(This blog post will also be printed in a forthcoming volume on the life of Bishop Epiphanius by the Monastery of St Macarius). Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. (Psalm 55:6)   ἐπιφάνεια (e-pī-fa-ney-a; Epiphanius): manifestation of God. I saw him sitting peacefully, alone in the back corner of the room. People joined the room gradually as the next lecture was approaching. I walked towards the back of the room to greet him and he immediately greeted me with a formal smile. He didn’t recognize me initially until I...

     A photograph of Armenian orphans whose parents were killed in the genocide This is for my grandfather, Vostan, who having never lived to see me in the flesh, has nevertheless taught my mother – and in turn myself and my sister – the spirit of resilience, endurance, and courage when the odds were against us.    Last year marked the 100th year of the remembrance of the Armenian genocide (April 24, 1915), where over 1.5 million Christian Armenians were killed and millions of others displaced. One of them was my grandfather. Early last year I was given...

“Moving forward is as much about discovering what we must leave behind as well as embracing what we must keep. Never easy. Always necessary.” (Christine Caine) This blog is for all those who have struggled with experiences of difficult relationships and continue to – who are in the midst of confusion, for those who have been left wounded – and for those who wound, for those trying to seek wisdom and divine intervention for one of the biggest decisions they must make in their life, and for those who don’t see the tragedy of haphazard-decision making for serious relationships....

  Under the auspices of His Holiness Patriarch Tawadross II September 11-13, 2015: London, UK Orthodox Women’s Ministry – a new lay movement in the Orthodox Church blessed by His Holiness Patriarch Tawadros II, just launched its first international conference – focusing on Women’s Role in the Church: Yesterday and Today for Tomorrow. Although the theme was in fact on women’s role in the Church (past, present and future), the underlying theme of all the talks encompassed all people in the Ecclesia at large – men, women, children, youth, and all members of the clergy, and thanks be to the...

Part 1 (of many) 🙂 “Before I knew Christ, I did not know the possibilities of what I could become.” (St. Cyprian, 3rd c) For one reason or another, the Coptic Orthodox Church has experienced an “anti-deification” movement recently without understanding what the term or what the doctrine actually professes, often times than not. People often become disgruntled or defensive when the mere word is said – as if a newly reformed heresy arose and the Church must keep such wrong teachings outside of its doctrine. Deification (also known as theosis in Greek) is a Christian Orthodox doctrine and it is essential to our...

This blog is dedicated to those with broken families, those seeking refuge and understanding to find peace in the midst of their homes. (For Arabic translation click here.) This is probably my most personal blog I will write – and may ever write – but I feel it is overdue time to speak about what Copts (among many other cultures as well) avoid speaking about: broken families. This is written from personal experiences and my perspective – coming from a mixed background and seeing many broken families hide behind what may seem a ‘perfect’ family portrait. “Her parents are...