Sunday, October 08, 2006
Newsletter No. 41
In this Issue:
Today we celebrate
Sayings of our blessed Fathers
With God
Coptic Hymns
A Poem I liked
Seeking the Terrorist
A Glimpse of a Shining Star
Birthday Wishes
GABBY's site: Read about, history, icons, the museum, churches in this monastery, and lots more.
As the shepherd knows his lambs
God above knows who I am.
All I do or think or say,
With love He guides me every day!
Contents
(by HG Bishop Angaelos)
As one follows the news of the world during these difficult times, there is a stark realisation of the presence of disharmony and hatred. Every day, we follow the news of attacks and the partial defeat of terror and those who instil it, while at the same time seeing the results of that terror on victims, their families and loved ones.
The nations have decided; the superpowers and heads of nations have gathered; the armies have prepared, and the world is standing hand-in-hand against terror, evil and evil doers. While we are all concentrating so heavily on the apparent enemy, we are being attacked by another more sinister, more deadly enemy.
We all feel that the terrorists are those by whom our lives are now threatened, and that it is they who represent danger; the real danger however does not come from the enemies of this life, but rather, from the enemy of the next.
While we are distracted by the acts of terrorism which recently shook the world, we are blinded to the acts of terrorism which affect and threaten our lives every moment of every day, and which are, in many cases, more harmful. In our lives and in our thoughts we are terrorised on a daily basis, merely because we try to live according to the word of God. We are terrorised by an enemy who hates peace, who hates love and who himself is threatened by the strong presence of God in this world.
The evil master-mind whom we should seek and defeat is not hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan or in any other dark place. This master of destruction is present in every deed that is performed and lacks the Christian Love taught by our Good Saviour, and that takes us further away from the glorious kingdom which our loving Father has prepared for us since the beginning. Satan holds us to ransom through the power which he has over us, and through our corrupted nature that is so ready to accept the wide path of evil as opposed to the narrow gate of salvation. He has hijacked the vehicle of freedom which was given to us by Our Lord and allows us to rise above and soar over the material levels of this world and has used this freedom to destroy the towers of faith and love that are the very foundation of our Christian lives. When destruction comes into our lives through the work of this evil maestro of wickedness and sin, we must not give up but show resilience, strength and dedication in digging through the rubble and finding the signs of life which truly exist through the presence of God in our lives. Our Lord is our Saviour. Our
Lord is our Protector. Our Lord is He who picks us up out of the darkness and the shadows of death and raises us to the glory that is His nature within us. Throughout our lives we will have tribulation and possibly even near complete destruction, but our source of life is not subject to this world, our source of life is not subject to the evil villain who controls our lives; He is the source of everlasting life, He is the source of the peace which this world cannot take away from us, He is the source which springs up through each and every one of us and gives us eternal life.
If our Lord is with us, who then can be against us? If our Lord gives us life, who can take it away? We are strong in Him and through Him; we are victorious in His strength; we are alive in His blood which He shed upon the holy wood of the cross for us; we are victorious through His resurrection and through His defeat of the source of evil itself, and that is Satan and death.
When we fall, when we are surrounded by rubble and the signs of destruction we have two options; we can revel in self pity and become convinced that we are, as he would want us to believe, without hope; or we can look around us, see the destruction, see that it is not our place, that the living should not be amongst the dead, that light should not dwell amongst the darkness and that life cannot exist where there is destruction. We need to arise we need to salvage we need to rebuild so that through our feelings and actions of repentance, through the confession of our sins, through the holy sacraments and the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which He has left for us, we may arise, rebuild and stand once more as a soaring monument of the presence of God in this world and His victory over sin, over destruction, over death and over Satan and all that which he represents.
Contents
The ordination
Early Sunday morning on May 10, 1959 (Bashans 2, according to the Coptic calendar), Father Mina El-Baramousy, walked out of the Papal residence preceded by the bishops, priests, and deacons carrying crosses.
Sounds of joy filled the air as multitudes welcomed him. The divinely chosen Patriarch to be, stood in front of the closed church door. He opened the church door with the key that was handed to him, while saying, "Open the door of righteousness to me, so I can come in and thank the Lord, for this is the door of God which the righteous people walk through. I thank you Lord, because you granted my prayers, and you saved and redeemed me." Then he walked through the door of the church, and knelt down in front of the Iconstasis. Metropolitan Athanasius, who was the only surviving Metropolitan of those ordained by Pope Kyrollos the Fifth, started the prayers. The bishops were invited to join in the prayer. They placed the four Gospels on Father Mina's head. Then according to their seniority, they laid their hands on him. Metropolitan Athanasius (The Deputy Patriarch) said, "My brothers, come and bless our father and shepherd, who was selected by God and His people. "Afterwards, they put the Papal garments on him, and the Papal crown on his head. He walked up to the altar and kissed it, and received the Papal staff that was placed on top of the altar.
