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 Departure of St. Hilaria, Daughter of Emperor Zeno. 29th January - 21st Toba
On this day also, St. Hilaria, daughter of Emperor Zeno, departed. Emperor Zeno was an Orthodox believer, who loved the church. He had only two daughters, Hilaria and her sister, Thaopesta.
Their father brought them up and taught them the fundamentals of the Orthodox faith. Hilaria, since her young age, loved to live a solitary life, and she thought about the monastic life. When she was 18 years old, she left the court of her father and travelled to Egypt, disguised in men›s clothing.
She went to the wilderness of St. Macarius, where she met a holy man by the name of Anba Pemwah. She told him about her desire to become a monk and she was ordained a monk under the name of Hilary. Three years later, Anba Pemwah found out that she was Hilaria, the daughter of Emperor Zeno. He kept her secret, and placed her in a cave, and visited her from time to time. She stayed there for fifteen years. When she did not grow a beard, the monks thought that she was an eunuch, and they called her «Hilary, the eunuch«.
Meanwhile, her sister Thaopesta became possessed with an unclean spirit, and her father spent on her a great deal of money in vain. The men of his court advised the Emperor to send her to the elders of Sheheat (Scetis(, for the fame of their holiness had spread to all the Roman districts. The Emperor sent her with one of the noble men in the empire, accompanied by many soldiers and several servants. He sent a letter with the nobleman to the elders of the wilderness telling them about his pain and grief. The Emperor told them that God had given him two daughters: one departed and did not return and he did not know where she was, and the other became possessed with an evil spirit who tormented her often. He asked them to pray for her, so that the Lord might heal her from what was ailing her, so that she would be a comfort to him in place of his disappeared daughter. When the princess arrived at the wilderness of Sheheat (Scetis( with her entourage, and the elders read the emperor›s letter, they prayed for her for many days, but she was not healed. At the end, the fathers decided that St. Hilary the eunuch (Hilaria, her sister( should take her and pray for her healing. St. Hilary refused, but the elders obliged her to take her. St. Hilary knew that she was her sister but her sister did not recognize her.
St. Hilaria embraced and kissed her sister often then left to weep outside. A few days later, Thaopesta, her sister, was healed from her illness, and St. Hilaria took her to the elders and said to them, «Through your prayers, God has granted her healing.« The elders sent Thaopesta back to her father in peace.
When Thaopesta arrived to her father, he and all those who were in the palace rejoiced for her safe return, and offered many thanks to the Lord Christ. Her father asked her about her stay in Sheheat (Scetis(, and she said that St. Hilary,
the eunuch who healed her by his prayers, embraced her and kissed her often. When the Emperor heard this, he had some doubts about this monk. He sent to the elders asking them to send St. Hilary, who healed his daughter, in order to receive his blessings. When the elders ordered «him« to go to the Emperor, «he« wept bitterly before the elders, pleading with them to spare «him« from the trip. They told «him« that the emperor was a righteous man who loved the holy church and that it was only proper not to disobey him according to the Holy Scriptures. After a great effort, St. Hilaria went to the Emperor, who saluted «him« and all those who were with «him«. Then, he had a private meeting with Hilaria together with the Empress. They asked «him«, «How did you «the holy man« embrace and kiss the princess?« Then Hilaria asked them to bring the Bible and to pledge to «him« not to prevent «him« from going back to the wilderness after answering their inquiry. They brought the Bible and pledged to «him« as he wished. Then «he« made «himself« known to them saying, «I am your daughter Hilaria,« and she told them all that had happened to her. Her parents wept with a loud voice and all the people in the palace were in confusion. She remained three months, then she wanted to return, and when her parents refused, she reminded them of their oath. Then the Emperor wrote to the Governor of Egypt, demanding him to send a hundred bushels of wheat every year and six hundred measures of oil and all that the monks needed in the wilderness, on a yearly basis. The Emperor saw to it also that many cells were built for the monks. He also built a beautiful palace in the monastery of St. Macarius. From that time on, the number of monks increased in the wilderness. St. Hilaria stayed five years after her return to the wilderness, then departed in peace. No one knew that she was a woman until after her death. Her prayers be with us. Amen.
