1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Sunday
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12 April 2015
4 Baramouda (Parmoute) 1731
Editor-in-chief
Managing Editor
Youssef Sidhom
Samia Sidhom
Editorial
From darkness
to light
Happy Easter
Happy Shamm al-Nessim
Youssef Sidhom
This year we celebrate the
glorious Resurrection of Christ
and his triumph over death amid
high hopes and confidence in a
bright future for Egypt and her
Church.
I say this as I remember the
Christmases and Easters of the
past four years, which we used to
mark with lumps in our throats
and hearts heavy with distress.
Egypt was then in the grip of the
post-Arab Spring Islamist tide
that was taking hold of power in
the country. Predictably, Copts
and their Church were the first
to suffer at the hands of the
Islamists.
Today we thank the good Lord
who extended His protective
Hand and delivered Egypt from
the dark tunnel she was trapped
in. We are grateful for His
protection of His Church and
children against all the blows
that were directed at them; with
His grace they emerged with
deeper faith and love, and staunch
patriotism.
Amid
the
joy
of
the
Resurrection and the strong
hope for a new beginning and a
blossoming future in Egypt, I
am happy to extend my sincerest
Easter wishes to His Holiness
Pope Tawadros II, head of the
Coptic Orthodox Church, and to
all the Coptic Orthodox clergy
and congregation. I also offer my
heartiest wishes to all the heads,
bishops, clergy, and congregations
of all the Orthodox, Catholic
and Evangelical Churches in
Egypt. I pray for the Lord to
carry on His miraculous work of
protecting Egypt and her Church,
and blessing her people as they
continue their passage from
darkness to light.
Today Copts all over Egypt celebrate
the Feast of the Resurrection of
Christ from the dead. The joyful
event comes after the melancholy
of Holy Week during which prayers
feature the fall of Adam and
accordingly all humankind, and
the need for the Divine Promise
of Salvation and Redemption. The
week climaxes on Good Friday with
the commemoration of the Passion
and Crucifixion of Christ. The fullday prayers end at sunset with the
burial of Jesus; an icon depicting
Christ being placed in the tomb is
smothered in sweet smelling spices
and rose petals then wrapped up in an
altar napkin and placed on the altar
till the midnight Mass on the Eve of
Resurrection Day.
The midnight Mass of the
Resurrection proceeds to the Bible
readings on the Resurrection, and
before the Gospel from St John is
read, the congregation sings the
praise: “O all heavenly host, sing
praises to our Lord and rejoice with
us today. The Lord has risen from
the dead, fulfilled the prophecies,
became the firstfruit of those who
slept, and gave us eternal life.” The
priest/s enter the sanctuary and the
drapes are pulled shut. The lights
of the church are put out. Inside the
sanctuary the priest unwraps the
burial icon and three times chants
“Christ arose”; every time the head
deacon responds “Truly He arose”.
The head deacon then twice chants
the verses from Psalm 24: “Lift up
your heads o ye gates, even lift them
up ye everlasting doors, and the King
of glory shall come in”. The priest
asks from inside the sanctuary:
“Who is the King of Glory?” The
reply by the head deacon: “The Lord
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
God always leads us in triumph in Christ
It is my pleasure to wish all of you the blessings of the Glorious Feast of the Resurrection, in which we celebrate the resurrection
and victory of our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ, as well as our liberation from the bondage to evil and death.
During the feast of this year, we remember our beloved, who were martyred in Libya, and we ask for their prayers on
our behalf. We also pray for their blessed families so the joy of Christ’s glorious resurrection may always fill their hearts.
I wish to reflect with you on a verse, which St Paul the Apostle wrote to the Corinthians, “Now thanks be to God, who always
leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” (2 Cor. 2:14)
The procession of Christ’s victory is the procession of His suffering, by which He was triumphant over Satan. Our Lord
Jesus Christ walked the road of the Passion, which began with His arrest on the eve of Friday. It was followed by his trials
and sufferings, which He endured until the crucifixion.
