SSCN Voumes 1-10, 1994-2004

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter

6. Monks were highly regarded at the time. They were frequently visited by Christians seeking advice. 7. The Martyr's failure to pursue an audience with the Patriarch seemed to indicate that the ecclesiastical authorities were perceived to be in fear of the secular Moslem authorities. 8. Copts in high places were held in great esteem by fellow Copts. This explains the Martyr opting to meet with Abu-Shaker the physician, instead of the Patriarch. 9. Some Coptic officials in the government sometimes converted to Islam probably to keep their jobs. Most of the time the conversion was nominal and it was not perceived by them as a deadly sin in consequence. This testimony comes from Abu-Shaker, as he tried to lessen the burden of guilt that the Martyr had. 10. Conversion to Islam was perceived by the masses to be a form of apostasy. 11. The Upper Egyptian Christians held a celebration for St. George on the 7th Sunday of the Paschaltide. This is probably a different one than the one normally celebrated in the Church. The discovery of the second volume of the Upper Egyptian recension of the Synaxarium may shed light on such celebration.

12. A church in the name of St. George was located outside of Cairo, west of the Nile. 13. The spending of the night in prayers in the Church during commemorative feasts of saints was practiced at the time. 14. The king usually rode in the company of his chief-judge and the Moslem chief-elder and was surrounded by his mamlukes. 15. The way that public trials were staged in Cairo in the midst of mob scenes. 16. El-Kamel was preparing Navy ships to be sent for the war against th Crusaders. 17. Coptic Christians regarded the Mamlukes as apostate Christians, which explains their despise for them, e.g. Philim the executor of the Martyr. 18. El-Kamel deferred the legal matters to his chief justice. 19. The author furnished important information on the genealogy of Ayyubite kings of his time. He even mentioned the alternate names that such rulers were known by. El-Adel was known as Mohammed son of Abu Bakr son of Job. 20. Unruly mobs forced the Christians to hide in fear, as occurred after the Martyr gave up the spirit.

ST. SHENOUDA'S WRITINGS (7) (by Ashraf Hanna and Hany N. Takla)

St. Shenouda Coptic Newsletter This is the second part of a text translation from a second Arabic sermon of St. Shenouda read on the 1st Sunday during Lent in the Coptic Church. The text was transcribed from a microfilm copy of Paris Arabe 4761 (CML 1592).

with alms for the poor and the wretched". In the Psalm, he says, "he gave alms and gave his goodness, and his goodness endures forever." And our Lord Jesus Christ, Glory be unto Him, says, "Fasting and prayer and alms-giving and performing the commandment is not completed except by the love for all people, the near and the far ones, and

... Because (7r) fasting and prayer prevent (lit. from) occurrence of temptations, according to the our Lord Jesus Christ's saying, "Pray lest you enter into the temptations." Whereas the alms for the poor and the wretched along with the repentance, it forgives the sin. According to Daniel the Prophet's saying to Bakhtanassar the king, "Hide your sins

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