This evening, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II delivered his Wednesday’s meeting sermon from the Church of the Virgin Mary and Saint Bishoy Cathedral at the Papal Residence, Abbaseya. The sermon was broadcast on Christian channels and the C.O.C channel of the Church’s media center on the Internet.
His Holiness spoke about the importance of the Lent and discussed a part of chapter 6 of the Gospel of our teacher Matthew (verses 19 to 34). His Holiness indicated that the Great Lent focuses on the “Eye”, so during it, H.H. will discuss a series that talks about the Christian family, in which H.H. links the “Eye” with the subject of every Sunday of fasting, and its relationship to the family. Also, since next Sunday is “Treasure Sunday”, His Holiness put a question and made the answer to it the subject of the sermon, which is: How do you see your family? Is it a treasure in your eyes?!
Focusing on the following meanings:
1- The family is a treasure filled with all the meanings and qualities that a person needs from the humanity and spiritual aspects.
2- The family is security that contains secrets and fears, “For whom the Lord loves, He corrects” (Proverbs 3:12)
3- The family is warmth, a sense of protection and covering up.
His Holiness presented the ideal vision for the family through biblical examples, as follows:
1- The family is a blessing that we must preserve and appreciate
“but Ruth clung to her… But Ruth said: “Entreat me not leave yo, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.” (Ruth 1:14-16)
2- The family is an institution that we must respect, because it is an entity that has a system, a foundation, and boundaries.
“Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” (Colossians 3:20-21)
3- The family is a sacred entity and a gift from our Lord, because it is a sacrament and a threefold cord, and the husband in the family must be the leader, role model, and servant, and the wife must be the helper and supporter.
“submitting to one another in the fear of God.”…“This is a great mystery”
Ephesians 5:21-32)
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