Chapter 1-5
In Chapter 1, Pope Shenouda says that the word beautitude means two things. What are they?
In Chapter 6, Pope Shenouda says that evil people have eyes but they cannot see. A) Explain the phrase “Evil people have eyes but cannot see.” (Including the verse)
The phrase “Evil people have eyes but cannot see” means that the evil people are not worthy of seeing God. It doesn’t mean that they can’t see physically, it means that they can’t see spiritually. Pope Shenouda says that this is the greatest punishment for them. They are in the outer darkness (Matt 25:30). Their spirits cannot view him or sense him.
Name the three advantages of becoming a light. Explain how to be a model even after death. Explain the story of the great Indian leader. Extra credit: Name the great Indian leader.
The three advantages of becoming light are:
A person becomes of great use to others because he presents to them the practical spiritual example.
On the other side, he will not be a stumbling-block for anyone.
This good behaviour will lead people to glorify the Heavenly Father, according to the Lord’s words.
In Chapter 5 Pope Shenouda lists 5 things showing God’s mercy under the section Mercy is one of God’s qualities. List them and provide verses from the Bible if there is
Answer- 1)Mercy is one of God's qualities and the merciful one bears His likeness. It was said about God "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins. Nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." (Ps 103:8-12
2)God's wonderful mercy was manifested strongly and clearly on the cross. There He took the sins of all human beings upon His shoulders and forgave them. He is the merciful, good God, who does not take any pleasure in the death of the wicked. Rather, he is pleased when they turn from their ways and live (Ezek 18:23).He is the God who pronounced the judgement of destruction on the Ninevites, and when they repented and turned from their evil ways He had compassion on them and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened (John 3:10).
3)In His mercy, God received the repentant people without insulting them.
In Chapter 15 of the Gospel of Saint Luke the Evangelist, He presented three stories about His acceptance of the repentant,
the lost and the straying: The lost sheep, the lost son and the lost coin. He did not hurt his feelings or mention how Peter had denied Him by saying "I don't know the man.", but restored him to his apostolic rank and ok said to him "Feed My lambs,. take care of my sheep." (John 21).
4)In His mercy, the Lord had compassion on the scattered people. About this, the Holy Bible says “But when he saw the
multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no
shepherd.” (Matt 9.36).
5)God is merciful. He helps those who are helpless. Because the Lord is merciful, He made mercy superior to adoration. He said: "For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." (Hos 6:6). When Nathan the prophet laid three options before David for
him to choose from, David said: "Let us fall in the hands of the Lord, for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hands of men." (2 Sam 24:14).
How strange this is!?!
What is the 5th beatitude
Blessed are the Merciful
In Chapter 2, Pope Shenouda asks "Is the Christian Life a life of sadness and lamentations" How does he answer this?
No, Joy is not a sin. Joys is a fruit of the spirit. Gal 5:22
In Chapter 6, Pope Shenouda talks about Mind, Simplicity, and Tribulations. What are the major points that he mentions?
1. The mind which tries to examine everything and to subjugate view to senses may be unable to see anything.
2. Sometimes, seeing God is connected with pain which purifies the heart.
3. During our tribulations, we often see the Lord, feel Him work for us though we do not see Him materially.
In Chapter 9, HH Pope Shenouda III says “What will happen if the pastors, guides and teachers are misleading?” A.) Explain what will happen if this occurs. He then explains a way salt can lose its saltiness and mentions examples.
Pope Shenouda says that this happened before, to the Jewish people. God said to the Jews “O My people, your guides lead you astray, they turn you from the path.”(Isaiah 3:12) “For the leaders of this people cause them to err.”(Isaiah 9:16) In the days of the Lord’s incarnation and service on earth, the people’s guides were wrong. With their instructions and false traditions they led the people astray. Of these we mention: the scribes, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the priests, and the elders. The Lord says “If the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”(Matthew 15:14) So the Lord called them “Blind guides.”(Mathew 15:14) He also said that they shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces (Mathew 23:13) and said to them, “You travel land and sea to win one proseltyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much as a son of hell as yourselves.”(Mathew 23:15,16)
In Chapter 6, Pope Shenouda says that the beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God,” is a great reward. A.) Explain why this beatitude specifically is a great reward. He then goes on to explain a story in the topic “Not every one can see the Lord.” B.) Mention the story he used in this topic. After that he went on to explain many examples. C.) Mention all the examples and any verses he used.
