His Holiness Pope Tawadros II delivered his weekly sermon at the Wednesday meeting this evening, from the Church of Saints St. Mark and St. Luke in the Mokattam area. The sermon was broadcast on Christian satellite channels and the C.O.C channel of the Church’s media center on the Internet.
His Holiness visited the services building attached to the church and inaugurated the nursery classrooms that were equipped there. H.H. honored Veronica Peter, who won first place in the College of Urban Planning Engineering, who is one of the daughters of the Church of the Apostles Saint Mark and Saint Luke.
In the meeting’s sermon, His Holiness concluded a series of “Strong, Short, Prayers from the Liturgy” and addressed part of the first chapter of the Second Epistle of St. Peter the Apostle and verses (5-11), referring to a short request from the requests that the Church raised in the Gregorian Mass, which is: “and count us all in the unity of godliness”
H.H. explained that piety is for a person to make God before Him day and night, and that unity is for all of us to become one in our service and life. Therefore, in the Mystery of the Eucharist, Christ gives us His Body and Blood so that the church becomes one.
His Holiness gave images of unity as follows:
1- Mass prayer.
2- Periods of fasting.
3- Nights of praise.
4- Agpeya prayers.
H.H. set signs for a person who is walking on the path of piety, which are:
1- Satisfied, not complaining, and feeling good,
”Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.“
(Philippians 4:11-12)
2- He is happy and rejoiced in spirit in all aspects of his life
”The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”“
(Matthew 4:16)
3- He is reassured and has no worries
”Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.“
(Psalms 23:4)
4- He has a big heart, and he faces life’s situations with a big heart, not like the eldest son in the parable of the prodigal son, who when he knew of his brother’s return did not enter the house ”would not go in“
(Luke 15:28)
5- Guarded from the enemy of goodness, because God protects him and surrounds him with a guardian angel.
His Holiness the Pope explained the similarities between piety and commerce through the verse:
”Now godliness with contentment is great gain.“
(I Timothy 6:6)
As follows:
1- In trade, resources are used correctly,
”But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,“
(II Peter 1:5-6). A person should invest all the virtues he has.
2- There is a risk in trade, and if a person relies on God, the risk will be crowned with success
”Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.“
(Matthew 16:24)
3- In trade there is profit, ”And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life.“
(Matthew 19:29)
His Holiness also referred to those with false piety, where a person is a lover of himself and lives immersed in sins.
”But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!“
(II Timothy 3:1-5)
His Holiness recommended that people live in the unity of piety through:
1- The behavior of permanent love, and that a person loves the other and does not love his wrong behavior, and provides pure and sincere love,”For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.”
(I John 5:3)
2- To place eternity and heaven as a permanent goal before his eyes.
”Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.“
(Revelation 3:11)
3- Always practicing the means of grace, through the Gospel, prayer, and the sacraments, and living in piety, ”I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.”“
(Psalms 122:1)
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