Questions and Answers Around the Resurrection

Transcription

1 St. Antonius Coptic Orthodox Church Newslette St. Antonius Coptic Orthodox Church Newsletter - Logos Delivered to you by Saint Moses the Strong Fellowship 2500 Hansen Rd. Hayward, CA June Volume 4, Issue 86 Questions and Answers Around the Resurrection Which hypostasis of the Trinity was it that raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead? I did a search in Scripture and came up with about 11 verses that point to the Father (Act 17:30,31, 1 Cor 6:14; 4:14; 15:15, Rom 4:24; 6:4;8:11, Gal 1:1, Col 2:12, 1 Thess 1:10, and 1 Pet 1:21). Can you please clarify this point for me? Raising our Lord Jesus from the dead was the work of the Son in cooperation with the whole Trinity. The Holy Bible gives us verses that the Father raised Christ from the dead as you mentioned. Our Lord Jesus Christ raised Himself and His resurrection was under His own influence and authority. By His own will He presented Himself to death. He explained this matter saying "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 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" (John 10:17-18). The role of the Holy Spirit in the resurrection is also stated "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you" (Rom 8:11). Why did the Lord Jesus Christ vanish after He had talked with the two Disciples of Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32)? In the Holy Gospel of St. Luke 24:13-32 is the account of the Lord Jesus Christ appearing to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus. This is simply a Resurrection APPEARANCE to two startled followers. One of the followers is Cleopas whom tradition identifies as the brother of Joseph, St. Mary's fiancée, and thus the Lord's earthly uncle, and the second unnamed follower, also according to tradition, is the Evangelist Luke himself. He appeared to them in a veiled way showing concern for their feelings. The Church Welcomes: Sarwat Khalil Amal Samir Dr. Mourad Atalla, his wife, Sally and their daughter, Natalie Ehab Hanna, his wife, Suhad and their son, Daniel Hani El Mankabadi, his wife, Sherine and their children, Karim & Youssef Blessed Births & Baptisms Roumany (Nabil) and Joliette Iskander folr the birth of their blessed son, Anthony, born on April 4, David and Sally Rouhani for the birth of their blessed twins, Anthony and Alexander, born on April 13, Maged and Mary Armanius for the baptism of their blessed son, Jeremaiah. The Church offers her condolences to: Nader and Manal Gourgy for the departure of his father, the late Afify Ghobrial Gourgy.

2 Let s Have Some Fun. AFTER THE RESURRECTION: Where is the appearance of the Lord to seven of the disciples mentioned? Where is the appearance of the Lord to more than 500 disciples mentioned? What are the places in which Lord Jesus appeared to His disciples? Where and when did Lord Jesus grant His disciples the sacrament of the priesthood? Did Mary Magdalene touch the Lord after His resurrection? (Give the reference). We wish our beloved Abouna Matthias a blessed 70 th birthday. May the Lord bless his life with many more years to come full of service and happiness Haappppyy Juunnee Birrtthdaayyss 6/1 Amanda Ghali 6/1 David Hanna 6/1 Maggie Gaddis 6/2 Ann Tadros 6/2 Joseph Metry 6/3 Corrina M. Tadros 6/3 Justin Allan El-diwany 6/3 Mina Ebeid 6/18 Monica Nader 6/4 Harife Tesfamichael 6/21 Joseph Haddad 6/4 Phobe Mankaryous 6/21 Michael Takla 6/7 Isaac Halasa 6/21 Peter Ghobrial 6/7 Jermiah Botros 6/22 George Khalil 6/8 Andrew Hamilton 6/22 Nardeen Maximous 6/8 Bishoy Kaldas 6/23 Christopher Malek 6/8 S.A.: Marina To me, running Kamel into a public 6/23 building Mary Gabriel with weapons will 6/8 seem Youssab foolish; but Kamel if I get a group 6/25 of Joseph friends to Abdelsaid agree to it, it 6/9 will seem Maria like Zamary an effective means 6/26 to Sally achieve Mickhail something. 6/10 Today Domanic you have Marcus many, many 6/27 people Christy doing or Metry saying 6/10 abnormal Michael and eccentric Issa things, 6/28 mainly David because Sorour they see that 6/11 so many John other Sidhom people treat it 6/28 as "life Juliana as usual". Shahid Almost 6/12 everyone Juliette is crazy Takla these days, 6/28 and the Noah few Guirguis people who really 6/12 see the Peter truth Beskalis are judged to be dumb fanatics. It's really unfortunate. 6/12 Shady Awadallah 6/14 Justin Abdelshahid 6/14 Mark Tony 6/14 Sandra Shawky 6/15 Aaron Abdel-Malek 6/16 Maged Yousif 6/16 Sarah Fahmy 6/16 Shareen Saddik 6/17 David Massoud 6/17 Matthew Ghobrial 6/18 Mariam Fikry 6/18 Michael Gabriel 6/29 Peter Saweres 6/30 Ashley Metri 6/30 Christina Soliman 6/30 Christoper Chahrestan

3 St. Antonius Coptic Orthodox Church Newsletter We were blessed with the visit of H.G. Bishop Rafeal. Congratulations to all newly ordained deacons : ' (7-3 : 20 ).'

