Third & Fifth Lenten Doxologies

St. Anthony’s Monastery – Great Lent & Holy Week Hymns – 01 – Lent Melody
[audio:https://davidbebawy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/01-Lent-Melody.mp3|titles=01 – Lent Melody]

Third Doxology for the Holy Great Lent

Come see our Savior, the good Lover of mankind, He performed the work of fasting, with His great humility.
+ He was above the high mountains, with bodily discipline, He taught us the way in order, that we may walk like Him.
He conquered the enemy’s strength, his snares and his deceptions, He humiliated the tempter, before Him.
+ His own disciples, and holy apostles, witnessed His victory, over the enemy’s snares.
A great and plenteous profit, is found in fasting, it purges sins and covers those, who are defiled.
+ Remove laziness, and take watch, seek after the love of brothers, and seek fellowship.
The perfection of humility, the truth of piety, and the forgiveness of iniquities, come from fasting.
+ To those who follow, fasting and prayer, swords and weapons, endure in their hands.
O King of peace, our Lord Jesus Christ, bless fasting and all those, who perform it.
+ All kinds of evil, flee and are destroyed, through prayer and fasting, and supplications.
Christ’s martyrs, defeated the sufferings, through fasting and the patience, that comes with it.
+ The wise virgins, who are clothed with purity, carry their lamps full of oil, through prayer and fasting.
Those who please the Lord God, with their good works, love the beauty of fasting, and the patience that comes with it.
+ David proclaimed, in the holy psaltery saying, “I will decorate my soul, before You with fasting.”
Paul the Apostle, the perfume-tongue says, “In fasting and watchfulness, through the days and nights.”
+ “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name, may Your kingdom come, for Yours is the glory forever Amen.”

Fifth Doxology for the Holy Great Lent

Fasting and prayer, in purity and chastity, and love without shame, are what please Christ.
+ Fasting and prayer, with weeping and mourning, and unpretentious love, are what please the sinless One.
Fasting and prayer, with a humbled heart, and a contrite spirit, are what please the holy One.
+ Fasting and prayer, saved the three saintly children, Shedrach Meshach and Abednego, from the fiery furnace.
Fasting and prayer, are the weapons of victory, by which the Christians abide, through this life.
+ Through fasting and prayer, Abraham was made worthy, to host God, with His holy angels.
Through fasting and prayer, Isaac was offered up, as a pure sacrifice, as a sign of Christ.
+ Through fasting and prayer, Jacob was saved, from his brother Esau, and received the blessing from his father.
Through fasting and prayer, the Lord had compassion on His servant, the good and righteous Job, He granted him healing.
+ Through fasting and prayer, Joseph was raised, and ruled over Egypt, and was saved from the adulteress.
Through fasting and prayer, God lifted His wrath, from the people of Nineveh, and forgave them their sins.
+ Through fasting and prayer, the prophets and the righteous, all have prophesied, concerning Him in many ways.
Through fasting and prayer, He sent the saintly apostles, to preach, to the whole world.
+ Through fasting and prayer, God has revealed, great mysteries to, the cross-bearers and the just.
Through fasting and prayer, the struggling martyrs, wore the unfading, crown of martyrdom.
+ Daniel fasted, and closed the mouths of the lions, they did not touch his body, because of prayer and fasting.
Our good Savior fasted, forty days and forty nights, to teach us the way, that we may be saved through.
+ Let us pray and fast, with purity and righteousness, with thoughts of love, proclaiming and saying.
Our Father who art in heaven, who knows my thoughts, remember me in Your kingdom, according to Your mercy.
+ Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name, may Your kingdom come, for Yours is the glory and the honor.
Our Father who art in heaven, who carries the sin of the world, do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
+ Our Father who art in heaven, let us hear the voice of joy, O You who carries the sin of the world, who is blessed with His good Father.
Our Father who art in heaven, have mercy upon us, according to Your great mercy, and grant us the Spirit of the prophets.
+ Our Father who art in heaven, we praise You O good One, proclaiming and saying, “Holy, O God.”
Our Father who art in heaven, forgive us, our sinful thoughts, through Your love for mankind.
+ Yes O our Master, hear us and be with us, we who are not worthy, to entreat Your name.
Yes O our Master the Compassionate, who have treasures of mercy, do not abandon us with the ignorant, and the vain evil thoughts.
+ Yes O our Master accept us to You, and grant us our Christian perfection, that pleases You and, an inheritance with all Your saints.
Yes O our Master accept us to You, and grant us joy to our souls, through the remembrance of Your name, O our Lord Jesus Christ.
+ Yes O our Master, accept us to You, You are truly worthy of the glory, and honor with Your good Father.
Yes O our Master who is of authority, we praise You with hymns, we worship You in the churches, from now and to the end.
+ Then our mouths will not get tired, and our tongues will not be silent, when we declare the honor, of fasting and prayer.
Lord have mercy Lord have mercy, upon us Your creation save us, and have mercy upon all of us, O heavenly King.
+ Lord have mercy Lord have mercy, perfect us in the upright faith, and also make us worthy, to partake of Your sacraments.
Lord have mercy Lord have mercy, do not take away Your mercy from us, nor Your Spirit of comfort, but have patience with us.
+ Let us worship our Savior, the good Lover of mankind, because He had compassion on us, He came and saved us.

Coptic Churches Celebrate Christmas Under Tight Security

Merry Christmas to everyone!

