22:16). فبطرس والتلاميذ الآخرين لم يعرفوا الحقيقة كاملة، ولكنهم خلصوا اذ آمنوا أن الله قادر أن يغفر ذنوبهم. لم يكونوا متأكدين كيف سينفذ المسيح ذلك وما الفرق بينه وبين آدم أو أبراهيم أو موسي أو داوود ولكنهم آمنوا بالله وقدرته.

اليوم، لدينا رؤية أفضل من الذين عاشوا قبل قيامة المسيح. "الله، بعد ما كلم الآباء بالأنبياء قديما، وطرق كثيرة، كلمنا في هذه الأيام الأخيرة في ابنه" (عبرانيين 1:1-2). فخلاصنا مبني علي موت المسيح، وايماننا مطلوب للخلاص، ومحور ايماننا هو الله. و اليوم أيضا ملخص ايماننا أن المسيح مات من أجل خطايانا، وأنه دفن، و قام في اليوم الثالث (كورنثوس الأولي 3:15-4).