The

Departure of St. Macarius the Great.

5th April - 27th Baramhat

On this day also, of the year 392 A.D. the blessed father, the lamp of the wilderness and the father of all the monks the great saint Anba Macarius, departed. This Saint was born in the village of Shabsheer - Menuf, from good and righteous parents. His father’s name was Abraham and his mother’s name was Sarah and they had no son. In a vision at night he saw the angel of the Lord and told him that God was about to give him a son, and his name will be known all over the earth, and he will have a multitude of spiritual sons. Shortly after, this holy man had a son and called him Macarius which means “Blessed.” He was obedient to his parents, and the grace of God was upon him since his young age. When he grew up his father forced him to get married against his will, so he pretended that he was sick for several days. Then he asked his father if he might go to the wilderness to relax and that may make him recover from his illness speedily. He went to the wilderness and prayed to the Lord Christ to direct him to do what is pleasing to Him. While he was in the wilderness he saw a vision, and it seemed that one of the Cherubim, with wings, took his hands, and ascended up to the top of the mountain, and showed him all the desert, east and west, and north and south. The Cherub told him: “God has given this desert to you and your sons for an inheritance.” When he returned from the wilderness he found that his wife, who was still virgin, had died, and Macarius thanked the Lord Christ. Shortly after, his parents departed, and he gave all what they had left to the poor and the needy. When the people of Shabsheer saw his chastity and purity, they took him to the bishop of Ashmoun who ordained him a priest for them. They built a place for him outside the city, and they went to him to confess and to partake from the Holy Mysteries. They appointed a servant to take care of his needs and to sell for him the work of his hands.

When Satan saw St. Macarius growth in virtues, he brought on him a severe temptation. He inspired a girl that had defiled herself with a man to claim that St. Macarius is the one who had defiled her. When her family heard that, they went to him, insulted and beat him severely, inflicting much pain on him, which he endured silently. Macarius reproached himself saying “O Macarius now you have a wife and a child, and it is meet for you to work day and night for your own food and for that of your child and your wife.” He worked continually at weaving mats and baskets, and he gave them to the man who ministered unto him; and he sold them and gave the money to the woman. When the day of her delivery drew near her labor was exceedingly difficult, she continued to suffer for four days and did not deliver until she confessed her false accusation against the Saint and named the man that defiled her.

When the family of the girl heard that, they decided to go to ask for his forgiveness for what happened from them. When St. Macarius heard that, he fled away from them running from the vain glory of this world.

At that time he was 30 years old, and the angel of the Lord appeared to him and walked with him for two days until they came to Wadi

El-Natroun and the Saint asked the angel: “Appoint for me O master a place to live in.” The angel replied: “I have not marked out a place for you to live, lest you leave it in the future and transgress the commandment of God. Behold all the wilderness is yours, so wheresoever you wish, live there.” St. Macarius dwelt in the Inner Desert, in the place of the monastery of Sts. Maximus and Domadius which is known now by the monastery of ElBaramous. He went to visit St. Antonios, who said about St. Macarius when he saw him: “This is an Israelite in whom there is no guile.” St. Antonios put on him the Holy Eskeem, then St. Macarius returned to his place. When the number of monks increased around him he built a church for them. His fame was known all over the country and many kings and Emperors heard about the miracles that God performed on his hands. He healed the daughter of the king of Antioch that was possessed by an unclean spirit. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and took him to a place and told him to make this place his abode, for many people will come to him in that place. He built a cell for himself and a church.

He thought one day that the world had no more righteous people, so a voice came to him from heaven saying: “In the city of Alexandria there are two women who feared God.” He took his staff, his provisions, and went to Alexandria and he asked around until he reached their house. When he entered, they welcomed him, washed his feet with warm water, and when he asked them about their life, one of them told him: “There is no kinship between us and when we married these two brothers we asked them to leave us to be nuns but they refused. So we committed ourself to spent our life fasting till evening with often prayers. When each of us had a son, whenever one of them cry, any one of us would carry and nurse him even if he was not her own son. We are in one living arrangement, the unity in opinion is our model, and our husbands work is shepherding sheep, we are poor and only have our daily bread and what is left over we give it to the poor and the needy.”

