Send Mercy That Opens My Doors as I Am in Agony

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Keraza Magazine issue 21-22, June 2, 2017

While we are in great pain due to the successive bloody events coming upon Copts in Egypt, I would like to quote some wonderful passages from a Memoire of St. Yacoub Elserougy titled Jonah the Prophet and the Call to Nineveh. Let us all remember that the only purpose lying behind these events is the repentance of us all.

"The great city, where great sin was committed, through her repentance, was given life by a great blazing compassion. This One, who is full of goodness, is reach in mercies. His anger is less intense than causing a lot of harm. He is expert in compassion. Tenderness is abundant within Him. He prepared His bow to shoot, yet when He saw that this city was naked, He advised her to carry upon her an armor made of prayers. He lifted His rod upon her head, but as she showed sensitivity, He sent to her to call upon mercy to save her. He lifted up His hand to strike her with destruction, but as she was asleep He shouted out loudly to awaken her in order not to torment her while she is asleep. The jealousy came from justice upon the wretched city, yet through grace He warned her to resort to repentance. His wrath was coming against the city to destroy her, but His compassion went before Him closing doors in His face to prevent Him from entering her. If His mercy was not present, then why would He send someone to warn her? He sent him to help them avoid evil giving them, through repentance, a chance to escape destruction.

Nineveh wrote, by tears, her request like a letter sent to God in His exalted place: I beg You, O Lord, annul the sentence prepared for me. Withdraw and vanish the anger coming to destroy my walls. I ask You, O Lord, to take back the sword directed toward me. Take back the wrath put upon my head lest I be punished by it. I ask You, O Lord, to withdraw the destructors that threaten me. Keep my surrounding walls safe from turbulence. I ask You, O Lord, to keep my buildings safe from demolition. Let my doors, that protect me, be unruined. The king’s crown that was taken off from him, and his throne that was abandoned by him until You command otherwise, supplicate You. O Lord, my elders falling on their faces, and all my nobles whose faces are full of ash are supplicating You. Children, through their fast that drained them, supplicate You with the mothers who behold the suffering in their children. The virgin is supplicating You for her virginity lest it be ruined. The wife asks for her husband lest he suffers. Also, the widow supplicates You, O Lord, with her orphans lest the anger wrap her with destruction together with all her beloved. The nursing mothers with their babes ask you lest their beloved be handed to anger. The pure spouses ask You lest they become deprived of begetting children with a major catastrophe. The barren woman who yearns to see her fruit supplicates You lest the whole city becomes barren. The pregnant women cry unto You in their agony lest they fall into destruction under the fallen buildings. The embryos and their uteruses beg You, who illuminates everybody, to open before them the doors of mercy to see light. The huge towers, together with their inhabitants ask You not to send the sound of horror to destroy them. Our high wall supplicates You to be his wall lest he ends up being demolished as in captivity. The city frightened by Jonah with the bad news supplicates. Accept her prayers as she is in agony and begs you to be pleased with her. Send mercy that opens my doors as I am in agony. Let Your great compassion take away my anguish as I am troubled. Let Your grace help me as I am in tribulation. Let Your great love be a physician for me as I am sick".

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States