The first feast in the Coptic Calendar is the feast of Nayrouz, and martyrs and confessors are commemorated within the Coptic Orthodox Church on that day. This calendar started as the tyrant Diocletian reigned and started persecution of Christians killing thousands of Coptic martyrs. Nayrouz is a Persian word means the new day. Rituals of the Coptic church celebrate this day and remind its people to live for the Lord in each year and throughout our lives. It has a philosophy to make our Lord, God and Savior Jesus the axis of time. This is the goal and the meaning of it. Therefore, Coptic history and calendar depend on God s saving covenant and the work of His grace.

I used to look at any terrorist attack against Copts in Egypt as a failure of police and think that raising our children on a culture that disrespect differences in faith or color should cause such hatred. I always thought that there is a relation between the government and police from one party and with the Salafis and supporters from the other. Such relation that allowed the Copts and their houses and churches to be manipulated, attacked and looted in the midst of a deliberate security absence despite the change of leadership on regular basis. This has changed when a policeman entered into the church cursing and calling Christians infidels and could have killed few of them if he had a gun in his pocket. This reminded me of the policeman who killed five Christians in the train of Samalout days before the revolution of January 25. They said he had mental disorder, but the disorder has always been in the mentality of police.

Lately you can t read the news without read every day about someone commit a suicide for a different reason. Psychologists describe people commit suicide as needed help and he didn t get help in the right time and he didn t get this help from people around or the family beside him. As mentioned previously that committing a suicide could be for a different reason but I will discuss this time one of the main reason as of why do Egyptian committing suicide?

The Holy Sacraments of our beloved church are a gift from God to his children, through which he pours a flood of unseen blessings, which make them reach they destination without losing the way. Abba Moussa, Bishop of Youth, in his article The unity of the Holy Sacraments assured us that the sacraments are divine grants by which we receive many unseen graces. They are seven Sacraments: namely: Baptism, Holy Chrism, Holy Eucharist, Confession, Sanction of the sick, Matrimony, and Priesthood.

On September 9, 1981, President Sadat launched a war against Pope Shenouda and the Copts as he was calling himself a Muslim president of a Muslim country. He accused the late Pope Shenouda III of planning to separate from Egypt and establishing a Christina state in Assiut. Soon, he returned the Pope to his monastery and allowed the terrorists to attack the Copts everywhere promising that a threat of a civil war was at hand. We, the Copts, had fears about the reaction of our Muslim colleagues and neighbor. We were surprised to hear them condemning Sadat for his sectarian speech that was full of hatred, especially against Pope Shenouda III who was admired by all Egyptians.

As some new instructions are being issued by some bishops concerning dress code in churches and encouraging them to wear decent clothes, I would like to present this story in a short way, which was published in the photographer s magazine on August 26, 1927. The magazine reads: "A delegation of Italian women met with His Holiness Pope of the Vatican asking for his blessing and support in their fight against indecent fashion considering it corrupted taste.

Copts at Kasr Haidar village in Assiut had to hold a funeral of a deceased man in the streets in front of the church o St. Moses after the fanatics have forced them to shut down the church. I find such closure of the church in violation of the law is both shameful and disgraceful especially as the church was opened to prayer several years ago and before the draft of current law of houses of worship was passed in the parliament. Thus, the church can t be closed while it is waiting for legalization decision. Under the absence of law enforcement, Copts suffering is increasing and holding their prayers in several churches is getting harder. Their right to pray for God is being taken away by those who should be punished. I demand the reopening of the church immediately and empowering the Copts to pray freely and the person who issued a decision to close the church should be punished with the fanatics who attacked the church.

Lately the mister of education announced a new plan and strategy to amend the education system and no one dent that this is very important step. Having said that, I have some remarks should be mentioned here, one of them amending the education system with having half of Egyptian children out school is something will not help the country in achieving its goals. All Egyptian has to be in school by law like many other countries at least until high school. I believe enrolling all Egyptian children is the main and first step to raise the awareness among the community. In conclusion, I want to assure that what minister of education did is very good step but should be one step among other steps.

Many difficulties and obstacles hinder the way of the Christian man during his spiritual journey, but the Lord promised that those difficulties and tribulations would turn into glories. Bishop Bishoy of Kafr El-Sheikh and Damietta said in his article Why are you sad, my soul, why are you upsetting me? told us about the eternal joy promised by God. The Lord Jesus said to his disciples, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9: 23). This means that the Lord promised his disciples that their joy will surpass their sorrows all sadness because of their faith and following his commandments.

