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
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
Discipleship Clas Class 7-8:30pm
Saturday: Mass: 8:30 – 11am
Sunday School 4 – 5.30pm
Vespers & youth meeting 7-8:30pm English
Vespers &Bible Study Arabic 5:30-7pm
Scouts 1:30 - 3pm
School of Deaconsgip 3 - 4pm
Sunday:
1st Mass 6:30 - 8:30 Arabic & English
2nd Mass.8:30 - 10:30 English - St Mary’s
Church
3rd Mass 8:30 - 10:30 Arabic - St John’s
Chrysostom Church
Family Meeting fortnightly 11:30am
Hymns Class - English 11:45 - 12:30pm
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., Kensington Vic 3031 Tel: 93766651
Fr Kerillos Tawadros 0411 518 399
Fr John Makary 0433 445 636
The Martyrdom of St. Matthew the Evangelist. 22nd October - 12th Baba
On this day also, St. Matthew the Evangelist, was martyred. He was one of the Twelve Disciples and his name was Levi. He was the one sitting at the receipt of custom outside the city of Capernaum, when the Lord Christ said to him, “Follow Me.” He left all, rose up, and followed Him. He made for the Lord Christ a great feast in his own house. That made the Pharisees murmur against Him saying to His disciples, “Why do your teacher eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:27-32( He preached in the land of Palestine and Tyre and Sidon. Then he went to Ethiopia. He entered the city of priests and converted them to the knowledge of God. When he wished to enter the city, he met a young man who told him, “You will not be able to go in unless you shave off the hair of your head and carry palm branches in your hand.” He did as the young man told him. And, as he was thinking about that, the Lord Christ appeared to him in the form of the young man who had met him earlier, and after He encouraged and comforted him, disappeared. He realized that this young man was the Lord of Glory Himself. He then entered the city as one of its priests. He went to the temple of Apollo and found the high priest, and talked with him concerning the idols that they were worshipping. He explained to him how those idols did not hear or sense anything and how the true Mighty Lord is He who created the Heaven and Earth. The Lord made through him a wonder: a table came down to them from Heaven and a great light shone around them. When Hermes the priest saw this wonder, he asked him, “What is the name of your God?” The apostle replied, “My God is the Lord Christ.” Hermes, the priest, believed in Christ and many people followed him. When the Governor of the city knew that, he ordered them burned. It happened at that time that the son of the Governor died. St. Matthew the Apostle prayed and made supplications to God to raise the son and the Lord answered him and raised the child from death. When the Governor saw that, he and the rest of the people of the city believed. St. Matthew baptized them and ordained a bishop and priests, and built a church for them. After he had preached in other countries, he went back to Jerusalem. Some of the Jews which had been preached to, and had believed and been baptized by him, asked him to write down what he had preached to them. He wrote the beginning of the Gospel attributed to him in the Hebrew language but he did not complete it. It was said that he finished it during his preaching in India, in the first year of the reign of Claudius and the ninth year of the Ascension. His martyrdom was consummated by stoning by the hands of Justus the Governor, and his body was buried in Carthage of Caesarea by some believers, in a holy place. His prayers be with us. Amen.
The Departure of St. Philip, One of the Seven Deacons
24th October - 14th Baba
On this day, St. Philip, one of the Seven Deacons, departed. He was from Caesarea, Palestine. When the Lord Christ, to Him is the glory, went through this area, this saint heard Him teaching and followed Him immediately. When the Lord chose the 70
Disciples and sent them forth to preach and heal the sick, this disciple was one of them. The Twelve Apostles chose him as one of the Seven Deacons appointed to serve.
This Apostle preached in the cities of Samaria and baptized its people. He also baptized Simon the magician who perished when he tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit with money.
One day the angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, «Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.» He rose and went and behold a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, the Queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury and had come to Jerusalem to worship. As he was returning and sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the spirit said to Philip, «Go near and join this chariot.» So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah and said, «Do you understand what you are reading?»
And he said, «How can I, unless someone guides me?» And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. The place in the scripture which he read was this, «He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb before its shearer is silent. So He opened not his mouth. In His humiliation His justice was taken away. And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.»
So the eunuch answered Philip and said, «I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?»
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, «See, here is water; What hinders me from being baptized?» Then Philip said, if you believe with all your heart, you may.» And he answered and said, «I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.»
So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
(Acts 8:26-40(
He went around the az of Asia and preached the living Gospel there. He had four daughters who preached the word of God with him. He brought many of the Jews, the Samaritans and others to the faith, and departed in peace. His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God, forever. Amen.