When the Saint heard these words he cried saying: “Indeed God looks to the readiness of the heart and grant the grace of His Holy Spirit for all those who wish to worship him.” He bade them farewell and left returning to the wilderness. There was an erring monk who strayed many by his saying that there was no resurrection of the dead. The bishop of the city of Osseem went to St. Macarius and told him about that monk. Abba Macarius went to that monk and stayed with him until the monk believed and returned from his error.

On the day of his departure, he saw Sts. Antonios and Pachomius, and a company of the saints, and he delivered up his soul. He was ninety-seven years old.

St. Macarius had commanded his disciples to hid his body, but some of the natives of the city of Shabsheer came and stole his body, built a church for him and placed the body in it for around one hundred and sixty years until the Arab conquest and the rebuilding of his monastery, they returned the body to it.

In a manuscript in Shebeen El-Koum, was mentioned that St. Babnuda, his disciple, saw the soul of St. Macarius ascending to heaven, and he heard the devils crying out and calling after him, “You have conquered us O Macarius.” The Saint replied “I have not conquered you yet.” When they came to the gates of heaven they cried again saying “You have conquered us”, and he replied as the first time. When he entered the gate of heaven they cried “You have overcome us O Macarius.” He replied “Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ who has delivered me from your hands.” May his blessing be with us. Amen. The Cmmemoration of the Life giving Annunciation.

7th April - 29th Baramhat

On this day the church commemorates the Annunciation of our Lady, the Theotokos, the Virgin St. Mary. When the appointed time by God since eternity for the salvation of the human race had come, God sent Gabriel the Archangel to the Virgin St. Mary, who is from the tribe of Judah the house of king David, to announce her with the Divine conception and the Glorious Birth as the Holy Scriptures testifies: « Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin›s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, «Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!« But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, «Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. «And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. «He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. «And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.« Then Mary said to the angel, «How can this be, since I do not know a man?« And the angel answered and said to her, «The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Then the angel gave her the proof of the validity of his massage: «Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. «For with God nothing will be impossible.« Then Mary said, «Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.« And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-36)

When she had accepted this Divine Annunciation, the Only Begotten Son, the Word of God, who is One of the Three eternal Persons, came and dwelt in her womb, a dwelling, the human race can not comprehend. And straightway He united with perfect humanity a complete unity inseparable and unchangeable after the unity.

This day then is the first-born of all feasts, for in it was the beginning of the salvation of the world which was fulfilled by the Holy Resurrection of our Lord, saving Adam and his offspring from the hands of Satan.

We ask Our God and Savior graciously to forgive our transgressions and excuse our sins. Amen.

Meditations on the Holy Bible Readings

The sixth Sunday of the Great Lent – Baptism Sunday John 9: 1-41

“but that the works of God should be revealed in him” John 9:3

A man born blind … without eyes at all … saw only darkness all his life … he represents mankind who is estranged from God … those inhabiting the darkness … and awaiting salvation and fulfilling of the promises … this man was born blind … paradigm of him being deprived from seeing the paradise … and the heavenly life … continues to live in his estrangements and darkness awaiting the Saviour of all mankind to cure him of his chronic ailments … he met the Lord Jesus … Who made clay and put it on his eyes … this clay is exactly the same dust mankind was created by (God) and represents the commandments of the law which God has given to lighten up his eyes but it is not sufficient for his salvation … he still in need of being washed in the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to plot out his sins and the true sight … thus the Lord sends the blind man with the clay on his eyes to the pool of Siloam and wash (himself) … the pool Siloam, historically had been a source deliverance for the inhabitants of Jerusalem city … this pool (of Siloam) collects the fresh water from of Gihon spring outside the city and connected through a number of covered channels which run under the city walls … at hard times, when enemies surrounded the city (of Jerusalem) and its people were separated form fresh water springs outside the city (walls), the pool of Siloam was the main source of fresh water for the city in such times … this blessing is a symbol of our Lord’s Jesus Christ Cross which we all gained Salvations form our enemies through (this Cross) … at the time when Satan thought that he has surrounded mankind totally and owned them in his hand, the lord has destroyed his chains and his captivity by His life giving Cross. Thus, the blind man had sight when he washed in the pool of Siloam … and here we discover the blind man’s faith who did not argue or hesitate but went with the clay (on his eyes) and washed in the pool of Siloam … and also, we find the hesitations and jealousy of the pharisees who saw this miracle clearly but did not accept or understood it.

