Theotokos Fast Begins Today!

Today marks to beginning of the fast of the Theotokos Mary. It is a time for us to reflect on her virtues, especially in the post-modern era, where we are pushed to value everything she is not. St. John of Damascus writes,

O Virgin, full of God's grace, O holy temple of God, which the Solomon who created the world has erected and in which He has dwelt! Not with gold, nor with inanimate stones are you adorned. In stead of gold the Spirit shines in you; in place of precious stones, you have Christ within you, the Pearl of great price.*

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*St. Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, "Homily On The Nativity Of The Most Pure Theotokos"

Feast of Saint Shenouda the Archmandrite

Today is the feast day of one of the great lights in the constellation of Coptic Saints, Saint Shenouda the Archmandrite.

At the time of his departure in 466, he was the father of 2,200 monks and 1,800 nuns. Besides being a man of deep learning and spirituality, he was known to be strict with his disciples. To be sure, this strictness flowed from a loving and concerned heart, as evidenced by his care for the peasants in the area surrounding the monastery.

Hany N. Takla writes,

Any cursory study of the living conditions of the peasants in Upper Egypt at his time, reveals a sub-human living conditions. This was exemplified in their illiteracy and slavery to the Greek landlords and to the land they cultivated. Such slavery was a life sentence, from which only death could free them. Even after Christianity spread among the them, their spirits were always dampened by the pagan landlords, who became more and more ferocious, especially after their slaves rejected their religion and adopted another (i.e. Christianity). The lack of leaders to defend them from such grave injustices, did not help either. This set the stage for the emergence of St. Shenouda as a leader of the oppressed populace.

To be a true leader, one would need to be strong, charismatic, caring, of good morals, and fearless. Such qualities fitted our Saint perfectly. So he took charge of the peasants with the ultimate goal of elevating them from being mere slaves to self-esteemed Christians, or at least to insure that they would get a fair treatment fromtheir landlords. He opened his church to them, preaching them incessantly on religious and moral issues. He also defended and protected them from their oppressors whenever they asked him for such protection. He simply did not spare an effort in coming to their aid. Though his methods might seemed violent by today's standards, they were the only possible and effective means of his time.*

In light of the difficulties presently facing the Christians of Upper Egypt, his life and work are particularly pertinent.

I recommend taking the time to read and absorb the modern translation of his vita, originally penned in Coptic by his disciple Besa.

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*Takla, Hany N., "St. Shenouda the Archmandrite", http://www.stshenouda.com/

Your Money, For Now

Today's reading, according to the Coptic lectionary is Luke 16:1-12 (The Parable of the Steward):

St. Cyril of Alexandria writes (I've added the subheadings):

Entrusted with Wealth
Is there then no way of salvation for the rich, and no means of making them partakers of the hope of the saints? Have they fallen completely from God s grace? Is hell and the fire necessarily prepared for them, such as is the fitting lot of the devil and his angels? Not so: for lo! the Saviour has shown them a means of salvation in this parable. They have been entrusted with worldly wealth by the merciful permission of Almighty God.

Stewards for the Poor
They have been appointed stewards for the poor. But they don't discharge their stewardship rightly, in that they scatter, so to speak, what has been given them from the Lord: for they waste it solely on their pleasures, and purchase temporary honours, not remembering God, Who says, "You shall open wide your mercy unto your brother, even to him who needs you" (Deut 8), nor moreover Christ Himself, the Saviour of us all, Who says," Be merciful, even as your Father is." (Luke 6).

Whoever is in heaven is merciful. But they, as I said, do not take showing mercy to their brethren seriously at all, but concentrate only on their own pride. And this is what accuses them before the Lord of all.

The Net of Death
And of course upon the approach of death they must cease from their stewardship, withdrawing them as it does from human aifairs. For the net of death no man can escape from.

What therefore would Christ have them to do? It is, that while they are yet in this world, if they are unwilling to divide all their wealth among the poor, that at least they should gain friends by a part of it; and numerous witnesses to their charitableness, even those who have received well at their hands: that when their earthly wealth fails them, they may gain a place in their tabernacles.

For it is impossible for love to the poor ever to remain unrewarded. Whether therefore a man give away all his wealth, or but a part, he will certainly benefit his soul.

The Feast of the Trinity

Today is the Epiphany feast, according to the Coptic Calendar.

On the Feast of the Epiphany, Orthodox Christians celebrate the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. Interestingly, Western Christians celebrate the Epiphany feast as the visit of the wise men.

In both cases, it is a celebration of the revelation or epiphany regarding who Christ was: He was more than just an ordinary man born and baptised. At the baptism of Christ, he was revealed as the second person of the Trinity: 1) the Father's voice was heard, 2) the Spirit descending like a dove and 3) the Son appeared. Hence, the feast is also called the Theophany or the Feast of the Trinity.

In the same way, when the wise men traveled such a distance to worship before the child, it was clear that more than a mere baby had come into the world.