The Word at Christ the Savior

Fr. Joseph meditates on the virtue of humility. Christ humbled Himself by becoming human, living among us, and sacrificing Himself to save us. That's the ultimate humility. This virtue is our best remedy. It's this kind of humility that defeats the enemy and makes him powerless. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – February 4, 2024Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditates on the concept of love and explains that there are 4 levels of love, according to St. Bernard of Clairvaux.The 4 levels are:Loving oneself for the sake of oneselfLoving God because of His providenceLoving God for God's sakeLoving oneself for God's sakeTune in to hear the details of each level and how we can achieve those levels in our own relationship with God.Fr. Joseph Abraham – January 28, 2024Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org 

Fr. Joseph mediates on the concept of “come and see” and putting love to the test. When we surrender ourselves to the love of Christ, we can begin to feel the joy and peace that only comes through being in union with Him. The more we feel His love, the more we are eager to do His will, like fasting and prayer, acting in humility with others, loving our enemies, etc. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – January 21, 2024Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditates on finding hope in the darkness. He illustrates this in several examples where we are called to find hope in the darkest times by walking through the path and not running from it, by seeking the light of Christ, and by moving forward in love, no matter how difficult it may be. We must lean on our hope in Christ to be able to conquer any darkness that meets our path. Tune in to hear more. Fr. Joseph Abraham – January 14, 2024Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditates on the intent to find Truth. When the Maggi seek Christ, even though they are gentiles, they do so at the expense of completely changing their life. When they saw the Truth in Christ, they knelt down and worshiped Him. We must ask ourselves if we seek the Truth with all our heart or do we ignore it when it wants to change us, purify us, refine us. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – January 7, 2024Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

The scriptures call Christ The Dayspring from on high and The Sun of righteousness. That means He is The East—the direction of our orientation. Fr. Joseph meditates on what it spiritually means to look towards the east. Using the acronym STARE, we learn to orient our lives towards sacrifice, transformation, anticipation, remembrance, and elevation.Fr. Joseph Abraham – December 31, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph mediates on the mercy and love of God and how we should emulate His mercy when we approach justice with others. And while we often mistake mercy for tolerance that conflicts with righteousness. Instead, we must stand in truth with compassion, that is the mercy that we should offer others. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – December 24, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org 

Fr. Joseph explains that God desires and needs us, and that He is waiting for us to reciprocate this desire and need for Him. We can do this by offering our whole heart, through serving others, offering our time and effort, using our talents to shine His light to the world. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – December 19, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditates on another holy family, Zachariah, Elizabeth, and John. He explains that they displayed their holiness in their steadfast faith, their prayers, their trust and patience in God's will. Our holiness should be shown in every aspect of our life, and as a family, we must worship together, praise, fast, read scriptures, and be faithful together. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – December 10, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that we must trust in God by fully surrendering in our prayer life. When we surrender our petitions and instead express our gratitude through praising God without focusing on what we need but being thankful and praising Him without asking for anything. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – December 3, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditates on the concept of sacrificial love, the type of love that we ought to have in our spiritual life. We show our love to God, not by making petitions, but by offering praise. We offer God our time, energy, focus, and gratitude for His providence and grace in our lives. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – November 26, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditated on the Sower parable, explaining that the 3 types of soil that did not grow the seed had one common theme – the seed lands on the surface of the soil without penetrating deeper, thus, does not get planted to grow. Each one lacks depth. He goes on to discuss this lack of depth in the areas of service, fasting, and prayer. Tune in to hear more. Fr. Joseph Abraham – November 20, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditates on the importance of having hope without seeing the vision that God has for us. To achieve real hope, we must have complete faith in Christ's providence and love for us. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – November 5, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditates on St. John the short and his life of humility and obedience. He illustrates how St. John took the command of obedience beyond normal measures and was humble enough to be obedient, even with peers. He shows us a true example of emptying yourself completely so that God can use you for His work. Even in the midst of toil and hardship, St. John remained humble and joyful. Tune in to hear more. Fr. Joseph Abraham – October 30, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph meditates on the concept of temptations exploring the work of C.S. Lewis in the book, Screwtape Letters. He explains that each letter talks about a temptation that we all fall into, often gradually and without realizing it. Tune in to hear more about those temptations.Fr. Joseph Abraham – October 29, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph demonstrates how being receptive to rebuke allows us to feel convicted and leads us to repentance, which in many ways, refines our spiritual life. The weight of guilt and shame should not cripple us but edify us. Being open to criticism helps us realize our weaknesses. And in humility, we can repent and become restored in Christ. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – October 22, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