+ Go, wash in the pool of Siloam ..

The blind man represents the man who lives in the dark … he did not cause it and did not sin nor his parents … but, he had a true yearning for a life in the light … like a person who inherits some habits … or lives in unclean society … or learns bad teachings and lives by it … indeed, he is blind in thought and heart, but he or she might be truly desiring a pure and righteous life. Saul of Tarsus … grow up under the guidance of Gamaliel teacher of the law … he learned and grow to be a pharisee son of pharisee (Acts 23:6) … he was overzealous for the law … but according to his own saying … not knowing … he rushed to persecute the Christians convinced that it is essential and correct (1Timothy 1:13) … and he said in ignorance he did … he was truly blind … but within himself there was the willingness to be a chosen vessel of God … for this the Lord appeared to him and led to repentance (Acts 9) … and uncovered his internal blindness when his eyes were blinded and when Ananias bishop of Damascus, prayed for him and scales fell from his eyes and baptized and regained his sight (Acts 9:10-19), then became Paul apostle to the gentiles (Acts 22) who suffered more than any of apostles.

Also, St Moses the black … lived as thief and high way robber … a murderer … but within him he had an amazing yearning to knowledge … he longed to know the true god, thus he would talk to the sun and ask about the true god … till one day he met Anba Isidore the priest and he taught him the correct way … this changed Moses the black to become a saint and pillar of light in the desert (monasteries).

Again, St Mary the Egyptian … for almost 17 years from the age of 12, lived a life of sin and evil … true total darkness … but in her inner heart, a hidden yearning for repentance … this yearning led her to visit the holy land … she boarded the ship without the price of the fare so she sold her body (in sin) to the ship owner instead of the fare … and there in Jerusalem, she rushed with the multitudes of (pilgrims) to the church of the Holy Sepulchre … at the door, she felt a hidden hand stopping her from entering … she tried for several times without any success … she felt that her sins and a life of impurity which she lived … is the reason and she cried bitterly and pleaded wit St Mary the virgin … then she had some courage to try again and she could enter easily and bowed and prayed with vigour asking for guidance and she heard a voice from the icon of St Mary the virgin guiding her to cross the river Jordon and there she will find comfort … she left in a hurry where she 3 dirhams and bought some bread with it and went to the wilderness of Jordon where she lived for 47 years without seeing a human being and eating grass in a life of repentance and true submission (to God) … towards the end of her life, she met Anba Zosima the priest who had written her story. Also, Emperor Constantine the great … he was the governor of a Roman province and the son of the previous governor and was brought up by his mother St Helen who was a Christian, but she feared bringing him up as a Christian (because of the persecutions of Christians at the time), so she taught him all the Christian principles without telling him about her Christianity to become a knight and a leader … he was known for his good manners and calmness and his love of justice and fairness … when he was called by the empire to fight Maximillian … as he was preparing for war, he was wondering; how to face Maximillian’s mighty armies … then he saw a sign of the Cross and a voice saying with this you shall win … thus his eyes were opened to Christianity … and he placed the sign of the Cross on his armaments and his solders shields and in front them a flag bearing the Cross … his victory was a marvellous win and Maximillian ran away who drowned as the small bridge on the Tiberius river on the way to Rome collapsed under him escaping … Constantine celebrated his win and poets praised the Cross saviour of their city … he declared the principles of religious tolerance and became a Christian and was baptized and built churches and defended the faith and he endeavoured to spread Christianity and end paganism. And you beloved, do feel your are living in a robust darkness and you truly want to be freed from it?? Do you feel that you are an angry person quick tempered … maybe you say it is only natural and this is how I am, what do I do?? Do you feel you are enslaved to bad habits … such as smoking … drinking alcohols … gambling … do you feel such is strongly tying you down and find it hard to get rid of it??? do you feel pushed to commit sin, maybe through your friends … maybe from your superior at work or members of your family?? Then do not despair … don’t be agitated … thus was the blind man living in a deadly darkness … and the Lord saved him from it … come to the Lord and offer your self to Him saying “have mercy on me Lord, for I am a sinner” … ask Him for a cure … He will cover your eyes with clay and make carry the Cross and send you to be washed in His Blood … carry your Cross with joy and follow Him … surely He will save you from your troubles … and you shall see the true light. Do not be stubborn … and be careful lest you become blind with your insistence and stubbornness … for this blindness leads to destruction. + those who do not see may see, and that those who see

