A Whisper of Love

is the title of one of the poems which His Holiness Pope Shenouda III (1923-2012), the 117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of Saint Mark, wrote in his cell during his solitary life as a monk in the Monastery of the Virgin Saint Mary in Egypt, 1961.

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III loved poetry since his youth, and besides being a prolific author, was also an accomplished poet. In this booklet, you will find a collection of his poems, prayers and words of wisdom, for those who desire a glimpse into the heart and mind of this dearly beloved father and shepherd, who was loved by millions, Christians and non-Christians alike.

CONTENTS

Introduction 6

That Garment 

A Stranger 

The Gates of Hades 

Heroes 

This Vine 

The Hymn of Barabbas 

Arise! 

Shut the Door and Reason 

A Father You Are 

Feelings 

A Whisper of Love 

How Can I Forget? 

I Drenched My Couch

O Star 

At Your Feet 

I Love You, Lord 

Wandering in an Estrangement 

Our Father Abba Anthony 

No One but You 

For the New Year 

For Repentance 

You Alone 

On God’s Greatness 

Remember 

On Prayer 

On God 

On Others 

On Self 

Sample of the Poem (first verse)

This Vine, my Master

Your right hand has planted

From a thorn on the edge of Your forehead

It has sprouted

By Your scarlet Blood and streams of tears

It has been watered

Tended by Your pure love

Of Your tenderness it has tasted

In the Paradise of Faith it grew

Living and in You trusting

And continued to bear to the Copts

The fruits of Your atonement

This Vine, my Master

Your right hand has planted

Sample of a Prayer

“Lord, who is like You…?” (Psalm 35:10)

O Lord, I can find no Being but You

Who deals with me with kindness

and accepts me.

You are the One with Whom I feel secure,

to Whom I open my heart

and tell all my secrets

and explain to Him my weaknesses

knowing that He will not despise them,

but will have compassion on them.

You are the One before Whom

I pour out my tears

and declare my longings.

With You I feel that I am not alone

but I have a Power supporting me.

Without You, Lord, I feel that I am in emptiness

and can see no real existence for myself.

But with You, Lord, I yearn

for what is more sublime than matter,

the world and all that is therein.

Sample of Sayings

+ Your glory is in your personality, not in your position or authority or outer appearance. Your glory is in your essence, in your spirituality, in your nature, in your sense, in your wisdom, in all that is found within your heart of virtues and good qualities.

+ Strength of character is not an outward appearance but it proceeds from the depths of man: from his heart, his mind and his will.

+ The strong man is not the one who can overcome others, but the one who is victorious over himself.