Pimonakhos vol 8 issue 4

Vol: 8 Issue: 4

Baramhat 1730 / April 2014

Be A Monk H.H. Pope Tawadros II I am glad to be around all the bishops and our beloved fathers the monks of this great monastery.

I have a strong notion the success of the church in spreading the word of God worldwide comes from nowhere other than the monastic prayers. I believe that without the prayers raised from our monasteries worldwide, our Coptic church wouldn’t succeed to continue till today in peace. As you all know in Russia when Christianity was introduced, they took the capital Moscow and they gave it a new name as the New Constantinople. When Christianity was under threat, they said Moscow shouldn’t be guarded by armies but by monasteries and hermit fathers, so they surrounded the city by six monasteries. These monasteries started to grow and nothing protected the city other than the prayers that were raised from these monasteries. He named this group of monasteries “The Golden Ring” not because it was surrounded by fences but by the prayers that were raised from those six monasteries.

I feel it is very important to give special attention to monasteries and the monks that dwell in them. Since the day God gave me this new responsibility as the patriarch of the Coptic church, I decided that every two or three months I visit a monastery and dwell in it for two or three days and enjoy the company of the monks and attend the midnight praise (tasbeha) with them as well as the mass, and frankly my heart rejoices whenever I see them. I also get a boost of energy in my service whenever I see that there are monks praying for the church.

I actually don’t pay much attention to the statistics whether the monastery got one monk or ten, the most important thing is the quality of the monk. All I ask of monks is to be monks. Don’t let anyone steal from you your monkhood because one day you made the conscious decision to leave home and come to the monastery. When you joined the monastery you agreed to be in the monasteries where the saints live, St Paul lived here about seventeen centuries ago and since then the place has been blessed by the prayers of the saints.

Therefore my beloved brothers, the monks and the fathers attending with us, I ask you in front of God to be a monk, with the fullest meaning of the word. Allow no one or anything or lust or any thought to steal from you the treasure that you offered your whole life for its sake. My brother your life is valuable and the day you left the world and decide to go to the wilderness and started your new life as a monk, you decided to live your vows of obedience, chastity and poverty. So I beg of you to keep alive your monastic calling.

Your prayers and your spiritual struggle and your fervent heart will accomplish two things in your life. The first thing is your own consolation in your monastic life, meaning you become a joyous monk. This is what attracts people to come and meet you, those people see that the monks have no worries in life and they are enjoying God’s company.

The second thing it accomplishes is that your prayers are the only thing that strengthens the church, in the last couple of months the church was facing many challenges in many fronts, the church wouldn’t have passed all those challenges without the prayers of her Monks. No human wisdom or diplomacy could overcome those challenges but it was the prayers that were raised by our holy and righteous fathers the monks.

When such a great monastery finds this great number of righteous monks raising their prayers, and those prayers are the soul strengthen of the church whether inside Egypt or even worldwide. I thank you all for your great love and prayers and may God bless your life and glory be to God forever amen.

(A talk given during His Holiness’s visit to St Paul’s monastery, Feb 2014)

St Abraam Church Group visiting the monastery Page 2

Departure of HH. Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka Iwas I

Bishop Anba Daniel and the monks of the monastery offer their Condolences with great sadness and deepest sympathy to The Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and All the East, for the departure of His Holiness Mor Ignatius Zakka Iwas I. His Holiness was Patriarch and supreme spiritual leader of The Universal Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch and all East since 1980.

We are praying to the Lord to grant them peace and comfort at this difficult time, and grant peace to the Country of Syria.

Coptic Orthodox Church delegation Headed by His Holiness Pope Twadros II, accompanied by four other bishops to share in the funeral services of the Holy Father in Lebanon.

Condolences to Pope Tawadros’s Mother Bishop Anba Daniel and the monks of the monastery would like to extend their deepest condolences to our beloved pope Tawadros for the passing away of his mother Mrs Samia Nesiem Estafanous

Anba Bishoi: A Life of TRUE Submission H.G. Bishop Youssef A life of TRUE submission means living in complete obedience to the Holy Spirit. A person of TRUE submission accepts gladly whatever happens in their life and with thanksgiving, knowing that it was for their well being, whether in appearance or thought it is perceived as good or bad.

