“Spiritual Union in the Concept of Marriage Union” in the Wednesday’s Sermon of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, delivers his weekly speech, on Wednesday 29 June 2022, in the presence of number of Bishops and General Bishops supervising the pastoral sectors in Alexandria, Fr. Abraam Emil, Patriarchal Vicar in Alexandria, in St. Marcos Cathedral in Alexandria.
Before His Holiness’ speech, he listened to Fr. Karas Ibrahim’s one, Secretary of the Sub-Clerical Council in Alexandria, it was about the work of the Council during the previous period since 2018, with a presentation of statistics on the most important reasons for opening files and the results of work in the Council.
Also, another speech by Fr. Luke Abdel Masih, the official of the St. Joseph the carpenter Institute for Counseling and Church Guidance, it was about the institute’s work, the importance of the role of counseling centers in solving many family problems, and ways of cooperation between counseling centers and the seminary.
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II continued in his speech the new educational series “The Concept of the Marriage Union” as a basis for building a holy Christian family, where he read the fifth chapter of the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians, which is read in the wreath prayers (Holy Matrimony), and referred to the third concept of the marital union, which is the spiritual unionو through five main principles:
1-They both believe in the power of prayer
2- Reading: Bible, Synaxarion, Cultural
3- Believing in the Sacraments:
-The Sacrament of Repentance and Confession
-The Holy Communion “Whoever eats my body and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.” (John 6:56)
4- Service: to have a social role within the church
5-The confirmation of their faithful view of life, through:
-God loves all human beings
That God is the maker of good deeds (Let us thank the maker of good deeds… for he has protected us, helped us, preserved us, accepted us, had compassion on us, and supported us…)
That God is the Almighty “and we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God” (Romans 8:28).
H.H added that:
The church teaches us in the liturgy every day (Do not love the world, nor the things in the world, because the world passes and its lust is with it)
In the old tradition in the church, the betrothed chooses a best man (a sponsor or a sponsor) for marriage
He pointed out the priorities in the spiritual dimension:
1- God first: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with every measure” (12:30)
2- “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).
3- Being a continually peacemaker “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9).
4- Preserve the purity of your heart for the sake of the other party…
This report was originally published on the Coptic Orthodox Church website. Please click here to read the full text.
