Fr. Mina Abood

Learning to Walk the Path of Sainthood: Father Mina Abood

In every generation, there are servants that live quiet lives that reflect the powerful love of God. Although we will never know many of these saints’ stories, through God’s grace we came to know the beautiful life of Fr. Mina Abood. Through his life of humility, prayer, and service, Abouna Mina shows us that the calling for sainthood is not reserved for a select few—it is for allof us. It is a calling given to every Christian that is willing to listen. No one shows this to us more than Abouna Mina Abood, a man who had a wife, two daughters, and a whole congregation to live for. Yet when given the opportunity, he chose to sacrifice all his earthly connections to be rejoined with Christ. His story is a pure example of how a deep love for Christ is the true foundation of a life of holiness.

Father Mina Abood, born Salib Abood Sharoubim, was raised by Christian parents with a deep love and appreciation for Christ and the church. During his early life, he dedicated his time to learning church hymnology and developed a passion for serving the church through teaching hymns to the youth. His love for Coptic hymnology led him to opening a school in Alexandria to help teach the youth as much as he could. He later married a woman named Mariam Milad Iskander and had two daughters with her. On March 3, 2012, he was ordained a priest to serve at the Church of St. Mina in Al-Masaeed, El-Arish in North Sinai. At this time, the Sinai Peninsula was experiencing rising violence from Muslim extremist militant groups, particularly from local jihadist organizations that frequently carried out violent attacks in the region. One day after celebrating the Divine Liturgy, Father Mina was ambushed and brutally attacked by these armed militants and became a martyr. His story continues to inspire faith and resilience to all who hear his life.

Although we easily become attached to his story because of his martyrdom, Father Mina was living a life of sainthood long before this moment. Something Abouna Mina would repeat often is “My true home is in heaven.” And this statement is what framed his life and his goals. We often fixate on our worldly shortcomings and even go as far to blame God for what we lack. But what we often forget, and what Abouna Mina constantly reminded himself of, is that Christ already made the ultimate sacrifice for us. He already died for our sins, and instead of realizing the value and weight of this, we often try to quantify God’s love for us in the small things like how many worldly successes he gives us. This is the difference between us and Fr. Mina. Whereas he constantly reminded himself of his true purpose and revolved his life around Christ, we tend to revolve our lives around the world and try to fit God’s purpose for us somewhere in there. This mentality difference is what often keeps us from following a life of sainthood.

The Apostle Paul writes, “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). This verse reflects the heart of Abouna Mina’s life and what ultimately gave him the strength to become the great Saint we know him as today. He was never fixated on the comfort of the world but instead the eternity of life with God. Even while fulfilling his duties as a husband and father, he made God the center of his life. He understood that holiness was not limited to those living in the solitude of a monastery, and that through prioritizing godliness he became the best priest, father, and husband he could be to those who depended on him.

In A Spring in Sinai, we learn that Abouna Mina consistently encouraged those around him to grow spiritually. He reminded them that earthly life is temporary and that every struggle has eternal value when offered to God. His constant reminder that “my true home is in heaven” reflected his belief that life’s purpose is preparation for eternity. His example of holiness in the midst of a corrupt world made him even more of a light to those around him. We tend to reserve the journey of sainthood to a select few and forget that pursuing this path within the world of corruption is exactly what Christ called us to do.

This also teaches us that spiritual growth requires intentional effort. Without setting aside time for God and service, we cannot dream of receiving our reward in heaven. Father Mina continually sought closeness with God even throughout the hardships and tribulations he faced. Despite his struggles in supporting a congregation in the midst of war-torn Sinai, he never forgot that God was the source of his strength.

We clearly see his faith and resilience in his martyrdom, but we overlook his show of faith in the little things. Maybe it makes us more comfortable to believe that the life of struggling for Christ is not for us. That we cannot possibly follow in the footsteps of the apostles and disciples that came before us. But Father Mina shows us that this is not true. The truth becomes clear when we look at the entirety of his life – the calling of sainthood is for us all.

Although this calling can scare us, Father Mina’s life also goes to show that his endurance during difficult times was a result of immense trust in God and not due to his own strength. His repeated statement, “my true home is in heaven,” gave him strength during times of suffering. It reminded him that earthly pain is temporary and that eternal joy awaits those who remain faithful. Suffering on our own only leads to despair and failure. Suffering, when coupled with communion with Christ leads to spiritual growth and a life of peace amidst chaos.

There is no stronger testament to Father Mina’s message than the impact he had on his wife, even after passing. After his death, his spiritual influence continued to guide his life even in the midst of her grief. Rather than being despaired, she allowed God to transform her sorrow into deeper commitment to the faith. His life remains alive in her heart, and has allowed her to travel beyond her home and share her husband’s story with the world. This is the greatest testimony to how a person’s holiness can extend far beyond their life. Through Father Mina’s faith, he was able to encourage his wife to persevere in prayer, who in turn shares her husband’s beautiful story with the world.

This reflects Christ’s words: “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do” (John 14:12). Abouna Mina’s faith did not end with his death but continued to inspire an innumerable number of people to follow in his footsteps.

May his life challenge us to see that sainthood is not distant or unattainable. Let us examine our own hearts and priorities: do we truly respond to the call of Christ? Are we prioritizing eternal life over temporary comforts? Holiness does not come from grand gestures or fame, but from a quiet life of consistent love and sacrifice. Although we may never reach the fame or impact of Father Mina, we should strive to follow in his footsteps and fix our eyes to our true home in heaven.