Services at St Mary’s Church
Monday: Mass 9 - 11 am
Tuesday
Liturgy 5:30 - 7am
7:30pm The Way Orthodox Fellowship in Englisg for adults - All ages
Wednesday: Mass 9 – 11 am
6:30-8pm School of Deacons Adults
Arabic ; 7-8:15pm English (Zoom)
Hymns Class Arabic 8-9pm (Zoom)
Thursday
Mass 9 - 11 am - English
English Midnight Praises 7:30pm
English Bible Study 7:30pm
Friday: Mass Mass 9 – 11 am
Youth 25 and above 7-9pm
Family Meeting 7-9pm (fortnightly)
Discipleship Clas Class 7-8:30pm
Year 10-12 Sunday School 6-9pm
Saturday: Mass: 8:30 – 11am
Sunday School 4 – 5.30pm
Vespers & youth meeting 7-8:30pm
English
Vespers &Bible Study Arabic 5:307pm
Scouts 1:30 - 3pm
School of Deaconsgip 3 - 4pm
Sunday:
1st Mass6 - .7:45am Arabic & Eng-
lish
2nd Mass.7:45 – .9:30am English
3rd Mass 9:30 - 11:15am Arabic
Hymns Class - English 11:4512:30pm
Church Priests:
Fr Tadros Sharobeam 0414251251
Email: frtadros@me.com
Fr Habib Girgis Younan:
0401238177 – 94498871
Email: habibgirgisyounan@hotmail. com
Fr Michael Salib: 0422431821
Email: frmichael@sac.edu.au
Church Address: 5 Epsom Rd., Kens-
ington Vic 3031 Tel: 93766651
Fr Kerillos Tawadros
0411 518 399
Fr John Macary 0433 445 636
The Departure of St. Barsoma, the “Naked”. 10th September - 5th Nsie
On this day also, in the year 133 A.M., the great saint who was perfect in the love of God, Anba Barsoma the “Naked” (El-Erian), departed. He was born in Misre (Cairo). His father called El-Wageeh Moufdel, was the scribe of the Queen “Shagaret El-dor”, and his mother was from the family of El-Taban. When his parents departed, his uncle took possession of all that they had left. Barsoma did not quarrel with him but forsook the world and lived the life of the righteous hermits. He lived outside the city for five years suffering the harshness of the summer heat and the winter cold. He wore no clothing except a hairy sackcloth, following the example of the Saint Anba Paul )Anba Paula(, the first hermit. Then he shut himself in a cave inside the church of St. Marcurius Abu-Saifain for twenty years in ceaseless prayer and fasting, by day and night.
There was a huge serpent in that cave. When he entered the cave and saw this serpent, he cried saying, “O my Lord Christ, the Son of the Living God, who gave us the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and every power of the enemy. You granted healing to the children of Israel, who were bitten by the serpents, when they looked to the brass serpent. Now I look to you, O You Who was hanged on the Cross, so that you might grant me power to be able to overcome this beast.” Then he made the sign of the cross over himself, and moved toward the serpent saying, “You trampled the serpent and the snakes, and You tread upon the lion and the dragon. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?” Then he said to the serpent, “O blessed one stand still in your place,” and then he made the sign of the cross over it. He prayed to God and asked Him to remove the beastly nature from it. As he finished his prayer, the serpent changed its nature and became tame. The saint said to the serpent, “Henceforth, O blessed one, you shall not have power or might to harm any man, but you shall be subject and obedient to what I say to you.” The serpent manifested signs of submission and obedience, and became with the saint as the lion was with Daniel, the prophet, in the din. Then he left the cave and lived on the roof of the church. He endured the summer heat and the winter cold, until his skin became dark from much worship and asceticism. He remained in this state for fifteen years.
During his days, a great persecution befell the Christian nation. The churches were shut and the Christians were forced to wear blue turbans. As for
this saint, the ruler seized him, severely smote him, then cast him in prison. When he was released, he went to the monastery of El-Shahran, where he lived on the roof of the church and he increased in his asceticism. He did not replace his white turban. The rulers of that time from princes, judges and others, visited him and saw his white turban, but no one dared to force him to wear a blue one for they knew that the power of God was with him. The saint continually asked and supplicated God to take his anger away from His people. Having completed his strife, he departed at a good old age, in the year 133 A.M. He was then sixty years old, and was buried in the monastery of El-Shahran. May his prayers be with us. Amen.