The Departure of St. Anthony the Great (Antonius(. (. 30th January – 22nd Toba
On this day, of the year 355 A.D., St. Anthony the Great, the star of the wilderness, and the father of all monks, departed. This righteous man was born in the year 251 A.D. in the city of Qimn El-Arouse, to rich parents who loved the church and the poor. They raised him up in fear of the Lord. When he was twenty years old, his parents departed, and he had to take care of his sister. Once, he entered the church and heard the words of the Lord Christ in the Gospel, «If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow Me.« (Matthew 19:21( He returned to his house, decided to fulfil this commandment and considered it directed to him personally. He gave his wealth to the poor and needy, and he took his sister and placed her with some virgins.
At that time, monasticism had not yet been established. All those who wanted to live a solitary life went and lived on the outskirts of the city. This was what St. Anthony did as he dwelt alone, worshipping and living an ascetic life. The devil fought him there by afflicting him with boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women. He overcame the devil›s snares by the power of the Lord Christ. After that, he went to one of the tombs, and he resided therein and closed the door on himself. Some of his friends used to bring him food. When the devil perceived his ascetic life and his intense worship, he was envious of him, and he beat him mercilessly, then left him unconscious. When his friends came to visit him and found him in this condition, they carried him to the church. After he somewhat recovered, he went back to the same place. The devil again resumed his war against St. Antonius, only this time the phantoms were in the form of wild beasts, wolves, lions, snakes and scorpions. They appeared as if they were about to attack him or cut him into pieces. But the saint would laugh at them scornfully and say, «If any of you have any authority over me, only one would have been sufficient to fight me.« At his saying this, they disappeared as though in smoke, for God gave him the victory over the devils. He was always singing this psalm, «Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let those also who hate Him flee before Him.« (Psalm 68:1( St. Anthony used to prepare a quantity of bread that would sustain him for six months. He did not allow anyone to enter his cell, and whoever came to him, stood outside and listened to his advice. He continued in this condition of solitary worship for 20 years. Then by God›s command, he went to El-Fayyoum and confirmed the brethren there in the faith, then returned to his monastery. During the time of persecution, he longed to become a martyr. He left his monastery and went to Alexandria. He visited those who were imprisoned for the sake of Christ and comforted them. When the Governor saw that he was confessing the Lord Christ publicly, not caring what might happen to him, he ordered him not to show up in the city. However, the saint did not heed his threats. He faced him and argued with him in order that he might arouse his anger so that he might be tortured and martyred. But God preserved him all along, according to His will, for the benefit of many, and so the Governor left him alone. Then the saint went back to his monastery according to God›s will, and many came to visit him and to hear his teachings. He saw that these visits kept him away from his worship. As a result, he went far away to the eastern desert. He travelled with some Bedouins to the inner wilderness for three days, until he found a spring of water and some palm trees, and then he chose to settle there. On this spot now stands the monastery of St. Anthony the Great. The Bedouins came to him with bread, and the Lord drove away all the
wild beasts from this place, for his sake. On occasions, he would go to the monastery on the outskirts of the desert by the Nile to visit the brethren, then return to his inner monastery.
His fame spread abroad, and it reached Emperor Constantine. The Emperor wrote to him, offering him praise and asked him to pray for him. The brethren were pleased with the Emperor›s letter, but St. Anthony did not pay any attention to it, and he said to them, «The books of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, commands us every day, but we do not heed what they tell us, and we turn our backs on them.« Under the persistence of the brethren who told him, «Emperor Constantine loves the church,« he accepted to write him a letter blessing him and praying for the peace and safety of the empire and the church.
One day, he was bored, and he heard a voice telling him, «Go out and see.« He went out and saw an angel who wore a girdle with a cross, one resembling the holy Eskiem, and on his head, was a head cover (Kolansowa(. He was sitting while braiding palm leaves, then he stood up to pray, and again he sat to weave. A voice came to him saying, «Anthony, do this and you will rest.« Henceforth, he started to wear this tunic that he saw, and began to weave palm leaves, and never got bored again.
St. Anthony prophesied about the persecution that was about to happen to the church and the control of the heretics over it, the church victory and its return to its formal glory, and the end of the age.
When St. Macarius visited St. Anthony, St. Anthony clothed him with the monk›s garb, and St. Anthony foretold him what would be of him.
