His Holiness Pope Tawadros II delivered his weekly on Wednesday evening, from St. Virgin Mary and St. Bishoy Cathedral in Abbaseya. The sermon was broadcast on Christian channels and media center on the Internet.
His Holiness continued addressing the topic of “containment” for the second time in a row through Psalm 91, in the context of the second episode of the educational series “The Dictionary of Marriage.” He referred to a definition of the word “containment” through the letters of the word.
His Holiness addressed the following points as being part of “containment”:
1- Feeling for others, to have empathy for others. This is when the husband appreciates and feels what his wife feels and when the wife feels what her husband is facing, and to also respect each other’s feelings.
2- Love and dialogue – either between spouses or between parents and children and to show love through conversations.
3- To meet, to be present and to communicate during hard situations
“to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)
4-Meekness and humbleness – do not get angry during troubles and hard times, but rather be quiet, meek and humble.
“He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7)
5- Continuity and security- continue in spreading security in your family and make them feel containment during hard times
His Holiness also referred to the following characters in relation to the topic:

1- Elkanah and Hannah – the husband understanding his wife during tough times, “ Am I not better to you than ten sons?” (1 Sam 1:8).
One sentence can make the other feel that there weakness is contained.

2- Abram and Lot – “Please let be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.” (Genesis 13:8-9)

3- St. Stephen and the people who stoned him – “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:60), “Now Saul was consenting to his death” (Acts 8:1), and by St. Stephen’s reaction and containment to those who stoned him, he was able to attract Saul who became St. Paul, a great preacher in history.

4- Abigail and Nabal – “blessed is your advice and blessed are you” (1 Samuel 25:33), “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. (Proverbs 15:1).
Abigail being understanding to her husband and David made the situation much better
5- Paul of Tarsus and Barnabas – Barnabas was understanding of the fact that he has a different opinion than Paul and a s a result, two missionary trips ended up happening instead of one.
6- The Prodigal Son – and the father’s containment of the son regardless of any faults, which is the same as God’s containment of sinners.
“But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion on, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20) and also the father’s reaction towards the older son, “It was right that we should make merry and glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.” (Luke15:32)
Another example is St. Monica, St. Augustine’s mother, who cried for more than 18 years to attract her son back and he repented and she was also able to win her husband.

This series is the second educational series for the “Christian family”, coinciding with the launch of the year “My Family is Holy”, which came as a recommendation from the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Church during their meeting , which was held on June 9th, and in order to consolidate the principles and values of a Christian family.

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