This evening, H.H. Pope Tawadros II delivered his weekly sermon at the Wednesday meeting, from St Mary’s Church in Mahamasha, affiliated with the East Railway Churches sector, in the presence of a number of bishops. The sermon was broadcast on Christian satellite channels, the official website of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and the C.O.C channel of the Church’s Media Center on the Internet.

His Grace Anba Martiros (General Bishop of the churches of the East Railway Sector), delivered a speech of welcome and love to Pope Tawadros. The church choir presented a group of church hymns and praises. His Holiness then honored the high achieving students in the various educational stages and postgraduate degrees from the congregation of the sector’s churches.

Before the start of the sermon, Pope Tawadros thanked H.G. Bishop Martiros, as well as the church’s priests, deacons and choir, expressing his happiness with his visit to the church. His Holiness highlighted that it is distinguished by containing the body of Archdeacon Habib Girgis, who had a clear and influential imprint on the contemporary history of the church, so the church recognized his sainthood 11 years ago.

His Holiness began a new series of sermons under the title “Prayer Requests from the Gregorian Liturgy,” which is a continuation of the series he delivered last year under the title “Short, Powerful Prayer Requests from the Liturgy.” He addressed verses 3-12 of the second chapter of the Gospel of our teacher St Mark.

Pope Tawadros addressed the prayer request of “healing to the sick,” noting that human life revolves around four main axes:
1- Illness and health.
2- Work and livelihood.
3- Humans and Satan.
4- Life and death.

His Holiness added that the Church always prays for the sick, through the sacrament of the Unction of the Sick (one of the seven church sacraments), and the Litany of the Sick (a prayer for the sick), in which we say: “O Lord, the maladies of our souls, heal; and those of our bodies too, do cure… O You the Bishop of all flesh, visit us with Your salvation.”

Pope Tawadros advised us during illness to turn to God (the Pantocrator and Ruler of our lives), pray this request, and also help the sick; instilling in him a spirit of hope, and to thank God for His many blessings.

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