Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church Diocese of the U.S.A and Canada

Week 6 -Faithful Servant | Gebri Hier:

ሐወፅከኒ ሌሊተ ወፈተንኮ ለልብየ።
አመከርከኒ ወኢተረክበ ዓመፃ በላዕሌየ።
ከመ ኢይንብብ አፋየ ግብረ ዕጓለ እመሕያው።
መዝ ፲፯፥፫፡፬

hawetskenī lielīte we-fetenkoke le-libīye
amekerkenī we-ītirikbe ametsa be-la’ilieye
keme yinbib afuye gibre gwal ime hiyaw
Ps 127

You tested my heart, when You visited me in the night;
You tried me in the fire, and found nothing unjust in me.
That my mouth might not speak of the works of men
Ps. 17:3-4

The Great Fast is considered the holiest fast because our Lord Jesus Christ Himself fasted on our behalf 40 days and 40 nights (Matt 4:2). During this Lent, we follow the example set by Him, using the various themes set up by our father St. Yared to prepare us for the light of Christ's Resurrection. From a week of preparation before the 40 days, and a week after the 40-Holy Week-where we concentrate on the sufferings of our Savior, our church has designed it so that we may be prepared to lead a life with our creator.

The Second Coming
Posted on March 23, 2020
In the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen! The Second Coming of our Lord, God, & Saviour Jesus Christ. Today the fifth Sunday of holy lent, our church commemorates the second coming of our Lord, which is called Debre Zeyit or the mount...
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Time to Rejoice!
Posted on March 17, 2020
In the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen! Time to Rejoice! “Rejoice always!” In the first Thessalonians 5:16, we are told to "rejoice..." not when times are good or when times are okay, "ALWAYS!" As Christians, it is in times of trouble when...
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Communal Fasting & Worship
Posted on February 29, 2020
In the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen! Communal Fasting & Worship During these difficult days, we are increasingly called upon to worship as a community in the unity of Spirit, in one voice. What is communal worship, and how does it differ...
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Why Do We Fast During Lent?
Posted on February 27, 2020
In the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen! In case you missed it, Lent is here. That’s right. Bye bye to hamburgers, chicken wings and ice cream; hello to veggie burgers, bean burritos and fruit salads. As you’ve probably heard before, Lent is...
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Spiritual Growth During the Great Lent
Posted on February 23, 2020
In the name of the Father, the Son, & the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen! Spiritual Growth During the Great Lent “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 3:18 Very often in our spiritual life, we fight on our own, without...
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Why do we kiss a priest's hand?

We kiss the hands of bishops and priests because in the context of the Divine Liturgy, the hands hold and distribute the holy Body and Blood of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ! This is an enduring and centuries old tradition in the Eastern Christendom that has a purely metaphorical connotation; of course, this is not to leave out..... Read More »

15 people found this faq useful.

Can we go to our school parties such as prom and homecoming?

We should not participate in any dance because dancing involves bodily movements which are sexually suggestive and can be classified under the heading of "lasciviousness or lewdness" (Gal 5:19-21). Surely a Christian would not want to engage in that type of activity. The close body contact or the erotic movements that characterize so many of the rock-oriented dances would arouse..... Read More »

13 people found this faq useful.

What is the meaning of life?

Life = Jesus Christ "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6).  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him and without Him nothing was made that..... Read More »

11 people found this faq useful.

What is our position on St. Mary and Immaculate Conception and what is it?

We believe the Virgin Mary is sinless (Free from the sin of Adam) Sin entered the world first when Adam and eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree that was not allowed for them to eat. Gen 2:16-17, Gen 3:1-24, Romans 6:23. After eating the tree of knowledge of good and evil, Adam and eve lost their . As..... Read More »

9 people found this faq useful.

Why aren't we allowed to date? Why can't we get married to someone who isn't Orthodox? Is it a sin, and if yes, why?

Dating, especially at school age or early college life is in itself very much related to lack of maturity. It is a relation not in due time and not according to God's natural laws. Solomon the wise prophet said, "To everything, there is a season and a time to every purpose under the Heaven. A time to be born, and a..... Read More »

9 people found this faq useful.

How come Aboy keshi doesn’t dance? But they tell us it’s okay to dance?/How come the keshis leave right before the Guayla starst?/Can deacons dance?

The answer to this question is simple as our scholar father John Chrysostom said "The Law of the King [Fitha Negest] - A Christian must not go to a wedding {nuptial banquet] to clap his hand rhythmically or to dance with his feet; rather he shall eat in a quiet way as is proper to saint. Chapter 11. or 446..... Read More »

8 people found this faq useful.