The Martyrdom of St. George Prince of the Martyrs.

1st May - 23rd Baramoda

On this day, of the year 37 A.D., the great among the martyrs St. George, was martyred. He was born in Cappadocia; his father’s name was Anastasius, and his mother’s name was Theobaste. When he was twenty years old, his father died, and he went to Emperor Diocletian to take over his father’s position. He found that the Emperor had apostatized the faith and ordered the worship of idols. George was sorrowful, and he gave all his wealth to the poor and needy and set free his slaves.

When he saw the edict of the Emperor against the Christians, he became raged and tore it. They took him before the Emperor, and he cried in their middest saying: “For how long you shall pour your anger against the innocent Christians, and force those who know the true faith to adopt the faith that you are in doubt of because it is fraudulent? So, either you believe on this true faith, or at least do not disturb with foolishness those who are steadfast in it.” The Emperor asked Mephnanius, one of his ministers, to pacify and persuade him. He asked him: “Who taught you to be daring like this.” The Saint answered: “It is the truth,” then started to explain it to him. The Emperor interrupted, reminding the Saint with the ranks that he bestowed on him, and promised him with more if he denied his Christ. The Saint refused with pride all these vain propositions. The Emperor tortured him severely, but the Lord strengthened him and healed all his wounds.

When the Emperor was weary of torturing him, he brought a magician, whose name was Athanasius, who gave the Saint a cup full of poison to drink. St. George made the sign of the cross over the cup then drank it. When no harm came upon him, the magician believed in the Lord Christ, and received the crown of martyrdom. The Emperor became raged and ordered to squeeze him until he delivered up his soul, and they cast his body out side the city.

The Lord Christ raised him up, and the Saint returned to the city. When the people saw him, three thousand and seven hundred souls believed. The Emperor ordered to cut off their heads and they received the crown of martyrdom.

When St. George stood before Emperor Diocletian, along with seventy kings that were sitting around him, they asked the Saint: “We wish you to make these chairs that we are sitting on to put forth leaves, and bear fruit.” The Saint prayed to the Lord Christ, the Lord accepted his supplication and the chairs put forth leaves and bore fruit.

They took him once to a cemetery and asked him to raise the dead therein. He prayed to the Lord Christ. The Lord raised them and after they talked to them, they returned to their graves and died.

A poor woman, brought her son, who was blind, deaf and dumb, he prayed to the Lord Christ then made the sign of the cross over him, and he was healed right away.

Diocletain, during all that, went on torturing St. George, until he was weary and bored of that. He started to be pleasant to the Saint and promised to give him his daughter in marriage if he would offer the incense to his gods. The Saint pretended that he accepted his offer, and the Emperor rejoiced and brought him into the royal palace. While St. George was praying the Psalms, the Empress heard him and asked him to explain to her what he had said. He began to interpret to her all the events from the creation of the world to the Incarnation of the Lord Christ, and his words entered her heart and she believed in the Lord Christ, to Whom is the Glory.

The Emperor ordered to call upon all the men of the city to gather, in order to see Saint George offering the incense to the Emperor’s gods. When multitude gathered by the idols, Gawargios (George) stood and cried at the idols in the Name of the Lord Christ the Savior of the world. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed all the idols. The Emperor and all those who were with him were ashamed and he returned to his palace full of fury and wrath. The Empress told him: “Didn’t I tell you not to oppose the Galileans, for their God is strong and mighty?” The Emperor was exceedingly wrath with her, for he knew that St. George had brought her also to his faith. The Emperor with rage ordered to comb her body with a steel comb, then cut off her head, and she received the crown of martyrdom. Finally, Diocletian decided to put an end to the humiliation that befell him, so he ordered to cut off the head of St. George, and he received the crown of martyrdom. A Christian took the body, wrapped it in expensive shrouds, and took it to the city of Lydda, his home town, and they built a great church on his name there. His intercession be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.

The Martyrdom of St. Sarah, and her two sons.

3rd May - 25th Baramoda

On this day, St. Sarah and her two sons, were martyred. She was from the city of Antioch, the wife of a man whose name was Socrates, one of the governors of Emperor Diocletian. This Governor had denied Christ to please Diocletian, pretending before his wife that he did that because of his fear from the Emperor. Sarah had two sons, she could not baptize in Antioch, because of her fear from the Emperor and her husband. She took them and sailed to Alexandria to baptize them there. God willed to reveal the greatness of her faith as a lesson to the generations to come. God brought forth a great tempest and the ship was about to be wrecked and drown. Sarah was afraid that her sons would be drowned without being baptized. She prayed a long prayer, then she wounded her right breast, took some of her blood, anointed them making the sign of the cross upon the foreheads, and over the hearts. Then she dipped them in the sea three times saying: “In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

After that, the winds died down, a great calm came on the sea, and the ship sailed toward Alexandria. When she arrived, took her sons, went to the church, and handed them to Pope Peter, the seal of the martyrs. He baptized them, together with the children of the city. When the Pope carried one of her sons to baptize him, the water froze. The Pope went on baptizing other children and came back to her sons, but the water froze again. The same thing occurred on the third attempt. The Pope was amazed and asked their mother about her story. She told him about all what happened to her at sea and what she did for her sons. He glorified God and said: “It is indeed one baptism.”