From the outside, it all appeared as if the following was happening: the soldiers were leading our Lord Christ, Pilate
sent Him to Herod, the chief priests and scribes judged Him, Pilate ordered to hand Him over to be crucified, the soldiers
scourged Him and mocked Him, and then took Him to Golgotha to be crucified. However, this sorrowful but joyful
procession was not under human control; it was truly under divine control, because Christ, the Incarnate God, accepted
suffering by His own will.
Pilate said to Christ, “‘Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to
release You?’ Jesus answered, ‘You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.’”
(Jn. 19: 1011-) Our Lord Jesus Christ said about Himself, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have
power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.” (Jn 10:18)
The procession of the Passion of Christ is the procession of His victory, because by death He trampled down death, rose
from the dead victorious over death, and liberated mankind from Satan’s dominion. Christ is calling us to walk in the
procession of His triumph, and indeed He is always leading us in this joyful procession.
We saw Christ leading our martyrs in Libya in the procession of triumph. In the video, which showed the procession of
the martyrs, it appeared that a group of evil men were leading a group of innocent men to death by the seashore. However,
when we closely observe the procession and see it with the eyes of faith, we see the hand of Christ holding His children and
leading them to Paradise and to victory over evil.
Therefore, when we carefully look at the martyrs’ faces, we see their calmness and peace, with their heads lifted and
their faces bare, like joyful children in the bosom of their Heavenly Father. As for the wicked men, we see their faces
covered with black, fearful of showing their faces to the world lest their uncovered faces reveal the fear that fills their
The Holy Resurrection:
Christ is risen! Truly He is risen! Christ arose with power
and might and set the world free from Satan’s clutches.
Only those who do not desire liberty, continue to remain in
Satan’s grasp, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans
6:23). Only God incarnate who took human flesh to save
humanity could pay the ransom. He took what is ours—
death and suffering to give us what is His—forgiveness and
eternal life. Divine Justice demanded His execution—the
slaughtered Lamb who bore the sins of mankind. His sweet
aroma, which He was determined to set upon the hill of
Golgotha, was the acceptable sacrifice presented to satisfy
Divine Justice. +I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave Himself for me+ (Galatians 2:20).
God did not hedge us from temptations, but modelled
righteousness endured in hardships as He did with Job.
During Holy Week, Christ was humiliated, chained,
scourged, crucified, and died. Upon His death, He
descended into Hades, released its captives, bound Satan,
opened the gates of Paradise, and resurrected on the third
day. Thus, freedom was granted to us to live as Christians
and imitate our Lord Jesus Christ in His goodness and in
His endurance. There are five criteria pertaining to living
in real freedom. Each criterion is comprised of these five
components as described by the prophet Zephaniah (3:17):
The Lord your God in your midst,
23 Gamada al-Akhar 1436
Issue 739
Year 15
strong and mighty; the Lord mighty
in battle”. At this point all the lights
are lit, the sanctuary drapes are
pulled open, and the procession of
deacons and priest/s carrying the
icon of the Resurrection starts in the
sanctuary to the joyous praise “Christ
arose, truly He arose. With death He
conquered death, and to those in the
graves he granted everlasting life.
Glory be to the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit from this time forth
and for evermore.” The procession
goes three times around the altar then
descends to the church nave for three
rounds then back into the sanctuary
for a final round. The praise “Holy
is God, holy is the Almighty, holy
is He who does not die, He who rose
from the dead have mercy on us” is
chanted in the joyful melody mode,
and the liturgy is resumed leading up
to communion.
The congregation then heads home
to feast upon all the goodies they had
given up during the eight-week fast
which preceded Easter.
Easter Monday marks Shamm alNessim, the spring feast that goes
back to ancient Egypt. Egyptians
love to celebrate the day out of doors,
in the gardens or on the Nile banks.
They eat the traditional salted fish,
onions, eggs, lettuce and chickpeas;
and indulge in games, singing, and
dancing.