When the day of the departure of St. Paul, the first hermit in the desert, drew near, St. Anthony went to him. St. Anthony buried St. Paul the hermit after he had clothed him in a tunic which was a present from St. Athanasius the Apostolic, 20th Pope of Alexandria.
When St. Anthony felt that the day of his departure had approached, he commanded his disciple to hide his body and to give his staff to St. Macarius, and to give one sheepskin cloak to St. Athanasius and the other sheepskin cloak to Anba Serapion, his disciple. He stretched himself on the ground and gave up his spirit. The angels and the saints took his spirit and carried it to the place of perpetual rest.
This saint lived for 15 years, struggling in the way of holiness and purity.
His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen
Meditations on the bible readings
Third Sunday of the blessed month of Toba
John 3:22-36
“He must increase, but I must decrease” John 3:30 St John the has accomplished his mission (on earth( … prepared the way before the Lord Jesus … and for this just mission, he spent all his life in the wilderness, away from the world … wearing camel skin … and his food is locust and wild honey (Matthew 3:4( … stranger to the world … from all physical pleasures of the body and its needs … self-sacrificing …
For he is, in his own view, just a voice crying in the wilderness … preparing the way (Mark 1:3 – Isaiah 40:3( … prepared the hearts to receive the Lamb of God Who carries the sins of all the world … when the Lamb of God came … he testified for Him publicly … and declared he is not worth to untie the straps of His sandals (John 1:27( … he was obedient to His teachings and fulfilled His last request … which was His Baptism … and the Baptism is the theophany of the Son to the world … and with this saint John the Baptist started to fade … he greatly rejoiced when he saw the Lord Jesus and was also glad to fade so that The Lord Jesus be manifested … (Indeed(, the world is in need to learn from this lesson … self-denial … to disappear for the Lord Jesus to appear … The problem of many, nowadays is that many want to be prominent and the Lord Jesus to disappear … their problem is their self is of great importance in their own views to the extent that it can overshadow all good deeds in their lives … and this self-denial is not an easy trait to gain … but it needs much and long-time of practice … it starts with the inner feeling of being unworthy … and all that one has achieved is given from above (by God( and the self has nothing in it … and with this feeling is great joy and happiness in serving others and rejoicing for their success even if it is on account of one’s demise … + A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven +++
Here is a man who feels he is void of everything … he knows of his own weakness and nature and that in his own self; he is nothing … and if he had anything, then it is given from above (by God( … and not form his own self or talents or intellect …
The Lord Jesus praised the gentile centurion who said of himself that he was not worthy for the Lord Jesus to enter his house (Luke 7:1-10( … and with his humbleness, he proved his faith … and the Lord Jesus said of him “I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel” (Matthew 8:10(.
Just as (the Lord Jesus( was please with the Canaanite
woman who aske Him to cure her daughter … and when the Lord Jesus said to her let the children be filled first, she said to Him “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the crumbs” (Mark 7:28( … and because of this answer, the Lord cured her daughter. What would be your answer if you heard this answer from the Lord Jesus … would you truly feel unworthy (to receive( … Humbleness raised the young David to be king of Israel … David who said of himself … a dead dog and a flea (1Samuel 24:14(.
But how troubling it is for one who depend and trust in him or her self in everything … such has an obstacle call “the I” and this I runs all his or her life …
And an example of those who are very concerned with the I (self-vanity( … is Haman the Agagite … who was Haman the Agagite … who was a Vizier to King Ahasuerus … and he was very much indignant that Mordecai the Jew, queen Esther’s mentor, did not bow to him at his entering and leaving (the palace( … so, he plotted to revenge against all the Jews because of Mordecai and put his plot to kill all the Jews (Esther 5-6( … but Haman’s haughtiness and self-vanity and pride has turned against him and was the cause of his destruction …
Self-denial with the saints is a very important virtue … and it was a source of blessing for them and all those around them …
We, were told of two saintly monks who dwelt together in the wilderness and Satan wished to cause a schism between them … one day, the younger monk let a light and put on a semaphore, but with a trick from the devil, the light fell to the ground and extinguished which cause the elder monk to be angered and hit the younger one … at this point, the younger monk prostrated himself (in Motania( to the older monk and said; don’t be angry, brother … just be patient and I will light it again … when the Lord saw the patience and humbleness of the younger monk, the Lord punished and tormented the devil all night till the morning … this was heard by a pagan priest in his temple from the devil … the pagan priest went and (became a Christian( and took the habits of monkhood and practiced his worship with absolute humbleness and meekness and said to all humbleness conquered the devils’ powers … Satan has fallen because of his haughtiness … and because of this Satan, tries hard to make us fall in the sin of haughtiness too … and there is nothing defeats Satan more than humbleness and contrite spirit.