In this 2-part series, Fr. Joseph meditates on repentance. In this second part he explains how we can repent and return to God. He highlights the importance of our community and the willingness to lean on them in times of hardship and weakness, and be open to accepting help. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – October 15, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

In this 2-part series, Fr. Joseph meditates on repentance. In the first part he explains the importance of repentance and how precious it is to God.Fr. Joseph Abraham – October 8, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph shows us how God's search for us is always active, much more than our search for Him. We need to always actively search for God, and this becomes easier when we surround ourselves in environments that encourage us to foster our life of prayer. Prayer enables us to seek God actively, without ceasing so that He can reveal Himself to us and enter our hearts. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – October 1, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that Christ showed us how to love through the ultimate example of being crucified on the cross. Through this sacrifice, His love is revealed to us.  And for us to show God our love for Him, we must give without hesitation. Before we can move closer in our love to God, we must first have faith to give our life to Him and His will. And through it all, we are the ultimate beneficiaries of this love and faith. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – September 24, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that our goal is not to please humanity, which is never satisfied regardless of what we do. Instead, we must be true to ourselves, which is to find my identity in Christ. Even when Christ Himself came down to the level of humanity, they were not satisfied. So, when we anchor our identity in Christ, we can fulfill our true purpose of loving and serving others. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – September 17, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that God does not allow us to face struggles to punish us, but instead to chastise us and make us stronger, just as a rose is pruned in order to bloom. He also doesn't expect us to endure our struggles on our own, but if we allow Him to, He will help us through it. As followers of Christ, we accepted that we must take up our cross and follow Him, which results in facing trials and tribulations along the way. But, as long as we are steadfast in our faith in God and His abundant love and mercy for us, we can persevere. Tune in to hear more. Fr. Joseph Abraham – September 10, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that life was divided in four ways: separation of humanity from God, a divide within humanity, the separation of man from nature, and finally, the division of man within himself (which is often the one that is overlooked or not noticed). To reunite our internal condition back to harmony, we must pray, and the most powerful prayer for this is the Jesus prayer. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – August 27, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that God calls each one of us to serve, and provides what we need every step of the way. He transforms our weakness into strength so that we can serve others. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – August 20, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that our sole purpose is our union with Christ, for Him to abide in us and us in Him. The church gives us the opportunity to unite with Him through the partaking of the Eucharist, which is made possible from our baptism and chrismation. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – July 23, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that we must become like children in our Christian life. He mentions ten attributes of children that we can apply to our Christian life. Tune in to hear about these ten lessons.Fr. Joseph Abraham – July 16, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that when Christ died on the cross for us, it was in His Divine nature to love and sacrifice for us. Likewise, because we are made in the image of God, it is in our nature to serve and love as Christ loved. And just as much as the Body of Christ needs our service, we equally need to serve and should be proactive in serving without hesitation or restraint. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – July 9, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that in human nature, it is challenging to respond to evil and hatred with love. The only One who could respond with love is Christ Himself, because He is Love. And the only way we can do what we are called to do, to serve others and bring them to Christ, is to empty ourselves completely and let Christ dwell in us and do the work in us, so that we may respond to everyone with His love and change the world through Him. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – July 2, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

The Lord's prayer teaches us to pray for heavenly things rather than the earthly or material things. The paradigm of this prayer teaches us to ask for heavenly virtues and seek His heavenly kingdom first. Fr. Joseph relays how this is modeled by recalling a beautiful encounter with the homeless.Fr. Joseph Abraham – June 11, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

When we pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us, do we know who is the One we are praying to fill us? What are we really praying for? Fr. Joseph explains that the very nature of the Spirit is humility. When we pray for the spirit to fill us, we pray for this divine humility to fill us. He also explains what this looks like in real life.Fr. Joseph Abraham – June 4, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that real peace is found in Jesus Christ in how we uphold His word. Thus, the words that we speak unto others are critical in imparting divine peace unto others, because we are made to be a vessel so that Christ can transform others through our words to them. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – May 28, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that the start of the way, truth, and life is the fear God. This differs from mere honor or reverence. There are two types of fear—the first is the fear of condemnation, which helps us develop self-control and discipline, and the second is the fear of offending God, because of our love for Him. This is derived from the first kind of fear because we develop our love for God when we allow His commandments to mold us and our way of life. Tune in to hear more. Fr. Joseph Abraham – May 21, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Just as Christ is our Paraclete, everyone in Christ participates in His role as an advocate and intercessor. This is especially essential in the life of the servant. By his intercessory prayers, he gives salvation to the world. Fr. Joseph explains how this concept comes to life in our ministry. Fr. Joseph Abraham – May 18, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains how we can use a mother's qualities to shine God's light unto the world. Those qualities are prayer, love through service, and compassion and endurance. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – May 14, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org 

