Monastery of Bose
International Conference on Spirituality
In the Commemoration of the Tenth Anniversary of the
Departure of
FATHER MATTA EL MASKIN
A Contemporary Desert Father
May 21 - 22, 2016
"FREEDOM IN GOD"
According To
Rev. Fr. Matta El-Meskeen
(Matthew the Poor)
From the sayings of Fr. Matta
El-Meskeen:
[1]
"My yearning
increased for freedom in God, which I had sought previously in science,
politics and religion. I longed to attain this
quest in an oppressed world - especially in Egypt - where science was
constrained with the chains of fanaticism, persecution and narrow-mindedness, politics
was restricted with the idols of leadership who imposed themselves on the unwilling submissive populace,
until they were worshipped, as a matter of fact and became a way of life, and
religion was limited to the extent that it was under the state's trusteeship.
Furthermore, the Bible was shackled and confined to a corner in the Church, to
be freed and bound at the state's whim, and to be clothed in accordance with
the state's tendencies: the garment could be Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant."
I
was introduced to Fr. Matta in July 1953, when Mr. Nazir Gayyed (who later
became H.H. Pope Shenouda III) invited me to accompany him on a visit to the
Syriac Monastery in Wadi El-Natroun; he would customarily go there to meet with
his teacher who was preparing him for monasticism. This first encounter with
Fr. Matta, at the beginning of my university studies, left within me an
indelible impression which changed my way of thinking and perception of
matters. The most significant aspect which affected me then, was his profound
understanding of what it means to be "free
in God."
Dr.
Youssef Iskander was a young, rich, pharmacist. At an early age, he realized
the meaning of freedom, from the unique perspective of saints and sages.
Youssef was wealthy, but he discovered that wealth had the power of enslaving
man [2].
Our perception of freedom increases as we repudiate wealth. In a rare moment of
courage and challenge to wealth's enslavement, Youssef decided to get rid of it
completely: thereupon he sold all his possessions and distributed the proceeds
to the poor - only retaining the transportation fare that would take him to the
poorest monastery in Egypt. He divested himself of everything and left, seeking
the soul's freedom in God. That was Youssef's understanding of monasticism,
where his freedom in God shaped his entire future life. No one can possibly
give up wealth in this way, without assigning freedom, a priori, the full and highest position in his/her life, through a
constant vision of truth in Christ.
His
craving for freedom motivated him to become a monk. He wrote about this in his
autobiography saying: "I entreated
God to facilitate my demise from this world...in order to live my utmost
freedom in God.."1
He
described his exit into monasticism saying: "It
was literally an exit. I was like a bird hurtling joyfully in the heavens,
unfettered by gravity - because as the bird spread its wings, it was borne by
another force. As it observed from high above, all things seemed exceedingly
small - compared to the span of its wings. As it contemplated its wing span,
its eyes sparkled with the realization that it has become free, and the entire
world was fleeing its gaze." 2
His
understanding of freedom in God is synonymous with truth and love. The three
integral dimensions of "truth,
freedom and love" are God's image in us, in whose fold our existence
is formed, establishing our spiritual essence, through our sonship in the
Father's kingdom. In this regard, Fr. Matta says: "This was the most delicate, and most significant, stage of my
life; the most fertile, and most profound, perception of God, truth, freedom
and love, started in-dwelling my heart as a reaction to my supplications and
tears...." 1
Whoever
seeks freedom will inevitably be confronted with racism and fanaticism. In this
respect, our Lord Christ said: "It
is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his
master." (Matthew 10:25) The day Youssef went to
the monastery, he decided to deny himself, carry his cross and follow his
Master. He followed Him down a barren, narrow, path, towards freedom, that
would enable him to offer love and good to all - including enemies. Just as
Christ's struggle with racism and fanaticism led Him to the cross, Fr. Matta
met with confrontations, abuse and defamations, none of which he had instigated.
In his autobiography, Fr. Matta explains
his rejection of fanaticism, during his meeting with the Sunday School servants
[3].
The latter eventually became leaders, directing ecclesiastic thought during the
second half of the twentieth century. Despite decisive disagreements with them,
he never clashed with anyone. One feature characterizing freedom and civilized
thinking was his acceptance of opposing views; rather than wasting time
objecting to frozen ideas, he offered his unbridled views with ease and
clarity, to all takers, and to whoever valued freedom in Christ Jesus - Who
never forced anyone to follow Him, rather, He said, "Whoever desires to come
after Me,...." (Mark 8:34) Following Christ is not an obligation;
rather, it is a calling to the freedom which eludes those shackled by
fanaticism. Fr. Matta perceived this freedom and, accordingly, followed his
Master carrying the cross.
This man's history bears images of
violent struggles that were imposed on him; he faced them all by accepting the
cross, with all meekness, wisdom and strength of spirit - nothing swayed him
from his goal. The man's genius was his principal problem; but it also made him
so popular, that all who met him loved him, and appreciated his talents and
colossal capabilities. He excelled in several domains and became loved by all.
Everyone who met him testified in his favour; this included Christians, Muslims
and foreigners of all cultures, religions and nationalities, as well as
Christian and Muslim workers at the monastery. He also earned the admiration of
Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox scholars and theologians. He represented the
free, open, and impartial thinking. This openness, though, did not affect his
untainted theological views, which remained steadfastly anchored in the
Gospel's truth.
The popularity he acquired through
people's love for him drove him twice to the top of the list of nominees for
the papacy; he neither sought nor desired this. For this reason, those having
personal ambitions and greed united against him. They knew that his removal was
necessary for them to aspire to high positions in the Church. His opponents
therefore joined forces to fight the humble man who would not defend himself!
