His Holiness Pope Tawadros II delivered his weekly sermon at the Wednesday Sermon this evening, from the Church of the Saint George in the land of El Geneina, in the Red Corner, affiliated with the East Railway Churches sector in Cairo. The sermon was broadcast on Christian satellite channels and the C.O.C channel of the Church’s media center on the Internet.
H.G. Bishop Martyros, General Bishop of East Railways, Cairo, delivered a welcoming speech to His Holiness on his first visit to the church.
His Holiness honored the first achievers from the members of the churches sector east of the railway.
His Holiness continued the series of “Strong, short prayers from the Liturgy” and addressed part of the third chapter of the Book of Acts, verses (1-10), and referred to a short request of the requests that the Church raises in the Gregorian Mass, which is: “Help to the Poor,” and gave a description for the types of “poor people”, which are:
1- Those who always live a state of humility and meekness, and therefore their lives lead uprightly.
“ my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.”
(Luke 1:46-48)
2- Those who have needs of various kinds, not just the financially poor
“Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;”
(Matthew 25:34-35)
3- Those who do not know God, are ignorant of the Lord, and do not know God, the Possessor of blessings and goodness.
His Holiness explained why God asked us to care for the poor, through:
“Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies.”
(Psalms 41:1-2)
“He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.”
(Proverbs 14:21)
H.H. discussed examples of the poor from the Holy Bible, such as: David the Prophet at one time in his life, Jeremiah the Prophet who carried in his heart the suffering of his people, and the Lord Christ himself.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.”
(II Corinthians 8:9)
His Holiness explained that there are two types of poor people in the Bible, and they are:
1- The needy who took from the poor, like King Ahab who took over the field of Naboth the Jezreelite.
2- The poor person who gave what he needed, like a widow with two mites.
His Holiness recommended steps for dealing with the poor, through:
“And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.””…“Silver and gold I do not have”
(Acts 3:4,6)
Respect and appreciate the poor person, and tell the truth.
2- “but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.””
(Acts 3:6)
Preparing to give with a generous and merciful heart, and with honesty because God is the one who moves hearts.
3- “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.””…“So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.”
(Acts 3:6 ,8)
The act of giving itself.
His Holiness also referred to the types of human needs and ways to satisfy them, as follows:
1- The need for psychological help, by providing encouragement, appreciation and love.
2- The need for spiritual help, by explaining how to integrate into the church, teaching prayer in the Agpeya, and allocating a role in the service.
3- The need for financial aid, including housing, education, and treatment for various diseases.
4- The need for social assistance, for the person to feel his presence and status in society and that he is loved for himself.
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