https://tasbeha.org/community/categories/coptic-orthodox-church/p55/feed.rss Fri, 19 Jun 2026 13:44:33 +0000 Coptic Orthodox Church - Tasbeha.org Community en-CA https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7835/what-was-christ-writing-on-the-ground Mon, 13 Apr 2009 11:21:13 +0000 Ivan - SRB 7835@/community/discussions
I would like to share with you a wonderful article from Serbian Orthodox spiritual treasury....


http://www.stvladimirs.ca/library/christ-writing-ground.html

What Was Christ Writing on the Ground?

By Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich

Once, the All-loving Lord was sitting in front of the temple in Jerusalem, nurturing hungry hearts with His sweet teachings. A multitude gathered round Him (John 8:2). The Lord spoke to the people about eternal bliss, about the never-ending joy of the righteous in the eternal homeland in the heavens. And the people delighted in His divine words. The bitterness of many disappointed souls and the hostility of many of the offended vanished like snow under the bright rays of the sun. Who knows how long this wonderful scene of peace and love between heaven and earth would have continued, had not something unexpected now occurred. The Messiah Who loves mankind never grew tired of teaching the people, and pious folk never grew weary of listening to such healing and wondrous wisdom.

But something frightening, savage, and cruel occurred. It originated as even now it often does, with scribes and pharisees.

What did they do? Perhaps they had caught the leader of a band of brigands? Nothing of the sort. They forcibly brought forth an unfortunate sinful woman, "taken in the act of adultery"; brought her forth with triumphant boasting and crude and deafening cries. Having brought her before Christ, they cried: Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou? (John 8:4,5; cf. Lev. 20:10, Deut. 22:22).

The case was presented in this way by sinners, who denounced the sins of others and were adept at hiding their own shortcomings. The frightened crowd parted, making way for their elders. Some fled out of fear, because the Lord had been speaking of life and happiness, whereas these loud-mouths were clamoring for death.

It would have been appropriate to ask why these elders and guardians of the law did not stone the sinful woman themselves? Why had they brought her to Jesus? The law of Moses gave them the right to stone her. No one would have objected. Who protests, in our day, when the death sentence is pronounced over a criminal? Why did the Jewish elders bring this sinful woman to the Lord? Not to obtain a commutation of her sentence or clemency from Him! Anything but that! They brought her with a premeditated, fiendish plan to catch the Lord in words contradictory to the law, that they might accuse Him as well. They hoped with a single blow to do away with two lives-that of the guilty woman and that of Christ. "What sayest Thou?" Why did they ask Him, when the law of Moses was clear? The Evangelist explains their intent in the following words: This they said tempting Him that the might have to accuse Him (John 8:6). They had lifted their hands up against Him once before to stone Him, but He had eluded them. But now they had found an opportunity to accomplish their desire. And it was there, before the Temple of Solomon, where the tablets of the commandments had been kept in the Ark of the Covenant, before a great multitude of people, it was there that He, Christ, had to say something contrary to the law of Moses; then their goal would be attained. They would stone to death both Christ and the sinful woman. Far more eager were they to stone Him than her, just as they would later with even greater zeal ask Pilate to release the bandit Barabbas instead of Christ.

All of those present expected that one of two things would happen: either the Lord in His mercy, would release the sinful woman and thereby violate the law; of He would uphold the law, saying, "Do as it is written in the law," and thereby break His own commandment of mercy and loving-kindness. In the first instance He would be condemned to death; and in the second, He would become an object of mockery and derision.

When the tempters posed the questio n, "What sayest Thou?" a deathly silence fell: silence among the crowd which had gathered; silence among the judges of the sinful woman; silence and bated breath in the soul of the accused woman. A great silence falls in large circuses when the tamers of wild beasts bring forth tame lions and tigers and command them to perform various movements, to assume various positions and do tricks at their behest. But we see before us no tamer of wild animals, but the Tamer of men-a task significantly more difficult than the former. For it is often harder to tame those who have become wild on account of sin, than to tame those who are wild by nature. "What sayest Thou?" once more they pressed Him, burning with malice, their faces contorted.

