331- A Pope Takes Care of a Child

 

St-Takla.org Image: Icon of Saint Athanasius (Asanasios) the Coptic Pope, Athanasius of Alexandria, modern Coptic art, and showing Arius the heretic and a symbol of the triumph of the Pope over his heresy. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: أيقونة قبطية حديثة تصور القديس أثناسيوس الإسكندري - البابا أثاناسيوس الرسولي، ويظهر رمز أريوس الهرطوقي ونصرة القديسة على هرطقته.

I was on my way to a church with a young priest. He asked me, “What were you thinking of, this morning?”

I answered, “I was thinking of Pope Alexandros. He was looking out of the window towards the beach. He saw a young boy playing with his friends. The boy was acting as a bishop baptizing a child. He acted his role with great care and seriousness. The Pope felt as if he had found a treasure and called him and his friends. The children were surprised by the presence of a father full of love.

After an intense conversation, the Pope asked to meet the child's mother. Consequently, the mother gave the child to the Pope as a student. This child grew to be St. Athanasius the Apostolic who has drawn the attention of 318 bishops assembled at the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea and the whole Christian world.”

The priest became silent and quietly he said, “I confess: when I started my service as a priest, the older priest asked me to take care of the service of Sunday-School and the youths so that he can take care of the adults. I was a little bothered but I know now how much the priest loves me. He actually gave me the most important work in the church, which is serving the young. The Pope took care of one child and it was a blessing to many.”

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: بطريرك يهتم بطفلٍ.

My Lord the Logos, You became a Child.

With Your love You entered the world of childhood,

And directed our eyes to the children.

Every soul is precious in Your eyes.

It is more precious than the whole world.

You offered your blood a ransom for each child.

Grant me Your Holy Spirit that I may love each child,

And tend to every soul,

You who loved me and sacrificed Your life for me.

If

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