When we make the sign of the cross, we remember many of the theological and spiritual meanings, which are connected to it. We remember the love of God for us, who accepted death instead of us, in view of our salvation and takes away the sin of the world. In the Cross, we remember our sins. Our sins which He …
The Assumption of the Body of the Virgin Mary
August is a special month. August lies on the Coptic month of Mesra, which is dedicated to St. Mary, the Mother of God. On Mesra 1, which is August 7, the Virgin Mary fast begins. This fast lasts 15 days, until Mesra 16, which is the day that St. Mary’s body travelled to heaven. When St. Mary was peacefully praying, …
The Meaning of our Coptic Cross Tattoo
Coptic Christians are the closest direct descendants of Ancient Egypt. The Coptic language that we use today was derived from Hieroglyphics, to Hieratic, to Demotic then finally, into Coptic. The early Church suffered persecution under the Roman Empire and this persecution continued under Islamic rule. The Arabic language then gradually replaced Coptic as Egypt’s national language after the Muslim conquests. …
Transfiguration Feast, He’s the Glorified God
During the month of August, the Coptic Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor. The Feast of the Transfiguration is considered one of the seven Minor Feasts of the Lord. The Transfiguration is mentioned in Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36. It is stated in both St. Matthew’s and St. Mark’s …
St. Abanoub of Nehisa
Think back to when you were 12 years old, or try to imagine your life at that age. What are you doing? Perhaps you are attending school, playing outside, or in the worst case scenario, studying for a really hard test. Can you imagine any 12-year old standing in front of an emperor, challenging him by proclaiming their faith, knowing …
The Thief of Time
1 year is equivalent to 12 months, which is equivalent to 52 weeks, which is equivalent to 365 days, which is equivalent to 8760 hours, which is equivalent to 525,600 minutes, which is equivalent to 31,536,000 seconds. Sounds like a long time, right? You’d be surprised. New studies have shown that the average person spends at least 11 hours a …
The Holy Apostles – Witnesses to the Nations
Our Lord Jesus Christ spent 40 days with His disciples after the resurrection to prove to them that He is truly risen, then before He ascended to heaven He said to them “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission …
The Meaning of the Resurrection Enactment
On the Feast of the Resurrection, there is a rite that takes place in the church that we all like to attend; it’s called The Resurrection Enactment. This is when all the lights in the church are turned off and altar curtain is closed with Abouna inside the altar. The deacons standing outside engage in a melodic dialogue with Abouna …
The Empty Tomb
Jesus is risen from the death after He was buried in a new tomb that no one was buried in. This holy tomb stays empty until now to witness the power of Jesus’s divinity and to stay as one of the proofs that confirms Jesus’s Resurrection. 1-The Empty Tomb :- The first witnesses for the empty tomb, as mentioned in …
St. Mary of Egypt
Just two years ago, our church received the blessed relics of St. Mary of Egypt. Her story is a perfect example of repentance and change. She was born to Christian parents in Alexandria but unfortunately when she was 12, she was tricked by Satan and lived a life of sin for almost 17 years. One day, she decided to board …