Then the legislator of morality and human conduct stooped down to the ground, smoothed out the dust with the palm of His hand, and began to write (John 8:6). What did the Lord write in the dust? The Evangelist maintains silence concerning this and does not write of it. It was too repulsive and vile to be written in the Book of Joy. However, this has been present in tradition, and it is horrible. The Lord wrote something unexpected and startling for the elders, the accusers of the sinful woman. With His finger He disclosed their secret iniquities. For these pointers-out of the sins of others were experts in concealing their own sins. But it is pointless to try to hide anything from the eyes of One Who sees all.

"M (eshulam) has stolen treasures from the temple," wrote the Lord's finger in the dust.
"A (sher) has committed adultery with his brother's wife;
"S (halum) has committed perjury;
"E (led) has struck his own father;
"A (marich) has committed sodomy;
"J (oel) has worshipped idols."


And so one statement after another was written in the dust by the awesome finger of the righteous Judge. And those to whom these words referred, bending down, read what was written, with inexpressible horror. They trembled from fright, and dared not look one another in the eye. They gave no further thought to the sinful woman. They thought only of themselves and of their own death, which was written in the dust. Not a single tongue was able to move, to pronounce that troublesome and evil question, "What sayest Thou?" The Lord said nothing. That which is so filthy is fit to be written only in filthy dust. Another reason why the Lord wrote on the ground is even greater and more wonderful. That which is written in the dust is easily erased and removed. Christ did not want their sins to be made known to everyone. Had He desired this, He would have announced them before all the people, and would have accused them and had them stoned to death, in accordance with the law. But He, the innocent Lamb of God, did not contemplate revenge or death for those who had prepared for Him a thousand deaths, who desired His death more than everlasting life for themselves. The Lord wanted only to correct them, to make them think of themselves and their own sins. He wanted to remind them that while they carried the burden of their own transgressions, they shouldn't be strict judges of the transgressions of others. This alone did the Lord desire. And when this was done, the dust was again smoothed over, and that which was written disappeared.

After this our great Lord arose and kindly said to them: He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her (John 8:7). This was like someone taking away the weapons of his enemies and then saying, "Now, shoot!" The once haughty judges of the sinful woman now stood disarmed, like criminals before the Judge, speechless and rooted to the ground. But the benevolent Saviour, stooping down again, wrote on the ground (John 8:8). What did He write this time? Perhaps their other secret trans-gressions, so that they would not open their closed lips for a long tim e. Or perhaps He wrote what sort of persons the elders and leaders of the people should be like. This is not essential for us to know. The most important thing here is that by His writing in the dust He achieved three results: first, He broke and annihilated the storm which the Jewish elders had raised against Him; second, He aroused their deadened consciences in their hardened souls-if only for a short time; and third, He saved the sinful woman from death. This is apparent from the words of the Gospel: And they [the elders] who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last; and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst (John 8:9).

The square before the temple was suddenly empty. No one was left except those two whom the elders had sentenced to death-the sinful woman and the Sinless One. The woman was standing, whereas He remained stooped towards the ground. A profound silence reigned. Suddenly the Lord arose again, looked around, and, seeing no one but the woman, said to her: "Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?" The Lord knew that no one had condemned her; but with this question He hoped to give her confidence, so that she would be able to hear and understand better what He would say to her. He acted like a skillful doctor, who first encourages his patient and only then gives him medicine. "No one has condemned you?" The woman regained the ability to speak, and she answered, "No man, Lord." These words were uttered by a pathetic creature, who just before had no hope of ever uttering another word, a creature, who most likely was feeling a breath of true joy for the first time in her life.

Finally, the good Lord said to the woman: Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more (John 8:10,11). When the wolves spare their prey, then, of course, the shepherd does not wish death for his sheep either. But it is essential to be aware that Christ's non-judgment means much more than the non-judgment of humans. When people do not judge you for your sin, it means that they do not assign a punishment for the sin, but leave that sin with and in you. When God does not judge, how-ever, this means that He forgives your sin, draws it out of you like pus and makes your soul clean. For this reason, the words, "Neither do I condemn thee," mean the same as "Thy sins are forgiven thee; go, daughter, and sin no more."

