Showing results by author "Bishoy Boshra Behnam" in All Categories

Volume 2 - Book 7 of the Catechism of the Coptic Orthodox Church Eschatology and the After Life The book addresses questions about the following topics: The Gift of Death and the Resurrected Life in Christ The Sacred Pain of Loss Millennialism (Chiliasm) The Two Comings and the Rapture The Final Judgment The Resurrected Body Heaven and the Jerusalem Above

To my father, whom I truly love Your soul never stopped working for the sake of every soul, when it was imprisoned in your weak body - even in the bitterest moments of pain. It will never stop working even, now, after leaving the body and fleeing towards heaven to enjoy complete freedom in God's bosom and with the saints. When you were living in faith, God's peace filled your heart and pushed you to the pastoral work with great conviction - that everybody may experience unity with the suffering and the risen Jesus Christ. Now that you are in the Savior's bosom, seeing Him clearly, don't you...

With every book of the Holy Scripture, in both the Old and the New Testaments, our hearts are drawn more toward Jesus the Lord of Glory, in order to get to know Him more and to kindle the fire of our love for Him inside us. It brings us to anticipate with great longing His coming to carry us with Him up to the bosom of God the Father so we may enjoy the exalted secret of God. This book confirms the preoccupation of God the Creator in the affairs of men. In His care for us, He grants us the divine wisdom to keep us in this world, to let us bear a creative mind and by it to grants us eternity...

Christology of the Coptic Orthodox Church has been shaped and developed by a long-standing tradition based on the biblical truth. This book aims to track the development of Coptic Christology throughout the centuries. To do so, we shall attempt to evaluate ‘the Coptic’ or the Alexandrian view towards Christology in the past and today by discussing the theology of the School of Alexandria, various historical accounts, and finally modern theology and practices. The Coptic Church believes that Christ’s humanity has never been alone; there was no time lapse in realizing this unity. Our ...

The book of Daniel has a special significance in the life of believers, for it is not a record of Daniel’s life or an era of the history of the Israelites during the Babylon captivity. But instead, it is a divine book that the Holy Spirit offers us to instill hope in the hurt souls. Sometimes, God allows throwing us in the fiery furnace of trials, yet He changes the nature of fire for our comfort and peace. On the one hand, the book reveals to us that God is the Controller of all histories, who works for the edification of his faithful believers in any place. On the other hand, this book ...

Repentance is an opening up of the heart so it can accept the joyful Kingdom of God; it is the exercise of a son or a daughter who longs to enter inside the new depths of his/her heavenly Father’s bosom; it is a renewal of the inner man as he/she longs to reach the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Epistle to Ephesians 4:13). Indeed, repentance is a renouncing of sins that prevail in the darkness, and the bonding to the divine Light, the Grantor of victory. As for confession, it cannot be separated from true inner repentance. They both work together to fulfill the ...

Origen believes that our Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior of mankind. Christ who loved humanity, even when they were sinners and enemies, and sacrificed Himself on their behalf, is asking to have a personal relationship with every soul. Therefore, Origen attributes Christ to himself as his own, savior calling Him “my Christ.” The Apostle (St. Paul) declares what is written about Adam and Eve thus: “This is a great mystery but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:32); He has loved her so that He gave Himself up for her, while she was yet disobedient, even as he says: “...

The book of Sirach may seem like the constitution which governs our earthly life and practical conduct. This perspective is right though incomplete. The book is a journey into a deeper understanding of divine guidance, which purifies our thoughts, feelings, words, and conducts through the wisdom of God the Word and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. The believers take pride in the divine gift of mental enlightenment while taking into consideration the following facts: 1- The Lord gave the rational earthly and heavenly beings both “wisdom” and freedom of will. 2- Heavenly wisdom bestows ...

The group of Historical Books in the Old Testament present a long history of Israel and Judah. They are: the Books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth. Samuel 1 and 2, from the end of Judges to the end of David’s reign. 1 and 2 Kings, from the last days of David to the start of the Babylonian Exile and the destruction of the Temple. 1 and 2 Chronicles, from the reign of Saul to the return of the people from the Exile. Ezra and Nehemiah, covering the reorganization of the Jewish community after the Exile and the Book of Esther. The Bible is not a historical record of the events in the life of a ...

On Saturday 17th of March 2012, the long trip of pain, which the holiness Pope Shenouda the third has lived, had ended and the trip of the glories, the manifest and the hidden from the human eyes, has begun. Those days on which Egypt has been lived with his departure to the paradise were called “Meeting of millions”. That meeting included the majority of Egyptian categories; if not all of them. It included Christians with all the denominations and Muslims, leaders and people. He had been the messenger of peace struggling in a difficult era, and a peaceful man even in his departure from ...