The Departure of the Righteous Amos, the Prophet. This day also marks, the departure of the righteous prophet Amos, one of the twelve minor prophets. He prophesied in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam the son of Joash, King of Israel. God had sent him to the children of Israel to caution them and advise them to bear fruit that befits repentance before the coming of the day of vengeance. He prophesied concerning the passion of the Lord and the darkness of the sun on that day. He also prophesied concerning the lamentation and sorrow which should come upon the children of Israel after this, how their festivals should be turned into days of sorrow, and their joy into weeping; how they should lack the help of God, and how they should hunger and thirst through the lack of teaching and knowledge, how they should be scattered in all countries among the nations. And all these things were fulfilled upon them. It was said that this prophet was killed because of his harsh rebuke for their sins. This prophet lived about eight hundred years before the advent of the Lord Christ. May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Feast of El-Nayrouz
12th September - 1st Tote 1740
(Beginning of the Blessed Coptic Year). Today is the beginning of the blessed Coptic year. It is necessary to keep it a holy day with full purity and chastity. Let us start a new demeanor as St. Paul the Apostle says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:17-18) And Isaiah the Prophet says, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the meek; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Isaiah 61:1-2) And David the Prophet
says, “You crown the year with Your goodness; and Your paths drip with abundance.” (Psalms 65:11)
We ask our God to keep us without sin and help us to act according to His will with the intercessions of the pure Saint Mary, all the Martyrs and Saints. Amen.
The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist.
13th September - 2nd Tote
On this day, the forerunner and great prophet, St. John the Baptist, son of Zacharias the priest, was martyred by the order of King Herod. When St. John rebuked Herod because of Herodias, the wife of his brother Phillip whom he had taken as a wife, he said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” (Mark:6:18) Herod seized the Saint and cast him into prison; however, he feared John. An opportune day came when Herod, on his birthday, gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers and the chief men of Galilee. And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced and pleased Herod. He promised her anything she might ask for, even as much as half of his kingdom. She went to her mother and asked her, “What shall I ask?” Her mother said, “Ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” When Herod heard this, he was exceedingly sorry. But because of his promise and those who were sitting with him, he did not want to refuse her request. He therefore commanded his servants to cut off the head of Saint John and they gave it to the damsel and the damsel gave it to her mother. (Mark 6:20-28) There was great consternation that day, and their joy soon turned into sorrow.
It was said that when the holy head of St. John was cut off, it flew up off their hands into the air, and it cried out saying, “It is not right for you to take your brother’s wife.” It is also said that the head now is present at Homs in Syria.
As of the holy body, the disciples of St. John took it and laid it in a grave until the days of Pope Athanathius, when God Willed to uncover his body. His blessings be with us all. Amen.
The Martyrdom of Saint Sophia 15th September - 5th Tote
On this day, St. Sophia, was martyred. She used to go to church with her Christian neighbors, so she became a believer in the Lord Christ. Longing to become Christian, she went to the Bishop of Manf. He baptized her in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Thereupon an accusation of becoming a Christian was brought against her before Claudianus, the Governor. The governor brought her, and questioned her. She confessed and did not deny her faith. He tortured her with many tortures. He whipped her, then burned her joints; however, she went on crying out, saying, “I am a Christian.” The governor commanded to have her tongue cut off and then returned her to
prison.
He sent his wife to her to dissuade her, and promise her with many rewards. When she would not be dissuaded, he commanded to have her head cut off. She prayed a long prayer and asked God to forgive the governor and his soldiers for what they had done to her. Then she bowed her head down and the executioner cut off her neck.
A Christian woman paid much money to the soldiers, took her pure body, and wrapped it with costly shrouds. She placed the body in her house and many signs were manifested through it. On her feast day, very bright lights and incense came out of her holy and pure body.
When the righteous Emperor Constantine heard the story of Saint Sophia, he carried her holy body to the city of Constantinople. He built a great cathedral and placed the body in. Her blessing and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
+ Feast of Nayrouz:
Tuesday 12th September 2023 1st Tote 1740 is the Feast of Nayrouz. It is the beginning of the Coptic year 1740. It is the commemoration of our fathers the martyrs. This calendar started in the year 284 AD. It is the year when Emperor Diocletian was enthroned. His era was the hardest in persecuting the Christians. The church has chosen this year to be the start of our Coptic Calendar. Almost every day of the Coptic year there is a commemoration for one or more of the martyrs. They represent the Victorious Church whom we look upon to take example of them and their conduct. They followed the Lord carrying their Cross. They even offered their own blood to keep the faith for us pure and intact. So also, it is our duty to preserve this treasured faith to hand it to generation to come without any blemish even if we have of offer our life as a price. They are looking upon us encouraging us to continue regardless of any difficulties.