Anba Bishoi's mother modeled submission during his childhood. An Angel of the Lord appeared to his humble mother and told her, "The Lord wants one of your sons to serve him forever," and the angel pointed to young Bishoi. The mother asked the angel, "Can you please choose another, this son is the weakest of them all."

"He is weak," the angel replied, "but the strength of the Lord will always be with him." She then was submissive to the Angel of the Lord. As the young Bishoi grew and became a man he was filled with great desire to pray and converse with the Lord. He was known to continually sing hymns to the Lord and to talk with Him while working and at home. Bishoi's thoughts soon became that of God. St. Bishoi dreamed of living among the monks. He found great joy and happiness in fasting, praying, praising the Lord Jesus Christ, and seclusion. As a monk we know that Anba Bishoi felt that his life was in the hands of God who loved him and who was able to rescue him from any difficulty or tribulation. He submitted all his life to the Almighty Lord, "for of Him and through Him and to Him are all things" (Romans 11:36).

There are many popular stories about the life of this most beloved monk. One hot day, we are told, while Anba Bishoi was reverently praying, he noticed a monk who looked very tired, thin, and hungry. So he invited this poor monk inside his dwelling to rest and take refreshment. Anba Bishoi brought him food and water and washed his weary feet.

Anba Bishoi felt very happy and serene in His presence. The tired monk's face shone and a heavenly smile appeared upon His face. Anba Bishoi felt as though this monk knew of Heaven. As the monk left, he smiled and said, "You are beholding the Lord Jesus Christ. I came to visit you and bring many blessings to you." The monk then ascended into Heaven. Anba Bishoi kissed the place in which the Lord sat and drank the remainder of the water in which the Lord's Holy Feet were washed.

There is another endearing story of Anba Bishoi, which tells of the monks in the monastery where he resided, learning of a visit by the Lord Jesus Christ in the day to come. The gathering with the Lord was to occur on a high mountain near the monastery. Each monk was busily engrossed in preparing for the Holy Event.

Early the following morning, they hurriedly journeyed up the path of the Page 4

mountain so they could spend as much time as possible with the Lord. Sitting beside the mountain was a frail, elderly man that quietly implored each passing monk to take him with them to see the Lord. Yet each one thought that helping this man who could barely walk was a waste of time as they needed to hastily climb the mountain and had not a second to squander.

The elderly man with his very soft voice asked Anba Bishoi for his help. Anba Bishoi tarried behind without hesitation. He helped the aged man up and carried him on his back for the man could not walk further than a few steps at a time. The mountain was not an easy climb, the aged man grew heavy and Anba Bishoi became fatigued. Yet he was more than happy to help the man. Not one disgruntled thought entered Anba Bishoi's mind regarding being late for the Heavenly Encounter. Suddenly, the frail man's weight became so very great that Anba Bishoi could no longer carry him. He gently and carefully placed him down and when he turned to speak to him, Anba Bishoi beheld the face of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What great blessings Anba Bishoi once more received. He sat and conversed with the Lord for many hours. When the Lord left, He asked him to tell the other monks to remember the needy. "When they help the needy, they help Me," were the last words the Lord spoke to Anba Bishoi on that great day. Upon finding the other monks gathered at the top of the mountain, they asked Anba Bishoi, "Why has the Lord not come?" He replied, "The Holy One has been to this mountain, this great day." Anba Bishoi conveyed to them what had happened and upon hearing this they felt great regret and many monks wept for refusing to help the Lord.

As Anba Bishoi's example certainly shows us, a life of submission encourages one to acquire other spiritual virtues such as obedience, patience, and endurance. Ones' will is the only thing that stands against acquiring these particular virtues. A person who does not submit himself to God cannot be obedient, because obedience is submission.

Submitting oneself and accepting certain circumstances even when it does not appear to be the advantage of the goals set for oneself, cultivates the virtues of patience, and patience enriches lives and produces perseverance. It assists us in climbing up the many mountains before us to reach our Heavenly Goal.