Then, he sat on the Apostolic Chair, The Chair of Saint Mark, the Evangelist. When he stood to read the Gospel, he dared not to say, 'I am the good shepherd", but said, "Christ said, 'I am the good shepherd.'" After that, he broke into tears, feeling the magnitude of his responsibility, and showing his humiliation in front of God, Whose help he was seeking. Becoming the Pope, did not change him. He continued his system of prayers as he did when he was a monk. He regularly celebrated the raising of incense prayers and daily celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
The Lord helped him in managing the church matters, both big and small. He revived the regular celebration of many church rituals. The Lord was glorified by all of his actions and always accepted his prayers. He has been crowned and has joined the saints in Paradise. Many of the great and magnificent things that he had done have been recorded. All his sons and daughters who received and enjoyed his blessings in their lives, have recorded their stories.
Contents
Contents
End of Issue No. 41
Today we celebrate
Sayings of our blessed Fathers
With God
Coptic Hymns
A Poem I liked
Seeking the Terrorist
A Glimpse of a Shining Star
Birthday Wishes
Visit this week’s sites, brought to you by the Corner’s little angel; GABBY
Click on the site below
Click on the site below
GABBY's site: Read about, history, icons, the museum, churches in this monastery, and lots more.
Today we Celebrate
The Martyrdom of Saints Abadir (Apater) and Eraee (Herai), His Sister 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, (1 Corinthians 1:9,10)
Let us know the great goodness of God for those who sincerely take refuge in Him and who correct their past faults, by repentance, and let us not despair of our salvation.
Contents
Let us know the great goodness of God for those who sincerely take refuge in Him and who correct their past faults, by repentance, and let us not despair of our salvation.
Contents
Sayings of our blessed Fathers
In truth, as it was proclaimed by the Prophet Isaiah, God washes those who are dirty with sin, whitens them as wool and as snow and bestows the good things of the heavenly Jerusalem on them. + Abba Paul the Simple +
Contents
Contents
With God
Coptic Hymns
Historical Development Of Hymns
Historical Development Of Hymns
A. In the Old Testament: Man has used music in the worship and praise of God since the very early days of humanity. It started during the days of Adam and reached a peak during the life of King David who’s Psalms and hymns are still in use today. The Old
Testament is full of references to the use of music and musical instruments
in the Jewish worship.
B. The Early Church in General: The early church was founded by the "Jewish" apostles and hence it is expected that the early church must have been influenced by the Jewish music. This music took two influenced by the Jewish music. This music took two forms; the Temple music which was vocal and the Synagogue music which used musical instruments. An evidence of such an influence is the universal use of the Jewish word ‘Alleluia’ in all churches.
Such an influence, however, varied from one church to another depending on the language, culture, music and tradition of the various nations. No attempt was made by the early preachers to dictate a uniform system of prayer on all churches. Rather they devoted their teachings to faith and doctrine and left the remaining details to individual churches to be arranged in accordance with their traditions and culture. An example of this is the Ethiopian Church which used dancing and their hymns and music totally differ from its parent church; the Coptic Church.
As to the wording of hymns used in the early church, it began with poorly written extracts of translated Psalms. Shortly afterwards the church realised the value of hymns and praise in establishing proper worship. As a result effort of writers and poets were poured into formulating hymns and praise passages.
Contents
Testament is full of references to the use of music and musical instruments
in the Jewish worship.
B. The Early Church in General: The early church was founded by the "Jewish" apostles and hence it is expected that the early church must have been influenced by the Jewish music. This music took two influenced by the Jewish music. This music took two forms; the Temple music which was vocal and the Synagogue music which used musical instruments. An evidence of such an influence is the universal use of the Jewish word ‘Alleluia’ in all churches.
Such an influence, however, varied from one church to another depending on the language, culture, music and tradition of the various nations. No attempt was made by the early preachers to dictate a uniform system of prayer on all churches. Rather they devoted their teachings to faith and doctrine and left the remaining details to individual churches to be arranged in accordance with their traditions and culture. An example of this is the Ethiopian Church which used dancing and their hymns and music totally differ from its parent church; the Coptic Church.
As to the wording of hymns used in the early church, it began with poorly written extracts of translated Psalms. Shortly afterwards the church realised the value of hymns and praise in establishing proper worship. As a result effort of writers and poets were poured into formulating hymns and praise passages.
Contents
A Poem I liked
As the shepherd knows his lambs
God above knows who I am.
All I do or think or say,
With love He guides me every day!
Contents
Seeking the Terrorist
(by HG Bishop Angaelos)
As one follows the news of the world during these difficult times, there is a stark realisation of the presence of disharmony and hatred. Every day, we follow the news of attacks and the partial defeat of terror and those who instil it, while at the same time seeing the results of that terror on victims, their families and loved ones.
The nations have decided; the superpowers and heads of nations have gathered; the armies have prepared, and the world is standing hand-in-hand against terror, evil and evil doers. While we are all concentrating so heavily on the apparent enemy, we are being attacked by another more sinister, more deadly enemy.