The church prays in the joyful tune in the period of 12th – 28th September up to the feast of Holy Cross. May the Lord grant us the blessings of these wonderful days of Nayrouz.
Liturgy for Feast of Nayrouz Tues 5 - 7am
Contemplation on the Gospel reading of Sunday of the blessed month of Nasie
Matthew 24: 3 – 35
“and unless these days were shortened, no flesh would be saved”)22( )
The disciples wanted to know when the end of times is and what are signs of the second coming of the Lord. The Lord told them this day and hour no one knows. The Lord for His love to them gave them signs of the end of times to be alert and not to be deceived. Last week we discussed signs such as the spread of offences and hatred even among the close people which are also signs for martyrdom for the sake of Christ. One of the main signs which a Christian person should notice is the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place. Also the appearance of the false prophets. These signs are connected to each other. How easy for a person to be deceived by these teachings which permits the life of sin and defilement with no limits or boundary. There will be many who will try to convince the sinners to follow this way. This is the abomination od desolation which many of this world teachers will carry and try to place in the holy place where it should not be. Many strange ideologies started to infiltrate into churches and became subject of teaches for the false teachers such as modernism, materialism and dissoluteness.
+ False Messiahs
Those false Messiahs talk to us about modernism. The want us to match the new world trends. They call it “openness”. They accuse our church of being backward rigid and locked up in its past and cannot deal with new worldly trends. Many western churches have fallen to this trap and they started to get out of their original traditions and to wear the new apparels of this age. It is a losing way to get over their failure to make up for what they lost of pure spiritual life. They are aiming to gain more popularity and acceptance by young people. Their logic was to offer the people what they like by attracting them through this world trends. They introduced the world to the church to attract world people to the church.
Martin Luther thought that he is going to reform the old Catholic Church. In his process of reformation, he committed very serious errors of judgements. He decided to demolish all old traditions and renew everything. He rejected Priesthood,
traditions and rituals. He found that he has to start again with no roots in total vacuum relying only on his own interpretation and understanding of the Bible overlooking all the fathers teachings. After almost 500 years they are still confused and unsettled as they were divided to hundreds of cults and groups leading to many heresies. They failed to attract real worshipers. As they cannot offer real spiritual nourishments people pf the world left them behind back to the world. One of the ancient apostolic churches tried to make spiritual life easier and more approachable. They shortened the fastings and even cancelled many of them. Liturgical services became quite short and fast. You do not need abstain except for very short time before communion. It became like a take away liturgy. Why all of this?? They say people feel bored of long services or sermons. People today do everything in a haste. It is enough to offer them just a glimpse or outside skin of spiritual life. People do not experience the real depth of life in Christ anymore. They actually die spiritually before they die physically. Many cannot find any satisfaction or fulfilment in their old churches. They also offended by the trendy spirit of these churches and they flee for lack of spirituality and fulfilment. Today there are always other institutions and groups which call themselves modern and embraced many of the odd and strange habits. Strange enough some of them have very strict code of dress and behaviour accompanied with many open improper relationships. The real solution was to get into the depths of knowledge of God. Lost souls in this world are seeking this spiritual nourishment. Many today are calling the old churches to introduce the new systems of management to our churches and run the churches as companies and clubs or social institutions. This way the church servants become mangers and board members and get themselves busy managing companies and organising social activities. Gradually the church will lose its spiritual character and get deviated away from its main goal. They start to throw away the
cross and carry world means and mottos. We forget the fact that we cannot compete the world in the worldly matters. The world people are better equipped to run their world. We are equipped only to carry the cross and lead others to follow the world. The world cannot compete in this direction. What do you want from the church? Do you want the church to organise social activities and clubs to spend time and socialize with others? Or do you really want the church to the rescuing ark which can carry you away from the flood of materialism and atheism. Do you want church teachers who are wearing the attire of the false messiah or false prophets deceiving you with their smooth tongues and misleading teachings or you want the teacher who leads you into the path of the Cross who consider the reproach of Christ greater richness than the treasures of this world.