One year ago, the Law for the Building and Restoration of Churches went into effect and stipulated that non-licensed churches would be legalized provided they submit the required documents to a dedicated committee. Each single case had to complete its application. This means that all 3730 applications submitted to the committee had to fully meet the requirements otherwise they would have not been accepted and listed by the committee. Therefore, I was thinking that the committee will finish its work on a good rate, but the truth is I was disappointed by the slow rate. In 11 full months, the committee issued approvals to legalize 220 out of the 3730 churches and service buildings, which means that 3510 applications are still waiting in line.

There were several attacks this week by people claiming to be real Muslims against the Church of the Virgin and St. Karas in Ezbet Sultan, Minya, and another attack to prevent the use of a church to the house of service next door. This crisis began after the Church attempt to install cameras and doors of the church as per the security instructions, which raised fear of some fanatics that they will appear in media if they want to practice their right to attack the church at any time they want! Police arrested three assailants and other names were reported by the Copts hoping that police will prevent further attacks after the church was attacked thrice in one month!

In this life you meet a lot of people and each one is different from one another. When you think about what is the best way to deal with different people some of us try to remember his religious principles and some other try to remember his education. In all cases, you will meet for sure rude people in the road and the problem in rude people that they don t have any principles to remember how to deal with other different people.

Once again, the Egyptians celebrated two feasts at the same day. One feast for the Muslims and the other for the Christians. Adha feast coincided this year with the feast of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Copts and Muslims in Egypt may have several differences in belief, but every now and then feasts come together to assure the unity of the people. Not only the feasts unite the Egyptians, but also problems and even calamites that they suffer from without differentiation based on religion. I wish all Egyptians realize that religion is a relationship with God, while the homeland is a relationship with other Egyptians.

Teaching in the Church is the basis of our salvation. Through teaching, man realizes the basis of true faith and the relation with God. Thus, Jesus Christ, being the good teacher, put curricula for teaching his disciples. In the article Christ the Teacher , Abba Pachomius, former acting Patriarch, assured us that education in our church is necessary to know the foundations of the true Christian faith. Therefore, our teacher Paul recommends his pupil Timothy to Observe himself and teaching , and the Lord Jesus has put us a Proper education after he started his ministry by preaching on the mountain as his first work among the multitudes.

I worked for a company in the Delta of Egypt where the project manager decided to celebrate the feast by buying a sacrifice and slinging it to eat its meat. I watched how they used all kind of violence to kill the cow. They started to jump and tie it and twisted its neck before they start citing their prayers and slay it. Being shocked, I discussed what has just happened with a Muslim colleague who didn t like such violence. I told him that God wants mercy rather than a sacrifice. Your prayers doesn t make the killing process more humane or even Halal.

The encouragement has always been the reason for success and excellence, just like love is the loftiest humanitarian emotions. Therefore, we find that the family house in Alexandria working hard to cultivate the seeds of love in the youth to the love of their society.

The Egyptian citizen is considered the most citizen get false information from the government. The ministers say something in the evening, and Egyptian citizen found the complete opposite in the next morning. One clear example for lacking this transparency is when the supply minister announced there is no change in bread portion for each family and next morning Egyptian found that they have half of they got before.

As the Coptic Church was working on a heavy spiritual schedule during the fast of the St. Mary, it received news that made their hearts heavy as well. News about a murderer monk was assured and fears of the Coptic congregation that murderer of the bishop will be found among the monks of St. Makar monastery became a reality. The crime came at a very critical time, which is one of the most reverend fasts in the Coptic Church; the fast of St. Mary. At the same time, a dispute comes about a group called protectors of the faith led by Abba Aghathon, Bishop of Maghagha, that don t like decisions of the Pope especially related to unity between Catholic and Orthodox churches. I think Pope Tawadros II is getting one of his hardest times and we should pray that God may support him in that time to be given heavenly wisdom and grace.

If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. This is how Jesus Christ told His disciples to do and to refrain from pride. Bishop Takla, in his article The Last of All assured us that humility is one of the important virtues of our lives and our omnipresence. Such humility was said by Abba Moussa the Black to be the best of all virtues just like pride is the worst evil.