+ He must increase, but I must decrease +++
If it is not easy for one to learn self-denial … it is without any doubt, not easy for one to learn to decrease for others (to increase( … but, for one to go further with self-denial till one fully disappear and only the Lord Alone is in him or her …
The saints rejoiced for being ill-treated … even, they considered themselves not worthy to be ill-treated for the sake of the name of the Lord Christ …
St Paul considered himself poor as if he had nothing for others to be rich in grace and virtues and thus was the principal of serving with all the apostles and all the servants after them …
There were even saints who longed to be forgotten by the people … and ill-treated and made indignant … we here of St Marina who disguised as manmonk and dwelt among the monks … and when she was accused of adultery (as a young man(, she did not defend herself and endured all the indignation and ill-treatment with joy till her departure (from the body( when the truth was discovered (refer to the desert father stories( …
Thus, one will find the (true( Christian puts him or herself last of all … and put others ahead of him or herself in honour … and learns to serve with humility, love and humbleness …
And you beloved, do you put other ahead of you in honours??? Not only for cordial relations … but with true spirit of love and meekness … how many problems and hardship to others are caused by the love high status … the desire of the first place … and the love of being praised … the desire to rise above others (in status and praise(; all are the causes of troubles and problems … while the hardest problem, can be solved with humbleness … and the simplest of matter can become very complicated and hard with selfishness and self-love even in our own homes too … many problems occur when a husband or a wife tries to control the other … and life would transform through such selfishness to a contest between the two partners, where each is trying to win … where is this from the true Christian marriage where the wife submits to her husband in a true spirit of love … and the husband’s heart is overflowing with love and gentleness to his wife … as both of them are members of the same body where all members cooperate in a spirit of love … where is spirit of obedience and discipleship of the young to the elders … and children will obey their parents … and the parents would sacrifice with all efforts willingly to for the salvation of their children’s souls
and spiritual future as well as the physical ones … Satan, cannot endure the spirit of humbleness … and the Lord redeems the humble from the snares of the devil … St Makarios the great conquered the devil with the spirit of humbleness … and taught St Anba Anthony the great, father of monasticism, how humbleness will overcome Satan’s haughtiness …
The desert fathers tells us about one of the fathers the saints who was confronted with a woman who was possessed with an evil spirit and she struck him on the face, then he turned the other cheek with great humbleness as per the commandment … stan was tormented with this obedience to the commandment and departed from the woman crying “wow to us from the commandments of Jesus because it torment us” + He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly …
What made the saints love the life of self-denial … it was not only the virtue of humbleness … but also, and this is more importantly … they have discovered their true selves in the Light of God … just as it is (impossible( to see the specks of dust in a darkened room, but is visible in the rays of the sun … so, is our inner sins cannot be seen except in the rays of the Light of God … thus, the saints knew their true earthly selves … and in this, their humbleness was not pretending or a kind of deception or pretence … but it is a true inner feeling … and in these, they controlled themselves from acquiescing to sin but cried out to God asking for help (against sin( … and you beloved … do you want to learn the virtue of self-denial … do you want to gain the spirit of true humbleness … then reflect on yourself …
Know your true self is (only( dust … a nothing and nobody … contemplate on your sins … look and see how you have separated away from God and you have hurt His Loving heart to you … compare yourself to those who are more pious than you … measure your stature against the stature of the saints and see where you are??? And when you will know yourself, you will be contrite within yourself … then, you will know, no matter how many good deeds you do, you still did not do enough compared to God’s Love to you … Then, you will practice a life of humbleness naturally and without efforts … you will learn to apologetic … you will learn the virtue of meekness and obedience to those who are older than you … you shall gain the spirit of serving and the desire to help others … thus, gradually you will rise above your earthly place to reach the heavenly place. (Amen, Lord I am not worthy for You to enter my heart, but Please Come Lord(.
