Journey Back to Eden.pdf - St Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Chicago

A TIME OF CONSECRATION 155these verses, Elijah encounters God on the Mountain of Horeb andhe is enjoined to anoint two kings in Israel, as well as a prophet tosucceed him. That is to say, the greatest consequence of the divineepiphany experienced by Elijah on the Mount of Horeb involvedthe use of oil. This is similar to the epiphany through whichChrist, at the Father’s right hand, is continuously empowering theChurch to use oil in her sacramental life: to baptize, to confirm, toheal, to prepare someone to die, to consecrate priests for the serviceof the altar.Those in attendance were somewhat surprised that I had beeninvited to read and thus participate so intimately in the rite. Noone could remember a Catholic priest ever being asked to take partin this way and I feel very honored, indeed, to have been invited.The Pope has been very kind to me throughout my visit, and hasbeen particularly generous today.After my reading of the Scripture, I retired to the guest house.I met a monk from Ethiopia who speaks English, so we discussedmonastic life in his country. He told me that there are hundreds ofmonasteries in Ethiopia and that he himself had been raised in oneof them. He said that in some of the monasteries the diet is veryaustere. For instance, in one place, they only eat bananas mashedin fish. Most monks eat only once a day there. I’m fascinated by hisdescription of these monasteries, and he insisted that one day Imust make a study of monasticism there, just as I am doing inEgypt.Are You Still Here?APRIL 5, SUNDAYAfter the morning Kodes, I went to the monastery keep, thefortress adjacent to the guest house, for my private Mass. The twoSyrian monks who are visiting here came to observe my Liturgyand were very enthusiastic about it.After my Mass, I was captured by very large numbers of CopticChristians who are coming as pilgrims to the monastery these days.They beseeched me for a blessing and it was difficult to get away. Iwas finally able to evade them by running into the papal residence,where the guard keeps the pilgrims from entering.