Fr. Tadros Malaty

Fr Tadros Yacoub Malaty

(16 March 1937)

Fr Tadros Yacoub Malaty is a prolific writer and theologian based at the famous church of St George in Sporting, Alexandria. Like his fellow parish priest Fr Luka Sidarous, Fr Tadros was greatly influenced by his mentor, Fr Bishoy Kamel.

In the early 1970s, Fr Tadros and Fr Bishoy Kamel (1931–1979) served together as the first Coptic priests in Los Angeles.

Joyful Meeting in Paradise

Joyful Meeting in Paradise with Jonah the Prophet

By Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty

The Angel said to me : Now you meet with Jonah the prophet who gave us the wonderful praise about the resurrection from the belly of the fish. Therefore, the Lord mentioned this story as a sign for His burial in the tomb three days and three nights (Luke 11:29-30).
I said to Jonah I have too many questions and I would like you to answer them for me; how – and you are a prophet – Did you not obey the Lord when He asked you to go to Nineveh and you wanted to go to Tarshish?!

The prophet said, “the Lord asked me to cry out against Nineveh saying that the city will perish after forty days.” From my experience with God, I know He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant to lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. He accepts the tears of those who are truly repentant. I knew that one day all nations will accept the true faith in the Lord and the Jews will deny the one who incarnated for them. What made me sad is that the Jews are denying the Savior our Lord the son of David, not the repentance of the people of Nineveh.

I asked him: “how do you see your life story now while you are in paradise?”

Jonah answered: “I realized that God gives each one everything that is unique and special.” Although this story is centered around you, however, it is a daily event in the life of the faithful. Many people find themselves thrown in the waves of this world and God prepares a fish for every one of them not to eat them nor to keep them from their afflictions but, to lift them up to heaven while they are in the flesh. I will tell you briefly God’s blessings and gifts in my escaping until God saved the people of Nineveh:

Firstly, I learnt how amazing is the goodness of our God. He even transforms our mistakes to what is beneficial and good for us, for our inner spiritual make up. He even changed my disobedience to unique practical example of God’s patience and his caring for me, Ship crew, the people of Nineveh and even for too many in the old and new testimony as they saw in me a sign for the Lord Jesus resurrecting from the dead.

Secondly, I realized that it is a free gift to reach heaven because as soon I got swallowed by the fish, I found myself very happy as Mar Yakoub Elsrougy said when he saw me in the fish’s belly “I am wondering if He was like an angel watching the heavenlies that I was enjoying being able to express it so profoundly.

Thirdly, I realized that the tears of the people of Nineveh – which is a city full of sins – watered its land to become closer to a paradise giving good spiritual fruits. Fourthly, God showed me that the Pantocrator made the plant (which is very weak and grows up walls or pillars and cannot be a tree by its stem) and a weak worm (without power or mind) very good examples to teach me.

Finally, the greatest thing is when the Lord Resurrected on the third day. I realized that I have been blessed by being a sign for His Resurrection.

Source: https://www.stshenoudamonastery.org.au/joyful-meeting-paradise-jonah/

Invitation to Holiness

Invitation to holiness

At the beginning of the journey of the children of Israel, through the wilderness, God gave them water out of the rock in Horeb. (Exod. 17) On their approach to the Promised Land, God presented them with water from Kadesh (Exod. 20)

Why is this?
At the beginning, you need the gifts of the Spirit, so that your thirst may be quenched, and your wilderness is changed to divine paradise. When you cross the path, you are quenched from the spring to experience the blessed and holy life. For the word “Kadesh” means “holiness.” The story concluded with, “He was hallowed among them” (Num. 2:13).

This is an invitation for everyone to taste an enjoyable life with the Holy Spirit of God, Who is called “the sanctifying Spirit.” He grants us fellowship with God the Father, through His gracious Son, thus we are counted amongst the holy and blessed!

Do not be perturbed my dear youth, if you feel, as I do, that you are weak and if you are tried with thoughts and desires. For the Spirit of God, who abides in us, is capable of extricating our mundane nature, and bestowing on us a permanent renewal and a holy and blessed life in Him. Shout with David, “Create a pure heart in me, O Lord. And renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Get hold of the divine promise: “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. I will deliver you from all your uncleanness” (Ezek. 36:27,29).

How wonderful is God’s love! He faced the peoples’ malevolence and contentious nature towards Him and His servant Moses (Num. 20:3). And through His gifts He “was hallowed among them” (Num. 20:13). At Horeb God transformed thirst to living water, and in Kadesh he changed their contention into a holiness and a blessed life. This is the extent of God’s love and His graciousness to His people!

It is clear that the Holy Spirit is the source and power of holiness by which we partake in the holiness and blessedness of His grace. The experience of a close relationship with the Son of God allows us to participate in the sonship and attain the rank of children of God. Thus, the sharing in the Holy Spirit makes us spiritually holy.

Source: https://www.stshenoudamonastery.org.au/an-invitation-for-holiness/

The Seven Sacraments

Every believer can relate to this Catechism series, regardless of his nationality. He is about becoming a man of God and His beloved Son, so that his heart may be filled with love for all humankind, praying for everyone, even to those who persecute the Church. It invites us to enjoy the heavenly experience, righteousness in faith and growth in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our teacher St. Paul talks about “the mystery that was kept secret since the world began” (Cf. Rom 16:25)

He refers to God’s work in the New Testament, Who fulfilled the mysterious Heavenly plan so that the believer would restore the loving relationship and openness towards God’s work. Which was accomplished through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, His resurrection and His grace upon His Church, to prepare her, a heavenly bride, and attain the eternal glories in His Second Advent.

The Early Church Fathers focused on “the Church mysteries” which prepare God’s people and all the members through Baptism, to enjoy their adoption of God, the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in them to become a temple of God where the Holy Spirit dwells through the Holy Chrismation. We are continually washed from sins through Repentance and Confession and united with Christ through the Holy Eucharist. We receive the spiritual and physical healing through the Unction of the Sick and building the church of our homes through the Holy Matrimony. Ultimately, all these mysteries are realized in Christ Jesus through the Sacrament of Priesthood.
During the first thousand years after the resurrection of our Savior and the descending of Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the Church was practicing the Holy Sacraments, unoccupied by their actual number, for none of the believers doubted the work of God through them, but was delighted in God by them.
These sacraments reveal the church’s holy vision towards the body that was called into the unity with the soul in the heavenly glories, delighted by the new nature. This was clearly stated by the apostle in chapter fifteen of his first epistle to the Corinthians, for the body to share the eternal inheritance with the soul, as the believer will enter into the heavenly inheritance with all his being.
Fr. Tadros Y. Malaty