He discusses his Christian upbringing, embracing of atheism and conversion to Orthodoxy. Produced by CYC (Coptic Youth Channel) and in 7 parts on Youtube:
May God grant Father Lazarus many years in His service.
Thank you for these. I've watched the first and will be viewing the remainder this weekend. Very nicely done and I notice that the CYC has a remarkable collection of videos available.
Many years,
Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
I also watched the first one and part of the second. I hope to watch more when my connection isn't so slow. Wonderful and inspiring story. The production values are truly outstanding. I hope I can watch more of the CYC videos in the future. Thanks for posting.
Jim
I live in the Hill Country of Texas and my goat lot is covered with rocks. But compared to where Fr. Lazarus lives my place looks like the Garden of Eden.
The videos seem to exclude the part of the story that explain the transition of Fr. Lazarus from the Serbian Church to the Coptic Church.
I have an audio file that has him speaking for about two hours to a group of pilgrims about his whole story in much more detail than the videos. I listened to the section that describes his transition from the Serbian Church to the Coptic Church and made some notes...
* He resigned his job at the university to stay at the Serbian monastery
* Stayed two months before receiving any catachesis, just participating in the services
* Bishop at the monastery sent him to a monastery in Serbia during the war in the 1990s
* He wasn't at peace being there during the war so he went to Mt. Athos in Greece (Philotheo) where he prayed in front of the Icon of the Theotokos to arrange for him to stay there.
* Immediately he found a monk who took him to the Abbot who then told him to stay the night and the next day they would arrange his permanent stay at the monastery.
* He stayed in Mt. Athos almost one year though he did not feel welcomed as a Non-Greek and became increasingly sad. He tells stories of one of the monks every day throwing his food at him!
* During this time he still did not have much faith or understanding, though he was certain of his relationship with St. Mary who always answered him and guided him.
* While walking one evening he had another miraculous vision of St. Mary who comforted him. His sadness went away and was even happy when the monk threw his food at him.
* After another six months he felt the need to go back to visit his Serbian bishop in Australia though every time he tried to step on the boat at the dock, a force prevented him from getting on the boat. He went back to the monastery.
* He tried again the next day taking with him his icon of the Mother of God (which he had left behind the previous day) and this time was able to get on the boat.
* In Australia, the Serbian bishop tonsured him a monk and he stayed there but still felt he was not established in the faith apart from his relationship with St. Mary.
* One day at the monastery three Egyptians came to visit (2 girls and 1 boy), an engaged couple and a friend of the couple. The couple went on a walk and the other girl invited Fr. Lazarus to read the Scriptures with her, which to this point he never did. The girl began to speak to Fr. Lazarus about all the covenants of God from the Old Testament to the New, the role of the prophets, etc...He said about two hours they talked. She was only 16-17 years old.
* She left the monastery and Fr. Lazarus was hungry for more...he called her and asked her to meet with him to talk more about the Scriptures. She began to teach him also how to pray. They met weekly or bi-weekly for about three months.
* He began to believe in Christianity in its fullness. The girl suggested that Fr. Lazarus visit the desert monasteries of Egypt. She began to tell him about the desert fathers and their monasteries still extent in Egypt. He became overwhelmed by the stories of the desert fathers.
* Pope Shenouda was coming on a visit to Australia and she arranged for Fr. Lazarus to meet with him to ask permission to visit St. Anthony's monastery in Egypt. The Pope granted his request.
* He came to Egypt and eventually made his way to St. Anthony's and later became a hermit in the mountain....
The rest of the story is fascinating but I am only including the part of the story of how he made his way from the Serbian Church to the Coptic Church.
It is interesting that the Blessed Virgin Mary kept appearing to him. It reminds me somewhat of that phrase one hears: to Christ through Mary. I wonder though if he stopped seeing her after she told him to keep away. If so, was it perhaps his attachment to her that was preventing him from coming completely to Christ?
It is interesting that the Blessed Virgin Mary kept appearing to him. It reminds me somewhat of that phrase one hears: to Christ through Mary. I wonder though if he stopped seeing her after she told him to keep away. If so, was it perhaps his attachment to her that was preventing him from coming completely to Christ?
???Perhaps you misheard what he was saying...
I assume you are speaking about the part when he left the monastery out of frustration and went back to Cairo. Then when praying in front of the Icon of the Mother of God, her image illuminated and she said to him "stay with me." He then understood that this meant for him to stay with her in the monastery in Egypt. He then went back to Pope Shenouda and was received again in the monastery.
Or are you referring to something else that I missed?
Still, that he should have seen Mary so Many times is fascinating. Also the part about seeing St. Anthony: I hear that's somewhat common at that monastery!
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