The Martyrdom of Saint Panteleimon, the Physician 25th October - 15th Baba
On this day of the year 45 A.D., St. Panteleimon (Bandleamon(, who was from the city of Nicomedia, was martyred. His father worshipped idols but his mother was a Christian. They educated him well and taught him the profession of medicine. He met a priest whose name was Hermolaus (Armolas( who taught him the facts of the faith of the Lord Christ and baptized him. He reached a high standard of virtuous life. God wrought great wonders through him. Once, a blind man came to him to be treated by his medicine. He made the sign of the Cross over his eyes in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and his eyes were healed and he regained his vision completely. When the Emperor heard the news of his healing this blind man, he had the blind man brought to him and asked him about how his eyes were healed. He told him St. Panteleimon healed them
by laying his hand on them and by saying, «In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.» He confessed before the Emperor that he was a Christian, so the Emperor immediately had his neck cut off.
The Emperor ordered that St. Panteleimon be brought to him and asked him about his belief. He confessed that he was a Christian. He tried to persuade him by all means and promised him many things, but he would not change his confession. Then he shouted out to him and threatened to inflict upon him different kinds of tortures. But he did not move. The Emperor inflicted upon him severe tortures on different days, sometimes beating and suspending him and often times casting him into the sea or into the fire. The Lord Christ appeared to him in the form of Hermolaus, the priest who baptized him and taught him the facts of faith, to strengthen him, and walked with him as if He was sharing with him every punishment which befell him. Later on, the Emperor ordered to behead him. When St. Panteleimon went to the place of execution, he prayed to the Lord Christ and supplicated Him. He heard a voice from heaven announcing to him what had been prepared for him from heavenly joy. The soldiers also heard that voice and immediately believed. They went forth to the Emperor and confessed their faith in the Lord Christ. The Emperor ordered his men to cut off their necks, too, and they all received the crown of martyrdom. Their intercession be for us and Glory be to our God, forever. Amen.
The Departure of Abba Demetrius I, 12th Pope of Alexandria. On this day of the year 224 A.D., the pure and celibate father, the fighter of lusts, and the vanquisher of nature, Abba Demetrius I, 12th Pope of Alexandria, departed. This saint was an illiterate farmer, and was married. He lived with his wife 47 years until he was chosen a Patriarch. They did not know one another as married people, but remained throughout that period in their virginity and chastity, a fact which no one knew. When the departure of St. Yulianus, 11th Pope, drew near, the angel of the Lord appeared to St. Yulianus in a vision and told him about this saint and that he was to be the Patriarch after him. He gave him a sign saying, “Tomorrow a man shall come to you having a cluster of grapes, seize him and pray over him.” Then he woke from his sleep, he told the bishops and the priests who were with him about this vision. So it happened on the next day that St. Demetrius found a cluster of grapes that was out of season. He carried it to St. Yulianus, to receive his blessing. The father, the Patriarch, took him by the hand and told those who were present, “This is your Patriarch who will be after me.” Then he prayed over him; they held him and kept him until the departure of Abba Yulianus, whereupon they finished the prayers of ordination over him and he was filled with heavenly grace. The Lord enlightened his mind and he learned reading and writing. He studied the church books and their interpretations. Words of grace flew from his mouth when he preached. He established the reckoning of the Epacts, by which the dates of fasting were determined on a fixed basis. Christians used to fast the holy 40 days, Lent, right after the feast of Epiphany, as the Lord Christ fasted after His baptism. Then they fasted the Passion week separately, celebrating the Christian Passover on the Sunday that followed the Jewish Passover. Some of the Christians used to celebrate Easter on the fourteenth of Neesan (April( and that meant they celebrated with the Jews,
not recognizing that the Christian Passover was to be in memory of the Resurrection of the Lord Christ which was after the Mosaic Passover. For that reason, Pope Demetrius took interest in establishing a fixed bases for fasts and Christian holy days. He appended the Holy Fast to the Passion Week.
Pope Demetrius wrote in this respect to Agabius, Bishop of Jerusalem; to Maximus, Patriarch of Antioch; to the Patriarch of Rome and to others. All approved of it and continued to follow his rules up until the present. The Church of Rome deviated from that and followed, since the 16th century, the Gregorian Calendar. To the Popes of the Coptic Church was the prime credit in determining Easter Day; and they thus sent their Easter messages all over the world, so that the Christians would celebrate Easter on the same day forming a universal joy.
