L-MANARA 19 th Baounah 1732 AN INITIATIVE OF THE MEDIA COMMITTEE - DIOCESE OF SYDNEY & AFFILIATED REGIONS 26 th June 2016 E Volume 1, Issue 200 COPTS’ NEWS Volume 2, Issue110 “I have been crucifi ed with Christ. It is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20). NEXT ISSUE: Find this issue online at 24th July 2016 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: www.elmanara.org.au 18th July 2016 BISHOPS ORDINATION SATURDAY, JUNE 11 2016 Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affi liated Regions [email protected] 26 th June 2016 WHAT IS LOVE? by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III love of God is a sinful love. What second love through your love to if this (second) love was greater God… A relationship may involve a than out love for God?! Our Lord feeling of admiration. Admiration answers us saying, “He who Types of Love is diff erent from love. You may loves father or mother more than admire a sports champion, but Me is not worthy of Me. And he There are many diff erent types that does not mean you love who loves son or daughter more of love: him/her. You may admire an than Me is not worthy of Me” (Mt author. You like his thoughts 10:37). Natural love such as the love and/or writing style, without between parents and their having a personal relationship Any love that is greater than the children. That is why God with the author. An intellectual love of God, prefers a person or resembled His love to us as the relationship may develop (that a thing more than God Himself. natural paternal love: “Behold ties your thoughts with his/her Love is to be directed fi rst to We can therefore label it as “A what manner of love the Father thoughts), but this is still not God sinful love”, because it interferes has bestowed on us, that we love. If this relationship evolved with the love of God. It is a love should be called children of into love, it will be love for his/ If we wish to understand love in that is stronger than the love of God!” (1 John 3:1) her ideas and/or style, but not its true scriptural foundations, God!!! Is that appropriate?! Gained love such as the love of his/her person. we must set before us (and friends, relatives, associates, or understand) the following Love is the meeting of two truth: hearts, or the bonding of two hearts through the same Love should be directed feelings or emotions. In order to God, before anyone or for this to be a sacred love, anything else This is what God these emotions should be revealed to us in the Book of within the sphere of the love of Deutoronomy: “You shall love God; it should not contradict the Lord your God with all nor surpass it. your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength” (Dt If love is one-sided only, 6:5). there must be a problem (e.g. incompatibility), because love So then, if this love to God always gives birth to love [i.e. is from the whole heart, is it will create a mutual feeling.] there any room left for any Love must be spiritual, other love? How can we love wiseand prudent, because anything else, if the whole there are certain kinds of heart is for God?! The only “love” that cause trouble. answer is that our love for everyone and everything is True love must be pure. Here, through our love for God. we can distinguish between love and desire (lust.) Love When we have given the whole always wants to give, but heart to God, within our love desire always wants to take. to God, we love everyone. That is why when asked about Desire is: the greatest commandment, Christ replied, “’You shall S e l fi s h love the Lord your God with Does not care about the other all your heart, with all your person it “claims” to love (and soul, and with all your mind.’ may ruin him/her) This is the fi rst and great May imprison him/her in itself commandment. And the and limit his/her liberty to second is like it: ‘You shall love In this situation, the whole heart the love between an engaged or interact with others your neighbor as yourself’” (Mt is not given to God (and hence a married couple May turn into a destructive 22:37–39). breaks the fi rst commandment). Love may develop in stages. It jealously This “sinful love” becomes may start out as collaboration, It really is NOT true love. True Why did He say, “The second a “stranger” in your heart. A and then progress to love is known to be giving, even is like it”? Because it is through stranger never dwells in one assistantship or friendship. to the point of self-sacrifi ce. the love of God… It is part of it… place forever. If you want to love Collaboration is a relationship Look at yourself and your It is not separate from the fi rst someone or something forever, between two or more individuals relationship with the opposite commandment… make sure this love is through unifi ed by a joint objective or sex. Is it a relationship of love or the love of God; i.e. fulfi ll the fi rst project, which may lead to a lust?! Hence, any love outside of the commandment fi rst, and then unifi ed thought (mind), which you will be able to include the may lead to friendship. 2 [email protected] 19 th Baounah 1732 Copts’ News BABAH 19 GOSPEL READING : MATTHEW 12:22-28 “JesUS heals A possessed man – and A hoUse diVided Cannot stand” + Now that the eyes of his faith 3. “Now when the 5. “And if I cast out were opened, he was able to Pharisees heard it they said, demons by Beelzebub, by see and recognise Jesus Christ “This fellow does not cast out whom do your sons cast them as being the Son of God, and demons except by Beelzebub, out? Therefore they shall be now his mouth was open so the ruler of the demons” : your judges” : that he could praise God, and The gospel reading of today acknowledge Him as being Lord • We then see the wickedness The Lord gave His disciples speaks about 7 main points: and Saviour. of the Pharisees. They knew power to cast out unclean spirits, the power of the Lord Jesus and therefore the “judges” in this 1. “Then one was brought + This miracle also symbolises Christ, but they were jealous verse refers to the disciples, for to Him who was demon- the conversion of the Gentiles of Him, and so they said lies they are the ones who will sit on possessed, blind and mute” : to Christianity. They were once to the people, so that they 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes sitting in darkness and in the can turn them away from of Israel. + There was a man brought shadow of death. Their hearts having faith in the Lord. to the Lord who was blind and were blind, and their mouths mute – that means, he neither unable to confess their faith in • The Pharisees said that 6. “But if I cast out demons saw or spoke. Symbolically, this the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus casts out devils by by the Spirit of God, surely the represents that he was a person Satan. But this is a great kingdom of God has come under Satan’s power – because + But we read in this story: “one contradiction – how can upon you” : he was not able to see or recognised Jesus to be • In everything the his God and creator, and Lord was doing, His he was not able to speak divine presence was to give thanks and praise clearly shining through, to God. even though people were blaming Him and + This is because Satan speaking lies about Him. blinds the eyes of faith, and closes up the lips of • And in this case, prayer. we see the great love and personal touch that 2. “And He healed the Lord is trying to give him, so that the blind them – He is not only and mute man both telling them that the spoke and saw” : “Kingdom of God has come”, but He is telling + But our beloved Lord them that “the kingdom “healed him”, and in this of God has come UPON way, conquered the power of was brought to Him who was Satan cast out Satan? And YOU”. He is saying that each of Satan. demon-possessed, blind and how can light be associated them individually is important mute” - this man was brought with darkness? and special to God and His + When Satan’s power is to Christ by the disciples, and kingdom. broken in the soul, the effect is this action symbolises the way immediate - the eyes are opened in which the disciples were 4. “If Satan casts out • And so the Lord sadly to see God’s glory, and the lips the ones who also brought the Satan, he is divided against wonders – ‘All these wonderful are opened to praise Him. Gentiles to Christianity. himself. How then will his things and blessings have come + When this man was healed kingdom stand?” : especially to you, so why are + The experience of this man is by the Lord, he left behind all you refusing salvation?’ a lesson to us about the glory his unclean ways and mistakes.