Finally joy and peace accompany the life of submission. The source of joy for man and what accompanies it from peace is the fulfillment of the will of God and the faith, which follows it "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

May we all learn from Anba Bishoi's life of submission that it is not life's circumstances, which dictates our daily lives. Circumstances and events are outside and beyond us.

They cannot touch us when we remain submissive to the Lord Jesus Christ. The most important thing in our daily lives is "Abiding in Christ" (John 15:4-10) and staying there.

Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States Page 5

Jerome about the monks of Egypt By: St Jerome Since you like to hear about holy things, lend an ear to me for a few moments. There are in Egypt three classes of monks. First, there are the cenobites, or as we should say, men living in a community. Secondly, there are the anchorites, who live in the desert, each man by himself, and are so called because they have withdrawn from human society. Thirdly, there is the class called Remoboth, a very inferior and little regarded type, peculiar to my own province, or, at least, originating there.

These live together in twos and threes, but seldom in larger numbers, and are bound by no rule; but do exactly as they choose Now let us come to that more numerous class who live together, and who are, as we have said, called Cenobites. Among these the first principle of union is to obey superiors and to do whatever they command. They are divided into bodies of ten and of a hundred, so that each tenth man has authority over nine others, while the hundredth has ten of these officers under him. They live apart from each other, in separate cells. According to their rule, no monk may visit another before the ninth hour; except the deans above mentioned, whose office is to comfort, with soothing words, those whose thoughts disquiet them. After the ninth hour they meet together to sing psalms and read the Scriptures according to usage. Then when the prayers have ended and all have sat down, one called the father stands up among them and begins to expound the portion of the day. While he is speaking the silence is profound; no man ventures to look at his neighbor or to clear his throat. The speaker’s praise is in the weeping of his hearers. Silent tears roll down their cheeks, but not a sob escapes from their lips. Yet when he begins to speak of Christ’s kingdom, and of future bliss, and of the glory which is to come, every one may be noticed saying to himself, with a gentle sigh and uplifted eyes: “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away and be at rest.”

After this the meeting breaks up and each company of ten goes with its father to its own table. This they take in turns to serve each for a week at a time. No noise is made over the food; no one talks while eating. Bread, pulse and greens form their fare, and the only seasoning that they use is salt. Wine is given only to the old, who with the children often have a special meal prepared for them to repair the ravages of age and to save the young from premature decay. When the meal is over they all rise together, and, after singing a hymn, return to their dwellings. There each one talks till evening with his comrade thus: “Have you noticed so-and-so? What grace he has! How silent he is! How soberly he walks!” If any one is weak they comfort him; or if he is fervent in love to God, they encourage him to fresh earnestness. And because at night,

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besides the public prayers, each man keeps vigil in his own chamber, they go round all the cells one by one, and putting their ears to the doors, carefully ascertain what their occupants are doing. If they find a monk slothful, they do not scold him; but, dissembling what they know, they visit him more frequently, and at first exhort rather than compel him to pray more.

Each day has its allotted task, and this being given in to the dean, is by him brought to the steward. This latter, once a month, gives a scrupulous account to their common father. He also tastes the dishes when they are cooked, and, as no one is allowed to say, “I am without a tunic or a cloak or a couch of rushes,” he so arranges that no one need ask for or go without what he wants. In case a monk falls ill, he is moved to a more spacious chamber, and there so attentively nursed by the old men, that he misses neither the luxury of cities nor a mother’s kindness. Every Lord’s day they spend their whole time in prayer and reading; indeed, when they have finished their tasks, these are their usual occupations. Every day they learn by heart a portion of Scripture. They keep the same fasts all the year round, but in Lent they are allowed to live more strictly.

After Whitsuntide they exchange their evening meal for a midday one; both to satisfy the tradition of the church and to avoid overloading their stomachs with a double supply of food. A similar description is given of the Essenes by Philo, Plato’s imitator; also by Josephus, the Greek Livy, in his narrative of the Jewish captivity.

Congratulations to Bishop Suriel

On Thursday 20th March 2014, His Grace Bishop Suriel, Bishop of Melbourne & Affiliated Regions, has completed my doctoral dissertation in the field of Religious Education. He researched a very important figure in modern Coptic history, Archdeacon Habib Jirjis (1876-1951).

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