God was with Abba Demetrius because of his purity. God granted him a gift that after he finished the Liturgy and the people came forward to partake of the Holy Mysteries, he used to see the Lord Christ pushing forward with His Hand those who were worthy. But if one came forward who was not worthy of partaking of the Holy Communion, the Lord would reveal to the Pope his sins and the Pope would not allow him to partake of it until he confessed his sins. The Pope would admonish him for them and would say to him, “Turn away from your sin and repent, after that come and partake of the Holy Mysteries.” His flocks conduct was straightened during his time. Because he rebuked the sinners much, and urged them on repentance and purity, some of them murmured and said, “This man is married, how can he rebuke us?” The Lord Almighty wished to reveal to them his virtues, so the angel of the Lord came to him at night and told him, “O Demetrius, do not seek your salvation and let others be destroyed with their doubt.” The father asked him to clarify his statement and the angel told him, “You must reveal the mystery which is between yourself and your wife to the people that you might remove the doubt from them.” On the following morning, after he had celebrated the Divine Liturgy, he ordered the people not to leave the church. He took red-hot coal and placed it in his wife’s shawl and his pallium, then they went around in the church and their clothes did not burn. The people were amazed at this miracle. He told them that he and his wife did not know each other as married people. The doubt was removed from the people and they realized the purity of this father and his virginity. During his time, some opposing men appeared whose names were Aklemos, Origen, and Orianus and others who wrote forbidden books, so he excommunicated them. During the days of his papacy, he did not stop teaching and confirming the believers in the Orthodox Faith. When he had grown old and became weak, they carried him on a litter to the church to teach the people. He was 15 years old, having spent 15 years unmarried, 47 years until he became Patriarch and 43 years in office, then departed in peace.
The blessings of his prayers be with us. Amen.
Meditations on the Eucharist’s bible reading
Second Sunday of the blessed month of Baba Luke 5: 1-12
“Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” Luke 5:4
Superficiality … haphazardness… has become a characteristic of our fast moving life style … for the undiscerning person in his life affairs … day by day transform into a superficial person … haphazard in his or her way of thinking and judging all matters … all his or her concerns are their public appearance before others … forgetting or pretending not to know … what is (hidden( under the surface … and perhaps, this superficiality offers temporarily solutions only to their problems, just like an aspirin tablet which does not treat the source of the headache or tiredness … but only a temporarily relief of the pain … And, if such superficiality is very harmful I our normal way of life … how dangerous and harmful it is in our spiritual lives … from the outer appearances, one might appear in a better condition than others … and one might convince ones self that he or she is doing all of what is required for ones salvation … but, because one in not (spiritually( fastidious enough within ones self, therefore short-comings, evil habits and unholiness matters which left without control, are expanding and becoming larger and larger till such time these things will explode and destroy one totally
These (emanate( from superficiality in keeping God’s commandments … and superficiality in dealings with others … and very painful superficiality within one’s home … and there is no cure for these superficialities except (sailing( into the depth … + we have toiled all night +++
This is indeed what we reap from superficiality and haphazardness in our spiritual life … toils … hard labour … but without any benefit … For there are those who keep the commandments … and such is good … but, (some keep the commandments( with superficiality and without any depth … and from those are the scribes and the pharisees … for a commandment for them is just a few letters … they are very careful how to write it down extremely elegantly … and ensure memorizing it word by word … but, when it comes to applying it, they are very superficial … literal … and without any depth …
For, the commandment of keeping the Sabbath … for example … just in keeping the sabbath (Shabbat( … without any understanding of what the Sabbath is for … therefore, on the sabbath there is no work at all … even works of mercy, they considered it as breaking
the commandment of the sabbath … and they accused the Lord Jesus as not an observer of the sabbath … why??? Because, He healed the sick and raised the dead on the sabbath (John 5:16( … Despite the fact that they themselves, when they need to break the sabbath, they found some superficial justifications for themselves … Even, the commandment honour your mother and father … and it is a very clear (and unambiguous( commandment … and the holy book have attested clearly to it … to the extent that, when a son disobeyed this commandment, a very severe punishment will be imposed … even such punishment could reach stoning to death … but with their superficial explanations, they were able to find a way out from observing this commandment … thus invalidating God’s commandment with man’s rules and traditions … And, the commandment about the tithe … has become a literal commandment … and hence they will tithe the mint and dill … and would leave the essence of the law … how much damaging is the superficiality in keeping God’s commandments … In the shadow of such superficiality … all the commandments concerning love becomes … just superficial( compliments … and with these apparent superficial compliments, one hides (hate( and despise within … hiding envy, jealousy and hatred … thus, one becomes like a volcano boiling on the inside and appear to be calm and well on the outside … but, one day, one will explode and show the blaze within … we are in need of knowing the love within in the depth … which not just mere words of complimenting others and being cordial on the outside (only( … but, it is a true love which is giving and sacrificing … praying with tears and passion for others … again, in such superficiality … the commandments of honesty becomes … just a cordial correct attitude … and the commandments concerning purity and righteousness … becomes a just flattering and prising words … and in reality, it is destroying all purity and righteousness through unsuitable attires and ill-conceived vision … Till when, we do not go into the deep in keeping God’s commandments!!! …
