English Bible Study

Fr. Mina continues Song of Songs bible study with the beginning of chapter 7, where God praises all the traits he finds beautiful in his beloved. Starting from the most insignificant features to the greatest, the Lord describes what characteristics he wants to build in his beloved, and the potential that he sees in the soul that she may not see in herself.

Fr. Mina continues chapter 6 by discussing the different seasons of the spiritual life represented by the different gardens mentioned throughout the book. The four seasons he discusses are spring, a period of grace; summer, a period where the consolations from God lessen; autumn, a period of suffering and humble submission; and winter, a period of purification to the highest order.

Song of Songs 6:1-10 - Bible Study - Fr. Mina Dimitri by Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, East Brunswick, NJ

Song of Songs 5:10-16 - Bible Study - Fr. Mina Dimitri by Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, East Brunswick, NJ

1 Samuel 19 - Bible Study - Fr. Mina Dimitri by Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, East Brunswick, NJ

Song of Songs 5:3-9 - Bible Study - Fr. Mina Dimitri by Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, East Brunswick, NJ

Fr. Kyrillos Ibrahim and Fr. Anthony Mourad host a combined Q&A between the Undergraduate and Graduate youth.

The 4th and final lecture of the 2023 Graduate Youth Retreat. The theme of the retreat was "The Hidden Person of the Heart" (1 Peter 3:4), Fr. Kyrillos gave the final lecture on Inner Poverty, Meekness, and Modesty and gave beautiful definitions and steps we can take to attain these great virtues.

The 2nd lecture of the 2023 Graduate Youth Retreat. The theme of the retreat was "The Hidden Person of the Heart" (1 Peter 3:4), Fr. Kyrillos gave the second lecture on Interior Silence. He goes through 12 different types of silence and expounds on how one can go about each type.

The third lecture of the 2023 Graduate Youth Retreat. The theme of the retreat was "The Hidden Person of the Heart" (1 Peter 3:4), Fr. Kyrillos gave the third lecture on Receptivity and Capacity for Divine Life. He goes through the capacity we have and how one can become more receptive for Divine life.

The 1st lecture of the 2023 Graduate Youth Retreat. The theme of the retreat was "The Hidden Person of the Heart" (1 Peter 3:4), Fr. Kyrillos gave the first lecture on the concepts of Hiddenness, Solitude, and Newness. He gave beautiful definitions for each concept as well as how we can go about living each one.

Song of Songs 4:12-5:2 - Bible Study - Fr. Mina Dimitri by Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, East Brunswick, NJ

Fr Mina continues his bible study with Song of Songs chapter 4 with more of the story of the souls marriage to God. Like a true lover, God describes to us the details of what he loves about us. Fr. Mina delves into the symbolism behind all beloved’s features that capture the lover’s heart, and how the love and word of God makes the beloved even more beautiful.

In this week's bible study, Fr Mina discusses the next stage of the soul’s journey with God by describing our marriage to God and how we can enter into the eternal Trinitarian love with the thermometer of our love to God being suffering. As much as the human soul praises God in heaven, God praises the human soul in a perfect requited love.

Fr. Mina continues with our study of the most beautiful song ever written. He speaks about how the human soul begins to feel discouraged when the soul does not feel God as it used to. The soul searches for God during the period of sin and doubt and does not find Him. When we do not find God in our laziness, we must rise now into action. The soul performs true repentance by searching for the One she loves. After this period the soul enters into marriage with God.

Fr. Mina continues the second chapter of Song of Songs by discussing the journey of the soul after she finds God and experiences the absence of God in periods of spiritual dryness. He explains how as doves, we can present little acts of love that become great.

Song of Songs 1:15-2:7 - Bible Study - Fr. Mina Dimitri by Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, East Brunswick, NJ

Fr. Mina continues our study of the book Song of Songs. He begins with a quick recap of last week's bible study and reminds us that we are interpreting the book as typology. The woman is the human soul and the Beloved is God. Fr. Mina then gives a verse-by-verse breakdown of the next 7 verses. He continues to explain the period of initial grace and we begin to hear how God speaks to the human soul during this period.

Fr. Mina returns with the Inn Bible Study. He begins the book Song of Songs which was written by King Solomon.

His grace Bishop Karas gives the sermon on the last Sunday before the Coptic new year. His grace teaches us how to be prepared for the second coming.