Our Youth, both in Egypt and abroad, experience many emotions and have great potentials. They are in need of someone who can enter their world and offer support without imposing on them and affecting their personalities. They need someone who can understand their innermost secrets without bias or prejudice. They need someone who reciprocates their love and appreciates their emotions and values. They need someone to support them without being an obstacle to their growth and to guide them without usurping the right of steering their own lives. This book discusses the following topics: 1. ...

In the midst of his suffering in prison, St. Paul gives us a true glimpse into his faith and hope. Despite his circumstances, he describes his life as a joyful journey, because it is under the leadership of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Incarnated Word of God. During his time in prison, St. Paul neither expresses care for being deprived of his preaching the Gospel, or for his lack of freedom to meet his Beloved. Yet, in the midst of his pain and suffering, his soul did not cease to rejoice in the victorious life of faith in Jesus Christ – in every minute of every day. He did not view faith ...

This epistle is considered the sweetest of the epistles written by the apostle Paul. It is as though an essay sent by him to the church in all eras, and to every believer in all times, exhorting them to live perpetually exulting, despite any situation prevailing around them; through practicing the new life that knows no idleness, but is on an un-ceasing motion in Christ Jesus. The apostle wrote this epistle to a congregation with which he had a special relationship of love, that made them provide him with gifts to spend on the message of the gospel; whether concerning his necessary needs, ...

I dare to talk about Divine Love, to find myself talking about 'God' Himself, because "God is love" (1 John 8:4). Thus, I challenged myself to write about matters of which I do not deserve to speak. There are no human languages, not even angelic, capable of explaining it, for no one knows Godly affairs except the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:11). Let the Spirit of God help us to feel His presence in the depths of our hidden hearts and to open our eyes in recognition of the dimensions of unlimited Divine love. These dimensions cannot be expressed in words or letters nor measured by any ...

The Church's primary task is ensuring the practical encounter of humanity with the Holy Trinity. This task aims for the Church to regain God's lost image in her because of sin; this, in turn, enables the Church to live through Him, on earth, and to embark on a pleasurable trip, during which she delights in heaven's deposit, through the work of the divine grace. This is the purpose of the Word's incarnation, His crucifixion, His resurrection, His ascension, and His second coming. He is the unique Divine Tutor - the philanthropic Saviour of humanity. Let the Lord grant us now the ...

Encounters of Our Savior Jesus Christ with Families: A Journey from Resurrection to Ascension Inspired by the Holy Fifty Days This booklet explores the timeless wisdom and divine encounters of Our Savior Jesus Christ with families, as inspired by the Holy Pentecost Season. Rooted in the rich traditions of the Coptic Orthodox Church, it brings to life Christ's practical and relevant teachings. Join us as we explore the sacred moments when Jesus engaged with families, revealing His divine plan and love for all. From the joyous greeting of St. Mary to Elizabeth to the powerful lessons imparted...

To our Beloved sons and daughters: What do you know about the Book of Second Samuel? The book of Second Samuel recorded the history of the kingdom of King David since he was enthroned and for the period of 40 years. This book concentrated on “The presence before the Lord”, so David does not move unless he asks the Lord (2:1 & 5:19, 23 & 21: 1) He became ruler over Israel “before the Lord” (5:3) He danced “before the Lord” with all his might. (6:14) When Michal rebuked him, he did not retreat but ascertained to her that he is so small in his eyes “before the Lord” who ...

The fruit of keeping God's commandment, with all the heart and soul faithfully and abiding by the divine covenant, is that the believers become a special people and that God elevates His people and sanctifies them: "And that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken." (Deut. 26: 19). God elevates their names, so they are attached to His great name. Heaven and earth are astonished for the honor and the splendor they have in the Lord, and He sanctifies them to become...

Young children as well as grown ups can gain much happiness from listening to the beautiful stories which are told in the book of Exodus, despite the fact that these stories took place more than thirty centuries ago. Now I want you to close your eyes and imagine Miriam, the prophetess and sister of Aaron and Moses, imagine that you are sitting by her side along with the other children gathered around. Miriam loved to tell stories, and the children loved to hear them. She would tell them about things she herself had seen and had heard. Miriam kept many of these stories in her heart and mind,...

Jesus Ben Sirach did not only speak to his disciples, but he also prayed for them while in their presence. He also recorded prayers about them. Together with the prayers of the saintly people of God - men and women of earlier times - these are all considered contemporary prayers for new generations. His prayers constitute a dialogue shared between him and God. They offer honor to God in anticipation of His divine care to all human beings, and they also convey the love of humankind. The desire and spirit of prayer are a gift from God. A person who desires to pray stands in the presence of ...