A Series on the Epistle of James Part 1: Consider It Pure Joy
Father Pauls George says in the Good Shepherd program that the Epistle of James is considered one of the catholic (general) epistles, and Pope Shenouda has written about it, indicating that it carries a comprehensive spiritual approach.
Father Pauls George began his sermon, "Count it all joy," by reading a portion of the Epistle of James (James 1:4). He sees deep contemplation in the Epistle of James and says that the saint saw joy in the trials and experiences that humans face.
This is evident through the following points:
1- Testing of your faith: Father Pauls George says that trials reveal our true selves and the strength of our faith. Our Lord allows trials to happen because we all believe that when we pray and participate in the liturgy, we are free from errors. However, when a trial occurs, our true nature is revealed. Without trials, we wouldn't know who we are and where we stand in terms of virtues. Therefore, trials play a significant role in evaluating the degree of our faith.
2- It produces patience: Father Pauls George says that patience is only developed through difficult trials. The examination of faith and trials teach us how to learn patience.
3- If one endures, they receive the crown of life: Father Pauls George says that we sympathize with some of the tested individuals on earth and believe that we are more compassionate than God towards His creation. But no one knows that those who endure and tolerate the trial with acceptance and gratitude, their outcome is that God purifies them and they receive the crown of life. Their situation is similar to that of Lazarus, who used to sit under the rich man's house and be licked by dogs, but in the end, he found comfort in the bosom of Abraham.
Father Paul George says that our Lord does not give anyone trials that exceed their capacity. But it is us who have become unable to endure and be patient. God may allow distress, but we must accept it because after what Christ did for us on the cross, anything we endure for God is little.
4- The Test of God's Fatherhood: Father Paul George says that God cannot leave us alone in the trial, as he says, "In all their distress, he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them" (Isaiah 63:9). God empathizes with us in every trial, just as He did with Daniel in the lion's den and with the three young men in the fiery furnace. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, in the midst of distress, we find everyone retreating, but the only one who remains with us with steadfast and sincere faith is the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ.
Father Paul George says that distress carries the consolation of God. It is not necessary for us to see Him tangibly, but it is enough for us to see Him through faith, and this is what happened with the martyrs of Egypt in Libya.
5- The Test of the Motherhood of the Church: Father Paul George says that a person who lives in the midst of a spiritual church enjoys the motherhood of the Church, which is manifested in the father of confession who becomes a support for us in distress or the faithful servant who guides us in difficult times. Distress reveals who truly loves us and who does not.
يسعدنا ان نقدم لكم كل ما يخص المحتوى القبطى باستمرار – كما نتمنى منكم دعمنا و تشجيعكم لنا من خلال مشاركتكم و تعليقاتكم على محتوى موقعنا – حتى نستطيع تقديم المزيد بشكل مستمر
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