When the woman returned to Antioch, her husband denounced what she had done. He related what happened to the Emperor accusing his wife with adultery. The Emperor brought her and reproached her saying: “Why did you go to Alexandria to commit adultery with the Christians?” The Saint answered him: “Christians do not commit adultery, and do not worship idols, and after this do what you wish, for you will not hear another word from me.”

The Emperor asked her: “Tell me what did you do in Alexandria?” When she did not answer him, he ordered to tie her hands behind her, and to place her two sons on her belly, and to bum all three of them. She turned her face to the east and prayed. They burnt her, with her sons. She delivered up her pure soul along with her sons, and they all received the crown of martyrdom. Their prayers be with us. Amen.

The Martyrdom of St. Boctor Ebn Romanus

5th May - 27th Baramoda

On this day, the honorable Saint Boctor (Victor) Ebn Romanus, the minister of Emperor Diocletian, was martyred. His mother Martha had reared him in the Christian ethics. He was promoted in the ranks in the kingdom until he became the third in succession. He was then twenty years old.

He prayed and fasted much, visited the prisoners and assisted the poor and needy. When they cut off the head of St. Theodata, the mother of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, no one dared to bury her because they feared the Emperor. This Saint went forth and took the body, shrouded it, then buried her, not caring about the Emperor›s order.

St. Boctor often admonished his father for worshipping the idols, so his father accused him before the Emperor. The Emperor had him brought and asked him to worship the idols to obey the imperial order. The saint took off his soldier girdle and threw it in his face saying: «Take your gift that you gave me.« His father suggested to the Emperor to send him to Alexandria to be tortured there.

On their way, his mother bid him farewell, crying, and he asked her to care for the poor, the widows, and the lonely. When he arrived to Alexandria, the governor Armanius tortured him many tortures, then he sent him to the governor of Ansena, who tortured him also, then cut off his tongue and plucked out his eyes. The Lord strengthened and comforted him every time. There was a fifteen years old girl who was watching his torture from the window of her house. She saw a crown coming down over his head. She confessed that before the governor and all those who were present. The Governor ordered her head to be cut off and also the head of St. Boctor. They received the crown of life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

There is a district in Alexandria until now known as El Boctoriah (Victoria), named after this Saint, because probably there was a church on his name in this district. His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.

Second Sunday of the Holy Fifty Days after Holy Resurrection

John 6: 35 – 45

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger” (35)

The Lord was talking to the people after the miracle of feeding the five thousand. People were searching for Jesus everywhere. The Lord told them that they are not seeking Him because they saw sins but because they ate of the loaves and got filled )John 6:26(. Surprisingly they asked Him ) . what sign He will perform that they may see it and believe Him. It looks they forgot about the miracle which the Lord just had done day before. They only remembered how the Lord gave their fathers the Manna in the wilderness. They overlooked all other miracles the Lord had done in the wilderness. They just want the Lord to fill their hunger for worldly bread. They are even ready to make Him a king if He fill their bodily desires. The Lord started to open their eyes that He is the Bread of Life. The Lord here points clearly to His relationship with the Father in brief and clear words the Lord explains that it is the Will of the Father to redeem the world and it is only through the Son alone we can reach to the Father. He came the bring the lost sinner humanity up to the Father. Some heretics tried to use these words to indicate that the Son is not equal to the Father or to dent the Divinity of the Lord Christ as He talked frequently about the Father Who sent Him. Looking closely to these verses, we can find clearly that we cannot know the Father without the Son. There is also no salvation without the Son and that the Will of the Father is the Will of the Son. This proves clearly the unity and equality of the Father and the Son. We should remember that Lord Jesus talks as the Incarnated Word of God and He is one in the Father and the Father is one in Him.

Our Lord Jesus Christ declares that He accepts everyone who comes to Him as this is the Will of the Father. Whoever comes to Him He will by no means cast out or lost.

+

All that the Father gives Me will come to me

This is the condition to live in Christ that you come according to the Will of the Father and His commandments. No one can accept the Son unless being drawn by the Father first. There are many who want to come to the Son but in their own ways and conditions not according to the Will of the Father. The Son cannot accept them nor can give them the Bread of Life. Whoever easts of Him will not hunger and whoever believes in Him will never thirst. There are many who wanted to come but they were not accepted as they were submitting to their own desires and not submitting their will to the Son.