May Be Made Blind

There are those who doubt and hesitate in everything … they see the light but do not know it is the light … but even, they might say it is darkness. Thus were the pharisees … they are the refusals … refusing everything … hesitating … and full of doubt and jealousy … you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in (Matthew 23:13). Thus was Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Numbers 16) … they rebelled against Moses … they sought to be priests … they sought the leadership … not because they loved the priesthood but they aggravated the office of priesthood by daring to take censors and offer incense before the God, a foreign incense … the Lord was angered because of their stubbornness and ordered the earth to open up and swallowed them (Numbers 16:32). Thus, were the pharisees … literal to the extreme, but without any spirit of love or understanding … healing of the sick on the sabbath in their view was a sin for braking the sabbath … they condemned the Lord Jesus a lover of sinners and tax collectors … they condemned the disciples for eating with unclean hands. but they said of the Lord Jesus by Beelzebub ruler of demons, He casts demons out (Matthew 12:22-28) … logic with them is upside down … they broke God’s commandments by their traditions … stony hearts and closed brains; do not understand … if they were blind, they would have an excuse … but they say “we see” therefore their sin remains.

Be careful beloved, there are many things which can blind seeing eyes … stubbornness … and insisting on doing wrong … haughtiness and pride … insisting on one’s personal pride above all others … arrogance … appearance and narcissism which make one think that he or she knows all and understand all and one does not need any advice or direction from old or young … how many times you refuse to forgive your brother on account of him wronged you first … don’t you know the bible says if your brother does wrong go to him and make peace (Matthew 18:15-17) … you the one who did no wrong; go to the one who did wrong … do not allow stubbornness to burden you … nor let hatred set darkness in your heart … how many times you refuse advice and counsel … with the excuse that you know all these matters … but you even refuse to listen on account of your knowledge. You have become like the ground which watered plenty … but bears no fruit … it is close to be cursed … from destruction. Hurry and come … if you were blind … come to see … and if you are seeing, then humble and submit yourself in God’s hands lest illness of sins will strike you and blind your eyes … and this blindness is much worse than being born blind. If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore, your sin remains.

The Apparition of the Pure Lady the Virgin in the church of Zeiton.

2nd April - 24th Baramhat

On the eve of this day of the year 1684 A.M. which coincide with tuesday the 2nd. of April 1968 A.D., during the papacy of Pope Kyrellos VI, the hundred sixteenth Pope of Alexandria, our Lady and the pride of our faith started to transfigure in luminous spiritual forms in and around the domes of the church dedicated to her immaculate name in Zeiton, a suburb of Cairo. This transfiguration continued in following nights in a manner that was never known in the East or the West. This transfiguration in some nights was as long as many hours, without stop, in front of tens of thousands of people from every race and religion, with every one seeing her, pointing at her and interceding to her with songs, hymns, tears, prayers and hails and She was looking to them in a compassionate way raising her hand at times to bless them in all directions.

