| Vol. 3 No. 7 | August/September 2000 |
Table of contents
2000 Jubilee of the Holy Family's visit to Egypt |
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Welcoming the Coptic New Year |
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Education: Knowledge is power! |
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Holy Family's Visit to Egypt
This year marks the 2000th
anniversary of the most significant event in Egyptian history. Though we stand
as the descendants of a rich and celebrated culture, it was the visit of a small
Family - possessing no measure of worldly riches or influence - that presented
the most extraordinary spiritual event in the history of our homeland. The entry
of the Holy Family into our homeland and Their stay for approximately three
years was prophesied thousands of years preceding its occurrence: Out of Egypt I called My Son. (Hosea 11:1) Blessed be Egypt my people. (Isaiah 19:25) Such notations in the Holy Bible
illustrate a special regard for Egypt and remain a spiritual stronghold for
modern day Copts both in Egypt and the lands of immigration. Surely, there can
be no greater inspiration shining forth as a guiding light for Copts today in
the lands of immigration, than the flight of Christ our Lord and the Holy Family
in Egypt. Our God personally blessed our land with His footsteps and deigned to
descend from heaven to endure an arduous journey throughout Egypt. Why all this
effort, except for the love that our Lord has for Egypt. They endured all these
hardships in order to bless Egypt north, south, east and west, as if making the
sign of the Holy Cross over Egypt, a land of pagans and idols; but these idols
could not stand in the midst of the true God and Savior, as it was revealed: Behold the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into
Egypt; the idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt
will melt in its midst. (Isaiah 19:1) Even prior to the beginning of the
public ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, Egyptians accepted the Divine Child as
Lord over their lives: Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians
will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they
will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. (Isaiah 19:21) Coptic Christianity represents one
of the most ancient and blessed Churches of Christendom and is the only Church
prophesied about in the Holy Bible:
In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. (Isaiah 19:19)
This prophesy has been fulfilled with the consecration of the first altar in Egypt at "Dair El-Muharraq," a monastery dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary. The Holy Family had crossed over to Upper Egypt and had hidden there for almost six months. "Dair El-Muharraq," located in Assiut, is considered to be in the middle of Egypt.
Numerous other churches and monasteries have also been established along the route taken by Our Savior Jesus Christ, Saint Mary and Saint Joseph, but despite the number of hearts that were moved to Christ, the Holy Family encountered many struggles and many obstinate hearts in their travels.
The Holy Family's days were spent fleeing from one town to the next without any knowledge of where they would go, or what they would do once they reached their destination. Forced to retreat to a foreign land under the threat of Herod, this humble Family possessed nothing that would secure them a safe refuge. They traveled on foot for the most part and covered over 2,000 kilometers (i.e. 1,243 miles). The Lord of lords and Creator of heaven and earth, Himself, spent over three years of His life escaping from town to town at the mercy of townspeople, some of whom did not even receive Him. One such city the Holy family passed through was Bubastis (Tel Basta, or Pi-Beseth, as mentioned in Ezekiel 30:17) located in the fertile Nile Delta. The Holy Family entered the village and took rest under a tree. They asked the residents of the village for water, but none of the villagers offered any aid. In trying to provide for his family, Saint Joseph searched about and found a piece of iron that he used to dig beneath the tree. A spring of crystal clear water was revealed, and the Holy Family drank of it. The Divine Child Jesus then blessed this spring, and it became a source of healing for all who drank of it, except for the inhabitants of the village. For when the Holy Family was in need, the villagers did not receive them and refused them aid.
We can see how the journey of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Family represents how we should open our hearts to all those in need. Let us remember that throughout His visit to Egypt and throughout all His life, our beloved Savior was always compassionate towards others, especially the needy (Brethren of the Lord). He taught us that "it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). As we see in the story of the people of Bubastis, our Lord blessed those who received Him and gave Him water in His time of need. Thus, when we receive our Lord in our hearts, we are able to love our brethren and share with them, gaining the blessings of our Redeemer.
The flight of the Holy Family to Egypt is surely a significant, living tradition for us as Coptic Christians. How truly blessed we are to have received our Lord not only in our hearts, but also in our motherland, Egypt. May the Lord shine His Divine Light upon us and let His Holy Spirit guide us in all the journeys of our lives as He and the Holy Family were guided throughout their journey in Egypt.
Welcoming the Coptic new year
This month marks the beginning of the Coptic New Year, or Feast of "El-Nayrouz".
"Let us keep it a holy [year] with all chastity and purity. Let us refrain from evil deeds and start a new acceptable life. The Apostle Paul said: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:17, 18). The Prophet Isaiah also said: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Is. 61:1, 2)... The Prophet David said: You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance (Ps. 65:11)."
~Synaxarium: The First Day of the Blessed Month of Tute
Knowledge is power!
Along with the new Coptic year begins a new school year. As always, it is important for us to remember the Brethren of the Lord. Prior to every school year, BLESS provides students, from primary school to college, with various costs for education, so that our beloved children may obtain the proper instruction they need for a successful future. Even though education is free in Egypt, there are many school-related costs including fees, private tutoring, books and school supplies, making education exclusive to those who can afford these expenses.
Many families cannot afford to educate their children due to various hardships. As a result, the youth begin working at a very young age, remain uneducated, and grow-up to be illiterate. Consequently these youth are unable to advance to better jobs, which may help them to provide for their families. Thus we see the dire need for education.
As we all know, knowledge is power! Education allows us to improve ourselves in all facets of life, helping us make sensible decisions and preventing us from encountering disparity. It aids us in becoming active and fruitful members of society. Therefore, it is vital to provide our children and youth with the opportunity to be educated so that they may have productive futures, raise stable families and live self-sufficiently.
We invite you to share with us in helping BLESS meet its education needs. If you wish to make a contribution toward the Education of our less fortunate brothers and sisters in Egypt, kindly indicate so in the memo of your check. Please mail your contribution promptly so that BLESS USA may be able to transfer it to Egypt before the school year begins.
