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tonyhabibi
Posts: 1221
Joined: Apr 09, 2004
Location: IN THE back of your mind .navagating through your heart , resting in your soul .
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Apr 08, 2007 - 05:54 PM |
 
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... look ... im just going to say what i have to say .... Im not trying to be any adjective .... i simply just need some SMART ADVICE .
tHIS YEAR ABOUNA GAVE ME 100 $$$ AS A GIFT FOR EASTER .... and our church is a very poor struggling church ... they need money badly ...As much as i refused to take the money from abouna ... he still kept on pushing and pushing me to take it ...after much argueing I told abouna , im going to hold the money .... until HE TELLS ME WHAT TO DO WITH IT ... because i dont want to spend the money , nor accept the money ,,, because i just wouldent feel right .... ( to my knowledge ... abouna doesnt give anyone else money , like he gives me .... it bothers me because i have no idea why , my finacial situation isnt bad at all ... so i dunno ) . anywaysss , I know abouna wont tell me what to do with the money , he prefers that i just keep it , but i dont want to keep it ... I know what ur saying at this point .... " hey tony ... just put the money back inside the church " ...... but if i do that , abouna will think that i just kept the money ... and he will never know that i gave it back ...... and he would think that with all that i said about how i wont accept the money ... was just a bluff in order to make myself appear humble in front of him ... but ... i HONESTLY HONESTLY DO NOT WANT TO KEEP THIS MONEY ... I WITH ALL MY HEART WANT TO GIVE HIM THE MONEY ... BUT I WANT TO GIVE IT TO HIM IN A RESPECTFUL , FATHER - SON WAY .... PLEASE HELP ME ...
BTW ... PLEASE DONT JUDGE ME IN THINKING THAT IM FULL OF PRIDE AND IM AFTER PRAISE .. OR ANY OF THAT NONSENSE .....
I SIMPLY WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING .... WHAT IS THE RIGHT THING ???
i CAN GET ABOUNA A GIFT .... BUT WHAT DOES AN ABOUNA NEED ? HELP PLEASE . |
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copticservant_fm
Posts: 10
Joined: Nov 28, 2005
Location: Cairo, Egypt
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Apr 08, 2007 - 06:10 PM |
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Peace and grace Tony,
Well,this may not be the best advice, but in a case like that Tony, I would go to abouna and talk with him personally about the money. I would ask him why he is giving me the money and tell him nicely that God is blessing my financial condition and that I would prefer that the church, who needs financial support either keeps it or gives it to another family that needs this money more than I do.I see nothing wrong with that as long as Abouna understands your opinion and views that you are refusing the money for the sake of helping the church or others who are in more need of that money. |
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geomekhaiel
Posts: 1726
Joined: Aug 05, 2003
Location: Saint George COC
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Apr 08, 2007 - 06:24 PM |
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Tony,
Is it abouna who you are trying to please or God? If it is Abouna, then sit down with him and try to figure out a way to give it back to him. If it is God, then put the money back in the church. Because at the end it doesn't matter if abouna saw/knows that you put the meney back; it matters if God knows it.
"But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3).
George Mekhaiel |
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tonyhabibi
Posts: 1221
Joined: Apr 09, 2004
Location: IN THE back of your mind .navagating through your heart , resting in your soul .
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Apr 08, 2007 - 08:33 PM |
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, honestly , im trying to do the right thing , i want to please god , yet let abouna know that i did return the money .
I in no way want to accept the money , and i heard in arabic culture , it is disrespectful for someone to return the money .
Every year he gives me the money , and this year im trying to give it back to him . I with all my heart want to return the money .
I just want abounas recognition , that i returned the money in a good way , and i used the money for the benifit of the church , not for praise , but for my mental comfort of knowing that he knows i didnt accept it , and i would rqather invest it in the church , i just dont want him to think i kept the money .... plain and simple .
what is a good thing to get abouna ? |
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PaulS
Ask me for help!
Posts: 2441
Joined: Sep 09, 2002
Location: St. Abanoub and St. Antony Coptic Orthodox Church in Norco, CA
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Apr 08, 2007 - 09:36 PM |
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Tony,
In my opinion, the best thing to do would be to ask Abouna about the church's needs. For example, the church may need more candles or paper towels or any similar thing. When Abouna identifies the church's need, go out and buy it yourself as an offering to God using the money Abouna gave you as a gift and blessing.
In this way, you take what God gives you and you return it to Him, hopefully in a much larger amount than what was given to you.
GBU,
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AMoussa01
Posts: 534
Joined: Jan 08, 2007
Location: St. George and St. Joseph in San Jose California
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Apr 09, 2007 - 12:39 PM |
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| tonyhabibi wrote: |
| , honestly , im trying to do the right thing , i want to please god , yet let abouna know that i did return the money . |
| tonyhabibi wrote: |
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I just want abounas recognition , that i returned the money in a good way
what is a good thing to get abouna ? |
"Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your father who sees in secretly will reward you openly (Mathew 6:2-4) |
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Origenos
Posts: 277
Joined: Dec 09, 2003
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Apr 10, 2007 - 03:14 AM |
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One of the early Fathers visited a monastery once and asked them to meet the most humble monk.
When he met with him the Father stood and washed the monk's hands who didn't show any hesitations.
So the Father admired this monk's humbleness for it was so apparent through his immediate obedience.
I think that Abouna enjoys giving according to his Master's saying. So why don't you accept it and let him get the blessing of giving.
Our Fathers are the ones who always give and they give us more precious things than money - which should be the least we worry about.
In Egypt, I saw in St. Mina's monastery, people standing in lines waiting to get money from the bishop 
They are wealthy but they just get it as a blessing from his hands. |
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Maran Atha
Origenos Piremrakoti |
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mikokiko
Posts: 1021
Joined: Feb 11, 2003
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Apr 10, 2007 - 11:44 PM |
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wait a minute...the bishop was handing out money to wealthy people in the monastery? am i missing something here? |
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truman
Posts: 14
Joined: Apr 18, 2006
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Apr 11, 2007 - 08:28 PM |
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Tony,
Have you thought that maybe Abouna is giving you the money and you could use the money to bless others? Maybe it is a test? What will you do with the money? God gives each of us blessings and expects us to bless others. Use the money wisely to bless others and give Abouna a great report of how God has bless you and others through his gift.
Peace and blessings |
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