What unspeakable joy! What joy of truth! For the Lord revealed the truth to those who were lost. What joy in righteousness! For the Lord created righteousness. What joy in mercy! For the Lord showed mercy. What joy in life! For the Lord preserved life. This is the Gospel of Christ, which means the Good News, this is Joyful News, the Teaching of Joy; this is a page from the Book of Joy.

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1. One who cares about and worries about the needs of others, i.e., an active love toward others.

2. Full of kindness and meekness.

3. The scribes and Pharisees outwardly kept the law, but actually transgressed it. The Lord Jesus Christ frequently chastised them. For example, He said: Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! . . . ye. . . outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity (Matt. 23:27, 28)

Reprinted from Orthodox Life, 1985, No. 2.

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About the author

Called "a new Chrysostom" for his inspired preaching, Bi shop Nikolai Velimirovich (1880-1956) was a gifted theologian who combined a high level of erudition with the simplicity of a soul steeped in Christlike love and humility. As a spiritual father of the Serbian people, he constantly exhorted them to fulfill their calli ng as a nation: to serve Christ. During World War II he was imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau. Later he served as a hierarch and teacher here in America, where he died. He had great love for the Russian people, and wrote a prayer entreating God to deliver them from their godless foes
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7888/scope-of-salvation Tue, 28 Apr 2009 15:14:13 +0000 JustinWilliams 7888@/community/discussions
What is the official stance of the Coptic Orthodox Church concerning the scope of salvation?  By that I would like to know if the church believes that salvation is found only through belief in Christ and the Gospel or whether the church holds that there will be some who will inherit eternal life who did not believe or know of Christ before the Judgment.

Thanks,

Justin  :)]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7875/the-prophecy-gate Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:46:04 +0000 Copticdeacon 7875@/community/discussions
So everyone knows how there is a Gate or Door in the Syrian Monastery also known as Wadi Natroon. I found this thing on Wikipedia and I was wondering if the info is right here is the link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_of_Prophecies

Thank you Pray for me Xristos Anesti ]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7612/three-coptic-children-in-the-uk-in-need-of-help Tue, 03 Feb 2009 16:32:55 +0000 salsoul 7612@/community/discussions There is a Coptic couple who went through a divorce in the UK. They have 3 kids. As the court rolling,
the social service took over the children.There is Muslim Moroccan worker in the social service who took the children and placed them at the custody of the city Mosque without the knowledge of the Church.

The authority refused to return the children to the Church without a petition signed by at least 10,000 people from in and out of the UK. In his last visit to USA, H. G. Bishop Angaelos of the UK confirmed the story and asked every one to do his/her best in this matter. The best you guys can do is follow the link and sign the petition.

So far, since 10/2008,there has only been 1720 signatures???

there is also a facebook group for this cause: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46556229753

please do join it and invite others to sign the petition as well... facebook is a great way to reaching out to people!

thanks & God Bless
ss.
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7837/why-can-t-women-read-during-the-pascha Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:01:26 +0000 7837@/community/discussions
I'm just curious, but why can't women read during the Paschal Prayers at Church. The men are not deacons, and yet they read.

Why is it only men?

I can understand that a woman is not allowed in the alter. But this is outside of the alter. If women can teach sunday school at Church (i.e. IN the Church) - they may read to the children a passage from the Bible. Surely that amounts to reading the Bible in the Church? They might as well do it in front of an older audience.

]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7857/miricale-during-mass Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:00:43 +0000 abanoub2000 7857@/community/discussions
and

why do some channels edit that part out? ]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7710/didokia Fri, 06 Mar 2009 23:32:59 +0000 geomike 7710@/community/discussions









Pray for me,
Michael
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7721/what-makes-a-good-servant Wed, 11 Mar 2009 08:50:02 +0000 7721@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7455/what-nationality-was-our-lord-jesus-christ-when-he-was-born Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:20:20 +0000 7455@/community/discussions
can someone tell me what nationality our Lord Jesus Christ was on the day He was born?

