2026-07-31: Delight in the Lord (Priest Family Convention - HS & College Youth)
"Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)
In this Psalm, the word “Delight” is the Coptic word ⲟⲩⲛⲟϥ which means “Rejoice.”
The word "Delight" reminds us of a specific hymn: ⲡⲓϩⲗⲟϫ
"Delight is the Church. Delight is the people assembled in it. Delight is the image of this martyr, Saint (...) the martyr of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here, the Coptic word ϩⲗⲟϫ means “Sweetness” and in Arabic حلو.
Delight in the Church
The Church, Herself, gives us many avenues for experiencing this sweetness and rejoicing. In the Sacraments, the Scripture, the Hymns of the Church, the Iconography of the Church, the Lives of the Saints, Church History, Patristics, Dogmatics, Apologetics, etc.
For everyone, there is something. I know some youth really love hymns and because of hymns they are attached to the Church. Some youth really love iconography and because of iconography, they are attached to the Church. Some youth fall in love with the Lives of the Saints, or with learning Church History, or with reading the Fathers, or with studying Apologetics… there is something for everyone in the Church to find sweetness and delight in the Lord.
Delight in the Hymns of the Church
St Augustine, a great saint in the Church had such an experience when he was visiting Milan and he heard them singing the hymns of the Church. Hearing the hymns gave him an emotional response, and he shed tears… but they also gave him a spiritual response. Truth was distilled into his heart – he learned something from the hymns. A feeling of piety welled up from it – he was driven to humility and repentance.
How many tears did I shed, as I was deeply stirred by the voices of Your Church sweetly swelling in the singing of Your hymns and canticles! Those voices flowed into my ears, and truth was distilled into my heart, and a feeling of piety welled up from it. The tears poured forth, and I was happy with them.
St Augustine - Confessions Book 9 Chapter 6
- Learn the hymns of the Church
- Learn their meanings
- Learn how to chant them
- Learn and Pray with the Praises - Canticles and Theotokia
Delight in the Saints of the Church
"Delight is the Church. Delight is the people assembled in it. Delight is the image of this martyr, Saint (...) the martyr of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Delight is your holy name, O chosen one of Christ, the strong and courageous and blessed one, O Saint (…).”
The stories of the saints and martyrs of the Church give us a model, give us hope, and give us an intercessor.
Today is the Feast of St Marina
- St Marina was born to pagan parents, who entrusted her to a Christian nanny.
- ”She narrated to her the biographies of the martyrs and what they receive from happiness in the eternal life. Marina longed to be martyred in the name of the Lord Christ.”
- The governor saw her, admired her, and desired to marry her. But when finding out she was a Christian, he told her to worship the idols. She refused. So he tortured her:
- Iron combs
- Lime and Vinegar on the wounds
- Imprisonment
- Hinbazeen to squeeze her
- Cauldron full of molten lead
- The angel of the Lord consistently healed her wounds
- “Many believed because of her and received crowns of martyrdom.”
- Then she was beheaded and received the crown of martyrdom
The stories of the martyrs BEFORE St Marina were the reason she desired to live a life of Christ. She delighted in the lives of the saints and martyrs.
Now, when we read her story, we can delight in the Lord who NEVER forgot her and would send His angel always to heal her. We can delight in her bravery and ability to stand up for her faith and not deny her Christ. We can delight in the crown that she received.
Delight in Serving Others
Acts of Mercy
We also delight in serving others. When we go and visit the sick, sit with the elderly, serve the children of the Church, serve our community in nursing homes, homeless shelters, orphanages, etc. we see the Lord Jesus Christ, and we come back with that sweetness.
“for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’“ (Matthew 25:35-36)
St Pishoy is the perfect example of this. St Pishoy ministered to strangers - when a man came to his door, he sat him down and washed his feet and in this, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ. When an elderly monk was trying to climb the mountain, he carried him on his back, ministering to him - and in this, he saw the Lord Jesus Christ. And all of the other monks are even jealous of the sweetness that he experienced.
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
St Paul says - you have free will! You have freedom! But don’t use your freedom as an opportunity to serve yourself, but serve others. Sometimes we think that when I do “whatever I want” or even to satisfy my own desires, then that is sweetness, rejoicing, delight… no. The real sweetness and delight is using my freedom to serve others.
E.g. I may have money - and I can use this money to buy myself exquisite meals, hundreds of dollars at a steakhouse, my favorite restaurants, big buffets, etc. and there are people in my community that can’t find more than one small meal per day. Although I am free and it is my money to use however I want, let me use my freedom to serve others.
Delight in my Family