When Christianity became the
dominant religion in Egypt during
the first centuries, Copts found that
Shamm al-Nessim came during
Lent, a period that lends itself very
poorly to celebration. They thus
moved the date of the spring feast
to Easter Monday; the tradition
persists to this day.
(2Cor. 2: 14)
hearts. Whereas, the criminal is the one, who covers his face for fear of facing society, the
courageous, strong, and righteous person leaves his face uncovered, not fearing anything,
and always has his face lifted up and looking towards heaven.
This scene of our martyrs reminds us of St Steven the first martyr. As the evil men were
cut to their heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth, he did not look at them and did
not lower his head nor was fearful to cover his face. The Book of Acts says, +“But he full of
the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right
hand of God.”+ (Acts 7:55)
Indeed, the procession of the Coptic Martyrs by the Mediterranean seashore is a
procession of triumph, led by our Lord Jesus Christ as part of the procession of His triumph.
Christ diffused the fragrance of His knowledge everywhere through them. The video of
H.G. Bishop Serapion
the martyrdom of the Copts in Libya carried a message to the whole world testifying to the
power of the Christian faith, as revealed in the martyrdom of those heroes, who refused to
deny their faith and held fast to their Christian faith till the last breath. As they were led to
martyrdom, they repeated the Name of our Lord Jesus. We ask for their intercession and prayers on our behalf, so God may
support us to complete our struggle on earth.
My Beloved,
Let us rejoice in our Living Christ, Who always leads us in the procession of His triumph, regardless of the surrounding
circumstances. We are always peaceful and assured that our life is not in human hands, but in the hands of our Living,
strong, and powerful Christ, Who died, resurrected, and lives to rule over the living and the dead.
Let us remember the saying of St Paul the Apostle, “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we
live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this
end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.” (Rom. 14: 79-)
Let us pray for the peace of the Holy Church.
Let us pray for our beloved father, H.H. Pope Tawadros II.
Let us pray that our Living Christ may fill our hearts with the joy of His Glorious Resurrection.
His Grace Bishop Serapion is Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Los Angeles (www.lacopts.org)
Divine justice captured freedom
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing
• Fear is non-existent. Trust in the Lord with all your
heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all
your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your
paths (Proverbs 3:56-). Fear cannot impact our inner peace
and contentment, no matter the circumstances and adversities,
for we are assured that God is in our midst. We live in the
joy of the holy resurrection beyond the crucifixion. Thus we
have learned from many Christians who imitated Christ and
accepted martyrdom with joy and song.
• Forgiveness is acquired. Who is a God like You,
pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression
of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His
anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again
have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You
will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah
7:1819-). Though sin can be captivating, yet freedom from
sin is readily available in living a life of repentance and
embracing the holy sacraments, in which we unite with
Christ. Forgiveness requires a higher standard of love that
can only be experience through Christ Jesus.
• Confidence is cultivated. Let us therefore come boldly
to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 14:16). There
is no need for self-confidence when one has security in God.
Self-confidence can lead to arrogance, but confidence in
God leads to justice, mercy, and goodwill. Confidence in
God underscores our purpose in His service.
• Hope is lived. For there is hope for a tree if it is cut
down that it will sprout again, and that its tender shoots
will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth
and its stump may die in the ground, Yet at the scent of
water it will bud and bring forth branches like a plant
(Job 14:79-). The righteous Job set an example of piety and
love toward God despite Satan’s antagonistic assaults on
him and his family—those dearest to him. Whether he had
or had not possessions did not define his love and devotion
to God. He lived in hope even in his example of what many
would have believed to be a dead tree. Nonetheless, to Job,
this deadness could be resurrected unto life. Christ is the
fountain of life—the true spring of water that refreshes
our souls that are dead in sins, and can raise us from this
deadness like the lifeless tree.
