The Word


29
Aug 2021
The Good Wheat - By Father Andrew Bahhi

I pray that we always are awake because this parable is beautiful and strong. In Matthew 13:24-43, the owner of a field sowed wheat. And while the people were sleeping, the enemy put bad wheat, or bad teaching, between the good wheat. The workers then came to their master and said “do you want us to take the bad wheat out?” And the master said, let them grow together, and when the day of harvest comes I will have my workers take the bad wheat, and bundle them and burn it. And......

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08
Aug 2021
Transfiguration of Christ

The Feast of the Transfiguration is unique, beautiful, and important to our spiritual life. We talk about the scene from heaven that appeared for the first time on earth. This is important for holiness because when we see this glory of God on earth, there is a hidden call to experience and to test His glory. How? By being holy on the inside. David in Psalm 34 said, “they looked to Him and were radiant.” Or they were lightened, and their face were not ashamed. This is how the Holy Spirit says......

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01
Aug 2021
The Great Faith

We all go through trespasses, temptations, hard times, and the hardest time of all is when our faith is tested, and we face hardship. Today, we learn from another one of the times the disciples were with Christ. Luke 17. And Christ was saying, if you have faith like a mustard seed, which is very small, you can move mountains. But then they asked, “Lord, increase our faith.” We all need to say this. This is the key to a good Christian life. This is the source of the strength that we......

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25
Jul 2021
Focus on Jesus

As we learn today from the Gospel from the book of Mark, we should focus and open our heart. As our Father told the disciples maybe the most important thing Jesus came for, he said, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of man. And they will kill him. And after He is killed, He will rise on the third day.” – Mark 9:31 We should focus on the message of salvation that the savior came forth. And He kept repeating “I am coming to die and by my......

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11
Jul 2021
The Sermon on the Mount

A lot of times we try to find other ways around trouble. But the difference is God. If He is not in our life, unfortunately we would get lost. It would be very hard to know the right way to heaven. I pray all of us can have God in our heart, and Jesus as a savior in our life. Our life is too short, and the trouble in life is a lot, and without Him we cannot gain safety to His eternal home. Last week, the reading from the Bible was......

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04
Jul 2021
Is Jesus Your Priority? By Father Andrew Bahhi

Today is the feast of St. Thomas, which we call the first of the middle Sundays of Easter. During these 3 main periods after Easter, we have a) eight Sundays after Easter, b) Then the middles Sundays of Easter, 8, and then c) The later Sundays of Easter. These three periods usually run to the consecration of the church, which ends exactly eight weeks before Christmas. When we learn virtues taught by our Lord, with hope and happiness, nothing will put us down. And this is the importance of priorities. Jesus says......

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13
Jun 2021
Jesus Delivers on His Promises - By Father Andrew Bahhi

Today we celebrate the ascension of the Lord. I pray we can take a couple of spiritual lessons from this day. It may be embarrassing to compare how much we think of ourselves on earthly things and one day, we won’t need it. Meanwhile the eternal thing – the second life forever and ever – we don’t pay that much attention. Or we don’t maybe even care about it. That’s why this feast is a call for all of us. Maybe we think our life on earth is the end of everything.......

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06
Jun 2021
How to Follow God - By Father Andrew Bahhi

There is a study in U.S. churches which says 98% of Christians do not share their faith with others. This is bad news. But what can we do to be of the two percent, or what can we do to one day be 98% sharing their faith and good news instead of two percent? The Bible says you cannot light a lamp and put it under the bed or cover it. The light you receive from your parents and the church – it is not nice to hide of it. You need......

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30
May 2021
Preparing for Judgement Syriac Orthodox Church

This Sunday is the 4th Sunday after Easter, and we see today’s reading helps everyone with an opportunity to get closer to God. Become more Christian and faithful to God. John 3:11-21 is very important for that reason. At the end, at verse 19, there is a very beautiful verse and also a very scary verse. When Jesus said “and this is the condemnation (or judgement).” Knowing the answer for this word will help every individual to know his life with Jesus, and ask oneself, “Am I with him or not?” As......

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23
May 2021
Father Andrew Bahhi

This Sunday is the 3rd Sunday after Resurrection. As we read, Christ is Risen. Indeed, He is risen. We should carry it through all our life not only after the Resurrection of the Christ but every day. Because as Christians, we know the evil always tries to attack us.  We fall under the burden of our lives, trials and our sins. So, we always need to remember; as Christ is risen from death, we can also rise from death. At the beginning of the liturgy, we had a beautiful reading from the......

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