Superficiality in dealing with others … is indeed a very dangerous matter … through such dealings, it is enough for severe one word to condemn a person and just a sign is enough to judge him or her … and just a hint in enough to divide people around us to friends and foes…
Such was the problems of Rehoboam son of king Solomon (1 Kings 12( … he was not a discerning
person in choosing his friends (and advisors( … or in listening to others … he simply was led by his reckless and hasty friends … and he did not head the advice of the elders and the wisemen … for the elders advised him to be merciful with his people and serve them with humility … and the youthful friends advised him to be even harsher and heavy handed … and he followed the advise of the youthful friends … and as a result he lost ten tribes of Israel (who separated from his kingdom(. Being careful and discerning in choosing friends is very vital … for the matter is not just simply spending some time with friends … and how many superficial friendships is enough to destroy one’s spiritual life …
And superficiality within the home …. Is a very painful matter … which its effects and consequences show up later in the future … and from this superficiality … is spoiling and the indulgences … and lack of control in raising up children … assertiveness is not a bad or harmful trait … but it is necessary and required …
And from these superficialities is indiscretion … with pretext of avoiding problems … for a father to shut his eyes towards inappropriate actions of the children … or the mother closing her eyes with unbefitting attires of her daughters … or no limits over what is viewed on television programs or social media over the internet … and having no control or importance in reading the holy bible … or prayers … but for fasting is another subject … for many neglect it and do not observe (fasting( for the children and find many excuses for them and ourselves why not to observe fasting …
And from such superficiality … is being too busy … with many matters which make one too busy to pay attention to the necessities of ones own house hold
…
Beloved, be careful … for Ahab the king … despite he could have been a saintly person … he was not discerning with his evil wife Jezebel (and it seems he was not careful in choosing a wife also( … thus, Jezebel tempted him and dragged him into destruction (1 Kings 21( … Also, Eli the priest … his sons were wicked … and maybe he was not careful with them during their young years … this is despite he used to advise them in his old age … and because of these wicked sons, Israel was defeated and the Arch of Covenant was taken and Eli the priest fell from his chair to his death and his neck was broken (1 Samuel 2: 12-36( Beloved … it is time to re-examine yourself … review your affairs and belongings … examine it
well … and return to arrange your life in order carefully … learn how to be discerning in your life and all your affairs …
+ They caught a great number of fish!!!
The problem with superficial person is that he is happy with the little he collects from the surface … this is like a fisherman went out to fish and after he caught one fish, he is greatly joyful with his (trivial( catch and returns to his house and in this he finalised his fishing …
The gifts and the fruits of the surface are very little … it is almost non-existent … but, the more one enters into the deep, the more the fruits …. and the more are the gifts, solace and joy of God’s children … without a doubt, the solace Moses the prophet gained during his forty years in the wilderness, are far more than any solace he had in Pharaoh’s palace …
And without a doubt, the saints Maximus and Domadius and saint Arsenious the tutor of princes had found … in the arid wilderness was much more magnificent than what they had found in the palaces of kings and greats …
For life in the deep has a special joy and delight, no one can recognize except those who have experienced it … for if one has given all the world gold and riches to saint Anthony the great, he would not move from his cave and life in the desert for it.
For who ever experienced life in the deep with the saints … and who ever tasted the sweetness of such life will never return to life in the world What is amazing, is that there is no depth to surfaces … but the deep has more depth … and the depth in life with God is a life of continual joy with no end, and the more one enters (into the deep( the more he or she will find of joy … till they reach the greatest joy and live in continuous companionship with God in heavens Beloved … do you want plenty of fishes!!! Or are you satisfied with little (fish( or the none existent which you find on the surface … do you recognize how much you are losing with life on the surface??
Therefore, go into the deep to know the true joy and happiness in the life with God … then, you will leave everything and follow Him … you will leave your nets … and leave the boat … leave the sea … and leave the whole world … To transcend with the Lord Christ to become not just a mere fisherman of fish … but a fisherman of men. (Amen, Lord I not worthy to follow You, but say the word and I will follow(.
