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http://t.co/SEsiobUQ: St John Chrysostom: A Homily for the New Year (On the Kalends of January) http://t.co/kFQVVVl5

[Translated by Seumas Macdonald], an excerpt…

[…]  The whole year will be fortunate for you, not if you are drunk on the new-moon [New Year’ Day], but if both on the new-moon [January 1st], and each day, you do those things approved by God. For days come wicked and good, not from their own nature; for a day differs nothing from another day, but from our zeal and sluggishness. If you perform righteousness, then the day becomes good to you; if you perform sin, then it will be evil and full of retribution. If you contemplate these things, and are so disposed, you will consider the whole year favorable, performing prayers and charity every day; but if you are careless of virtue for yourself, and you entrust the contentment of your soul to beginnings of months and numbers of days, you will be desolate of everything good unto yourself. […]

Strong drink does not produce delight, but spiritual prayer; not wine, but a learned word. Wine effects a storm, but the Word [of God] effects calm; the former transports in an uproar, the latter expels disturbance; the former darkens the understanding, the latter lightens the darkened; the former imports despondencies that are non-existent, the latter drives away those there were [1]. For nothing is so accustomed to produce contentment and delight, as the teachings of [our] philosophy [wisdom]: [which is] to despise present affairs, to yearn for the things to come, to consider nothing of human affairs to be secure, and if you behold some rich man not to be bitten with envy, and if you fall into poverty not to be downcast by that poverty. Thus you are always able to celebrate festivals. (more…)

Aghapy Everyone, Through the Blessing of His Grace Bishop David we have created a FaceBook Page for the Coptic Orthodox Archdioceses ht…

Layaway ‘Angels’ Phenom Spreading – San Mateo, CA Patch http://t.co/Chii8S6T

The Glorious Feast of Nativity: 7 January? 29 Kiahk? 25 December? … http://t.co/DNX47DXz

http://t.co/SEsiobUQ: The Glorious Feast of Nativity: 7 January? 29 Kiahk? 25 December? http://t.co/XS3Xu4oA

Written by: Fr. John Ramzy

The first Church did not celebrate the birth of Christ. And the actual date of his birth was and still is unknown. The earliest known indication to such a celebration comes in a passing Statement by St. Clement of Alexandria who mentions that the Egyptians of his time celebrated the Lord’s birth on May 20. At the end of the 3rd century, the Western Churches celebrated it in the winter, and this was only accepted in Rome in the middle of the 4th century.

Around that time it was agreed by the Church all over the world to celebrate the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ on 25 December (29 Kiahk in the Coptic calendar), most probably to take the place of a pagan feast that even Christians continued to celebrate until then.

At that time, and until the sixteenth century, the civil calendar in use the world over was the Julian calendar, introduced by Julius Caesar in the year 46 B.C. This calendar considered the year to be 365.25 days 4 and thus had a leap year every four years, just like the Coptic calendar. Therefore, until the sixteenth century, 25 December coincided with 29 Kiahk, as the date of the celebration of the Lord’s nativity. (more…)

“Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord” (Lamentations 2:19)

I uploaded a @YouTube video http://t.co/fkEh0sF8 قداس رسامة البابا كيرلس السادس الكنيسة المرقسية

I uploaded a @YouTube video http://t.co/GgdXEUty H.H. Pope Kyrillos Liturgy

I uploaded a @YouTube video http://t.co/ZgXX2uUe Pope Shenouda III – God’s love in your life | English Subtit

Tim Tebow and matters of faith – ESPN http%3A%2F%2Fes.pn%2FurcX14

I uploaded a @YouTube video http://t.co/eCJBtpC2 Why God Allows Bad Thing to Happen? By Fr. Poules Geroge

Why God Allows Bad Thing to Happen? By Fr. Poules Geroge http://t.co/uRsLbdwG

I uploaded a @YouTube video http://t.co/v52gqdqK Saint Andrew’s Eve in CT

Check this video out — Saint Andrew’s Eve http://t.co/EG9tQtCO via @youtube

I uploaded a @YouTube video http://t.co/9qfgLm8e Saint Andrew’s Eve

http://t.co/SEsiobUQ: About Orthodox Christianity http://t.co/A9Dip8ia

The Orthodox Church is evangelical, but not Protestant.
It is Orthodox, but not Jewish.
It is Catholic, but not Roman.
It is not non-denominational, it is pre-denominational.
It has been believed, taught, preserved, defended, and died for.
It is the Faith that has established the universe.