The first one to notice this transfiguration was the workmen at the garage of the Public Transit System which was across the street from the church. The watchman Abdel-Aziz Aly, who was in charge of guarding the garage at that night, saw a luminous body over the dome of the church. He started shouting: “light over the dome” and he called the other workers in the garage. They all came and saw the bright light over the large dome of the church. When they looked closely, they saw a young lady in white, kneeling by the cross at the top of the dome. Because the dome had a round, smooth, and very sloping surface, it held the men as though they were nailed in their places watching the fate of the lady. Few seconds passed then they saw the kneeling lady as she stood over the dome. They gave out a cry of fear that she might fall down. They thought she was a girl in despair trying to commit suicide and they cried warning that person not to jump down and some of them called the police. The pedestrians, men and women started to gather around. The view of the lady was getting more clear and she appeared as a beautiful girl in a bright gown of light and had branches of olive tree in her hand, and around her flew white doves. Then they realized that they were seeing a heavenly spiritual view. They directed flood light to the luminous picture to remove all doubt from their minds, but instead it became more clear and bright. They cut the electricity off all the area but the lady remained in her heavenly illumination and her bright gown of light became more clear. She started moving around in a circle of light radiating from her body to all the directions around her. All the people then realized that this lady in front of them, without no doubt is the Virgin Mary. They started to shout and cry saying: “She is the Virgin ... She is the Mother of Light ... “ They prayed with songs, hymns and hails all the night until the next morning.

Since that night the pure Virgin had transfigured in different spiritual views in front of thousands and ten of thousands of masses, Egyptian and foreigners, Christians and non-christians, men, women and children. Spiritual beings formed like doves would appear before, during and after the transfiguration zooming through the sky in a way raising the human from a materialistic to a heavenly atmosphere.

This transfiguration was in different forms. One of the most significant ways this apparition took place was that; the head of St. Mary under the vail looking down as in the picture of the sad Virgin and she was looking toward the Cross and that view would stay like this at times or slowly bow before the Cross at other times. The Cross itself will shine and illuminate although it was made of concrete. And some times an angel would appear standing behind her spreading his wings. That view might stay as long as many hours.

Another view was the view of the Mother of Light standing as a great Queen in a beautiful spiritual portrait radiating dignity, elegance and beauty. On her head was a crown of a queen as if it were made of diamonds and some times there appeared on the top of the crown a small luminous cross. And some times she appeared in the same way but carrying Christ, to Him is the Glory, in the form of a child on her hand and on His head a crown. And on other times she raised her both hands as She was blessing the world moving to the right, to the front, and to the left in a dignified way.

Many spiritual signs appeared before, during, and after the apparition of the Virgin the mother of the Lord’s transfiguration. The appearance of tongues of yellowish flame would flash over the church and then subside and that repeated several times. Another form of the signs were the spiritual beings formed like doves, larger than the doves that we know, appear about midnight or after, flying in the middle of darkness illuminating in a fast speed, appeared suddenly from no where, and also disappeared suddenly. These spiritual beings appeared in different formations and in varying numbers. A fact we should be aware of that pigeons do not fly during the night. Another sign was the shooting stars which were constantly falling and were seen very close to the apparition on many occasions as if coming down to glorify her from heaven. Another sign was the fragrance of incense. The smoke of the incense poured out of the domes in large quantities. Substance resembling clouds, thick fog or smoke would roll in toward the church and completely cover the church.