Thanks]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7754/irini-pasi Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:47:53 +0000 deaconwannaB 7754@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7793/homosexuals Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:04:42 +0000 Copticdeacon 7793@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7740/a-coptic-channel-on-the-internet Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:30:24 +0000 Manuel 7740@/community/discussions http://www.mogulus.com/coptic_channel This is a channel which broadcast some sermons, liturgies and saints stories.
God Bless you]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7805/brilliant-video-of-coptic-monastism Sun, 05 Apr 2009 17:11:31 +0000 7805@/community/discussions
I came across this video through a friend.I think its brilliant.

http://orthodoxfathers.org/?p=261

Its quite funny actually, and there are really good questions raised: like why do I need to suffer to enter the Kingdom of Heaven? Why couldnt we just drinkTomato and Basil soup?

I thought the tasbeha was quite good too.



]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7839/witnessing Mon, 13 Apr 2009 14:16:40 +0000 aidan 7839@/community/discussions
Such people are generally ignored but they are making themselves fools for Christ as St Paul said.

Most people don't know about the beauties of Orthodoxy and at the rate we are witnessing, never will. Is it time for us to be fools for Christ?

St Aidan was an Irish monk who came to 'England' over a thousand years ago. Everyone he met he asked first if they had been baptised and, if they had to persevere in their faith. I do nothing. I think I'm embarrassed to talk about my faith. Will I be rejected in the end?

]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7823/confession-and-communion Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:53:11 +0000 aidan 7823@/community/discussions
In the Russian (but not the Greek) church it is usual to go to confession before going to communion. I lined up for communion once after having been to confession and commuinion a couple of days earlier and the bishop announced that no one could partake who had not been to confession that day. A priest saw me turn back and 'confessed' me.

What is the usual practicse in your church? How does confession 'work' and how is it linked to holy communion?

I have watched people receiving communion in  a coptic church but I couldn't really make head or tail out of what was happening.

Please pray for me as you read this]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7795/good-friday-burial Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:37:55 +0000 SilentOne 7795@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7808/lazarus-raised-from-the-dead Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:50:37 +0000 gigglyshy 7808@/community/discussions
I'd greatly appreciate it if someone could explain this to me.

Jasmine]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7786/holy-week-rites Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:40:07 +0000 Lover of the father 7786@/community/discussions From what I know: the deacon is to read all the psalms, the gospel of john is supposed to read, and there is supposed to be certain amount of metanias to be made every hour (not sure how many).]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7781/the-seven-sundays Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:52:37 +0000 Vany2010 7781@/community/discussions
I wanted to share the Names of the Seven sundays with you i know we are nearly finished but i think it would be helpfull for next year too ;D

So here they are:)

First Sunday of Lent
THE TREASURE
(Mt 6:19-23)

Second Sunday of Lent
THE TEMPTATION
(Mt 4:1-11)

Third Sunday of Lent
THE PRODIGAL(LOST)SON
(Lk 15:11-32)

Fourth Sunday Lent
THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
(Jn 4:1-42)

Fifth Sunday of Lent
THE LAME MAN
(Jn 5 1-18)

Sixth Sunday of Lent
THE BAPTISM(Healing of the blind man)
(Jn 9 1-41)

Seventh Sunday of Lent
PALM SUNDAY

(Mk.11:1-11
Mt 21:1-17)

Please Remind My Weakness in your Prayers.
Have a Wonderful Week:)
Vanessa]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7794/coc-priests-and-catholic-priests Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:15:35 +0000 Copticdeacon 7794@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7783/split Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:59:23 +0000 Christrules 7783@/community/discussions
how is everyone?
I had a small problem.
I moved to the church im in about 3 yrs ago this summer.
as time went by i noticed that we split into smaller groups and never mingle
we are not that big of a group, so its not hard getting us together.
The problem lies here:

I am trying my hardest (along with a couple of others) to put the pieces together
but no one seems to want to
whrn we plan something ppl have weird excuses
now i realize they maybe true most of the time
but i dont think all the time it can be
im friends with mostly everyone, and i try to be as much as i can
but i really am finding it hard to be friends with everyone running their own way (im not saying im not) im saying that im trying to go back
and oick things up,

Does anyone have any thoughts on how to start us going out in the big group together?!