+ False prophets
Those false prophets teach things which are strange to the Lord’s commandments. They tend to explain on a materialist basis not spiritual. They are so different. Jews managed to break many of the Lord commandments through twisted interpretations. They relieve a person serving his parents on the basis that his possessions became a Korban (Gift) to the temple. Then has no duty to offer any assistance to them. They could twist the commandment of keeping the Sabbath in a way that you can do some work without breaking the commandment. People can twist the commandment of loving the enemy and forgiving those who hurt you in a way which suit their circumstances and wishes. They convince themselves to break God’s rules without guilty conscience. Be careful you can meet people carrying the Bible under their arms, but they teach unbiblical ideas. They can teach immoral and ideas full of hatred and sexual immorality and impurity and get false support from their bibles. They extract deviated and uncompleted verses to suit their goals even to deny the Deity of Christ and the Holy Sacraments. They tell you what pleases you emotionally
offering an easy way with no effort or struggle to sort out your issues. Be careful and watch any such teaching. Measure every teaching to the real spirit of the Holy Bible and what the Lord and the church fathers have taught us about true pure love, peace, holiness, purity and our main faith in redemption and salvation. The Bible taught us that we do not deal with those who come to us with different teaching than what the Lord taught us through His Apostles. Do not pollute your thoughts with strange philosophies or strange teachings and discussions.
+ to deceive if possible even the elect
Avoid those who do not proclaim our Lord Jesus Christ as God. The world is their God. They call for dissoluteness under the banner of modernism and materialism. The mock the life of purity and chastity. They started to proclaim sexual immoralities as normal. Some of the churches today allow the homosexuals to partake of the sacraments and even to be ordained as priests or bishops. The Holy Bible clearly condemns these actions strongly in Old and New Testament. Dear beloved “Do not remove the ancient landmark Which your fathers have set”. (Proverbs 22: 28). “Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.” (Rev 3: 11). How long you falter between the two opinions. (1Kings 18: 21). Do not be lukewarm and neither cold nor hot. The Lord says that I would vomit you out of my mouth. (Rev 3:15). Do not be deceived by these strange teachings. Hold to your fathers and church teachings. Keep your Baptism garment pure without blemish not stained by this world sins. Be strong and don not be shaken by every wave. Hold strong to the end. The Lord has shortened these days for the elect. He who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:13)
INTRODUCTION - Book of Revelation - Fr Tadros Malaty
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BOOK
The Holy Bible began with the Book of Genesis that proclaimed the endless love of God towards man. He created everything for him, bestowed authority upon him and granted him that much dignity. Yet the scene soon changed and the picture was distorted. Man appeared leaving Paradise expelled, degraded and bearing upon his shoulders the bitter crime of mutiny. He was afraid to meet with God and escaped from the divine justice.
But thanks be to God who did not leave man to live in this way aroused by sin. He concluded His Bible by the Book of Revelation giving us a joyous picture; an open gate in heaven, an eternal Paradise awaiting humanity, divine bosom hastening towards mankind, heavenly harps, joy and heavenly wedding for man.
What a delightful and splendid book that is appropriate for every believer to hold, keep at heart, meditate on, and constantly repeat day and night. It is the book of hope, victory and praise; entirely, the book of heaven.
1. THE BOOK OF HOPE
Whoever reads the Book of Revelation discovers what the Christian worship actually is. It is not just duties to be carried out, rituals to be performed or orders to be observed, but one sees through all that the invisible divine hands hurrying towards him to receive him, embrace him and raise him up to heavens where he lives as a partner in the eternal glory.
Whoever tastes the Book of Revelation, no matter how much his fasts are, how long his prayers are, his kneelings, asceticism, depravation, suffering and his everyday crucifixion; they all turn to unspeakable joy and happiness. Through this book, one is dazzled by the love that binds the Creator with His creation, the victorious with the strugglers, and the heavenly with the human. Thus one forgets about every pain or hardship for the sake of this everlasting love.
2. THE BOOK OF VICTORY
When the soul enters into the Book of Revelation as a bride visiting her Bridegroom’s heaven she sees a wonderful Paradise and a startling glory prepared to receive her. There she becomes a friend of the Bridegroom. She accompanies His servants and she falls in love in the heavenly atmosphere of joy and sweetness. At that time she will not fear the slyness of her enemy “Satan,” or get disturbed by him because she will recognize the power of her Bridegroom, His plans, disposals and intentions towards her.
3. THE BOOK OF PRAISE
When the believer spends some time secretly in escape from the outer and inner voices to enter in calmness and silence with the Bridegroom into the book, there he hears hymns of praise and learns the language of unceasing praise.
It is beautiful in that the believer does not listen to unknown hymns, but feels that he had learnt it before at his mother’s house “the Church,” when he listens to the “hymn of Moses,” the “Lamb’s hymn” and the hymn of the “Sanctification.” These and others, the church trains every heart on, unceasingly, as we shall see.
4. THE BOOK OF HEAVEN
When the believer forgets all that’s on around him withdraws from amongst the earthly treasures and enters into the Book of Revelation, he gets dazzled by the treasures he sees. He will see heavenly glories, words cannot describe. He will see precious stones, crowns and white robes. Therefore the heart settles there and refuses to belittle itself again by getting involved in earthly distractions. One will sell all his pearls to acquire the one pearl of great price2.
