After the departure of Pope Shenouda III in March 2012 A.D., and the church’s implementation of selecting a new pope through a series of canonical stages that lasted until November 2012, the Divine Providence arranged that the altar lot to coincide with my 60th birthday on November 4th 2012 A.D. God chose my weakness for this immense responsibility, and that was a wondrous arrangement (and by the way, my father's engagement to my mother was on the same day in the year 1948 A.D.!!!). Before the enthronement prayers that took place on November 18th, 2012 A.D., I went to my father of confession, the Late Anba Sarapamon, the Bishop and Abbot of the monastery of Anba Bishoy. I sat down in front of him carrying my fears, thoughts, and weaknesses together with the questions that were intertwined in my mind and my heart. I laid out what was inside me regarding this serious responsibility that I never thought of at all prior to that.
He listened to me patiently and attentively, and maybe he was praying inside himself. Then he said: “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). He repeated these words three or four times while I was fully listening. I noticed his smiling face as he said it as a message of reassurance, peace, and confirmation of God’s presence throughout all the days of our lives. Although we pray using this verse every day in a passage of the gospel of the Prime Hour prayer in the morning, and of course I memorized it completely, but when my father of confession pronounced it, this opened before me a window of hope, and tranquility and the peace of these words outpoured as a divine promise into my heart. My fears and thoughts evaporated as he - my father of confession - explained in simple words this promise and guarantee that makes the servant or the one responsible be in peace and reassurance throughout the course of events and days.
Today, ten years after the enthronement, this promise still resonates inside me, and I dare to say it resonates every single day. The events taking place, whether joyful or painful, whether usual or exceptional, whether minor or major, whether expected or sudden, whether on an individual or a group level, whatever happens, it is all in the hands of God through whom all things were made; and without whom nothing was made that has been made.
And behold, the age is advancing which is something that happens relentlessly and is unstoppable. However, over the years, we grow in wisdom, maturity, and a better understanding of events, people, and situations, even after we have had our share of disappointments, frustrations and maybe even treasonous situations in any form or extent. It is important to find God throughout the events in front of you because without God, you will always find a taste of bitterness.
Life is a meaningful journey that is completely controlled by God, the Pantocrator. Aging is not just related to the physical aspects of weakness or impairment only, but more importantly is concerned with the psychological, spiritual and mental aspects which should be active in various fields such as continuing education, reading, writing, prayer, growth, meditation and deepening in philosophy of life which is full of promises, possibilities, learning new skills or going through new experiences. We continue to offer our love and our talents to the entire world. How beautiful is the experience of St. Paul the Apostle when he got shipwrecked in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea while being a captive transferred for trial In Rome, when he said, “we gave way to it and were driven along” (Acts 27:15).
The one who contemplates on life will find there are mysteries and wonders everywhere, inside us and around us. For example, while we are lying in bed listening to our heartbeat, we seldom realize that planet Earth is revolving around the sun at a speed of thousands of kilometers per hour while we are in a state of total rest.
Hence, we understand that God regulates everything, whether the heartbeat or the movement of the earth. Thus, the wonderful things in our lives are manifest, and we should think about them and meditate on the Creator instead of wasting hours on frivolous things that make us loose the sense of wonder and amazement. When we feel the hand of God that manages everything with wisdom, knowledge, strength, and creativity, we will feel that we are in a state of utmost reassurance and that when we let go, we are truly carried.
I have experienced in these past years three powerful experiences:
1. The value of time: It is the basis of every action, achievement, or project. We must always appreciate the value of time recognizing that God “has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16).
2. The value of grace: The graces of God are numerous, diverse, and abundant every morning, whether physical or moral, or whether visible or tangible. What is important, is that the person can feel them, appreciate them, thank God for them all the time everywhere, and to live a pious life full of the sweetness of satisfaction and gratitude.
3. The value of love: “Because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (Romans 5:5). When you deal in this love with everyone, no matter who they are, no matter what they did, and whatever their reaction was, you realize that you are the winner because you never let hate to enter your heart knowing that “Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
In conclusion, these three: time, grace and love are basic pillars in the life of any person especially as he begins a new phase in life. I remembered a phrase that I read a few years ago that can become a comforting balm all the time: «My Savior leads me throughout the way, so there is nothing that I desire besides Him. How can I to doubt His tender mercy which has been my lifelong guide? »
May every year bring to all of you health, goodness, and peace ...
H.H. Pope Tawadros II
