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Short Stories (Stories for the Youth), book by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

171- One of the Participants Left

 

St-Takla.org Image: Reverend Father Hegomen Abouna Bishoy Kamel (1931-1979) - click here for Fr. Bishoy photos صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: قدس أبونا المتنيح القمص بيشوي كامل (1931-1979) - اضغط هنا لصور أبونا بيشوي

In the early sixties, Father Pishoy Kamel went to a Youth conference in Switzerland. When he returned, I asked him, “What do you think of these meetings?”

He answered, “I learned a lot about the personal relationship among the members of the conference. I learned from each participant what’s useful for my spiritual life and for serving God.”

During our conversation, he said, “During the breaks in the meeting, while we were busy talking about the Church, one of the participants left. When he came back, I asked him, “Why did you leave the discussion?” He said, “It was my prayer time, that’s why I’d to leave although I was eager to continue the discussion.”

 Father Pishoy concluded that he learned from this member the commitment to prayer. Many times we are ashamed to pray when there are relatives in the house and neglect our private prayers. Father Pishoy and I had a commitment, that during our visitation in the church area, we excuse ourselves and go to church for prayer for quarter an hour as we knew that when we return back home in the night we are exhausted and we would not be able to concentrate on our prayers.

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: انسحب من الجلسة.

Lord, give me commitment, so You would be the first priority in my life.

Take me away from even serving others to talk to You.

Let me keep the prayers in its due time, also by sharing in studying Your word.

Take away my embarrassment from the people, so I can enjoy You most.

Give me spiritual fire deep within.

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