SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

upon." And Asking and entreating God so as He gives life up to 100 years while you are abiding in the commandments, taking care and forgiven from the sins, and being away from doing the abominable, inappropriate matters. Know you O the blessed brothers that this fast became an obligation and a commitment for us and for all the baptized ones. And the evidence for that is our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is glory, fasted forty days and forty nights without needing that. Because fasting and prayer were made for forgiveness of the sin, and our Lord Jesus Christ did not commit a sin that necessitate (5v) that. For He, being blessed and exalted, resembled us in every thing except the sin only. He also said in His holy Gospel, "I did not come to abolish what is written but to complete it." So when Moses the prophet and Elijah fasted forty days and forty nights, He himself fasted the fast for the sake of completing the Law. And He obliged us Christians, to (follow) that. And Our Master, to whom is glory, increased the fast to hide His divinity from the devil, lest He makes it known to him about the great plan (?) that He planned for our salvation. As the apostle Paul said that if through the cross of Christ is salvation, then they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Let us be diligent now, O my blessed brothers, and purify our souls, and do what pleases Him from the fasting and the prayer. So that it (6r) be acceptable before Him.

And we should(?) pray and not be wearied of [incessant(?)] prayer. And He gave us the parable of the unjust judge, not fearing God. So a woman came to him in order that he takes revenge for her upon her adversary. And he did not give her attention. And when she repeated the request, he took revenge for her upon that one. For the prayer is one of the lawful requirements along with the fasting. Because our Lord Jesus Christ said that it casts out the demons. As for him who say that he has no knowledge of prayer, let him hear His saying, "Carry my yoke for it is light." And He, His name be glorified, when His disciples asked Him saying, "Teach us to pray", He said to them, "Say our Father who is in the heavens, hollowed be Your name..." and what follows. He thanked the tax- collector and praised him with one word for he was praying saying, "O God(?) forgive me for I am a sinner". And God accepted (6v) his prayer because of this word for the prayer is not lots of talking but by honesty and [sincerity]. For our Lord, to whom is glory, say in the Gospel of Luke, "Do not increase your talk like the pagans who thinks that they will be heard by the abundance of their talk, and do not resemble them in that. But if you pray then say Our Father who art in the heavens..." And Master Paul, tongue of the fragrance and teacher of the church, says, "Five words with understanding are better than multitudes of talk." And he also said, "He who talks with tongue, he does not know(?), resembles talking to the air." So now, no one argue and say, "I do not know (how) to pray." For the Law of God commanded that prayers is not by the abundance of talk".....

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter OBSERVATIONS OF A YOUNG COPT AT THE SIXTH COPTIC CONGRESS IN GERMANY (by Joseph Fahim)

Studies. I had to closely observe how the Coptic heritage is scholarly approached. Also observe how to talk to scholars in such field, in and out of the lecture rooms. In other words we had to learn to

My main task, as a representative of the Society in Germany, at the Coptic Congress was to present myself well among the many scholars of Coptic

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