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tonyhabibi

posted on Apr 08, 2007 - 11:54 PM

... 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

posted on Apr 09, 2007 - 12:10 AM

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.

Joined: Nov 29, 2005 | Posts: 10
Location: Cairo, Egypt

geomekhaiel

posted on Apr 09, 2007 - 12:24 AM

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

Joined: Aug 05, 2003 | Posts: 1706
Location: Saint George COC

tonyhabibi

posted on Apr 09, 2007 - 02:33 AM

, 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 ?

Joined: Apr 09, 2004 | Posts: 1216
Location: IN THE back of your mind .navagating through your heart , resting in your soul .

PaulS

posted on Apr 09, 2007 - 03:36 AM

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,
ps

Joined: Sep 09, 2002 | Posts: 2423
Location: St. Abanoub and St. Antony Coptic Orthodox Church in Norco, CA

AMoussa01

posted on Apr 09, 2007 - 06:39 PM

From tonyhabibi:, honestly , im trying to do the right thing , i want to please god , yet let abouna know that i did return the money .

From tonyhabibi:,
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)

Joined: Jan 08, 2007 | Posts: 501
Location: St. George and St. Joseph in San Jose California

Origenos

posted on Apr 10, 2007 - 09:14 AM

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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Origenos Piremrakoti

Joined: Dec 10, 2003 | Posts: 277

mikokiko

posted on Apr 11, 2007 - 05:44 AM

wait a minute...the bishop was handing out money to wealthy people in the monastery? am i missing something here?

Joined: Feb 11, 2003 | Posts: 966

truman

posted on Apr 12, 2007 - 02:28 AM

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

Joined: Apr 18, 2006 | Posts: 14