Sermons

ABBA Give me a WORD Series

Sermons and Talks

Baba Kyrillos

ABBA Give Me A WORD: Requirements for Prayer According to Pope Kyrillos

Pope Kyrillos VI on Prayer

Apekran- Pope Kyrillos 50th Commemoration لحن ابيكران للبابا كيرلس

موسيقي فيلم المتوحد القديس البابا كيرلس السادس - يوسف عماد - ابونا ايلاريون

Pope Kyrillos VI Movie (Soundtrack)- Fr. Elarion Tadros

في كواكب الفردوس خادم الرب إيسوس ضياء دير البرموس بنيوت افا كيرلس
اختاره عمانوئيل آثَرَ أن يستقيل ليكون خادم الإنجيل بنيوت افا كيرلس
رُشِّحَ للأسقفية فغادر الإكليريكية مُفَضِّلًا الْبَرِّيَة بنيوت افا كيرلس
فَضَلَ حياة الخلوة سَلَكَ طريقًا كَرْبَة أعطاه  حكمة بنيوت افا كيرلس
أشفق عليه الأباء ى القديس برجاء سَانَدَتْهُ عناية السماء بنيوت افا كيرلس
خرج الرهبان السبعة فَوَهَبَ نفسه لخدمة الذين طُرِدُوا بالقوة بنيوت افا كيرلس
ولما جاء الحين رجع الرهبان فرحين إلى ديرهمِ مسرعين بنيوت افا كيرلس
ى في الطاحونة باكر وعشية أعطاه  معونة بنيوت افا كيرلس
أرشده عمانوئيل قام بعمل جليل في دير أنبا صموئيل بنيوت افا كيرلس
إختارته عناية  ليكون راعي الرعاة كان يبكي بمرارة بنيوت افا كيرلس
عظيمٌ في جهادهِ حكيمٌ في إرشادهِ إختاره الرب إلهه بنيوت افا كيرلس
سَمَعَ قول الرسول وَوَبَخَ الكسول خَدَمَ نفسه البتول بنيوت افا كيرلس
أشفق  القطيع لم يتركه يضيع رافقه بقلب وديع بنيوت افا كيرلس
لم يَخْطُبَ وِد الْمَادِحِين أَرْشَدَ الافقين كان الْرَجُل الأمين بنيوت افا كيرلس
متضع بالحقيقة محب الخليقة صَدِيق الملائكة بنيوت افا كيرلس
قام وقت الأسحار في القوةِ والأمراض لِيُسَبِّح رَبَّ القوات بنيوت افا كيرلس
إشتم واته وبخوره مع أصوامهِ قَبِلْهَا قدامه بنيوت افا كيرلس
لِرَجُلِ الصلاة  لمحبِ الإله وقابل الخطاة بنيوت افا كيرلس
لإرميا الجديد صاحب النسك الشديد ذو الدموع والتنهيد بنيوت افا كيرلس
نِلْتَ نعمة موسى وكهنوت هارون وحكمة سولومون بنيوت افا كيرلس
إلى النور هدانا لصداقةِ مارمينا وكنيستهُ بناها بنيوت افا كيرلس
في مدة قصيرة قام بأعمال كثيرة بمعونة رَبِّ الخليقة بنيوت افا كيرلس
بنى الكاتدرائية وكنائس كثيرة نشر المسيحية بنيوت افا كيرلس
بأعجوبة أعاد لنا رفات حبيبنا مارمرقس كاروزنا بنيوت افا كيرلس
المساكين أعطاهم المرضى شفاهم الحزانى عزاهم بنيوت افا كيرلس
أَحَبَّ أهل الحبشة راعي الكنيسة عاملهم بمحبة بنيوت افا كيرلس
في كنيسة الزيتون ظهرت الأم البتول في عهد الراعي الحنون بنيوت افا كيرلس
بيدهِ عَمَلَ الميرون بين المؤمنين مِنْ بَعْدِ طول السنين بنيوت افا كيرلس
سَمَّى إنتقال الأبرار إلى السماءِ أسفار طَلَبَ رَبِّ الأنوار بنيوت افا كيرلس
تَرَكَ وثيقة أن يُدْفَن في ديرهِ بجوار شفعيه بنيوت افا كيرلس
دَعَتَهُ السماء فَلَبَّى النداء وَرَحَلَ للآباء بنيوت افا كيرلس
في ساعةِ إنتقاله قال الرب يرعاكم وَأَكْمَلَ جهاده بنيوت افا كيرلس
أذكر وحدة الإيمان وأذكرنا في كلِ آوان أمام  الديان بنيوت افا كيرلس
يا أبناء التسبيح أنظموا اليوم مديح لحبيب يسوع المسيح بنيوت افا كيرلس

