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His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
-An excerpt from His Holiness' book The Life of Thanksgiving.
And, we do not give thanks- especially in sufferings because we did not yet realize the blessing of suffering and its glory.
Suffering is a gift that deserves thanksgiving and as the Apostle said “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Phil1: 29). Then, it is a gift with glory too, and it is said, “... if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”(Rom 8:17). As long as suffering is a way to glory, it deserves thanksgiving.
Therefore, God did not stop suffering from his friends:
St. Paul the Apostle labored more abundantly than all the others in preaching and teaching (1 Cor 15:10), nevertheless, he received persecutions and sufferings more than they all as he explained in (2 Cor 11:23) “...I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often”, and God did not keep away all these sufferings from him.  But said, when he was chosen to the ministry and apostleship, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16).
What we say about St. Paul the Apostle, also applies to St. Athanasius, pillar of faith, who was exiled four times and many accusations and conspiracies were plotted against him. He was told, “The whole world is against you”, but God allowed all this to happen, because in suffering there is glory and it has crowns, also it is an expression of love.
The virgin St. Mary herself endured many sufferings, and she is the holiest person on earth.
If you endure afflictions for God’s sake, thank Him from your depth, because you were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name (Acts 5:41). Thank Him because he directed you to the narrow gate, which leads to the Kingdom and life (Matt 7:14).
Finally, I say that we sometimes do not give thanks because we consider the good we are in, is something normal, which does not need thanksgiving!
You have many good things for which you do not give thanks, like health and shelter, as you count them normal, but those who are deprived of them, know its value, and if they receive them, surely they will thank God for them. Let me give you and an example: Perhaps you do not give thanks now for the lights we have during our lecture, but if, for any reason the current is cut off, then you realize the grace you were in.
There are many normal matters in our life, which need thanksgiving!
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Last Updated ( Monday, 11 February 2008 )
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His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
-An excerpt from His Holiness' book Words of Spiritual
Benefit Volume 1.
There is a trivial joy for perishable, worldly
affairs and pleasures…
Like Solomon's joy with what he toiled under the sun
(Ecclesiastes 1:3) and Jonah’s joy with the plant more than with the Salvation
of Nineveh. The same kind of joy is that of the elder son, when he said to his
father, "You never gave me a young goat that I might make merry with my
friends." (Luke 15:29)
One type of the false joy is the joy of some people
over their talents as the disciples were joyful in casting evil spirits, so the
Lord said to them, "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are
subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in
heaven."(Luke 10:20)
The worst type of joy is being joyful over other's
suffering. About this the Apostle said, "Love does not rejoice in
iniquity… " (1 Corinthians 13:6) as those who rejoice in people's
loss. Solomon says, "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls." (Proverbs
24:17) This wicked joy is called gloating.
As for the holy joy, it emanates from the fruits of
the Spirit. (Gal. 5:22)
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord, and
the Magi when they saw the star, and the righteous rejoiced over the fruits of
their holy toil, "Those who sow in tears, shall reap in joy." (Psalm
126:5).
The Bible has explained to us the joy of your
salvation and the joy of the shepherds when the angel said to them, "Behold,
I bring you good tidings of great joy... for there is born to you this day in
the city of David a savior...” The psalmist says about the joy of
salvation, "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." (Psalm
51:12). And the father said, "It was right that we should make merry
and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again." (Luke
15:32.)
The joy of the repentance of a sinner is in heaven
and earth! When the good shepherd found the lost sheep, "He lays it on
his shoulders rejoicing," (Luke 15:5). He also says, "...
there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents." (Luke
15:7). The widow also rejoiced when she found her lost coin and called all her
neighbors to rejoice with her. We also rejoice over all means of grace...
"I rejoiced over your testimonies",
"I was glad when they said to me 'Let us go into the house of the
Lord.'" (Psalm 122: 1), "There is a river whose streams shall
make glad the city of God." (Psalm 46:4)
The righteous rejoice over temptations and reproach:
(James Chapter 1). "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into
various trials" so I rejoice over tribulations.
The greatest joy is that of the kingdom: "Enter
into the joy of your Lord." (Matthew 25:21). This is the real joy,
where we rejoice in the Lord, and in His company. Although we have not reached
His kingdom yet, we rejoice while waiting in hope. As the Apostle says, "Rejoice
in hope" (Romans 12:12).
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Last Updated ( Friday, 28 December 2007 )
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His Holiness Pope Shenouda III
Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of the See of St. Mark
-A wonderful meditation on Psalm 3:3 for the times when we call upon God in the midst of bitterness and affliction. As David did not lose hope, so we, too, must always place our hope in the Lord. He is the hope of those who seek shelter.
 I imagine some of those who hear David are amazed. They exclaim, "What do you see, you poor man? A shield for me! My glory! The one who lifts up my head! How do you say this though you came out bare-footed and weeping and all who came out with you wept too!! Your friend Hushai the Archite came out to meet you with his coat torn and dust on his head” (2 Sam. 15:32)! Where is glory and victory in that? Here is Shimei the son of Gera cursing you saying, "Come out, you bloodthirsty man, you rogue!” In spite of this, you say to your friends in humility, “... let him curse because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David…’. It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction." (2 Sam. 16:5-12). Do you say after all this, "My glory and the one who lifts up my head!”
However, David said these words with the spirit of faith not looking at his present condition but unto the coming help of the Lord. He was not living the present affliction but the future joy putting in his heart, 'The evidence of things not seen" (Heb. 11:1).
In spite of the bitterness of his affliction, he saw God's salvation in front of him even before it came. This is the virtue of hope which knows no affliction nor despair. This is not only hope but also, "The substance of things hoped for" (Heb. 11:1), through which a believer proceeds to say with the apostle, "Rejoicing in hope" (Rom. 12:12).
Troubles exist, but God exists too. Faith in God and His work overcomes troubles so we do not see them but see God's work, so we rejoice and praise it in our Psalms. Thus, we say in the depth of troubles, "You, O Lord, are a shield for me; my glory and my pride”. You, Lord, are the Almighty. You do not forsake the universe which You created but look after it. You see all that happens on earth and set up justice among people as Your prophet Malachi said, "The Lord listened, and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him." (Mal. 3:16).
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Last Updated ( Friday, 28 December 2007 )
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