Cain was one of those could have been inheriting the Kingdom with his brother. Also, Ruben the older son of Jacob who could have inherited the blessings of First-born for he lusted to the sin and defiled his fathers bed. Also, Esau lost his share of blessings as he rejected the privilege of being First-born. King Soul rejected his share in God and God rejected him. Gehazi (2Kings 4:2) could have become a great prophet like his master Elisha but he loved the wages of deception and lies and lost gifts of Heaven. There are many who do not reject and do not accept the Son when they had the chance. There are others who did not have great chances like them, but they accepted the Son. Compare Cain and Abel who are brothers and first sons on earth. Consider Ruth and her sister Orpha. Ruth longed to have the real share in the God’s of Israel but Orpha returned to Moab. Consider Rahab the harlot the strange pagan woman who accepted to be among the people of God. Look at Jezebel who married to King Ahab but she remained on her old life and habits and separated herself from the God’s people. You may say conditions to be accepted are difficult who can bear its responsibilities and who can keep on being accepted by God. You should know that when you submit to Christ you should never fear. The Son will never let you to be lost. He will never cast you out. + and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out

This is a very assuring promise which the world can never give. There is no system in the world who can give such an assurance. Who can give you security and peace like the Lord. The Lord promises that those in His Hands cannot be lost. No one ever can promise to raise you in the last day. Consider what really you can get of this world. Do you think you can be secure in your job or worldly life? Nebuchadnezzar, the great king one day lost his glory and became like animals eating grass. Someone sits on the throne today but tomorrow could be thrown into prison. Samson the strong man who could defeat armies of Palestinians has been humiliated by adulterous woman and ended up in prison grinding the grain like oxen (Judges 16). Remember that health cannot be always well. One day you can get weak and old. It is matter of time. Do not rely on your intelligence and experience. The worst thing you can do is to rely of your own health and abilities. The wheel can turn one day against your wishes and aspirations. It is easy for those who relies on themselves to fall into the traps of the devil. They will be deceived by their own self-pride and get lost. King Solomon was the wisest person of any time but still he fell into the trap of paganism by his strange wifes sometime in his life. Do you rely on your money or wealth? Can wealth restore health? Or inner peace? Can money help to in your eternity? Do not be deceived. All world promises are not true and deceiving. Many people were led by friends to spend a claimed joyful time in parties but ended up on the gutter or even to the jail. How many people were dazzled by the promises of huge winning in gambling and ended in huge debts and endless misery. It is a world which cannot guarantee anything. Come back for Lord Jesus. His promises are sure and comforting. Come back with real eagerness to be with Him. He is not going to promise you worldly profits. He actually going to lead you through the narrow road carrying His Cross. He will accompany you through this world sufferings, persecution and pain but He will never cast you out and promise that you will not be lost but He will grant you the eternal life. The saints had experienced this great wonderful joyful life in Jesus and they witness to us today that He is the Truth. Come today follow the Lord carrying His Cross to the Resurrection to Heavenly Jerusalem.

+ Holy Fifty Days:

With the feast of Holy Resurrection starts the Holy fifty days. First Sunday is Thomas Sunday, which is one of the Lord’s minor feasts. The church remember how the Lord revealed to His disciples the signs of His sufferings, as He called St Thomas to put his fingers and touch the prints of the nails, and the place of the spear in His side to remove away any doubts and give them a proof of His resurrection so that they can witness to all the world that we preach to you about the One Whom we have seen with our eyes and touched with our hands. The Lord manifested in His Resurrected Body the signs of the Cross even It was a glorified body. In these fifty days, the church embarks with Lord in a glorious journey in which the Lord reveal His Glory and His Kingdom. These are joyful days in which we do not fast as the Bridegroom is with us. The Lord is filling His disciples with support and peace to witness for Him and to be ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit Which abides with forever and is ready for His Second Coming. How wonderful are these days as the Lord reveal to His Bride the Human soul the Glories of the Heaven. I His Resurrection He opened for His Bride the Gates of the Paradise and accompany her in a journey through this world to Heavenly Jerusalem to live there forever. Let us make these days real spiritual days. Even there is no fasting but this body who enjoyed the spiritualities of the Lent and went through the passions of the Lord cannot any more get entangled in these materialistic lusts of the world. Let rejoice in the Lord and let us be elevated by Him to the Heaven. These are blessed days let us sanctify our thoughts and bodies and have the real joy of Resurrection.

Blessed Baptism

Baby Johnathan son of Michael & Rita Gerges

Saturday 22nd April 2023

St Mary’s Church

Blessed Marriage

Fady Naguib & Ireny

Basylious

Saturday 22nd April

2023

St Mary’s Church

Blessed Marriage

Mina Barsoum & Samantha

Smolen

Sunday 23rd April 2023

St George’s Church

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” )Jn 11:25)

Departed in The Lord Mr Kamal

Zaki Fanous

The beloved husband of Aida Fanous. Loving father of Soheir Iskander. Loving father of Amal and Sam Patto. Loving father of Vivienne and Steve Pantelidis.

Adored Grandfather of Anthony, Isabelle, David, Daniel Riad, Jamie, Brandy Iskander, James and Andrew Pantelidis.

Cherished Brother of Rashad, Makram, Naguib, Edward, Hamdy, Raafat, Ashraf, Yehya and Gowharra Fanous.

Brother-in-law to Magda Gerges, Remon and Wafa Eskander and Samia Hanna.

Condolences will be received on Tuesday 25th April at St Bishoy Church from 6:30pm7:30pm

The Funeral will be on Thursday 27th April 2023 at St Bishoy Church 11am-12pm

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.