The Christ of the Samaritan Woman

The relationship between Jews and Samaritans was characterized by hatred and enmity, even until the point of death. The reason for this is rooted in the Jews' pride and arrogance towards the Samaritans, because the latter married from the Gentile pagans in the post exilic period. This led the Jews to sever all ties and contact with them. This enmity started at the time of Nehemiah and Ezra the priest who refused to let them help in rebuilding the temple or even in worshiping with them. This led the Samaritans to building another temple on Mount Gerizim in 409 BC.
During the time of Christ, the Samaritans refused to receive Christ in their city. (Luke 9:52-56) However, Christ planned to meet with them by way of His meeting with the Samaritan woman. Thus, He spent some days with them eating and drinking, talking with them and showing them His gentleness and compassion, which ultimately led them to believing in Him and bearing testimony that He is the Savior of the world.
Continue reading…He Was Lost And Now Is Found

It is very better for a man not to sin, and if he sinned, he should repent quickly for his sins to be forgiven as God gave us his promise, as the Prophet said “For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his ordinances were before me and his statutes I did not put away from me.” (Psalms 18:21-22)
But if one insists on committing the sin and does not repent, he can not escape from perishing as the Lord said, “I tell you, No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish“ (Luke 13:5)
"It is good that you do not commit a sin, and if you sin, do not delay to repent, and if you repent, do not go back to sin, and if you do not go back to sin, know that it was God’s help that supported you and know that you should thank God for his blessing, and keep asking God for his support.” Saint Basil.
God loves you and he wants you to live, not to perish.
Continue reading…On Fasting
His Holiness Pope Kyrillos the 6th wrote to one of his spiritual sons saying:
Because it is a fact of life that a man will go through different temptations and spiritual wars, God arranged Fasting to deal with temptation and spiritual wars. As God commanded his people in the Old Testament to fast, He also commanded us in the New Testament to fast as the Lord said, “And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards He was hungry” (Matt. 4:2) The faithful is a soldier in the spiritual wars, our weapon, we the Christians is prayer and fasting.
As a horse got a bridle, the body also has to overcome its lusts and pleasures. This is what the apostle says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if the Spirit leads you, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Gal. 5:16-24)
Continue reading…Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.(2 Cor 9:7)
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