Christianity is Deep Intimacy with God with Fr. Anthony Mourad

Christianity is Deep Intimacy with God with Fr. Anthony Mourad
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; One God, Amen.
How do we pray? Do we practice empty rituals? Do we seek the means or the end? You will be shocked to see the depth of intimacy God wants with us.

[@mwhabs]

🙏

[@HappyOrangeCat]

That icon of St. Mina is very sweet.

[@robyngrieve5495]

Thank you for this uplifting lesson. You speak very well. 💙 For the person in the other comment who mentioned free will and pre-destination, I think that God created all of us to have the potential of living in relationship with him, and those people you mention Joseph etc were examples of the great good that can come from free will. Trying to second-guess God's intentions doesn't seem important to me.

[@qazyman]

I think you're on to something. I also think we make a mistake when we think we can define this relationship, or even really understand it. I will say this, spiritual growth is the fruit. I don't think a man in this world can grow in faith and purity without this relationship.

[@gabrielgabriel5177]

Wonderful channel thank you

[@Mahafavorite]

Hi there Abouna, wonderful video as always!!! I have a question I’m hoping you guys can help me out with on the topic of free will. I know in the Coptic Church we are highly opposed to the idea of predestination, but I am having a difficult time wrapping my head around it. For example, in the case of John the Baptist, God created him in the timing he did and gave Elizabeth and Zechariah a son so he would become the forerunner of Christ. John was said to be filled with the Spirit even from his mother’s womb. I can’t help but few God created him to be the forerunner. So the question from me would be if John the Baptist even had a free will, since that was the purpose God created him for? Or even in the story of Joseph, we know that he was different and favored by Jacob over the rest of his brothers. And we also know that God used Joseph to save Egypt from famine, and through all his tribulations he stayed faithful to God, despite the evils his brothers did to him. So was Joseph created for this purpose? We know Joseph could have fallen into temptation, but didn’t, and that was his own free will. But I can’t help but feel God created him already like that with a good heart. So was both John the Baptist and Joseph not predestined for their will and mission? Or maybe the question boils down to what makes a persons heart good and pure vs evil? Like how did Joseph have the best heart of his brothers? Does God made it that way, or do we? Thank you so much for your time and I’m hoping you can offer me some insights. 🙏 Thanks again

[@rossanderson5243]

I sure Abouna can answer your good question. My thoughts are about Jonah in that he had free will and desired to go in the opposite direction to the city God wanted him to go. Many things happened to him and he ended up fulfilling Gods will of having Nineveh repent whom Jonah would of thought was impossible and a waste of time.

[@Ametemariamm]

Hello father I wanted to ask when will the whatsapp group be created ❤❤❤

[@danielemiru5771]

Hello, the what's up link|QR code can be found COA KZbin channel under the community section. It was not allowing me to copy it but you should be able to locate it if you go to the COA KZbin channel and scroll to the community section.