• Life is anticipated. If then you were raised with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ is,
sitting at the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). Eternal
life inseparable with Christ is what Christians live this day
and anticipate for tomorrow and await unto everlasting life.
All things are relevant in the scope of faith in Christ—
nothing more and nothing less.
Thus, in imitating our Lord Jesus Christ, our countenance
is joyful and peaceful. We are known to Him, and He is
known to us. Therefore we are elated to belong to Him. This
grace and knowledge sets us
apart, because by imitating
Him, His light reflects in
us and onto others. “But
I say to you,” the Lord
says, “love your enemies,
do good to those who hate
you, pray for those who
persecute you.” Why did
he command these things?
So that he might free you
from hatred, sadness,
anger and grudges, and H.G. Bishop Youssef
might grant you the
greatest possession of all,
perfect love, which is impossible to possess except by
the one who loves all equally in imitation of God. —St.
Maximus the Confessor
We beseech the Lord our God, Jesus Christ, to bless the
countries in which we live, and wherever we are called to
witness to His holy name throughout the world, and in our
mother country, Egypt, and to protect our blessed father and
patriarch, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, for many years
and peaceful times.
To God be the glory forever, Amen.
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His Grace Bishop Youssef is Bishop of the Coptic
Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States (www.
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Watani International
2
12 April 2015
Christianity as our birthright
Sanaa’ Farouk
Egyptians have from time immemorial been a pious people. The
ancient Egyptians believed in a superior, benevolent power that was
in control of earthly life, and that this earthly life was not the final end for human
beings; a better life awaited them in eternity. This faith ran through the very fabric of
life in ancient Egypt and, as many believe, made Egyptians more than ready to accept
and endorse Christianity when it later came to their land. So much so that thousands
upon thousands of them willingly accepted torture and death rather than give up their
Christian faith.
compare to Psalm (73:2126-): “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with
you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward
you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing
I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my
heart and my portion forever.”
“Thou art with me”
In addition, the prayer of Amun which states: “He who nourishes whoever has no
bread and feeds his house servant. Never did I need a nobleman to defend me nor had
to adhere to a rich man. Never did I need to entrust my wealth to a stranger for my
wealth is in the hands of my god. The lord is my protector; I know his strength for he
is the saviour. With his strong hand he is the almighty Amun, yet he is merciful and
he answers whoever invokes him.” This prayer also compares to Psalm (23: 14-): “The
Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing [In the King James Version (KJV): The Lord is
my shepherd, I shall not want]. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads
me beside quiet waters, [he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me
beside the still waters]. He refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for
his name’s sake. [He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake]. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me [Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy
rod and thy staff they comfort me].”
The spirit of these words, Dr Sadek said, reflects the faith that ancient Egyptians
had in their god and prove that they were ready to accept the new God who reached
out to them with love.
Ready for Christianity
A lecture entitled “How did the ancient Egyptian religion pave the road for
Christianity?” was recently held at the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Centre (COCC) under
the patronage of Pope Tawadros II and Anba Ermiya, Bishop-General and Head of
COCC. The lecturer, Ashraf Alexandre Sadek, is Professor of Egyptology, Coptology
and Biblical Archaeology at the University of Limoges, France.
Dr Sadek began by dedicating the lecture to the soul of Anba Yu’annis (1923 – 1987)
who was Bishop of Gharbiya and Secretary-General of the Holy Synod, and was among
the prominent modern-day figures who contributed to the Church’s renaissance on the
spiritual, service, and intellectual levels.
Dr Sadek started off by making the point that the ancient Egyptian civilisation was
among the earliest to believe in the presence of God. “I had the opportunity to translate
dozens of hieroglyphic and hieratic texts which prove that ancient Egyptians were the
first to believe in the one God. The experiences, hardships and philosophies of that
ancient nation prepared them to know the one true God and embrace Salvation,” Dr
Sadek said.
