“Qualifications for Service (9)": The Servant Is A Student, A New Series of Sermons From His Holiness Pope Tawadros II in the Wednesday Meeting

And Honoring the Top Technical Diploma and High-school Students

On the evening of Wednesday 4 September 2024, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, delivered his weekly Sermon in St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, Egypt. The Sermon was broadcasted on Christian satellite channels and the C.O.C channel of the Church’s Media Center on the Internet.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II prayed the raising of Incense Vespers, with the participation of the General Bishops supervising the pastoral sectors in Alexandria, Hegumen Abraam Emil (General Deputy of the Patriarchate in Alexandria), the Priests of the Church, and a number of Priests of Alexandria.

After the Vesper Prayers, the top technical diploma and high-school students were celebrated. Father Karas Youssef (the official of the General Secretariat Service for the secondary stage in Alexandria), presented three examples of distinguished service attendees. He also presented the statistics and activities of the leaders of the service for the past year. A dialogue was held with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, during which he answered several questions related to the high school stage and its academic challenges. Following this, His Holiness Pope Tawadros honored 88 of the top technical diploma, high-school and equivalency degrees students.

Before the start of the sermon, His Holiness Pope Tawadros congratulated the Church members who excelled in degrees and were honored today, along with all the congregation of the Coptic Church, on the approaching Feast of Nayrouz and the Coptic New Year. He thanked the presenters of the ceremony’s segments and also congratulated the students who graduated from preparatory school.

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II resumed the series “Qualifications for Service,” where he discussed the ninth qualification for service, which is “The Servant is a Student.” His Holiness reflected on the verses from (2 Timothy 2:1-6): "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules."

His Holiness Pope Tawadros II explained that the importance of discipleship in the life of a servant is that it is:

1- A necessity for ecclesiastical life and a Biblical commandment

2- The method to progress

3- The correct path to success…

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