Part A.)
Pope Shenouda says that the beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God.” is a great reward. The purity of the heart is valuable as its reward is very distinguished compared to other rewards and beatitudes. This beatitude has a very special reward compared to the others. In the other words, it is said, “For they will be comforted.” “For they will inherit the earth” “For they will be filled.” “For they will be shown mercy.” But in regard to this reward, He says “For they will see God.” They will enjoy his companionship. This virtue which leads to seeing the Lord must be a great one. This means that only the pure heart and the simple can see the Lord and no-one else.
Part B.)
The story Pope Shenouda mentioned in “Not every one can see the Lord,” is about a Saint and a girl. Saint Sarapion converted an adulteress to repentance. He took her away out of the place where she used to practice wickedness. He went to Saint Antonius to ask him if God accepted the woman’s repentance. They fasted and prayed for some days to know what was God's will for her. Then it happened that the Lord revealed that matter to Saint Paul, the simple who saw a festival and many thrones among which was a great and wonderful empty throne. There was an angel who was charged with presenting Saint Paul to those who were present in the festival. Then, the angel said to Paul, “For whom is this empty throne?” Paul said “It may be for my father Saint Antonius.” The angel said, “No, it is for the sinful woman who turned from sin through Abba Sarapion.” We see that God revealed His will to Saint Paul because of his simplicity.
Part C.)
Pope Shenouda mentions many examples in the topic, “Not all people can see the Lord.” One of the big examples he used was Saul, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ on the way leading to Damascus. But the men who were traveling with him “heard the sound but did not see anyone.” (Acts 9.7) Saul heard the voice of the Lord but the Bible says about the travelers who were with him “My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of Him who was speaking to me.” (Acts 22:9) He also uses the example of Samuel and Eli the priest, he says that this child with his pure heart was worthy to have God talk to him and give him a message to Eli (1 Samuel 3:1-14) God did not speak directly with Eli because this priest was unworthy as he was under punishment. He then goes on to mention 4 more examples, God spoke to the old serpent and punished it. (Genesis 3) He also spoke with the Devil according to what Job’s Book relates. (Job 1,2) God spoke with Cain and punished him for killing his brother Abel. (Genesis 4) He also spoke with Satan on the mount of temptation. (Matthew 4)
How many Pope Shenouda's have there been in the Coptic Church?
3
In Chapter 3, Pope Shenouda says, “It is unsuitable for the lion to imitate the pigeon in its mildness. It is also not fitting for the pigeon to be as ferocious as the lion.” What was this phrase used to explain about the meek? Should the meek person change?
A.) What was the phrase used to explain about the meek?
This phrase was used to describe how each living being has his own temper that suits him. The mild temper is suitable for the pigeon while the daring valorous temper suits the lion. It was used to describe how the meek person is like a pigeon; calm and tender-hearted. It is unsuitable for the lion to imitate the pigeon in its mildness. It is also disagreeable for the pigeon to be ferocious as the lion.
B.) Should the meek person change?
The person who is meek by nature does not attempt to change his tender temper into an irritable one. If he tries to make any changes he may not be able to do so. And it may not work in his favour. So, the meek person should not change his ways. It is better for him to be calm and have a tender temper than to be ferocious and arrogant.
In chapter 7, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III ends the chapter by talking about internal peace. A) Explain what internal peace is. B) What is the verse that was mentioned in that section
The person who lives peacefully with both God and people enjoy internal peace. Internal peace as Pope Shenouda says, is the peace of both the heart and mind. Someone with internal peace is neither troubled nor afraid. He doesn’t suffer with anxiety, gloominess, perplexity and doubts do not take possession of him. But instead his conscience is always at ease. His life is full of faith. His heart is always calm and secure. He leads a peaceful life. He believes that Providence and God’s care will preserve him.
