Bishop Youannes Spiritual Message

Blessed Fathers and beloved brothers, friends of the BLESS USA Program,

The peace, love, and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all.

During the time of Easter, my beloved, we were deeply touched by the love you have shown in extending a helping hand to your less fortunate brothers and sisters in Egypt, those whom the Lord has regarded as His "Brethren."

We would like to continue contemplating on the topic of Divine Providence bestowed upon those who show mercy to the needy and the less fortunate. In the previous newsletter, we spoke about the sixth part of this magnificent symphony, when our teacher David the Prophet sang: "[The Lord] shall preserve your soul." (Ps. 121:7). We considered a few examples in which we witnessed God's protection of those who are merciful and kind, as in David the Prophet's song: "The Lord shall preserve you from all evil." Among those individuals were: 1) Our Teacher, David the Prophet, and 2) Tobit the Righteous.

Now, we will continue by contemplating on St. Paul the Apostle, who has also experienced God's love and endless protection because of the kindness and compassion he has exhibited towards the poor and the needy.

St. Paul has also experienced the amazing grace and the saving strength of the Lord's Mighty Hand, as He has always protected and shielded him. Through the power of His sanctuary, it is no wonder, then, that we always see St. Paul as a poised, serene, and self-assured person. For instance, when Paul and Silas were seized and brought to the magistrates of the city of Philippi, we read of the many different forms of pain that were inflicted upon them:

"... the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks." (Acts 16:22- 24)

However, despite all of these tribulations and torments, we witness Paul and Silas completely unmindful of their distress, singing and praying:

"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:25)

What an amazing strength! What unspeakable spiritual vigor has been manifested by these most righteous and pure apostles! How astoundingly amazing it must have been to sing and praise the Lord in such a dreadful place and under such distressing circumstances: in the midst of all unbearable physical and psychological anguish and affliction; the sheer darkness, the lack of ventilation and the awful smell in the inner prison; with all the beatings that they had suffered at the hands of the jailers; and in spite of the stocks that were used to fasten their feet to prevent them from moving their bruised bodies even for a few inches! In spite of all of these tribulations, you sing and praise the Lord with such vitality and passion that the prisoners could hear your praises emanating from the inner prison.

How can we explain this? It all seems quite incomprehensible. Our teacher St. Paul, the Apostle, explains by asserting that our Lord keeps and preserves us no matter how turbulent are the waves of the sea of life. We will always feel safe, serene and secure, as mentioned by King Solomon:

"The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run to it and are safe." (Prov. 8:10)

This feeling of tranquility and serenity has also been expressed in St. Paul's Second Epistle to the Corinthians. Here, St. Paul explains the reason behind the inner peace that prevails despite the many hardships, obstacles and hurdles to be encountered:

"We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor. 4:8-9)

"As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (2 Cor. 6:10)

"I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation."         (2 Cor. 7:4)

It is my conviction, my beloved, that the more compassionate and merciful we are, the more we will experience the Lord's protection and guardianship. His "strong tower" becomes our haven and refuge. Regardless of how severe the hardships and the tribulations of this life may be, we will remain unmoved and unshaken. Our wills will never flail or falter. We will always be serene, calm and composed. It is wondrous that our Lord and Keeper vigilantly guards us from all harm. Our teacher David the Prophet sings of this, saying:

"Blessed is he who considers the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble...The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive." (Ps. 41:1- 2)

This, my beloved, is the sixth part of this great topic, the symphony of Divine Providence bestowed upon the merciful and the compassionate. God willing, we will contemplate on the seventh and last part of this magnificent topic in which our Teacher David the Prophet chants:

"The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in, from this time forth and even forevermore." (Ps. 121:8)

May the Lord compensate you with the incorruptible instead of the corruptible, the heavenly instead of the earthly, and the eternal instead of the temporal.

St. Mark, The Beholder of God

BLESS USA News & Updates

Bishop Youannes' Visit to BLESS USA

His Grace Bishop Youannes, General Bishop and Secretary to H.H. Pope Shenouda III, recently visited the servants of BLESS USA to discuss the service. Bishop Youannes requested to be updated on the services of BLESS USA from the time he last met with us. Updates included the advancement and formation of groups, organized to better serve the Brethren. His Grace was very supportive of all the developments made and offered us heartfelt words of encouragement in further continuing our endeavors in the service, such as in the Matching Gift Program, projects in Christian Education, Servant Orientations, and in using the BLESS USA website as a tool in the service of the Brethren of the Lord.

Likewise, Bishop Youannes briefly discussed the recent growth of the service at BLESS in Egypt along with the ever-increasing population of the Brethren of the Lord and the needs thereof.

Finally, His Grace expressed his gratitude and great love towards you, the members, of BLESS USA for your endless service and prayers for the Brethren of the Lord. Let us continue to pray that the Lord may further grant His expansion of the service to aid in supporting His Brethren.

Since his visit took place during the Holy Season of Lent, His Grace Bishop Youannes was so kind as to leave the servants with a contemplation on fasting from the book of Isaiah. His Grace emphasized what is written of how we may fast an acceptable fast to our Lord and God in giving of our own selves:

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen:

...Is it not to share your bread with the hungry.

And that you bring to your house the poor that are cast out;

When you see the naked, that you cover him,

And not hide yourself from your own flesh?"

~ (Isaiah 58: 6, 7)

May the Lord preserve the life of H.H. Pope Shenouda III and H.G. Bishop Youannes for many peaceful years to come. We ask that they remember us all and the service before God.