مديح قداسة البابا كيرلس السادس - في كواكب الفردوس - ctv

His Grace shares with us some requirements for prayer in these multipart tracks. In part 1, we hear one of the requirements:
 
"When standing before your Lord the attire of your soul should be woven with threads of non-hatred…without envy and grudge” - St. Pope Kyrillos VI

All the quotes are found in A Silent Patriarch by Fr. Daniel Fanous

ABBA Give me a WORD

ABBA Give Me A WORD: Requirements for Prayer According to Pope Kyrillos Part 1 by HG Bishop Gregory

I wonder how big the saints are in your day-to-day life. Sometimes it feels like we've lost touch, and others that people are hyper-obsessed. Living with the Saints is living in reality. Let's reflect on Saint Pope Kyrillos VI on his feast as well.

Saint Pope Kyrillos VI (Fr Antony Paul)

His Grace shares with us some requirements for prayer in these multipart tracks. In part 2, we hear another requirement to meditate on:
 
“If you have to go out of your cell, protect what you had gathered,” and if you are “happy” when a visitor arrives, “know that you have prepared yourself for boredom and not God” - St. Pope Kyrillos VI

All the quotes are found in A Silent Patriarch by Fr. Daniel Fanous

ABBA Give Me a WORD

ABBA Give Me A WORD: Requirements for Prayer According to Pope Kyrillos Part 2 by HG Bishop Gregory

His Grace shares with us some requirements for prayer in these multipart tracks. In part 3, we meditate on another requirement:
 
“among all other virtues undertaken by people, there is none better than [prostrations],” “it terrifies the demons.” - St. Pope Kyrillos VI

St. Isaac in homily 64 says: “More than the practice of psalmody , love prostrations during prayer"

All the quotes are found in A Silent Patriarch by Fr. Daniel Fanous

ABBA Give Me A WORD: Requirements for Prayer According to Pope Kyrillos Part 3 by HG Bishop Gregory

His Grace shares with us some requirements for prayer in these multipart tracks. In part 4, we meditate on another requirement:
 
“Spend the most of your night in prayers and praise; as much as you can prepare for them during the day.” - St. Pope Kyrillos VI

All the quotes are found in A Silent Patriarch by Fr. Daniel Fanous

ABBA Give Me A WORD: Requirements for Prayer According to Pope Kyrillos Part 4 by HG Bishop Gregory

His Grace shares with us some requirements for prayer in these multipart tracks. In part 5, we hear the final requirement:

“Persist in and honour reading if possible more than prayer. Reading is the spring of intelligent prayer.” - St. Pope Kyrillos VI

St. Isaac in homily 64 says: "Give more honor to reading, if possible than standing, for it is the source of pure prayer."

All the quotes are found in A Silent Patriarch by Fr. Daniel Fanous

ABBA Give Me A WORD: Requirements for Prayer According to Pope Kyrillos Part 5 by HG Bishop Gregory

ابونا يوسف اسعد - تامل خدمة غسل الارجل | Fr. Youssef Asaad - Washing the Feet of Others

His Holiness Pope Kyrillos VI was a holy man who dedicated his whole life to prayer and fasting becoming an example for us all to strive to be like. 
Tune into Fr Dan's INCREDIBLE talk on Pope Kyrillos and his incredible faith which we can all learn from!

Pope Kyrillos: A Man Of Prayer (Fr. Daniel Fanous)

Fr Loka Sidaros on Pope Kyrillos - القمص لوقا سيداروس البابا كيرلس

English Translation: 
Take her as your friend, as the Bible says- the friend of Solomon..
Take her as your friend; she will teach you…She will teach you the love of God, she will teach you meekness, she will teach you obedience. She will teach you not to complain. She will teach you humility. She will teach you silence, and she will teach you prayer. 
She will teach you to fast. 
She will teach you to serve- she is a model in service! When she heard of Elizabeth, she went and served her and stayed with her, until the ninth month. When she (Elizabeth) was due to give birth, she left the house and distanced herself from the noise and commotion. She returned to her house, because she likes to serve at a time when no one is around- she serves in secret. 
She endured, she endured all the thoughts that came to Joseph’s mind, and opened not her mouth, because she always looked to her good part. 
She is meek and humble. We never once heard of her that she spoke a word in the Holy Bible, except that she ask for goodness, and that for all; for the entire wedding, bringing joy to the people. 
She is a servant; meek, humble. 
She surrendered her life to God; when she left the temple, she also left in joy and gladness. She knows that her future is in the hands of God. Her future is not in the hands of those who took her out of the temple. She knows of what tomorrow consists; tomorrow consists of God, tomorrow God will take care of every matter for her. God is responsible for tomorrow; she does not worry about tomorrow. She cares, as Paul the Apostle says, “do not be anxious for anything, but in all things by prayer…that your requests may be known to God.”
She is joyful and satisfied with her inheritance, so it does not matter to her- inside the temple or outside of the temple…
Today, we celebrate for her a great feast, because she is the beginning of our joys, and she drew for us the path of our salvation. She, Virgin Mary, requires much contemplation, inquiry, and companionship, because the one who is her companion learns from her, and takes much from her. 
Keep her as your friend, learn from her- she will bless you, give you much, bring joy to your life, fill your life with peace, and grant you the way to the good part, which will never be taken away from you.

