Contemplations • Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Midlands, U.K.

“Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” – Mark 9:37 . “The Lord has honored man by means of his incarnation, and he has honored the poor by considering them his younger brothers, and whatever is done to them is offered for his account. Here he is honoring childhood; he, who accepts a child in his name, accepts him. I wonder who would not be eager enough to embody the nature of ‘modest childhood’ carrying the name of the Messiah, the king? Indeed,…

“Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” – Mark 9:37 . “The Lord has honored man by means of his incarnation, and he has honored the poor by considering them his younger brothers, and whatever is done to them is offered for his account. Here he is honoring childhood; he, who accepts a child in his name, accepts him. I wonder who would not be eager enough to embody the nature of ‘modest childhood’ carrying the name of the Messiah, the king? Indeed,…

Jul 14, 2016

“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20 . “We rejoice for our names have been written in the kingdom of heaven, which refers to the righteous life in the Lord. As for casting out devils, this is a gift from the Lord, which the devious person can obtain but he will perish as a result of it.” St Anthony #rejoice #heaven #dailyreadings #coptic #orthodox

“Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:20 . “We rejoice for our names have been written in the kingdom of heaven, which refers to the righteous life in the Lord. As for casting out devils, this is a gift from the Lord, which the devious person can obtain but he will perish as a result of it.” St Anthony #rejoice #heaven #dailyreadings #coptic #orthodox

Jul 13, 2016

Happy Feast of the Apostles . “Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.” Psalm 18:4 . “Jesus tells us that His holy Disciples will be more courageous and more understanding when they would be, as the Scripture says, Endowed with power from on high (Luke 24:49), and that when their minds would be illuminated by the torch of the Spirit they would be able to see into all things, even though no longer able to question Him bodily present among them. The Saviour does not say that they would…

Happy Feast of the Apostles . “Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.” Psalm 18:4 . “Jesus tells us that His holy Disciples will be more courageous and more understanding when they would be, as the Scripture says, Endowed with power from on high (Luke 24:49), and that when their minds would be illuminated by the torch of the Spirit they would be able to see into all things, even though no longer able to question Him bodily present among them. The Saviour does not say that they would…

Jul 12, 2016

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 . “Christ is holiness, without which no one can see the face of God. Christ is our salvation, for He is the Savior and the Redeemer at the same time. Christ is everything for us. Whoever forsakes anything for the Lord finds in Him all his satisfaction and compensation for all what he had forsaken. Thus he can freely say: “The Lord is my portion”.” St Jerome #pursuepeace #holiness #dailyreadings #coptic #orthodox #ApostlesFast

“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14 . “Christ is holiness, without which no one can see the face of God. Christ is our salvation, for He is the Savior and the Redeemer at the same time. Christ is everything for us. Whoever forsakes anything for the Lord finds in Him all his satisfaction and compensation for all what he had forsaken. Thus he can freely say: “The Lord is my portion”.” St Jerome #pursuepeace #holiness #dailyreadings #coptic #orthodox #ApostlesFast

Jul 11, 2016

“Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:3 . As St. Augustine says, these wolves devour up the lambs and so the wolves are transformed into lambs. It is a mission not to devour His apostles, but to convert the wolves into lambs by means of the meekness of His lambs, that is His apostles. As St. John Chysostom says, “He is above all the one who knows the nature of things: that ferocity is not put out by other ferocity, but by gentleness”. #lambsamongwolves #dailyreadings #coptic #orthodox #ApostlesFast

“Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves.” Luke 10:3 . As St. Augustine says, these wolves devour up the lambs and so the wolves are transformed into lambs. It is a mission not to devour His apostles, but to convert the wolves into lambs by means of the meekness of His lambs, that is His apostles. As St. John Chysostom says, “He is above all the one who knows the nature of things: that ferocity is not put out by other ferocity, but by gentleness”. #lambsamongwolves #dailyreadings #coptic #orthodox #ApostlesFast

Jul 10, 2016

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” 2 Timothy 4:7,8 . “For it behooves us both to contend and to run; to contend, by enduring afflictions firmly, and to run, not vainly, but to some good end. It is truly a good fight, not only delighting, but benefiting the spectator: and the race does not end in nothing. It is not a mere display of strength and of rivalry. It draws all up to heaven.” St John Chrysostom #thegoodfight #finishedtherace…

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” 2 Timothy 4:7,8 . “For it behooves us both to contend and to run; to contend, by enduring afflictions firmly, and to run, not vainly, but to some good end. It is truly a good fight, not only delighting, but benefiting the spectator: and the race does not end in nothing. It is not a mere display of strength and of rivalry. It draws all up to heaven.” St John Chrysostom #thegoodfight #finishedtherace…

Jul 9, 2016