The verse is “Do not be afraid, for I am with you and no one is going to attack and harm you.” (Acts 18:9-10)
In chapter 10 Pope Shenouda says Men see your good deeds but not hear. A) Why is that the case?
It is very easy for man to say good words on the outside while, the inside says the opposite.In this situation the words of that spirited learned person is true: "There is a person who tell you about clouds while they welter in the mud.”This is the reason, the Lord said "Men see your deeds." and not say "Men hear your sayings.”
In chapter 6 Pope Shenouda says the pure in heart will see God. A) Does the person have to be pure in heart externally or internally? B) How can a person get purity in their heart? C) What is the reward for being pure in heart?
A) Both, the person must commit no sin through sight or through hearing or through touching and keep his senses pure. He must also keep his heart pure and out of anger hatred condemnation and revenge because these are exported to his thoughts, which also become polluted. B) The pure heart begins with life of repentance. Give your heart to God and learning the commandments will naturally follow. You must also not like sin or desire it and do not commit it. C) As said in the title/beatitude the reward of a pure hearted person is that he will see God.The phrase "for they will see God" has another meaning which is: Seeing God in eternity while we are outside the material body. This is what the righteous Job meant when he said "I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth, and after my skin is destroyed, yet in my own eyes I shall see God" (Job 19:25-27). The Holy Bible spoke much of seeing God in eternity. With respect to this subject, Saint Paul the Apostle said: "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face." (1 Cor 13:12). Then, he continued his words saying "Now, I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." Here we find the connection between seeing God and knowing Him. In his second Epistle to the Corinthians, Saint Paul says "Now the Lord is the Spirit, But we all, with unveiled faces, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory , just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Cor 3:17,18). So we will see God in eternity through spiritual bodies. When we put off this earthly, corrupt body, and when the perishable wears the imperishable; we are raised in pure spiritual bodies which can see the Lord.
How many Chapters are there?
10
In Chapter 4, His Holiness Pope Shenouda spoke about several ways to fulfill the fourth beatitude. A.) List the four ways to fulfill this beatitude. B.) Provide evidence for the four ways to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Susanna Basily
Godly Love, Heavenly Love, Word of God, Eucharist
In Chapter 8, HH Pope Shenouda III mentions a cause for our hardships as Christians. A.) Mention what this hardship is and how it is a struggle for Christians.List the 4 examples. Pope Shenouda also mentioned that if you want to receive the blessing of persecution it needs to be due to something
Jesus Christ, Disciples & Prophets, David the Prophet
In Chapter 10, HH Pope Shenouda III says, “Your deeds praise God by two ways.” A.) What are the two ways your deeds can praise God? He also says there is a way people will praise God.
Faith and Behaviour
Name the models of the saints banished and persecuted, if there are any citations mention them, and write the first person with the citations who was banished for his righteousness.
2.1. David the prophet
2.1.1. (1 Samuel 16:13)
2.1.2. (1 Samuel 16:14)
2.1.3.(1 Samuel 16:18)
2.1.4. (1 Samuel 16:23)
2.1.5. (1 Samuel 17:27)
2.1.6. (1 Samuel 18:28, 29)
2.1.7. (1 Samuel 19:1)
2.1.8. (1 Samuel 19:10)
2.1.9. (1 Samuel 19:18)
2.1.10. (1 Samuel 20:1)
2.1.11. (1 Samuel 21:10)
2.1.12. (1 Samuel 22:1)
2.1.13. (1 Samuel 22:3, 5)
2.1.14. (1 Samuel 23:1)
2.1.15. (1 Samuel 23:14)
2.1.16. (1 Samuel 23:15, 29)
2.1.17. (1 Samuel 25:1)
2.1.18. (Psalm 124)
2.2. Paul the apostle
2.2.1. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
2.2.2. (Acts 16:16-39)
2.2.3. (Acts 19:23-20:1)
2.2.4 (Acts 8:1)
2.2.5. (Acts 8:4)
2.3. Jeremiah the prophet
2.3.1. (Jeremiah 1:5)
2.3.2. (Jeremiah 12:1)
2.3.3. (Jeremiah 15:10)
2.3.4. (Jeremiah 18:22, 23)
2.3.5. (Jeremiah 20:7, 8)
2.3.6. (Jeremiah 37:15, 21)
2.3.7. (Jeremiah 38:6)
2.4. Micah the prophet
2.4.1. (1 Kings 22:14)
2.4.2. (1 Kings 22:27)
2.5. St Athanasius the Apostolic
2.6. St Dioscorus
2.7. Pope Benjamin
2.8. Saint Severus
What day is the Competition?
