This evening, H.H. Pope Tawadros II delivered his weekly sermon at the Wednesday meeting from the Church of the Archangel Michael in the Al-Daher district of Cairo. The sermon was broadcast through Christian satellite channels, the official website of the Coptic Orthodox Church, and the online C.O.C. channel if the Church’s Media Center.

His Holiness led the raising of incense of Vespers prayers, with the participation of several bishops and priests. Following Vespers, Hegumen Moussa Moussa, a priest of the church, delivered a welcoming speech to Pope Tawadros, expressing the joy of the church’s congregation over this visit. He also highlighted the church’s founding history and the stages of its restoration process.

The church choir performed a selection of hymns and praises, while one of the church’s daughters, the poet Amal Ghattas, recited poetry reflecting on the life, works, and service of His Holiness the Pope.

A video clip was shown of the moment the result of the altar lot was announced, selecting H.H. Pope Tawadros II as the Pope of the Church. The showing of the video received an enthusiastic response from the congregation, with ululations and applause filling the church, while His Holiness was visibly moved.

Pope Tawadros honored the distinguished and outstanding members of the church who had earned various academic degrees, up to the doctorate level, as well as those who achieved top positions in local and international sports championships. He also welcomed several parliament members and officials who came to greet him.

Pope Tawadros continued the series ” Prayer Requests from the Gregorian Liturgy,” discussing a passage from Psalm 145, verses 14–21, and reflecting on the prayer request, “Raise the Fallen.” He explained that God allows a person to fall for their own benefit.

His Holiness explained the types of falls as follows:

1) Psychological Fall
-causes include depression due to life shocks, as reflected in the verse, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God” (Psalm 43:5). The remedy is to have hope in God: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).
-betrayal causes a severe shock to a person, so his heart is filled with feelings of bitterness and hatred, but Jesus Christ was betrayed by one of His disciples, and He teaches us forgiveness to heal internal wounds.
-losing the spirit of hope, which makes a person feel a lack of energy due to the pressures of life. The treatment is represented in the verse: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28).

2) Spiritual Fall. Its causes are:
-a person’s negligence: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41).
-lack of fellowship with God: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56).
-being attracted to lusts.
-emptiness of heart: “Do not love the world or the things in the world… the world is passing away, and the lust of it” (1 John 2:15-17).
-being attached to harmful places and relationships.
-neglecting the Bible. The letters of the word ‘Bible’ are an abbreviation for: “basic information before leaving the earth”, which refer to the commandment.
-pride: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
-temporary spiritual lukewarmness: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
-deep fall without repentance: “Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

His Holiness answered the question: “How does God raise the fallen?”
-Repentance, confession and practicing the sacraments.
-The holy word and commandment: “Awake, you who sleep, arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise” (Ephesians 4:14-15).
-guidance and advice, whether from the Church or society.

Pope Tawadros concluded by saying: “God does not count how many times we fall, but rather, He counts how many times we rise.”

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