<\/p>\n
Christians worldwide celebrate Easter. I\u2019d like to sincerely condole the families of the martyrs of Tanta and Alexandria, beseeching God to grant them comfort and patience during these holy days.<\/strong><\/span> \nThe Universe had a God<\/strong><\/span> \nHumans are preoccupied with working for their earthly life, which strays them from caring for their eternal life. This is neither wrong nor rejected. Yet, it is wrong to sway from whatever benefits your spiritual life and eternity. Thus, with Easter, we pose this question: What have you done so far for your eternal life? So, make sure to fill your forthcoming days, hours, and minutes with work of love, mercy, and giving for every man, remembering that this the true treasure which accompanies you to eternal life. Money and power can be temporarily useful: as they make our lives a bit easy. Yet, our deeds will accompany us before God\u2019s throne.<\/strong><\/span> \nGeneral Bishop<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Christians worldwide celebrate Easter. I\u2019d like to sincerely condole the families of the martyrs of Tanta and Alexandria, beseeching God to grant them comfort and patience during these holy days. Resurrection: the Immortality Bell Resurrection is humanity\u2019s destiny after crossing the bridge of death. Christ speaks of it, after some people had attempted to deny […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58,"featured_media":19638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[8273,14114,682],"class_list":["post-45805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-8273","tag-14114","tag-682"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45805"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/58"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45805"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45805\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46398,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45805\/revisions\/46398"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nResurrection: the Immortality Bell<\/strong><\/span>
\nResurrection is humanity\u2019s destiny after crossing the bridge of death. Christ speaks of it, after some people had attempted to deny it, saying, \u201cBut about the resurrection of the dead\u2014have you not read what God said to you, \u2018I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob\u2019? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.\u201d Thus, resurrection rings a bell that declares that man\u2019s life does not end in death, but lasts forever, and that he has to get prepared for resurrection and immortality. Ancient civilizations demonstrated the eternal life which man will lead after going through carnal death. We read through history how humans have attempted to get prepared for the afterlife through mummifying bodies, building pyramids, or the teachings that were offered man to get spiritually ready for doomsday. Likewise, religions have promoted resurrection and man\u2019s immortality in their teachings.<\/strong><\/span>
\nResurrection: the Justice Bell<\/strong><\/span>
\nResurrection is also a bell that declares God\u2019s justice. On doomsday, every man will bring over the record of his deeds and God will judge each one according to his deeds: be they good or evil.<\/strong><\/span>
\nThus, resurrection becomes a source of rest, joy, and peace for the good, loving, and merciful wherever they are, especially if they had behaved this way expecting nothing in return. That is why Christ says, \u201cWhen you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nOnly God knows humans\u2019 hearts, their good or evil, unlike those who only judge by appearances. I do like a sage\u2019s words, \u201cI feel quite comfortable when I know that we will be judged at doomsday by God, not by humans: for some humans are quite cruel in the manners and judgment.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nResurrection will also be a joy to whoever experienced pain or injustice, without committing any sin, throughout his lifetime: for during eternal life, God will recompense him his pains and tribulations. We read, \u201cHe will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death\u2019 or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.\u201d<\/strong><\/span>
\nAs for the evil, resurrection fills them with fear and trouble: for they will reap their mercilessness toward their fellows. So much so, that they will fear standing before God and ask mountains to cover them in fear of the Just God! In the Parable of the rich man and Lazarus, the beggar, we read that Lazarus was a poor, sick man lying at the rich man\u2019s gate. The latter used to wear the best clothes and lead an extravagant life. Lazarus used to crave the crumbs falling from the rich man\u2019s table, but the latter showed him no mercy. When both men died, angels carried Lazarus to patriarch Abraham\u2019s bosom, while the rich man was cast in the pit where he was tortured. From thence, he saw Abraham and Lazarus with him. So, he cried out, \u201cFather Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.\u2019 \u201cBut Abraham replied, \u2018Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nThe rich man\u2019s prime fault was that he showed the poor man no mercy. Neither did he sustain him through his miserable life. Thus, he did not reap mercy in eternal life: whatever man sows he will reap.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nAlso, those who will tremble at doomsday are the ones who behaved unjustly, gave an unjust judgment, or hurt people by any means: for the cruel and unjust are rewarded with equal cruelty and injustice.<\/strong><\/span>
\nGod sees and knows everything; He knows what humans\u2019 hearts conceal. He is the Omniscient who allows all good to His children, though human minds might not understand it. Yet, the time will come when every man gets to know what was for his welfare. God\u2019s justice starts during our life on earth. He sends peace and comfort to troubled souls. He will never leave any cruel or unjust person unpunished. Here I recall the story of a butcher. One day, as he was driving back home, he saw a woman lying unconscious on the road. So, he stopped to help her, only to find that she was slaughtered with a knife!<\/strong><\/span>
\nAt that time, someone saw him and thought he had murdered her. So, he called the police who arrested him. During the interrogation, the man disclosed a secret: when he was young, he used to work on a boat. He had killed a woman and her son, without being seen. Several years elapsed without the secret getting revealed. Then, this accident happened in which he was accused of a murder he did not perpetrate. God is just. He will not wait long on injustice alighting on anybody.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nHere I recall a poem written by reposed Pope Shenouda III:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nTo Him only is reverence<\/strong><\/span>
\nHe is root of life<\/strong><\/span>
\nHe is the origin of existence<\/strong><\/span>
\nTo Him, people bow with awe<\/strong><\/span>
\nTo Him, we bow our heads<\/strong><\/span>
\nAs we worship and prostrate<\/strong><\/span>
\nAs we pray and supplicate\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nIn His love, the heart does find<\/strong><\/span>
\nWhatever it pleases<\/strong><\/span>
\nWhat I yearn to is<\/strong><\/span>
\nTo spend my life in His affection<\/strong><\/span>
\nThough He\u2019s in our minds<\/strong><\/span>
\nHeaven is His abode<\/strong><\/span>
\nYet, a mind cannot encompass Him<\/strong><\/span>
\nIt knows not His limit<\/strong><\/span>
\nHe is the Creator and Protector<\/strong><\/span>
\nAnd our Guardian\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nHe is the God of Creation<\/strong><\/span>
\nAnd the Care-taker of all\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nResurrection: the Bell of Attention<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nWe beseech God to fill Egypt with love and peace that they might spread amongst Egyptians. Likewise, we ask Him to fill the Middle East and the whole world with peace. Such prayers will never end in Beautiful Egypt.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nHead of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n