Fr. Joseph explains that when Christ met the Samaritan woman, He was essentially proposing to her, to take her as His bride. Likewise, He also proposes to us in the same way, as the Samaritan woman represents all of us, sinful humanity. And with this marriage, He forms a new covenant with us for an everlasting life. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – May 7, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that the 3 obstacles stop us from benefiting from the Eucharist. They are ignorance, pride, and faith. So the church helps us focus on approaching communion with knowledge, humility, and faith by recognizing that the Eucharist is the ultimate sacrifice of love. Tune in to hear more. Fr. Joseph Abraham – March 30, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

We often fall into the extreme of normalizing or catastrophizing doubts, but there is a middle ground. Fr. Joseph explains the right way to address our doubts and highlights two important components in the progression of our faith—meditation on the lives of the saints and endurance through prayer. Fr. Joseph Abraham – April 23, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Eve of Wednesday Holy Pascha.Dr. Ihab Aziz – April 11, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Eve of Tuesday Holy Pascha.Fr. Antony Attallah – April 10, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Eve of Monday Holy Pascha.Peter Meshriki – April 9, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that there are 3 lessons we can learn from the man born blind by answering the following questions.What did this man have to do to receive his new eyes? He had to humble himself and obey.What did his eyesight do for him? It provided him a fresh start. Christ created new eyes for him and therefore created a new life for him that allowed him to walk in confidence.What was the hidden mystery in his transformation? This man received eyes of faith. He recognized his truth of his identity and the truth of Christ as his creator.Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – April 2, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

H.G. Bishop Kyrillos explained that we often search for others to help us get closer to God. As such, we are also called to help one another. And now, as we have a new beginning, our new church, we ought to share God's love for others by serving others so that by God's grace, we can form a community that works together for His glory. Tune in to hear more. H.G. Bishop Kyrillos – March 26, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains why we celebrate the Feast of the Cross. Christ expressed His love through this path of suffering on the cross and dedicated His life for our salvation. This feast reminds us of God's profound love and provisions for us and this, we must dedicate our life to God. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – March 19, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph illustrates God's love using the parable of the Prodigal Son. He explains that in every single detail of the story, we can clearly see the depths of God's love for us. He makes every effort and takes every step to meet us where we are, as long as we are striving to move toward Him. Through God's love and grace, we are given the ultimate gift of salvation. Tune in to hear more. Fr. Joseph Abraham – March 12, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that if we are walking in the right path, we will always be faced with temptation. But, in those trials, we cannot face it alone, rather, we need to rely on God to strengthen us in our fight against those temptations. Through our reliance on God, we will have the power to persevere against Satan's attempts to exhaust us and push us away from God. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – March 5, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that where our values are is where our heart belongs. When our values and priorities are in the material things of this world, even when they are spiritual, then our heart resides in them. But these things, even the spiritual things in this world, are not eternal. We must put our treasures in His kingdom, so that our heart resides in Christ. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – February 26, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that we all receive abundant grace from God for our salvation. But in turn, we must work hard and invest into our relationship with God so that the grace we receive is not in vain. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – February 12, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph illustrates that the purpose of the man born blind was so that God's work can be revealed. When Christ is working with us, He highlights our weakness first so that we may rely on Him more. When we set aside our limited strength we are able to embrace God's strength in us. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – February 5, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

St. John's famous words, “He must increase but I must decrease” are familiar words of humility. But what is humility really all about? And how can we put this divine virtue into practice? Tune in to hear Fr. Joseph describe the beauty of this hidden virtue and explain how we can practically live a humble life. Fr. Joseph Abraham – January 29, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that we are called to keep the word of God, which is much more than just to listen to it. Rather it's the constant meditation on it and obedience to God's word that blesses our daily life. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – January 22, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org

Fr. Joseph explains that when God said “Out of Egypt, I call my Son”, He was not only referring to Christ, but to all of mankind. He further explains that Egypt, as it applies to us, is the place of captivity and sin. Each of us is inside of our own Egypt, and we are reminded that God is calling us out of the place of captivity and sin, so that we may be filled with His grace and walk in the calling of His will. Tune in to hear more.Fr. Joseph Abraham – January 15, 2023Christ the Savior American Coptic Orthodox ChurchDiocese of Los Angeleswww.thegoodsavior.org