We all feel that the terrorists are those by whom our lives are now threatened, and that it is they who represent danger; the real danger however does not come from the enemies of this life, but rather, from the enemy of the next.
While we are distracted by the acts of terrorism which recently shook the world, we are blinded to the acts of terrorism which affect and threaten our lives every moment of every day, and which are, in many cases, more harmful. In our lives and in our thoughts we are terrorised on a daily basis, merely because we try to live according to the word of God. We are terrorised by an enemy who hates peace, who hates love and who himself is threatened by the strong presence of God in this world.
The evil master-mind whom we should seek and defeat is not hiding in the mountains of Afghanistan or in any other dark place. This master of destruction is present in every deed that is performed and lacks the Christian Love taught by our Good Saviour, and that takes us further away from the glorious kingdom which our loving Father has prepared for us since the beginning. Satan holds us to ransom through the power which he has over us, and through our corrupted nature that is so ready to accept the wide path of evil as opposed to the narrow gate of salvation. He has hijacked the vehicle of freedom which was given to us by Our Lord and allows us to rise above and soar over the material levels of this world and has used this freedom to destroy the towers of faith and love that are the very foundation of our Christian lives. When destruction comes into our lives through the work of this evil maestro of wickedness and sin, we must not give up but show resilience, strength and dedication in digging through the rubble and finding the signs of life which truly exist through the presence of God in our lives. Our Lord is our Saviour. Our
Lord is our Protector. Our Lord is He who picks us up out of the darkness and the shadows of death and raises us to the glory that is His nature within us. Throughout our lives we will have tribulation and possibly even near complete destruction, but our source of life is not subject to this world, our source of life is not subject to the evil villain who controls our lives; He is the source of everlasting life, He is the source of the peace which this world cannot take away from us, He is the source which springs up through each and every one of us and gives us eternal life.
If our Lord is with us, who then can be against us? If our Lord gives us life, who can take it away? We are strong in Him and through Him; we are victorious in His strength; we are alive in His blood which He shed upon the holy wood of the cross for us; we are victorious through His resurrection and through His defeat of the source of evil itself, and that is Satan and death.
When we fall, when we are surrounded by rubble and the signs of destruction we have two options; we can revel in self pity and become convinced that we are, as he would want us to believe, without hope; or we can look around us, see the destruction, see that it is not our place, that the living should not be amongst the dead, that light should not dwell amongst the darkness and that life cannot exist where there is destruction. We need to arise we need to salvage we need to rebuild so that through our feelings and actions of repentance, through the confession of our sins, through the holy sacraments and the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ which He has left for us, we may arise, rebuild and stand once more as a soaring monument of the presence of God in this world and His victory over sin, over destruction, over death and over Satan and all that which he represents.
Contents
A Glimpse of a Shining Star
Pope Kirollos VI
Pope Kirollos VI
The ordination
Early Sunday morning on May 10, 1959 (Bashans 2, according to the Coptic calendar), Father Mina El-Baramousy, walked out of the Papal residence preceded by the bishops, priests, and deacons carrying crosses.
Sounds of joy filled the air as multitudes welcomed him. The divinely chosen Patriarch to be, stood in front of the closed church door. He opened the church door with the key that was handed to him, while saying, "Open the door of righteousness to me, so I can come in and thank the Lord, for this is the door of God which the righteous people walk through. I thank you Lord, because you granted my prayers, and you saved and redeemed me." Then he walked through the door of the church, and knelt down in front of the Iconstasis. Metropolitan Athanasius, who was the only surviving Metropolitan of those ordained by Pope Kyrollos the Fifth, started the prayers. The bishops were invited to join in the prayer. They placed the four Gospels on Father Mina's head. Then according to their seniority, they laid their hands on him. Metropolitan Athanasius (The Deputy Patriarch) said, "My brothers, come and bless our father and shepherd, who was selected by God and His people. "Afterwards, they put the Papal garments on him, and the Papal crown on his head. He walked up to the altar and kissed it, and received the Papal staff that was placed on top of the altar.
Then, he sat on the Apostolic Chair, The Chair of Saint Mark, the Evangelist. When he stood to read the Gospel, he dared not to say, 'I am the good shepherd", but said, "Christ said, 'I am the good shepherd.'" After that, he broke into tears, feeling the magnitude of his responsibility, and showing his humiliation in front of God, Whose help he was seeking. Becoming the Pope, did not change him. He continued his system of prayers as he did when he was a monk. He regularly celebrated the raising of incense prayers and daily celebrated the Divine Liturgy.
The Lord helped him in managing the church matters, both big and small. He revived the regular celebration of many church rituals. The Lord was glorified by all of his actions and always accepted his prayers. He has been crowned and has joined the saints in Paradise. Many of the great and magnificent things that he had done have been recorded. All his sons and daughters who received and enjoyed his blessings in their lives, have recorded their stories.
Contents
The Corner Wishes
Sara
A Very Happy Birthday
Contents
End of Issue No. 41
# posted by Newsletter Editors @ 4:23 pm 
