Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States

His Grace speaks with us about the importance of Scripture and the words of God in our life and shares words from the book written by St. Athanasius on the Life of St. Anthony.

Whenever he received a imperial letter, he would gather together the monks who happened to be with him, and say to them, “You marvel, perhaps, that the kings and the princes should write epistles to us, but what need is there for wonder, seeing that it is only one man writing letters to another? But what you should wonder at is how God wrote the Law for the children of men, and how He has spoken to us through His only Son.” (Life of Antony by St Athanasius)

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His Graces speaks to us about repeated confessions and shares with us words from St. John Climacus and Vitae Patrum 8.10.

St. John Climacus says:

"Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly the angel who guards you will honour your patience."

Vitae Patrum 8.10 says:

“Isidore said to him, “Look to the West, and see.” And he look and saw a multitude of demons were in a state of violent, furious disorder, and, as it were, ready for battle, they were in a rush to do battle. Abba Isidore said to him, “Look, in turn, to the East, and see.” He looked and saw a countless multitude of holy angels, the host of the heavenly powers, who shines with a glory greater than the light of the sun.

Abba Isidore said to him, “Behold, those whom you saw in the West are the very ones that attack even the holy ones of God. Those on the whom you gazed in the East are the very ones whom God sends to help His saints. Recognize, then, how very many are on our side, as the prophet Elisha says (2 Kings 6). […] Upon hearing these words, the holy Moses was strengthened in the Lord and returned to his cell.”

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Feast of the Cross Sunday Homily: Power of the Cross by HG Bishop Gregory

Holy Gospel according to St. John 10:22-38

St. Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church

Houston, TX

Pastoral Visit

September 27, 2020

His Grace shares with us words from St. Macarius of Egypt about repeated sins.

"Nevertheless, to root out sin and the evil that is ever with us, this can only be accomplished by the divine power. It is not possible or within a man’s competence to root out sin by his own power. To wrestle against it, to fight against it, to give and receive blows, is thine; to uproot is God’s." - St. Macarius of Egypt. St Macarius the Great, Homily #3 from the Fifty Spiritual Homilies

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Saturday Divine Liturgy Homily

Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 21:12-19

His Graces asks are we willing to labor?

His Grace shares a meditation from St. Ephraim on the labors of the saints.

4th Sunday of Mesore | Holy Gospel according to St. Mark 13:3-37

St. Luke Coptic Orthodox Church | South Florida

Pastoral Visit | August 30, 2020

His Grace speaks about 4 signs:

1) Events that affect the entire world

2) Personal struggles

3) Attachments to the world

4) Falsehood

His Grace shares with us words from St. Ephraim the Syrian about struggle.

St Ephraim the Syrian said:

"We do well to admire the blessedness of the saints and desire to be crowned as they are, but we are unwilling to imitate their labors and combats. Do you think that they were drowned without labors and afflictions in the same manner as you desire to be? Will you hear what kind of rest the saints had in this life? Some of them were tortured, others had trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, yes, even more of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword, they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted and tormented. The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Lo, you have heard a few particulars out of many. Such were the accommodations and repose of the saints in this life; and they bore these things with all joy because they looked for those eternal good things which are laid up for them in the heavens, which eye has not seen nor ear heard, neither have they entered into to heart of man.”

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Sunday Homily | 3rd Sunday of Mesore

Holy Gospel according to St. Mark 3:22-35

His Grace mentions 3 points:

1) Remember the danger of not forgiving

2) Ask for grace to forgive and love

3) Ascribe any evil to Satan, not on the person and focus on the good virtues of the person

Teach Us to Pray by HG Bishop Gregory

1st Sunday of Paone | Holy Gospel according to St. Luke 11:1-13

Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church (Church Consecration)

Phoenix, AZ

In His Grace’s homily, he says we come to the church to pray. In today’s Holy Gospel reading, we read that the Apostles are with our Lord Jesus Christ asking Him to teach us how to pray. Yet sometimes we find excuses in our lives as to why we do not pray.

His Grace reminds us that any communication to the Lord is prayer. The way to start to pray is by praying. Then His Graces shares three points of the first two words of our Lord’s Prayer, ‘Our Father’.

His Grace shares with us words from St. Isaac the Syrian,St. Basil the Great, and St. Mark the Ascetic about giving thanks.

St. Isaac the Syrian the great ascetic of the 7th century begins his 2nd ascetical homily saying, “The thanksgiving of the recipient incites the giver to give gifts greater than the first…Nor does any gift remain without addition, except that which is received without thanksgiving. The fool’s portion is small in his eyes.”

St. Isaac teaches us a simple and beautiful principle of the spiritual life: If I want the graces and gifts that I currently enjoy in my life to increase then I need to realize and give thanks to God and others for those that have already been given. Giving thanks is what assures them that we value what they have graciously given us. As St. Isaac says, we would be foolish to ignore God’s generosity and think that our portion of gifts from God is small and simply consider prayer a matter of requesting more without appreciation and gratitude. Without times of thanksgiving and selfless praise.

St. Basil the Great clearly instructs us, “Do not start your prayer by a request, lest it is thought that if it was not for the request, you would not have prayed.”

For this reason we begin all our prayers in the Church with Thanksgiving saying, “we thank You for everything, concerning everything, and in everything. For You have covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us to Yourself, spared us, supported us, and have brought us to this hour.”

We repeat this prayer in Church in the Liturgy, before raising incense, at baptisms, at weddings, at funerals, but also in our homes constantly when we pray the Agpeya as a family or on our own.

The Psalmist says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, / And forget not all His benefits” (Ps 103:2).

But sadly, how many of us take a moment to not just say the Thanksgiving Prayer, but stop and actually give thanks—to remember—to not forget—all God’s blessings? Not just for the new and unique things in our life, but also for the things we may most take for granted.

Several weeks ago there was a story told of a 93 year old man in Italy that recovered from coronavirus in the hospital, and he was told to pay for the ventilator for one day, and the old man cried. The doctor advised him not to cry over the bill.

But the old man said “I am not crying because of the money I have to pay. I can pay all the money." I cry because I have been breathing God's air for 93 years, but I never pay for it. It takes 5,000 Euros to use a ventilator in a hospital for one day. Do you know how much I owe God?! I didn't thank God for that before."

Like this man, we also likely have many things we take for granted: the food we eat, the clean water we drink and wash with, our physical and mental health, the Church, our families and all the people and circumstances and second chances in our life which God used and continues to use to build our relationship with Him.

St. Mark the Ascetic of the 5th century instructs that the remembrance of God’s blessings is the answer to the question we often ask and are asked: “How do I begin living a life according to God?”

Whether we are struggling with weaknesses of loneliness or loss of purpose or despair, or sins of envy & judging others or pride; or if we want to grow in the virtues: to truly rejoice, to pray, to acquire humility—thanksgiving is a necessary weapon at the beginning and all throughout our life with God and others helping us to both overcome sins and habits as well as grow in the virtues.

Therefore, as an exercise this week, let us sit quietly with God remembering and writing our past and present experiences and aspects of our life for which we have seldom or maybe never offered thanks to God and neighbor.

Let us stand before God for at least 2 minutes daily. 120 seconds. With no requests, no complaints, but rather let us thank Him: “for everything, concerning everything, and in everything.”