Category: FAITH

  • We are called to reflect the light of God, we are called to reflect His light—not to be preoccupied with darkness. We’re actually called to be preoccupied with light, to be so focused, so obsessed with light, that we spread that light everywhere we go. And because of this, we often think that being modest means that we should hide that light—that if there are some fruits in me, that I should hide it. I’m very careful about what I say. I’m so scared that perhaps my pride will get in the way. I’m so scared that perhaps I’ll be judged if I speak about my Christianity, if I speak about the love of God in the world, and we hide it, but this is exactly what Jesus is saying we shouldn’t do because if we never use those fruits, and we keep them hidden under our bed, those fruits begin to rot.

    —Fr. Daniel Fanous

  • The reliance on people prevents total reliance on God, and outward comforts prevents true comfort.

    —St. Isaac the Syrian

  • All of us have problems, but where do we escape to during these problems? Do we run to people, do we run to priests, or do we run to God?

    When we’re in a situation that requires saving, where do we go? We go to other saviors. I’m running to other things besides Christ.

    —Fr. Elijah Estafanous

  • The practice of virtue and contemplation on the love of God makes one face death without fear or tears knowing that death is inevitable from one side and another side frees us from all our diseases.

    —St. Antony the Great

  • It doesn’t matter what our citizenship is, it doesn’t matter what our status is here or there, it doesn’t matter if we’re married not married, if we have kids or don’t have kids, if we have a job or don’t have a job—none of that matters because we are children of God. And as a father takes care of his child, so God will take care of us. And if we find ourselves in points in our lives where we feel like God has abandoned us, it is not He who has abandoned us—it’s we who have abandoned Him.

    —Fr. Daniel Habib

  • Nature’s greatnesses have their own way of striking with admiration; they do not need the pleading of words: the sky, for instance, or the sun, or any other wonder of the universe.

    —Gregory of Nyssa, On Virginity, Chap 23

  • When you are confused and you don’t know the voice of God, you have to ask yourself, When was the last time I read my Bible? “Father, so the Bible is going to solve my problem? God is going to tell me the answer?” One hundred percent. One hundred percent. When I learn to hear His voice, He will show me the answer.

    —Fr. Mina Dimitri

  • What you do to God, He does to you. He reciprocates what you do. If you give Him something, you receive that same thing multiple fold. If you give Him money, you receive money. If you give Him effort, then He facilitates your life—and this is the rule, with no exception.

    —Fr. Jacob Magdy

  • We say that we have faith in God, but anything happens, we get worried, we get anxious. We just said we have faith in God. We just said that He resurrected from the dead, and everything is in His hands. In 50 days, we’ve been doing nothing but saying that He is risen from the dead, and He trampled death by His death. Death, which is the greatest enemy, nothing is higher than death. Any issue happens, we get scared. Why did God Leave me? Why did God allow this to happen in my life? So we say words and our actions don’t necessarily line up. This lesson from today’s Gospel is: your faith and your works have to match together. Is faith enough or is works enough? St. James tells us that you’re saved by your faith, but you show your faith by your works. “I believe that God is in control.” But what’s the true test? When something happens, Am I in peace, or am I worried? Am I anxious? Am I regretful? I can’t fall asleep. I’m always going to Abouna or to people saying, “help me, I don’t know what to do.”… If we believe that God is in control, if it’s good or it’s bad, it’s still God in control, who said that something bad is always bad, maybe something bad is an opportunity. Maybe something bad.

    —Fr. Benjamin Girgis

  • Despair is the firstborn child of pride. Those who despair cannot make any progress because despair is the murderer of hope. 

    THE TEACHINGS OF ABBA PHILEMON