"The voice of one crying in the wilderness

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"(Mr. 1:3)

 “The Mighty One, God the LORD, Has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down.” (Ps. 50:1).

“Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares…in the city She speaks her words: 'How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. '”  (Prv. 1:20-22).

A voice is crying in the wilderness, the Lord asking to prepare a special path in the wasteland to reach the souls. O Lord, You call us; let your words reach our ears. The deceitfulness of riches, the thorns of lust and the cares of this world hinder your voice. Many barriers we set in your way to our souls, “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?… How long will You hide Your face from me? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?” (Ps. 13:1,2).

“It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, "Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one; … (Response) I have taken off my robe; How can I put it on again? I have washed my feet; How can I defile them? … I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer” (Song 5: 2-6). How many times I heard Your voice clearly and neglected to open for You. How can I open to You while my soul is not in Your image; there is no place for Your rest inside me. All Your ways O Lord are upright and I am unable to align my ways to Your truth.  

You are the One who penetrated the heavens to reach our lowliness knowing that we are not able to reach Your Glory. Your Love found its way to us in the gloomy wilderness, breaching the darkness of our sins to find us and to save us from enduring more misery. You are the one who converted our incapability to power, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Ro 5:8). 

You are the Way and by means of your economy we receive the precious salvation through the cross, “By a new and living Way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh” (Heb 10:20).

After You have accomplished our salvation, are You still asking me to prepare the Way for You? Yes; there is still an infinitesimal place, which You are unable to reach without my permission: it is my heart. You are the one who illustrate in me the image of Your authority. To receive a room in me You need to see your image preserved inside, “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You” (Ps. 25:21). “I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. I will keep Your statutes” (Ps. 119:7,8).

Help us O Lord to discern Your voice among the clamor of the world, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (Jon 10:27). “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Heb 4:7)

'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'

                                                                                   F.Y.

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IN THIS ISSUE

The English Section:

The first article: “Be Transformed”, byFr. Matta El-Meskeen is a call for transformation. Change in a Christian life has two parts: A Divine part through God’s work in the Mysteries, and a human part, through man’s labors, supported by the newly received will and the new nature. 

The second article, is a new series on, “The Heavenly Banquet and The Table of the Messiah in the NT”, by Rodolph Yanney, MD. In this issue, the writer presents the Lord’s Teaching on Communion.

The third article is from the great contemporary Russian Orthodox writings, “The Lost Scriptural Mind” by Fr. Georges Florovsky. The modern man wants to modernize the language of the Bible to fit his new mind. But one’s mind must be conformed to God’s original Word in order to hear His voice. But it is one’s mind that must be conformed to God’s original Word in order to hear His voice.  This article will be published in two parts.

The fourth article, “Canonization of the Christian Scriptures” by J .M. Helmy, discusses the historical and ecclesiastical process that culminated in the delimitation of four gospels as well as the twenty-seven books of the New Testament.

The fifth article, “Septuagint and Hebrew Bible,” by Youssef  F. Badir, discusses the appearance and significance of the Greek translation of the Old Testament scriptures known as the Septuagint. 

 

The Arabic Section:

“The Church & Israel- In St. Mathew’s Gospel” by Fouad N. Youssef " has presented in previous Issues, “The Temple” and “The Messiah”. The third topic in this study is “The Law”. In this issue We post the third and the last part of “The Law”. This concludes the introduction to St. Mathew’s Gospel. We may collect this study in a book, in the future.

 The second article,  “Knowing the Father” is translated from  “Origen Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 19;The Fathers of The Church Series Vol. 89. Origen who defends the Orthodox belief against Gnosticism, explains that knowing the Father means to have fellowship and communion with the Father through the Son.

 The third article, "The Canon of The New Testament” by A. B. Hanna, explains the three developing stages for canonization of the New Testament.

The fourth and the last Arabic article, “The Organization of the First Season of the Liturgical Year” by Fouad N. Youssef. This article indicates how the Sunday Readings are organized to form sound spiritual and theological curricula. Each Curriculum includes readings for eight successive Sundays. This study is very important for Coptic Church’s preachers and teachers.

 

We thank every person who offered help in publishing and distributing the magazine, asking the Lord to reward them with His heavenly blessings. Also, we ask for your continued prayers for the success of this work serving the“Word of Life.”

REMINDER

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