Saint Mary as Your Friend- Father Bishoy Kamel (Arabic)

This is an introduction to a new series called "ABBA Give me a WORD".

When the Lord Jesus Christ called His disciples, He called them by a few simple words..."Follow Me".

INTRO to ABBA Give me a WORD by HG Bishop Gregory

This is part of the series called "ABBA Give me a WORD".

His Grace shares with us some words from St. John of Dalyatha about the power of repentance and how the chains are broken and adversities changed into joy.

“Their chains are broken and their adversities are changed into joy and their tears into great rejoicing. He who had bound them is himself bound by their reins of darkness and delivered by them to the scourgers. Repentance destroys all his works, and all the pains he cause the servants who are not his, she HEALS and RESTORES. All whom he has killed she resuscitates, all his traps she shatters, and all his snares she cuts to bits.[…] She makes fornicators virgins” (Letter 43)


When the Lord Jesus Christ called His disciples, He called them by a few simple words..."Follow Me".

ABBA Give me a WORD: Do Not Despair by HG Bishop Gregory

This is part of the series called "ABBA Give me a WORD" by HG Bishop Gregory.

His Grace shares with us some words from St. John Climacus:
“Run from places of sin as from the plague. For when fruit is not present, we have no frequent desire to eat it." (Ladder of Divine Ascent Step 3.9)

Then His Graces shares with some words from St. Gregory of Nyssa:
“Now having learned what great power for evil the disease of pleasure possesses, we should conduct our lives as far removed from it as possible; otherwise the disease may find some opening against us, like fire whose very proximity causes an evil flame.[…] So also it is in our power to remain unaffected by passion as long as we stay far away from the thing that enflames. […] For the evils of the passions, like a plague, when once they have gained possession of the critical parts, stop only at death.” ("The Life of Moses” 2.303)

When the Lord Jesus Christ called His disciples, He called them by a few simple words..."Follow Me".

ABBA Give me a WORD: Avoiding the Virus by HG Bishop Gregory

This is part of the series called "ABBA Give me a WORD".

His Grace shares with us some words from St Eusebius of Caesarea says concerning this treatise:
“A pestilent disease took possession of many provinces of the whole world, and especially Alexandria and Egypt; as Dionysius writes, and the treatise of Cyprian ‘concerning the Mortality’ bears witness.”(1)

Then His Graces shares with some words from St. Cyprian of Carthage’s Treatise 7: On the Mortality, Part 16:
“…beloved brethren, what is it, what a great thing is it, how pertinent, how necessary, that that pestilence and plague which seems horrible and deadly, searches out the righteousness of each one, and examines the minds of the human race, to see (1) whether they who are in health tend the sick; (2) whether relations affectionately love their family; (3) whether masters pity their weakened servants; (4) whether physicians do not forsake the beseeching patients; (5) whether the fierce suppress their violence; (6) whether the greedy can quench the ever insatiable desire of their raging avarice even by the fear of death; (7) whether the arrogant bend their neck; (8) whether the wicked soften their boldness; (9) whether, when their dear ones perish, the rich, even then bestow anything, and give, when they are to die without heirs. (10) Even although this mortality conferred nothing else, it has done this benefit to Christians and to God’s servants, that we begin gladly to desire martyrdom as we learn not to fear death. These are trainings for us, not deaths: they give the mind the glory of fortitude; by contempt of death they prepare for the crown.” (2)

References:
(1)	Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, eds., Fathers of the Third Century: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Novatian, Appendix, vol. 5, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1886)

(2)	Alexander Roberts, James Donaldson, and A. Cleveland Coxe, eds., Fathers of the Third Century: Hippolytus, Cyprian, Novatian, Appendix, vol. 5, The Ante-Nicene Fathers (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Company, 1886).

