H.H. Pope Tawadros II met this Thursday evening with his children; the servants of the Diocese of Milan, as part of his current pastoral visit to Milan and Venice.
His Holiness dealt spoke about the topic of “Service,” where he read part of the second letter of our teacher St. Paul the Apostle to his disciple Timothy: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
He explained what is meant by the commandments contained in this text, which are:
1- Preach the Word: Let the Gospel always be on your tongue.
2- Rebuke: Rebuke the act of sin.
3- Preach: Make people repent, and therefore you must repent first.
4- A time when they will not endure sound doctrine: This is not new but rather it has been present since the first century.
5- They will turn aside to fables: We see this today such as the fables of homosexuality and atheism.
6- But you: That is, this is an obligation on every servant.
7- Be watchful in all things: Be watchful in all matters of service.
8- Endure afflictions: The hardships of service are many.
9- Do the work of an evangelist: That is, for your presence to be joyful.
10- Finally, fulfill your ministry.
Defintions of Service:
1- Service is a Talent: Like in the Parable of the Talents, you trade with them and make a profit
If you are like the owner of the one talent and do not trade, you will be rebuked.
2-Service is a Responsibility: A serious question asked by the Lord of Glory: “Give an account of your stewardship” (Luke 16:2), whatever your service.
3- Service is a Joy: it is a triangle (talent – responsibility – joy). In other words:
Talent = faithfulness
Responsibility = choice
Joy = investment of time
Signs of a Servant:
1- A true witness to Christ: The word “true” comes from true spirituality. Saint Polycarp was 86 years old and they asked him to deny Christ, so he said: “I have been with him for 86 years and he has not done evil to me, so how can I deny my Master?!” They released him to the beasts, but his memory remains to this day
2- A Strong Teacher about Christ: He must be knowledgeable of the Bible and unique in conveying information.
3- Shows Great Love for the Sake of Christ: The hearts of servants must accommodate everyone. The heart of a servant is likened to a pomegranate, all of which are seeds that resemble hearts, loving everyone.
What Does a Servant Need to Become a Servant?:
1- Experience of the Place: Enter your inner room and have the experience of standing before God, and you can start even with five minutes.
2- Experience of Time: You benefit from your time with God by praising Him and by prostrations, saying “I wish I had wings like a dove, so I could fly and rest (in God).
3- Experience of Being: Your entire being is your Holy Bible and you are always ready with the Word of God. “I have seen the consummation of all perfection, But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.” (Psalm 119:96)
Five Qualities that Make a Service Successful:
1- Satisfying the Spirit: Being familiar with the Church’s books, heritage, and rites.
2- Having an Enjoyable Presence: A happy servant, creative in service, memorizes the names of his children, gentle.
3- Knowledgeable: He is familiar with many spiritual, cultural and social matters. For example, our children must become familiar with the other Churches (eg Syriac-Armenian).
4- An Expansive Heart: He cares for and is patient with people.
The Lord Christ was patient with our teacher Peter, and after the Resurrection He asked him three times, “Do you love me?” and this was after Peter denied Him.
5- Multi-faceted:
In the lesson: Committed
On trips: Outgoing and happy
In praise: The image of Christ
In visitations: Encouraging
After his talk, His Holiness answered the servants’ questions, before ending the meeting with a closing prayer and blessing.
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