Pray for my weakness thank you]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7729/who-to-intercede-to Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:33:07 +0000 geomike 7729@/community/discussions https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7757/regarding-angels-and-free-will Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:43:46 +0000 bassemtossoun 7757@/community/discussions
The first one is;  Were angels created with free will? And if they were, do they still have free will? If Satan chose to rebel against God, and have 1/3 of the Angels follow him, does that not mean they had free will?
The second one is; Now the angels witnessed God's love and glory first-hand, right? Why would they ever want to turn away from God, and betray him? When one experiences God's glory, isn't it the most joyous feeling one could have? Why would one want to go against that? And if it was because of the angels' pride, does that mean that there was/is sin in heaven?
And the third one is; Man, through Adam, fell because of his pride, and therefore we took on a sin nature. Now if Satan, who fell because of pride even before man did, fell, how come the angels do not have a sin nature? I have heard answers that we do not believe in original sin, but it makes sense that our natural flesh desires worldy pleasures. Why would angels be any different? Did not Satan desire to be the "God of this world"?.

Thanks a lot for your time, effort, and help, and God bless,

                                                                                                 Bassem
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7626/eo-vs-oo Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:56:34 +0000 7626@/community/discussions
Its a tad bit patronising of them to keep on telling us that we are monophysites

Why do they think that we are monophysites in our Christology? Who told them that?

Which Coptic theologian told them that we are mono?

I had a chat with Anba Angaelos, and he insisted that we are miaphysites.

So from where do they get this understanding that we are mono?

I admit, when I'm talking to catholics or protestants, for the sake of peace, I try to find what we share in common with them so it makes the conversation less antagonistic. However, with EO's, I can't help but feel that they are searching to find us heretic. Even if we tell them "we are the same as you!" - they deny it.

Our priest went to Greece once, and asked to pray in the grotto of Saint John. They threw him out, and told him he was a heretic.

This is a shame because I love the Greek Orthodox Church. And yes, let it be known I love the Greeks, the greek food, the greek language, the greek islands.. so I'm a bit disappointed at this.

Why doesnt our church just create a Facebook Petition where every Copt writes a few lines saying that he is miaphysite - and we can send this to H.H Pope Bartholemew.

The serbian orthodox seem to be OK with us; I get the impression from going along to their liturgies that they either don't care about the distinction between mia and mono, or they are really knowledgeable that they understand perfectly our faith and accept us.


]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7747/psalms-while-baking-korban Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:16:36 +0000 the_least 7747@/community/discussions
hey, i have a question about the people that do korban

Why is it necessary that they read (or listen) to psalms?

Thanks and pray for me]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7738/entering-heaven Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:24:03 +0000 geomike 7738@/community/discussions





Pray for me,
Michael
]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7723/h-h-patriarch-kirellous-and-fr-abd-el-massih Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:52:24 +0000 7723@/community/discussions
Which monastery was that? Do you know?

Do you have the story of Fr. Abd El Massih?

Isn't it really really really remarkable that both of these two saints started out in the same monastery??


]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7734/where-was-christ Sun, 15 Mar 2009 12:00:25 +0000 7734@/community/discussions
If we believe that Christ was the perpetual Son to the Perpetual Father, that He existed before the ages, can someone explain this:

In the fullness of time, Christ was born of Saint Mary - He took flesh from her. So, when He was born, His body and soul was created.

So, which part of Christ existed before He was born?

If His soul, mind, body only existed when He was born, then what existed before?? Our faith tells us that Christ existed before. That the Father Created everything through the Word (Logos) with the Life giving Holy Spirit.

Thanks]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7731/humility-among-the-virtues Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:34:04 +0000 Copticdeacon 7731@/community/discussions Humility among the Virtues
by H.H. Pope Shenouda III

I wish to begin with you today a chain about an important subject, which is humility and meekness.


What is the Place of Humility among the Virtues

Humility is the foundation upon which all virtues are built up. Humility is the rampart that guards all virtues and all gifts.

Hence we can consider it as the first virtue in the spiritual life with regard to the order of the spiritual building, on whose top sits charity towards God and people.