Coptic Churches all over the world celebrated Christmas under tight security.  In Egypt, 70,000 policemen, armored trucks, metal barricades, metal detectors were used to protect Coptic churches across the country.  In Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States law enforcement officials were on high alert and issued special security measures for Coptic churches.  In Jersey City, we had increased police patrols, police officers posted outside our church, no cars allowed to park in front of the church, bomb sniffing dogs, etc…

I thank God that no attacks were committed on Copts or Coptic Churches.  I thank, we must all thank, the honorable members of all our respective law enforcement branches.  They made us feel safe, and they kept us safe.  We owe them all a debt of gratitude.  The world was watching the Coptic situation over these last few days.  Many news articles have been posted and many interviews conducted, this has shown us, the Coptic people, that the world cares and is watching.  I also thank the news reporters, editors, journalists, etc… for taking an intrest in the plight of the Coptic people and continued coverage of the events.

Here are some of the news reports and video interviews that took place in our local churches:

NYTimes @ St. George Coptic Church in Brooklyn, NY – http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/nyregion/08coptic.html?src=twrhp

NY1 @ Archangel Michael & St. Mina Coptic Church in Staten Island, NY – http://statenisland.ny1.com/content/top_stories/131857/coptic-observers-attend-guarded-service-on-staten-island

NorthJersey.com @ St. Mary & St. Mercurius Coptic Church in Belleville, New Jersey – http://www.northjersey.com/news/113089744_Extra_security_for_Orthodox_Christmas_celebrants.html

VOANews @ St. Mark Coptic Church in Fairfax, Virginia – http://www.voanews.com/english/news/religion/Virginia-Coptic-Church-Marks-Christmas-Eve-Amid-Tight-Security-113093789.html

VOANews @ St. George & St. Shenouda Coptic Church in Jersey City, NJ

Bombing, Denial, Threats

Current events in Egypt are being widely covered in international news.  Egypt’s government is a government in denial!  Their denial has been their active plan to “deter” extremism and secure peace and safety.  I am not surprised at the current claims that are emerging from Egyptian government officials, news agencies, etc…  most of these are utter lies and fabrications, creating scapegoats and further denying  the sectarian strife in Egypt.  Their claims include:

  • Claim: Perpetrator(s) of the bombing was not Egyptian but a foreign element. My Opinion: It is HIGHLY UNLIKELY due to the fact that nothing thus far has suggested that it was foreign rather than internal.
  • Claim: The terrorist attack was against the whole of Egypt and not only the Copts.  My Opinion: While I am touched that some of our Muslim brothers empathize and feel that this was an attack against Egypt, the intention is clear from the location, timing, and date of the attack. The target was Coptic Christians as they were exiting a prayer service to ring in the new year.
  • Claim: It was an isolated terrorist attack and not sectarian violence.  My Opinion: This claim is DISGUSTING. What about the “… documented 52 anti-Christian incidents between 2008 and 2010 and in none of them were the perpetrators punished. Instead security forces arbitrarily arrested a few people.” (Source 1 – MSNBC) The Government does very little to achieve justice for perpetrators. They are given slaps on the wrist and released from custody.  Murderers are released back into the general population with relatively no punishment and so they encourage others and continue themselves.

This is one of many incidents which have been escalating in recent years.  Yet, everyone is just now finding out about the Coptic plight.

Copts in Egypt, and all over the world, are ANGRY.  They are angry at a Government whose internal security policy is: point the finger elsewhere, sweep situations under the rug, force reconciliations between heinous murders and victims, allow hate to flourish against Copts and the Pope, etc…  They have always been angry about these things but have restrained themselves.  They are no longer doing so,  with the mindset that if they will die anyway, they will do so innocently but not quietly or silently.  Many have taken their anger to the streets, thousands of Copts have been protesting in the streets of Shoubra and Alexandria.  They have also been joined by some of their Muslim brothers.

H.H. Pope Shenouda is quoted in Al Ahram Newspaper saying,

“The slogans used by some [Coptic protesters] have transgressed all values and modes of behavior… and some have tried to resort to violence, but violence is absolutely not a method of ours…”

He added that, “We can not prevent people from expressing their sorrow, yet I ask them to express their feelings without violence. I am glad that many Muslims joined [in the protests] which shows that all are against terrorism and sectarian violence. The attack brought us together and we have to unite against the enemy that aims to weaken our bonds.”

Radical Islam is very real.  While some Muslims consider directing verses in the Quran as remnants of the time of Mohammed, other consider them current and applicable today.  Any doubter of such should do some research for themselves. Do not remain in ignorance and denial.  These are SHOCKING and EYE-OPENING videos about how some interpret Islam:

Copts will celebrate Christmas Eve on January 6, and there has been internet chatter asking jihadists to detonate bombs in Coptic Churches around the world that night when the churches are full.  Lists of Coptic Churches and Activists have been supplied on a jihadist website for immediate bombing and execution.  National and local authorities in Egypt, Europe, Canada, Australia, US, etc… are on high alert. (Source 4 – CNN) We, the Copts, are not afraid of terrorists, jihadists, or death.

Sources and More Reading:

  1. Bombing opens vein of Christian anger in Egypt – http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40887817/ns/world_news-mideastn_africa/
  2. Clashes Grow as Egyptians Remain Angry After an Attack – http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/04/world/middleeast/04egypt.html?ref=middleeast
  3. After Bombing, Egypt’s Christians Worship and Worry – http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2040491,00.html
  4. European Coptic Churches on Alert After Attack – http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/01/04/europe.coptic.threat/index.html?section=cnn_latest
  5. Youtube: Muslim Leader Admits Islam Not a Religion of Peace –
  6. Youtube: Palestinian Propaganda – Child’s Martyrdom Song, Islam: DLee – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHNeJURwIpk
  7. Youtube: Mother of a Martyr – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsZtBu5yiHY