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Am I wrong?

ebnyasoo3ebnyasoo3
edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
Dear all,

Peace and grace of Jesus Christ,

Today I was visiting one of the monasteries in Egypt in which the Holy Family spent a while. There is a thought that keeps coming to my mind; why is it that we consider these monasteries HOLIER than any other place? Is it because Christ went to that place when He was on earth? But didn't He Himself create this whole earth. Didn't HE sanctify this whole earth by creating it?
Am I wrong in feeling that these places should not be thought of as holier than any other place? What is the difference between praying in this monastery compared to praying in my room? Isn't God present in my heart and everywhere around me?

Also is it wrong to be skeptical when it comes to miracles? Many people say this saint did that or this saint did this. Is it wrong to be skeptical and not believe what everyone says unless the person is credible?

Also, what is the significance of the holy oil which is given in Monasteries? And what is the significance of the Holy water that the priest sprays in the end of the liturgy?

Please help me distinguish whether these thoughts that I have are from the devil or not.

In Christ
Ebnyasoo3

Comments

  • JoshuaaJoshuaa

    I don't think it is wrong to doubt but if you believe then it will hold a spiritual value that you connect with and feel that you are part of God's mystery. You can ask, does He show his salvation? I would say yes, and many people can testify to it, by many things that have happened with them or others that they know.

      The difference between praying in a Monastery and your bedroom is that the monastery like the church is part of the bride of Christ.

      Reverlation 19:7-8.
                                  "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints"

        It is the protestants who believe they pray anywhere without the saints because God is everywhere.

      So miracles connect us to His salvation and we are connected to God by being the bride of Christ through the righteous acts of our saints.
  • socoolbishoysocoolbishoy
    lets take your questions one by one,

    first,

    Am I wrong in feeling that these places should not be thought of as holier than any other place? What is the difference between praying in this monastery compared to praying in my room? Isn't God present in my heart and everywhere around me?


    there is a difference between relationship with God, and the holy place. when we talk about our relationship with it should not be confined to church or a place that Jesus visited or all of that... if you think about you Jesus physically visits your church every time through communion, plus the fact that He is present everywhere.

    But we do honor the altar in the church, we honor our bodies after taking communion, etc... so hence why we have to honor the places the Jesus visited, but because He visited and blessed in the flesh, we take blessings from it, and the proof of God accepting that, we see so many miracles from these places.

    Also is it wrong to be skeptical when it comes to miracles? Many people say this saint did that or this saint did this. Is it wrong to be skeptical and not believe what everyone says unless the person is credible?

    of course you should, not everything we hear we should believe, if we turn everything to a miracle, then when actual miracles happen, they will not be credible, for example, when they said saint Mary was appearing all over the world, and it was just commercial spot lights... then when saint Mary actually appears, it will not be believed... God doesn't want us to be stupid, He gave us a brain to use and think with, to be able to use it to differentiate from messages He is trying to send to us, and tricks the devil uses.

    so be skeptical, until you find the RIGHT answer, and when you tell somebody about it, it will not just be a story that you heard from someone who heard it from someone who told it to someone who was the brother of someone, who met this one that was sleeping and dreamed of someone who is... you get the point, but rather when you share the miracle you will be able to prove what happened which will not be doubted.


    the oil is a blessing from the relics of the saints, which is a great blessing.

    the water is prayed on so its blessed through the liturgy, through the liturgy we receive many blessings, and one of which is the blessed water.
  • Khas.
    No
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