When the Lord Jesus Christ called His disciples, He called them by a few simple words..."Follow Me".

ABBA Give me a WORD: Use Pestilence to Search me O God by HG Bishop Basil

This is part of the series called "ABBA Give me a WORD".

His Grace shares with us some words from St. Gregory the Theologian in Oration 17:
“Just take the first step. Comfort is near, on your lips and in your heart. I remembered God, says the Psalmist, and rejoiced. What could be easier than remembering? You too remember and rejoice. The remedy is so simple! The cure so fast! The gift so magnificent! The remembrance of God not only lulls the sense of desolation and anguish but also gives rise to joy.”

His Graces asks us to train ourselves to remember God!

When the Lord Jesus Christ called His disciples, He called them by a few simple words..."Follow Me".

ABBA Give me a WORD: Remember God by HG Bishop Gregory

His Grace takes us on a journey of the Holy Pascha week and asks us to build our relationship with the Lord seeking to apply one meditation each day to our personal lives as an individual or as a family.

His Grace begins with the resurrection of Lazarus to the resurrection of our Lord, we can see the Lord yearning to live with us here on earth and eternally as He seeks our salvation.
 - Lazarus Saturday: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25)

- Palm Sunday: The Lord reveals Himself as the King of Kings who comes humbly riding on a donkey in the Jerusalem of my heart seeking to be enthroned therein. Will accept His Lordship or will I leave Him weeping over me as He wept over Jerusalem.

- Monday Pascha: Christ is the gardener of my soul that asks what shall I yet do for my vineyard that I have not done for it. He comes as a second Adam clearing the land of my heart from the thorns of my sin as He cleanse the temple. Will I remain barren like the cursed fig tree or will I yield the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

- Tuesday Pascha: Christ is my beloved bridegroom Who seeks to unite with me intimately; enticing me to prepare for our heavenly wedding with talk of His Second Coming. He urges me to leave my spiritual prostitution to be consecrating to Him alone. Will I detach myself from the temple pleasures and idols of this world that I may begin eternal life with the Beloved here and now?

- Wednesday Pascha: The Lord is the One Who patiently waits for my repentance as He accepted the repentance of the woman who wept at His feet. Will I offer the Lord the fragrant oil and tears of repentance as the sinful woman did or my words be those of Judas, smoother than oil yet drawing swords, betraying my Master?

- Covenant Thursday: My Lord and Teacher kneels to wash my feet and cleanse me that I may learn from His humility and do as He has done washing the feet of His children. The Bread of Life offers His Body and Blood to me; that He may abide in me and I in Him. Will accept for the Lord to wash my feet and humbly offer myself to others?

- Great Friday: The Mighty One, the only Begotten Son, shows me by weakness what is greater than power when He offers Himself as an acceptable sacrifice on the cross for my salvation. The spotless and silent Lamb of God takes upon Himself the sins of the whole world and the author of Life dies on the cross and is buried in a tomb that He may bury my sins with Him. Will I confess my sins with the thief and accept His love for me, crying out "Remember me O Lord, when You come into Your Kingdom"?

- Bright Saturday: The True light descends into the darkness of Hades that He may shine upon those who were there and preach to them the salvation that He has accomplished. Descend into the darkness of my sinful soul, O Lord, and reveal to me the Kingdom of Heaven therein, shine within me that I may see the rums of the ladder to the paradise of joy which You have opened for me. 

His Graces then shares with us words from St Gregory the Theologian: "O Pascha, great and holy and purifier of all the world, I will speak to you as to a living being" (Oration 45:30).

ABBA Give me a WORD: Meditations on Pascha Week by HG Bishop Basil

His Grace shares with us a Prayer of Repentance that can be found in Homily 16 of the Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian as well as Discourse 4 of John of Dalyatha:

O Master Lord Jesus Christ, who wept for your friend Lazarus and shed tears of sorrow and compassion upon him, accept the tears of my bitterness. 

Through your passions heal my passions; through your wounds cure my wounds; through your blood purify my blood, and mingle with my body the fragrance of your life-giving body. 

Let the gall, which was given to you by the enemies, sweeten my soul from bitterness, given to me by the adversaries.

Let your body, which was stretched on the tree of the Cross, make my mind, pulled down by the demons, fly towards you.

Let your head, which you bowed on the Cross lift up my head, smitten by the opponents.

Let your all-holy hands, which were nailed by the godless on the Cross, raise me from the chasm of perdition and bring me towards you, as your most holy mouth has promised.