His genius brought upon him all sorts of hardships and struggles - which he
faced with the Gospel's word of truth. In this way, he offered practical
witnessing to the power of the word of God, while offering history a live testimony
to mankind's ability to live through the word of God - through the power and
meekness of Christ. Hardships were thus reduced to relief, resistance became
witnessing for the truth, and struggles turned to triumph and testimony for the
word of God! The oppressive fight which prevented him from attaining the
papacy, facilitated his abundant production, which added his name to the
immortal list of those forming mankind's heritage.
Internal
freedom is the image of God in man, through which man becomes an ingenious
creator; it is the source of all intellectual and spiritual innovation. Each
creative work starts, and is nurtured, through spiritual freedom. Whoever
enjoys freedom is unable to contain the creative energy emanating from him,
realizing his human existence in God.
This
is the freedom through which Fr. Matta's spiritual intellect enriched the
Arabic language section of the Coptic library, after it had languished in
sterile, antiquated, ideas, intermingled with incompatible imported views. In
addition to countless articles and recorded sermons, Fr. Matta published more
than 180 books; these not only resulted in a complete renewal of Coptic
ecclesiastic thought, but also opened up the Coptic Church's windows, allowing
the currents of reform to sweep through its branches. Those writings, devoid of
fanaticism, were embraced by Protestants, Catholics and Orthodox alike - even
Muslims liked them. His logic spread throughout the four corners of the world
and his writings were translated into more than fifteen languages [4].
Fr. Matta's writings demonstrate his love for the Holy Bible, and his perfect
understanding of the mystery of Christ. His writings concerning the Holy Bible
alone represent a complete spiritual, intellectual, scientific and literary
encyclopædia.
Fr.
Matta's "Interpretation of the
Gospel according to Saint John" was the object of admiration by so
many, that it attracted three of Egypt's Muslim Arabic literary scholars: Drs.
Nasr Hamed Abu-Zeid, Gaber 'Assfour and Hoda Wassfy. Upon reading his book,
they sought a meeting with him to probe his outstanding intellect further.
After
their meeting, they recorded the following impression:
"It is
incumbent on us to testify that this man is an orator of the first degree. Not
only is he an excellent attentive listener, but he is also an eloquent, humble
and quiet speaker. His meekness is that of scholars, and he has the confidence
of those who have attained the highest levels of credence. He listened to us,
and interacted with us, aspiring to bring us into his world, and to elevate our
spirits to the peak of his convictions. Our quest to engage this man in a
debate stemmed from a deep respect for his person, and from our appreciation of
the significance of his intellectual achievements, which he crowned with his
interpretation, in two large volumes, of Saint John's Gospel. Our return,
following the debate, was that of those who triumphantly reaped a harvest of
which we had never dreamt. The man's stature in person, in achievements, and in
humility, far exceeds all our imaginations." [5]
The
writings of Fr. Matta were also characterized by their inclusivity. As much as
they were rich in spiritual and intellectual content, they also included the
latest scientific ideas and discoveries. While his evangelic writings present
deep theological thoughts, they also includes patristic spiritual teachings, as well as views of contemporary scholars - all
in a splendid spiritual mold.
He
consulted thousands of references, which leads us to wonder how, during his
limited lifespan, he managed to study and analyze such a huge number of books. In
turn, this capability aided in his production of the large number of books,
previously mentioned. His mastery of the ancient Greek and Hebrew languages and
etymology facilitated his transfer, to the Arabic language, of the original
thought and intent of the Holy Bible. His full absorption of the history and
circumstances surrounding the text, enabled him to synthesize the biblical
facts, and accentuate them vividly to the reader. This provided our generation
the opportunity of reading the Holy Bible, as though we were reading it in its
original languages.
Fr.
Matta's writings are neither a simple resultant of his readings, nor an
accumulation of information and scientific data for enriching the mind; rather,
his mystic writings flow more from his free spirit than his intellect. They
comprise his personal experience of the mysteries of the Spirit, from Whose
spring he drank, and which burst with richly flowing rivers of living water.
When he read, he was motivated solely by his spirit's thirst for knowing
Christ; he found Him in all that is truth. Not everyone who reads what he read,
can write what he wrote; that was simply an overflow of the spirit's freedom,
inspired by Divine wisdom.
Also
his writings are characterized by being programmatic; each page of his books
includes proclamation of the mysteries of salvation, through Christ Jesus,
offered unconditional to all. While, the message of salvation is offered to
each reader personally, the mystery of the body of Christ assembles all in the
"Immortal Church," His royal temple, built in Him as living stones,
and present in Him before the Father, at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
Through
variations of style in his writings, Fr. Matta managed to cover the study of both
Testaments of the Holy Bible, interpretation and meditation. Having completed
all his studies, he found himself still thirsting for the richness of the word.
Drinking from the springs of the word of life expands the soul. Consequently,
Fr. Matta started meditating on selected biblical verses; from this avalanche
he left us a book in four volumes entitled "With
Christ..." He continued to record his meditations until his last
breath. He yielded his blessed soul on 8th June, 2016.
Salutations
to the man of liberty, on the tenth anniversary of his departure from our world
to the heavenly glories.
Remember
us, dear father, before Christ.
Fouad
Naguib Youssef
[5] the magazine "Al-Balagha Al-Muquarna"
(comparative eloquence), issue #12. This article was also published in "Akhbar El-Youm" newspaper,
issue #676, 25th June, 2006