4 SMS Come join us every Friday: Schedule 7:30 pm - 7:45 pm Prayer 7:45 pm - 8:00 pm Songs and Contemplations 8:00 pm - 8:45 pm Lecture 8:45 pm - 9:00 pm Prayer & Announcements 9:00 pm Social Fellowship To download previous issues of the Logos, visit our new site: St. Antonius Coptic Orthodox Church Newsletter Delivered to you by Saint Moses the Strong Fellowship 2500 Hansen Rd. Hayward, CA Logos Newsletter December 2009 Volume 2, Issue 83 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Hayward, CA Permit No. 247 Return Service Requested If you would like to subscribe to this magazine, please send us your information to logos@antonius.org

5 The Journey of the Holy Pentecost By Hegomen Fr. Bishoy Kamel ( A.D.) Edited from Journeys with Christ Many times we complain that during the period of the Holy Fifty Days we slide down from the depth of spiritual struggle achieved during Great Lent and Passion Week, and deteriorate to spiritual listlessness, indulgence in overeating, and laziness in our prayers, spiritual practices and liturgical prayers. The question that always occupies us is this: How can we continue in our spiritual struggle without a pause? How can we avoid falling into a relapse after all the blessings received during the journey of the Holy Lent? To answer these questions we have to realize that: 1- The divine intention of fasting is to achieve - through faithful and unceasing struggle against the self and the temptations of the world and the flesh - the purity of heart with which we see God. 2- In Pascha Week, we gradually comprehend the mystery of the Lord s passions. Thus, we enter into the fellowship of His sufferings with joy and yearn to carry the cross and enjoy the blessings of resurrection. 3- God will reward those who have walked faithfully and diligently in their fast and have lived joyfully in the fellowship of the Lord s sufferings. He will reward them with the blessing of the power of the resurrection, by clearly revealing His resurrection to them. The Church, in turn, arranged for her children who have tasted the power of the resurrection a practical program throughout the Pentecost to abide in the resurrected Christ in their lives. The period of Pentecost is not the end of the struggle achieved during Lent and Holy Week. Rather, it is a new start for a proactive spiritual struggle to abide in Christ. Therefore, repentance during Lent is a continuous struggle to achieve the purity of heart; while the Holy Fifty Days are a proactive struggle to continually live by Christ. The journey of the Pentecost, in all its stages, revolves around the manifestation of the person of the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, in our lives and our abiding in Him! The initial stage of the journey is faith in Christ (Thomas Sunday), who was raised to completely abolish any trace of doubt in us. Subsequently, Christ becomes our bread, our living water, our light, our way and our victory! Then, we ultimately are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, which Christ has sent to us (The Feast of Pentecost). Christianity, is therefore, not merely a group of high and excellent commandments, but it is living by Christ. For, Christ lives in me. His Holy Spirit dwells in me. His body and blood are my food. Christ is the light of my life and He is my way, not just a guide for the way... [He] is my strength and my victory. Therefore, the Church has arranged the Sunday gospel readings for us during the Pentecost by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. They are practical steps of spiritual struggle to abide in Christ as a continuation to our struggle during the Holy Lent: First Sunday: The Lord Jesus is our faith and resurrection from any doubt. (John 20: 19- end) Second Sunday: The Lord Jesus is the bread our life. (John 6: 54-58) Third Sunday: The Lord Jesus is the water of our life. (John 4: 1-42) Forth Sunday: The Lord Jesus is the light of our life. (John 12: 35-43) Fifth Sunday: The Lord Jesus is the way of our life. (John 14: 1-11) Sixth Sunday: The Lord Jesus is the conqueror of the world. (John 16: 23-33) Seventh Sunday: The Lord Jesus sends to us His Holy Spirit. John 15: 26-16: 15) The resurrection, thus, dispersed any lack of faith and ended any doubts. Therefore, the Church, as the body of Christ, is resurrected. Her whole food in the land of estrangement is the body of the Lord (I am the bread of life). Any other food cannot benefit, but rather damages her. Let the Lord Jesus alone be her drink and satisfaction (I am the living water), because the water of this world cannot quench her thirst, but will only make her thirstier. The Church has to walk in Christ s light (I am the light of the world), as she is certain that the Lord Jesus is the way to life (I am the way). Jesus, by whom the Church lives, has overcome the world, and He ascends to heaven to send to her His Holy Spirit. He then seats her with Him in the heavenly places.

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