It is the beginning then. The Lord of glory in His sermon upon the mountain, he has begun the blessings by saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3); then He blessed the meek (Matt. 5:5).

Any virtue which is void of humility, is exposed to be stolen by the devil of vainglory, and to be dispersed by vanity, glory, and self-admiration.

That is why, if God has given you to behave well in one of the virtues, ask the Lord to give you humility, in order to forget that you are behaving in a virtue, or even in order to understand that it is nothing when it is compared with the virtues of the saints. Likewise if God has given you one of the superior gifts, pray to Him either to give you the humility of heart with it, or to take it from you, lest you fall into pride, and perish because of it.

God acts well in giving gifts to humble people because He knows that it will not do harm to them. For the divine Incarnation, He has chosen a humble girl who crushes herself in front of that magnificent glory... "for He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant" (Luke 1:48); that one who remains in her humility though all the generations call her blessed (Luke 1:48). The Bible says that God unveils His mysteries to the humble, and that He gives grace to the humble, "the lowly" (James 4:6), (1 Peter 5:5), (Prov. 3:34). The more He adds glory to these, the more they increase their humility and crush their souls the more in front of Him.

Humility is not only a virtue in itself, but it is intermingled with the rest of the virtues.

Humility is like the thread which enters into all the grains of the rosary, so that no grain can remain if the thread does not enter in it... Any virtue which does not embody humility, is not considered a virtue, and God does not accept it. That is why we said that humility is the foundation of all the virtues. We said also that it is a rampart for the virtues which protects them from the vainglory.



The Benediction of Humility

When our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all the virtues are perfect, wished to lead His saint apostles into imitating Him, He said to them:

"...and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart" (Matt. 11:29).

He said this, in spite of the fact that we can learn every virtue from Him. It was possible that He would have said: learn from me wisdom, charity, compassion, quietness, service, instruction, strength of personalitiy... why then has He concentrated upon meekness and humility? Is it not because of the extreme importance of these two virtues?

Likewise, we see humility occupying a prominent place in the sayings and in the lives of the Fathers.

Saint Isaac said: "I want to speak about humility, but I am afraid, as one who wants to speak about God...this is because humility is the garment that divinity wore when He appeared among us...for this reason, when the devils see a humble person, they are afraid, because they see in him the image of their Creator who has subdued them."

How truly wonderful are these words about humility!

Humility can subjugate devils:

That is very clear in the story of saint Abba Macarius the Great, to whom Satan appeared and said to him:

"Woe to me from you, Macarius. What thing do you do, which we do not do?! You fast, we do not eat. You keep awake, we do not sleep. You reside in deserts and lonely places, we do the same. But with one thing you defeat us." The saint questioned him about that thing. He replied: "You defeat us with your humility."

That is obvious, because the devil cannot be humble. He is always proud and stubborn. That is the reason why the humble defeat him, because they possess humility that the devil could not possess.

The value of humility appears in the life of Saint Anthony:

This great saint saw the nets of the devil which were spread all over the world. So he fell down before God saying: "O Lord, who can escape from them?" A voice from heaven came to him saying: "The humble escape from them". Someone would ask why especially the humble can escape from the nets of the devils?" We reply:

"The humble, feeling that they are weak, lean on the power of God"; and so, the power of God supports them and protects them from the nets of the devils.

That is the opposite of the "wise" who lean on their wisdom, and the "strong" who lean on their strength, amd the "just" who are confident in their own justice.

As for the humble man, who is completely convinced and who confesses that he has no strength, no wisdom, and no justice, God supports his weakness, and fights for him. And that is what the devil fears the most.

That is why the exorcism of devils necessitates humility before anything. The Lord said: "However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" (Matt. 17:21), because it is in prayer and fasting that humility appears in all clarity. He who prays, confesses implicitly that he has no personal power. That is why he asks for strength from above through prayer. If the devil is cast out, he does not glorify himself for having cast him out, because this has not happened by his strength, but by the strength of God who has intervened through prayer. Likewise true fasting is that in which man crushes himself and mortifies himself before God through humility, and feels that he is weak.