The One God
The Holy Trinity
The ancient Egyptians believed in the presence of a sublime power which they sometimes
represented as a group of deities, each handling an aspect of their daily life: the god of love,
god of harvest, god of beauty, god of power, and many others. The many characteristics—
goodness, giving, justice, love—would be incorporated in one deity and, as obvious in
various instances, the old Egyptians believed in the presence of one God.
The verse in Acts (17:14): “Yet he has not left himself without testimony” agrees with
the fact that old Egyptians believed God was there, arduously sought Him, and came
close to finding Him. The many hymns they sang testify to this, among them “I am the
eternal being of goodness, the self-created entity, the god of heaven and earth.”
Dr Sadek recited excerpts from the hymn of praise to Amun-Ra dating back to 2000BC
“All the people and all creatures worship thee and praise thee until the highest heaven.
From the four corners of the world and from the depths of the sea. Thou art the absolute
one, having no other. Thou art the one having uncountable names (having the several
traits attributed to many gods).”
Many religious theories which have emerged in ancient Egypt dating back to the
earliest dynasties spoke about the greatness and ability of the god who rules the
universe. An ancient text that highlights this reads: “I am the past and the present, the
self-created entity.” Dr Sadek linked this text to the Bible verse in Exodus and in the
Book of Revelation (1: 8): “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is,
and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
St Mark,
the apostle
who brought
Christianity
into Egypt
in the first
century
Ashraf Sadek
When Christianity entered Egypt, the Egyptians discovered this loving God was
a Trinity. But they had no difficulty in accepting this central mystery of Christian
theology because the idea was not new to them. In their ancient religions, many gods
existed as trinities or triads such as Amun-Mut-Khonsu, Ptah-Sekhmet-Nefertem, and
Osiris-Isis-Horus. The ancient Egyptian definition of the trinity does not really match
its Christian counterpart; each god of these Trinities had a specific function in the life
of ancient Egyptians. For instance, Osiris was the god of Eternity, Isis the goddess of
mercy and motherhood (she is sometimes compared to St Mary, the Mother of God),
and Horus is the heir to his father and he avenges his killing by Seth, the manifestation
of evil.
The ancient Egyptians’ idea of Trinity, despite being an incomplete theological
mystery, prepared them to know the Real Holy Trinity and to embrace Christianity. It
is also worth noting that the Jews themselves did not understand this mystery despite
the fact that it had been cited several times in the books of the Old Testament, Dr
Sadek explained.
Resurrection to eternal life
The ancient Egyptians’ belief in resurrection and in the afterlife and their keenness
to be prepared for it by preserving the bodies of the deceased for the resurrection is
also in line with many verses of the Bible. In Mark (12: 2627-), Jesus answers the
Sadducees who asked Him about the resurrection of the dead: “Now about the dead
rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush,
how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
Also the Bible text: “But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead,
how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no
resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.” (1 Cor. 15: 1213-)
At the end of the lecture, Dr Sadek displayed a number of pictures that prove that
ancient Egyptians were religious by nature, always seeking the help of the great deity
who radiates his light to everyone. Other pictures showed ancient Egyptians praying
and practicing religious rituals, temples and statues of old deities, and scenes from
the desert which was a major factor in shaping the personality of ancient Egyptians.
Biblical correlations
During most of the history of ancient Egypt, the main god was Amun, the unseen God;
this can also be compared with John 1: 18 “No one has ever seen God.”
Dr Sadek went on reading more hymns of ancient Egypt and comparing them to verses
from the Bible. “Thou created the grass for the cattle to live, the plants for humans, thou
created the fish so that it lives in the water and the birds in the sky. All nations praise
thee to the highest heaven, to the ends of the earth and to the depths of the great green
sea (ancient name of the Red Sea).”
Another ancient text: “I was an ignorant and foolish man, unable to differentiate
between good and evil. I have sinned in front of the sublime but he has taught me a
lesson and punished me for my sins. Then he approached me affectionately, like a gentle
breeze, and was merciful to me after he had shown me his strength.” This text can easily
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