Also the illuminated cloud that appeared over the domes of the church in large volume and often proceeded the transfiguration of the Virgin or at times the cloud slowly formed in the shape of the virgin. Sometimes the apparition of the Virgin would appear from the clouds. This transfiguration and all the spiritual signs were a forerunner and announcement for serious or important events to come in the near and far future. Or it might be a spiritual gesture from heaven to indicate the Lord’s caring for His church and His people and our country. May the mercy of God be upon us all. May the Lord keep His people and church in peace, with the intercession of Our Lady and the pride of our race the pure Virgin St. Mary. Amen.

Coptic Hope Charity Easter Hamper Appeal - 2023

“Blessed is he who considers the poor; The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.” Psalm 41:1

Beloved congregation of the Diocese of Melbourne and Affiliated Regions,

As we begin the blessed season of The Great Holy Lent and the Feast of the Glorious Resurrection, Coptic Hope Charity is pleased to announce the Easter Hamper Appeal - 2023. With the love and generosity of the Coptic Orthodox congregation, Coptic Hope Charity Easter Hamper Appeal supports our less fortunate brothers and sisters across the poorest villages and provinces throughout Egypt.

Our aim this year is to present 1700 families a special Easter Hamper, your gift of $60 for each Easter Hamper includes Meat, rice, flour, butter, milk, sugar etc to make celebrating the Feast of Resurrection a special time for our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

Coptic Hope Charity confirms that all donations collected for the Easter Hamper Appeal is to provide hampers to be distributed amongst as many families as possible, including the 1100 families in our Family-to-Family program.

To contribute to Coptic Hope Charity Easter Hamper Appeal or assist with ongoing support please donate with reference “Easter Hamper Appeal” to the following bank account or via our PayPal account at www.coptichope.org.au

Account Name: Coptic Hope Charity Limited ATF

BSB: 063-159

Account Name: 10686722

Tax deductible receipts for all donations above $2 will be issued upon receipt. All funds raised by Coptic Hope Charity are for the sole purposes of the services provided by Coptic Hope Charity to serve the poor and in need.

On behalf of Coptic Hope Charity, we would like to thank you for your love, generosity and support.

For further information please call Nagy Banoub on 0423 411 715 or email: info@coptichope. org.au

Next Friday 7th April is End-Lent Friday. It is 29th Baramhat which is the Glorious Feast of Annunciation. We do not celebrate this feast if it falls during Passion Week. This year the Holy Synod decided that we should celebrate this Feast as it falls outside the Passion Week. It is a major Lord’s Feast. We still keep the fasting but without abstaining.

Services Friday 7th April - Sunday 9th April

End Lent Friday

Friday 7th April

8am Early Morning

Prayer

8:30 Unction of the Sick 10am - 12:30pm Divine

Liturgy

Lazarus Saturday

Saturday 8th April

8:30am Eaely Morning Prayer

9-11am Divine Liturgy

Palm Sunday

Vespers Saturday Evening 8th

April

St Mary’s Church (Arabic) & Anglican Church(Mckraken Street)

5:30 - 7 pm

Early Morning Prayer and Palm

Procession:

6 - 8am Sunday 9th April

8 - 11am Divine Liturgy

11:30am General Funeral

Prayers

5:30 - 8pm Monday Eve Pascha Prayers

Passion Week starts Sunday 9th April Evening. Follow the daily services in next week Bulletin

St Mary’s Church Building Project Progress

On 21st March (Commemoration of Saint Fr Beshoy Kamel), the builder started erecting to walls of Ground and First Floors. The work is still continuing through this week. We thank our Lord for all the great works the Lord is blessing us with.

Total cost of the project; $13 million dollars. The Architecture and consultants cost is not included (estimated at $1.5 million Dollars)

Amount paid to the builder so far $4,355,775 - mostly from donations.

Current funds still available at the church accounts: $925,000

Government grant for the Child Care: $1,045,442 (50% has been paid to the church. The balance will be paid on October)

Amount drawn from the Bank Loan so far: $400,000 out of $8 million.

Builder remaining cost to be paid by November 2023: $6,703,484

May the Lord reward all for their prayers, generous donations and support.