Through humility, devils used to run away from St. Anthony. When the devils violently attacked St. Anthony, the father of all the monks, he answered them humbly, saying: "O you strong, what do you want from me, the weak one? I am unable to fight the smallest one of you." And he prayed to God and said: "Deliver me, o Lord, from those who think that I am anything, while I am dust and ashes." When the devils would hear this prayer full ol humility, they disappeared like smoke. Verily, the saints have become perfect in humility, with such marvelous image!

The saints have not only humbled themselves before God and before people, but also before the devils, and they have defeated the devils through their humilit as we have seen in the life of Saint Anthony, and the life of Saint Macarius, and as we shall see in the lives of the rest of the saints.

Probably the greatness of the virtue of humility will appear distinctly if we consider the horror of the vice that is opposite to it, and that is pride and greatness.

Pride has brought down from heaven a brilliant angel, and changed it into Satan.

Verily, the first sin which the world had known, was the pride with which Satan fell down. The prophet Isaiah has registered the story of the downfall of Satan, in the words of the divine intuition which were addressed to that fallen angel: "For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the star of God: I will also sit above the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." (Is. 14: 13-14).

It is with the same downfall of pride, that Satan seduced our first parents.

Just as he said in his heart: "I will be like the most High", so he said to our first parents: "...and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5). Hence it seems that pride is absolutely never satisfied, but it wants to become continually higher, though its position is high; even if he is in the position of a cherubim, who is full of wisdom and perfectly beautiful (Ez. 28: 14,12), or is in the resemblance of the image of God, yet he wants to become high and elevated. But in this pride, he will be brought down to hell, as the Lord has said:

"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted" (Luke 14:11).

When the angel had wanted to exalt himself, he was brought down to hell, to the bottom of the pit, he lost his position as an angel, and became Satan.

When man, who is the image of God, had wanted to exalt himself, he lost his divine image, and was chased out of paradise, and suffered what he suffered. The most difficult thing to which the proud is exposed, is that God himself stands against him. Hence, how grave is the word of the Bible:

"God resists the proud" (James 4:6).

At the same time, when God pitied the sinners and the publicans, and led them to repentance, the apostle said that God resists the proud... And what will be the destiny of those whom God resists? Do you want to expose yourself to the resistance of God himself against you?! The second half of the verse consoles us, saying: "but gives grace to the humble".

May we become afraid of the words of the prophet Isaiah:

"For the day of the Lord of hosts shall come upon everything proud and lofty, upon everything lifted up---and is shall be brought low---upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan; upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up; upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall... The loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day" (Is. 2: 12:17).

Credits and Attribution

This article appeared in a series of articles on "The Life of Humility and Meekness" in Watany Magazine in 2000.



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]]> https://tasbeha.org/community/discussion/7726/earthly-punishment-and-salvation Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:18:22 +0000 7726@/community/discussions
I know we talked about this topic before, but I never really discussed this side of it:

If we commit a sin, we know (from H.H's book on repentance) that there is ALWAYS an earthly punishment associated with that sin.

My questions are:

a) What if there is not? God,being Just, how does He deal with the person?
b) I heard that some fathers say that you should be thankful to receive an earthly punishment, because it means you have been spared from the eternal punishment.

Is that true? I just heard something of that nature, but I'm not entirely sure.

c) Does God's forgiveness mean, in anyway, that we escape punishment (heavenly or earthly) just through repentance?

I mean, let's say someone who raped women all his life and in his last few years alive, he repented and confessed everything - then he dies. So, God has forgiven him. And when God forgives, He separates our sins like the East is separated from the West. But what punishment did that person receive? He seems only to have received eternal life??

d) Should we seek to do service (charitable deeds) to punish ourselves for our sins? Or should we escape punishment where possible?? For example. Let's say that I stole some money when I was a young kid. And I repented for this. Should one punish himself by volunteering to do charitable work? Or what?

Does anyone know an example of someone who received heavenly rewards for his/her repentance, yet paid an earthly price for their sins??

Does anyone know an example of someone who did many bad things on earth, yet received no punishment on earth, and yet was saved by virtue of his faith?? Who has done a sin and never escaped the consequences??

Does repentance nullify the consequences of sin??

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