The Dormition of Our Lady, the Virgin Mary, the Theotokos.
29th January – 21st Toba
On this day, Our Lady, the all pure, Virgin St. Mary, the Mother of God, departed. As she was always praying in the holy sepulchre, the Holy Spirit informed her that she was about to depart from this temporal world. When the time of her departure arrived, the virgins of the Mount of Olives came to her, with the apostles, who were still alive, and they surrounded her bed. The Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom is the glory, with a host of thousands and thousands of angels came to her and comforted her and told her about the eternal joy that was prepared for her, and she rejoiced. The apostles and the virgins asked her to bless them. She stretched her hand and blessed them all, and she gave up her pure spirit in the hand of her Son and God, and He took her spirit to the heavenly mansions.
The apostles prepared the body in a fitting manner and carried it to Gethsemane. Some of the Jews blocked their way to prevent them from burying the body. One of the Jews seized the coffin with his hands, which were separated instantly from his body and they remained attached to the coffin. He regretted his evil deed and wept bitterly. Through the supplications of the saintly apostles, his hands were reattached to his body, and he believed in the Lord Christ. When they placed the body in the tomb, the Lord hid it from them. St. Thomas the Apostle was not present at the time of St. Mary's departure. He wanted to go to Jerusalem and a cloud carried him there. On his way, he saw the pure body of St. Mary carried by the angels and ascended to heaven with it. One of the angels told him, "Make haste and kiss the pure body of St. Mary," and he did.
When St. Thomas arrived where the disciples were, they told him about St. Mary's departure and he said to them, "You know how I conducted myself at the resurrection of the Lord Christ, and I will not believe unless I see her body." They went with him to the tomb, and uncovered the place of the body but they did not find it, and everyone was perplexed and surprised. St. Thomas told them how he saw the holy body and the angels that were ascending with it. They heard the Holy Spirit saying to them, "The Lord did not will to leave her body on earth." The Lord had promised his pure apostles to let them see her in the flesh once again. They were waiting for this promise to be fulfilled, until the 16th day of the month of Misra, when the promise was fulfilled and they saw her.
The years of her life on earth were 60 years. She was 12 years old when she left the temple. She spent 34 years in Joseph's house, until the Ascension of the Lord, and 14 years with St. John the Evangelist, according to the commandment of the Lord which he told her at the cross, "Behold, this is your son," and to St. John, "Behold, this is your mother." Her intercession and blessings be with us. Amen.
Wednesday 22 Jan: 9am - Divine Liturgy at Archangel Michael and St Anthony Church, Oakleigh
Friday 24 Jan: 9am - Divine Liturgy at St Mina and St Marina Church, Hallam 6:30pm - YIC meeting at St Mary Church, Kensington
Saturday 25 Jan: 9am - Divine Liturgy at St Philopater Church, Melton
6pm - Vespers, and general meeting at St Bishoy and St Shenouda Church, Bulleen
Sunday 26 Jan: Divine Liturgy at St George Church, St Albans
Monday 27 Jan: 1:25am - Depart to Manilla - 5J50
Blessed Engagement
Ebram Luis & Marina Shaker
Sunday 19th January 2025
St MAry’s Church
Blessed Marriage
Lachlan Thomas Laracy-Cowland & Jessica Askander
Sunday 19th January 2025
Visits by Blessed Bishops for St Mary’s Church
Anba Theophilos - Bishop of Manaflout program
Saturday 1st Feb - Liturgy at St Mary’s Church
Monday 3rd Feb - visit St Mary’s Coptic College
Anba Elia - Bishop of South Sudan and Khartoum program
Saturday 22nd Feb - 2 pm - arrival of His Emmminence
Saturday 22nd - 6 pm - Vespers - St Mary’s Coptic church
Wednesday 26th 7 PM - Bible study at St Mary’s Church
Fr Morcos Fawzy visit
Saturday 8th March - St Mary’s Church & youth meeting
New Church, New Building and Car Park are ready We started to use the New Building and church last on Lazarus Saturday 27th April 2024. 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. We thank Our Lord for this great Gift Cost of building works is around $13,000,000. Your support and donations will be blessing and very appreciated.
Donations to St Mary’s Church and Building project can be made by the following Link
https://www.stmc.org.au/donate (Copy & Paste on Web Browser(