THE WRITER OF THE BOOK
The early Church unanimously agreed that the writer of the Book is St. John the Evangelist3. This was proven by the following:
I. The writings of the early Church attribute the book to him4.
II. He was the apostle considered by the churches of Asia Minor mentioned in the book.
III. History5 assures us that John the beloved was exiled by the Emperor Domitian to Pat-
mos Island where the apostle beheld his revelation (1:9 ).
IV. Although the theme of his book differs from the Gospel according to St. John, some typical words occurred in both books but not in the others, like “the Word, the Lamb, the Victory...” also the word ‘truth’ was repeated in both books.
V. The apostle did not hide his name, but mentioned it frankly four times in this book. This is because he is talking about prophecies. In order to trust in them we need to know the writer whom God had inspired with. Yet he did not mention his name in his Gospel nor in the three epistles, out of humbleness.
PLACE OF WRITING OF THE BOOK
In a small and rocky island lies about 25 miles far from the shores of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) called Patmos, and is now called ‘Patino,’ and is about 10 miles long and 6 wide, where the apostle wrote this Book during his exile (1:9)6.
Some scholars think that he recorded the revelation he saw in his exile when he returned to Ephesus. There is no proof to support this opinion, especially that he was ordered to write what he saw without delay (1:10,11).
On this island there is a cave that the inhabitants call the apostle’s residence during his exile.
TIME OF WRITING THE BOOK
The majority believe that it was written after the destruction of Jerusalem, about the year 95 A.D. St. Irenaeus7 says that this revelation was proclaimed at the end of Domitian’s reign.
THE CONCERN OF THE CHURCH WITH THE BOOK
In spite of what the heretics as Marcion stirred up with regards of the canonity of this book yet we find that the Church gives it a special care since the early centuries. Therefore some fathers explained it and some wrote articles about it, among them Justin the Martyr, Irenaeus, Hippolytus8, Melito, Victorinus9, Dionysius of Alexandria, Methodios, Basil the Great, Gregory of Naznianzus, Cyril the Great and Gennadius.
THE DIFFICULTY OF THE BOOK
The interpretation of the Book of Revelation is considered a difficult task for the following reasons:
1. Its being a prophetic book (22:7). It is the only prophetic book in the New Testament.
2. Its prophesies about spiritual heavenly facts that cannot be expressed by human languages, therefore it came in numbers, symbols, colors and similes.
3. It talks about matters that the faithful does not have to understand the details of its secrets, because if he knows about the times, he would get lazy and hopeless. And if he does not know about the hardships he might face during his struggle, he would also fall victim to despair. The Book of Revelation therefore presents to us the events with the amount that makes the heart burn with fervor, and get filled with hope without being concerned with the times or even curious to know about the future events.
4. Its words bear profound meanings in front of which the church fathers stood in amazement.
St. Jerome10 wrote to Fr. Paulinus, bishop of Nola, saying: [The secrets of the Book of Revelation are as numerous as its words, each word bears a secret. Still this is little compared to the high honor of this book, that in fact every praise is counted insignificant, because every word carries many meanings. In this book I praise what I understand and what I do not understand.]
Pope Dionysius of Alexandria says: [...having formed an idea of it as a composition exceeding my capacity of understanding, I regard it as containing a kind of hidden and wonderful intelligence on the several subjects which come under it. For though I cannot comprehend it, I still suspect that there is some deeper sense underlying the words. And I do not measure or judge its expressions by the standard of my own reason, but, making more allowance for faith, I have simply regarded them too lofty for my comprehension; and I do not forthwith reject what I do not been able to discern its important11.]
St Mary’s Coptic
Orthodox College
Divine Liturgy
on Thursday 31st
August 2023
Blessed Engagement
Stephen Awad & Marina Mohareb
Saturday 2nd Sep-
tember 2023
St Mary’s Church
Blessed Baptism
Baby Abigail )Mechaila)
Daughter of Immanuel & Rozit Kifle
Sunday 3rd September 2023
St Mary’s Church
Blessed Marriage
Ibram Nassief & Sarah Bardo
Saturday 2nd September 2023
St Mark’s Church
Construction of New Buildings started Thursday 28th April
The new Building is expected to be ready December 2023. church services are continuing as normal as in the Timetable inside the Bulletin. You can donate monthly contribution using Direct Debit forms available in the church or downloaded from church website.
Cost of building works is around $13,000,000. Your support and donations will be blessing and very appreciated. 2022
