Jesus – Page 2 – Faith Unto Ages

The Way of the Cross: Historical Persecution and Spiritual Endurance in the Coptic Church

The icon of the 2015 kidnapping and execution of the 21 Coptic Martyrs in Libya is one of the most recognizable modern icons in the Coptic Orthodox Church. It depicts the twenty-one martyrs dressed in orange garments, standing together in faith moments before their execution on a beach in Libya by ISIS militants in February 2015. In many icons, Christ is shown above them welcoming them into heaven, emphasizing their steadfast faith and martyrdom. The icon symbolizes courage, unity, forgiveness, and unwavering commitment to Christ even in the face of death. The martyrs were canonized by the Coptic Church shortly after their deaths and are commemorated annually on February 15.

The history of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is an enduring journey along the path of the Cross. Founded by Saint Mark the Evangelist in the middle of the first century, this ancient Apostolic see has preserved the spotless deposit of faith through eras of profound isolation, social marginalization, and overt hostility. To look upon the Coptic experience merely through the lens of modern secular politics is to miss the deeper spiritual reality of its survival. For the faithful, the ongoing hardships faced by the Christian minority in Egypt are not just social and political struggles, but a continuous participation in the suffering and endurance of Christ.¹

According to the United Nations international framework established in 1948, systematic discrimination and state-sanctioned oppression toward a distinct community are defined by specific criteria of systemic harm. Article II of the 1948 Genocide Convention explicitly outlines these violations as, “Killing members of the group…Causing serious bodily or mental harm…physical destruction in whole or in part…imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group…forcibly transferring children of the group.”² While a common misconception assumes that systematic destruction must involve the immediate and spontaneous erasure of a massive population, international standards recognize that systemic persecution can be slow, hidden, and characterized by profound mental anguish. This criterion allows us to understand the true depth of the ongoing structural adversity faced by Coptic Christians throughout Egypt’s modern history.

The Hebraic and Apostolic Origins of the Eucharist: Liturgical Development in the Early Church

Tombs within the Roman Catacombs: The early Christians within Rome used the stone tombs of the martyrs as altars. This custom is thought to trace to the first quarter of the 2nd century. Marble tops were placed upon the tombs for the Mass to be celebrated upon. [SOURCE]

Holy writ tells us that on the night of Passover, Jesus had instituted the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist:

… took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take eat; this is My Body.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’

— Matthew 26:26-28.

Being that our Lord and the Apostles were Hebrews, the elements and customs used were Hebraic in nature. More elaborately, the ancient Hebrews would consider meals to be joyful occasions, which would be celebrated within their homes. Church historian Roger T. Beckwith stated that in accordance to the Mishnah:

“grace was said several times at meals, over each main dish, over bread, and over wine; and when people were eating together, most benedictions were said by one person for all, and a responsive grace was added at the end of the meal.”

— Jones, Cheslyn , Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold SJ, and Paul Bradshaw, eds. 1992. The Study of Liturgy. Revised. Oxford University Press. Pg. 72.

The Liturgist and scholar C.P.M. Jones is also in agreement, and even suggested that the singularity of the cup could have been something which originated with Christ Himself:

The action and words concerning the bread precede the meal; those concerning the cup follow it. This pattern accords well with Jewish meal customs on solemn occasions. The bread-words accompany the normal action over the bread; the wine-words accompany the thanksgiving over the cup. The single, common cup, so essential to the symbolism, may not have been contemporary custom, but Jesus’ own idea.

— Jones, Cheslyn , Geoffrey Wainwright, Edward Yarnold SJ, and Paul Bradshaw. Pg. 195.

The use of bread and wine in worship is also evident when examining the Old Testament scriptures that were reverenced by the Hebrews. This can be seen in the case of Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18) as well as within the Levitical sacrifices (Leviticus 23:13-37).

The Kingdom is at Hand: Finding Hope in Christ through the Holy Eucharist

In the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God. Amen.

The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. This line from St. John the Baptist has been weighing heavily on my heart lately. I’m writing this on March 11th, 2026. The world right now is consumed by division, not just in the United States but in the entirety of the world. This division began in the garden. It has been rampant. I never understood until the veil was recently lifted for me. Satan’s grip on the world is much tighter than I anticipated. Our church has been fighting heresy for so long, but the true heresy that we have lost sight of is within our hearts.

My journey only had one goal, and that was to understand God with my brain. I thought that if I understood God in my head, it would lead me to Him. But Saint Cyril of Alexandria recently spoke to me through his writings and humbled me. As I was preparing my notes and breakdown of the Gospel of John, I was humbled.

“For it is not the part of a mind that loves truth to indulge in restless curiosity and to busy itself about words beyond what is fitting, but rather to receive with simplicity the things that are spoken by God.”
— St. Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book I

He warns that those who seek answers instead of truth will not only fail to find the answers but will not receive the truth, which is Christ Jesus.

It troubles me, all this death surrounding us, from the passing of the leader of Iran to a recent preacher, Mhir Mhir Zelalem. I thought I understood death. I thought it was something that just comes and goes. Luckily, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ broke down the door of eternal emptiness. But now something was not right.