Today, Archbishop Dr. Samy Fawzy, Archbishop of the Anglican Province of Alexandria, presided over the Divine Liturgy for the English service at All Saints’ Cathedral in Zamalek.
In his sermon, the Archbishop said:
“The call to discipleship is a call to follow Jesus, who is present among us today — in our midst — whenever we gather to worship the Lord. He conquered death, rose again, and appeared to His disciples in the upper room. Though the doors were shut, He entered and stood in their midst. Our reflection today is this: ‘Jesus in our midst.’ This is the very foundation of our Christian faith — Christ at the center. This is also the central theme of the Bible. From the very beginning, God was in the midst — in creation, at the heart of the formless and dark world, God was present at the center.”
He continued:
“The Lord said of bringing His people out of Egypt: ‘I brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.’ (Exodus 29:46). In all His divine providence, God is always in the midst. The prophet prayed: ‘Yet You, Lord, are in our midst, and we are called by Your name; do not leave us.’ (Jeremiah 14:8-9). And in the book of Daniel, we read that Christ was in the midst of the fiery furnace with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: ‘Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the form of the fourth is like a son of the gods.’ (Daniel 3:25).”
He added:
“Not only was God in the midst in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament, we also see Christ in the midst. He was in the midst when He was born in Bethlehem among shepherds and wise men from the East. He was in the midst as a boy in the temple among the teachers and scribes. On the cross — ‘They crucified two with Him, one on His right and one on His left, and Jesus in the midst.’ (John 19:18). And in Revelation, we see Christ at the center: ‘Then I looked, and I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.’ (Revelation 5:6).”
He concluded:
“Jesus is always in the midst of His people through all generations. He promised to be with us always: ‘For where two or three gather in My name, there am I in the midst of them.’ (Matthew 18:20).”