Today, Saturday, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II consecrated, with the participation of four bishops, the Church of the Virgin Mary and Bishoy in the Narges area in the Fifth Settlement, which was built in 2007, and His Holiness consecrated the main church there in 2016.
Upon the arrival of H.H. to the church, H.H. removed the curtain from the commemorative plaque that dates its inauguration, and commemorative photos were taken of H.H. next to the plaque, along with the bishops and priests participating in the prayers.
Then the procession of H.H. headed inside the church to start the consecration prayers, where the main altar was consecrated on the name of St. Bishoy, another altar after the name of St. Mark the Apostle, and another altar after the name of the St. Demiana the martyr.
H.H. and the participating fathers prayed the Divine Liturgy after the consecration, and delivered the liturgy sermon, during which H.H. discussed three features of the life of holiness through the first three Sundays of Great Lent, namely:
1- Pre Lent:
“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.”
(Matthew 6:6)
A person’s room is the heart, and a person who enters his room daily lives a life of holiness, and the heart is the special place in which a person meets Christ, and according to the pure intention and purity of the heart, a person can see God.
2-Treasures Sunday
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
(Matthew 6:21)
A person’s spiritual treasure is in the Kingdom of Heaven, and if his treasure is in Heaven, his heart will be heavenly, and to the extent that a person adheres to the life of the commandment, he will have a place in heaven
3- Temptation Sunday
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
(Hebrews 4:12)
The victory of the Lord Christ in the trials of the enemy was in the Bible, and in order for man to live a life of holiness, he must conquer the challenges of the world through the commandment and the holy word, and the Bible helps us to sort and distinguish the thoughts of our hearts.
Father Dawoud Lamei, priest of St. Mark’s Church in Heliopolis, delivered a speech of thanks during which he thanked His Holiness, pointing out that His Holiness is characterised by:
– Supportive Father: for every servant in any service.
– An Ideal Teacher: because the sermons of H.H. are loved by the educated and the simple.
– A Wise Leader: because in the time of H.H., hundreds of churches were consecrated, in addition to numerous projects such as schools and hospitals.
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