August 9th
In Chapter 5, His Holiness Pope Shenouda spoke about forgiveness in the section “The Importance of Mercy.” A.) What parable did Pope Shenouda refer to when he said, “Even if he was forgiven in the past, it will be taken away from him” ?
The parable Pope Shenouda referred to was the parable of the debtor. In this parable a servant owed his master ten thousand talents and was unable to. So the master had pity on the debtor and let him go. Later, this servant went out and saw another servant who owed him one hundred denarii. He threw him in prison until he paid him back because he had no compassion or mercy on him. When the master learned what had happened he called the wicked servant and said, “You wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?”
In chapter 8 there are 3 examples of righteous people. List all 3 their stories and why they were righteous.
1)There was a physician who worked in a public hospital.A peasant came to the upright physician and asked him to perform an operation on him and presented a sum of money, but the surgeon refused to take the money. The farmer thought that the man found the sum too small, so he presented more and more money, but the surgeon would not take any money from the farmer and convinced him that the hospital treats people free of charge, and the man went on his own way. Meanwhile, a male nurse became angry because of the doctor's behaviour and said to him: "Why did you tell the peasant that hospital treatment is free of charge?" "Why do you want to reduce our income?" "Don't you know that any peasant you perform an operation on is accustomed to give us a sum of money?" "In this way we shall receive no income at all!" Complaints against the physician followed one after the other. They accused him of being a Communist and of working against the government. He paid the price for his honesty and righteousness. They also tried to transfer him to another hospital far away. This person is counted among "Those persecuted for their righteousness.” 2)The Example Of Joseph The Righteous He refused to commit adultery with his master’s wife. She falsely accused him of trying to seduce her. She succeeded in damaging his reputation. Consequently he was dismissed from the house and from his post. Then he was put in prison. (Genesis 39). Therefore, he received this beatitude "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness". He certainly suffered persecution because of his righteousness. Evil succeeded at the beginning of the battle, but God did not leave him. In the end he was appointed Prime Minister of the kingdom. He also became father to a Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of Egypt. (Gen 45:8). It was as if an angel whispered the words of the Lord in Joseph's ear "Blessed are you when they revile and, persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven." (Matt 5:11,12).Not only did Joseph obtain his reward in heaven but he also received it on earth. He is counted among the saints within the history of salvation. 3)There is an example of an accountant, who refused to falsify accounts. If he refused to do this, the owner of the company would dismiss him. Then, he would be persecuted for his righteousness. But as Malachi, the Prophet says: "And the Lord listened and heard them. So a book of remembrance was written before Him." (Mal 3:16). God does not forget the righteousness of those who are godly
In chapter 9 HH Pope Shenouda the III includes a phrase in the section titled “On a Mount”. A) What is the phrase?
The phrase is “A city on a hill cannot be hidden.”
List all 16 qualities of the meek
The Meek has a calm temper
The Meek's voice is neither loud nor sharp.
The Meek is a good hearted person
The Meek is a calm person both internally and externally
The Meek does not defend himself at all nor does he ask God to take vengeance for him
The Meek causes no trouble to those who deal with him
The Meek is simple and unpretentious
The Meek is a silent person
The Meek does not pressure anyone or use violence
The Meek does not seek his own comfort but other's comfort
The Meek does not persist on own his ideas o r opinions prevailing
The Meek is very forgiving
The Meek does not speak from above or in an authoritative matter
The Meek person does not defend himself others defend him
The Meek person is an obedient one but does not trouble anyone
The Meek does not attempt to change his kind temperament into an irritable one
Who wrote the Book?
Pope Shenouda