Let your face, which receives spats and spittles by the cursed ones, bring a shine to my face, sullied by my sins.

Let your soul, which you, while on the Cross, offered to your father, lead me towards you by your grace.

I do not have a painful heart to seek after you; I do not have repentance nor contrition which bring the children back to their inheritance; I do not have, O Master, entreating tears.

My mind has darkened by worldly and material things and is not capable of look at you with pain.

My heart has turned cold from the multitude of temptations and cannot warm itself with the tears of love for you.

But you, O Lord Jesus Christ, the treasury of good, grant me complete repentance and a painful heart, so I may go out searching for you with all my heart.

Without you, I am stranger to any good.

Thus, grant me, O good one, your grace; let your Father, who, before all ages and eternally, has begotten you from his bosom, renew in me the form of your image.

I have forsaken you, but do not forsake me; I have come out away from you, so come out in search for me, and lead me into your pasture, numbering me among the sheep of your excellent flock and feeding me together with them the grass of your divine mysteries whose haunt is the pure heart and in which the illuminations of your revelations is seen, bringing consolation and refreshment to those who work hard and suffer afflictions and various griefs for you.

Make us worthy of this illumination through your grace and love of man, our Savior Jesus Christ, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Series also posted on 
Podcast: Search for 'Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States'
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkkYZew63JGZJLHlG1iy55SGL_KbTxa_a

ABBA Give me a WORD: A Prayer of Repentance to our Merciful Savior by HG Bishop Gregory

His Grace shares with us St. Dorotheos of Gaza on the words of St. Gregory the Theologian

“It is the Day of Resurrection.
Let us offer ourselves as first-fruits.”

These words from a Paschal homily of St. Gregory the Theologian in the 4th century later became part of a Resurrection hymn that was sung in church in the 6th century.

After singing this hymn in the church on the Feast of Resurrection St. Dorotheos of Gaza meditates on the words of the hymn in his own Paschal homily saying:
“The sons of Israel kept the Pascha when they came out of Egypt…Now Pascha, the celebration which St Gregory is encouraging us to keep, is performed by the soul which departs from the spiritual Egypt, that is, from sin. For when the soul passes over from sin to virtue, that is when it celebrates the Pascha of the Lord. As Evagrius has said: ‘the Pascha of the Lord is the passing over from evil to good.’

And thus now today is the Pascha of the Lord, the Day of the Bright Festival, the Day of the Resurrection of Christ Who has nailed sin to the Cross, Who has died and rose—all for our sakes. Let us also offer to the Lord gifts, sacrifices, whole-burnt offerings…
…for after saying, ‘It is the Day of Resurrection’…
…St. Gregory says, ‘Let us offer ourselves as first-fruits [of the Resurrection]’, that is, let us offer ourselves as a sacrifice, let us die to ourselves all the day long, as did all the saints, for the sake of Christ our God Who died for us.

How did they put themselves to death?
“Do not love the world or the things in the world (1 John 2:15), as is said in the Catholic Epistle; but having renounced the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life’ (1 John 2:16)—that is the love of pleasure, the love of money, and vainglory—they took up the Cross and followed after Christ and crucified the world to themselves and themselves to the world (cf. Gal. 6:14). Concerning this the Apostle says, “those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Gal 5:24). 

This is how the saints put themselves to death.

And how did they offer themselves as sacrifice? By not living for themselves, by subjecting themselves to the commandments of God, and abandoning their own desires for the sake of the commandment to love God and their neighbor
…
Thus, let us also offer ourselves in sacrifice as St. Gregory teaches…”

As we greet each other saying, “Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!” and as we praise the joyful resurrection hymns throughout the Holy 50 days, let us also keep the spirit of the early fathers like St. Dorotheos of Gaza. 

Just as St. Dorotheos translates the resurrection hymn of his time to life and teaching, let us also apply the spirit of resurrection to our lives by passing over from sin to virtue and no longer living selfishly for ourselves, but rather abandoning our own desires in love of God and neighbor.

That we too—as St. Gregory and St. Dorotheos teach us—may offer ourselves as first-fruits of Christ’s Resurrection.

That we too “may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”

That we too “may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” (cf. Phil 3:10-11).

Series also posted on 
Podcast: Search for 'Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States'
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkkYZew63JGZJLHlG1iy55SGL_KbTxa_a

ABBA Give me a WORD: Offering Ourselves as First-fruits of the Resurrection by HG Bishop Basil

The official SoundCloud and podcast for the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States under the auspices of His Grace Bishop Youssef.

ABBA Give Me A WORD: Requirements for Prayer According to Pope Kyrillos Part 1 by HG Bishop Gregory

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