Services at St Mary’s Church
Monday:
Mass 8:30 - 11 AM
Tuesday
Liturgy 5:30 – 7 AM
The Way Orthodox Fellowship in English for adultsAll ages 7:30 PM
Wednesday:
Mass 8:30 – 11 AM
Hymns class for adults 7 – 8:30 PM
English Bible Study 7:30 PM
Thursday
Mass 8:30 - 11 AM
English Midnight Praises 7:30 PM
Friday:
Mass 8:30 – 11 AM
Youth meeting 25 and above 7-9 PM
Discipleship Class 7-8:30 PM
Saturday:
Mass: 8:30 – 11 AM
Scouts 1:30 – 3 PM
Choirs and Theatre 2 – 4 PM
Vespers Praises 2:45 – 4 PM
Sunday School for grades 7-10 4 – 6:30 PM
Sunday School for primary 4:30 – 6 PM
Vespers & youth meeting 7-8:30pm English
Vespers &Bible Study Arabic 6-7:30 PM
Midnight Praises 7:30 – 9:30 PM
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
Psalmist School of Hymnology 11:15 AM – 12:15
PM
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 Kyrillos Tawadros 0411 518 399
Fr John Makary 0433 445 636
Additional Liturgies during the Lent:
Tuesday 12- 3pm
Thursday 5 - 7 pm
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.
The Departure of St. Euphrasia (Eupraxia), the virgin. 4th April - 26th Baramhat
On this day the blessed St. Euphrasia )Eupraxia( the virgin departed. She was the daughter of a noble family in the city of Rome, who was related to Emperor Honorius. Before her father›s departure, he asked the Emperor to care for her.
Her mother went to Egypt to collect the revenues and rent of her estates and orchards, which her husband had left her. She took her daughter, who was nine years of age, with her, and they lodged in one of the houses of virgins. The nuns of that convent were on high degree of asceticism, piety and devoutness, they never ate food with meat, oil, fruits, at no time drank wine and slept on the floor.
Eupraxia loved the life in that convent, and she was pleased with the nun that served her. That nun told her: «Promise me that you will not leave this convent»; and she promised her that. When her mother finished her work that she came to achieve, her daughter refused to return with her and she said to her mother: «I have vowed myself to Christ, and I have no need for this world, for my true Bridegroom is the Lord Christ.» When her mother knew that, she gave all her money and goods to the poor and needy, and she lived with her daughter in the convent for many years, then departed in peace.
When Emperor Honorius heard that, he sent asking for her. She answered back saying that she had vowed her self to the Lord Christ, and she can not break her covenant. The Emperor marvelled at her wisdom and righteousness and allowed her to stay.
Eupraxia contended strenuously in the ascetic life, she fasted two days at a time, then three, then four, and afterwards she fasted for a week at a time, and during the Holy Lent she did not eat anything which was cooked. Satan was jealous of her, and he smote her with an illness in her feet, gave her pain for a long time, until God had compassion on her and healed her. God granted her the gift of healing the sick, and she was beloved by all the sisters and the abbess for her humility and obedience to them.
One night the abbess saw in a vision crowns which had been prepared, and she asked: «Who are these for?», and she was told: «These crowns for your daughter Eupraxia, she will be coming to us after a short while.» The abbess told the nuns of the vision which she had seen, and commanded them not to tell Eupraxia about it. When her time came to depart of this world, she fell sick of a slight fever. The abbess and the nuns gathered around St. Eupraxia and asked her to remember them before the Divine Throne, then she departed in peace. Then right after her departure the nun her friend departed, and shortly after, the abbess fell sick, so she gathered the nuns and told them: «Choose whom will be abbess over you, for I am going to the Lord.» When they came on the following morning to visit her, they found that she had departed. May their prayers be with us. Amen.
The Fifth Sunday of the Holy Lent
Healing the paralysed man )John 5: 1-18(
“Jesus said to him,” “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked.
The paralysed man was one of the sick people who were in the fifth porch, and he was crippled and could not move, saying, “but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” Jn 5:7. Some said that the five porches refer to the five senses that are the source of every sin. All sick people expected that the angel would move the water, and whoever stepped in first was cured. This is an evidence that it is a gift from God and whoever hastens first takes it. And that requires constant vigilance and preparation, because you do not know when these gifts will come.
Moving the water by an angel used to cure only one person, but you, Lord, heal many people. “They came from every village from Galilee, Judea and Jerusalem, and the power of the Lord was to heal them.” Lu 5:17. He accepts all that is why the reading of the Catholic today refers to this meaning “He not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Pet 3: 9.
God, who knew the secrets of Nathanael and the Samaritan woman, also knew that this patient had been waiting a long time beside the pool, so He went to grant him healing after 38 years, since he did not have a person to help him when the water was stirring.
As for the paralytic who was carried by four men and who was mentioned by the rest of the evangelists, there was no reason to go to him because he had many friends, so the Master waited for him at home and healed him. The priest says in the litany of the sick “You have visited them with mercy, heal them, the hope of those who have no hope and the help of those who have no helper; the comfort of the fainthearted; the harbor of those in the storm” etc...
+ “Do you want to be made well?”
The first words that the Master spoke to the paralysed was: “Do you want to be made well?”
The Lord said this in order to raise hope in him first. It also respects the freedom of will that God has given to man since his creation. He has given him the freedom of will to do good or evil, to walk on the path of repentance or the opposite, to choose the disease of sin or the cure of it; work and grace complement each other ...
Do you want to???? It is a question directed to everyone. It is a call of Christ to every individual, as it is the key to the healing of the soul and the spirit. So do I want to take this opportunity to listen to Him saying: Rise, take up your bed from the disease of sin, so that I have a great profit for my life?
“Do you want to be made well?”
Didn’t Christ see him sick and know very well that he has 38 years sick, since everything is exposed to him? Is there a patient who loves sickness? So, the question explains the freedom of will that is given to us in order to choose to be healed from our diseases, as happened in the parable of the prodigal son when he said to his father, “Give me the portion of money that befalls
me, then immediately the father divided his livelihood to them. And after he spent everything and returned to himself, his father returned and accepted him joyfully. This paralysed man, instead of taking the blame on himself, he cast the blame on others; arguing that he has no one to put him into the pool when the angel moves the water. And so we often impersonate ourselves with irrational excuses, leaving the truth far away. Others may not have noticed that he has a desire to be healed.
The paradise of the fathers tells us this story “Pope Theophilus, Patriarch of Alexandria, went to Mount Nitria and came to a father on the mountain and asked him what is the best thing you have found in this way of your struggle, Father? The old man told him “Our great work is to lay the blame for our sins upon ourselves in any fault”. So the Pope said to him “In truth, this is the virtuous way that there is never better than it. And we notice in the story of this paralysed that all his relatives left him so that he said “I have no one to put me” John 5: 7. The same things happened to David the Prophet when he said I lie wake, and I am like a sparrow lone on the housetop. My enemies reproach me all day long; those who deride me swear an oath against me )Psalm 102: 7-8(. “I said in my haste, “All men are liars.” )Psalm 116: 11(. “What are people doing to me? All day long they distort my words” Psalm 56: 4. My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, and my relatives stand afar off. )Psalm 38: 11( We also see the righteous Job was blamed by his companions in his misfortune so he said about them, “I have heard many such things; Miserable[a] comforters are you all )Job16: 2(. Even his wife added to his grief by saying to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? [c]Curse God and die!” )Job 2: 9(. Some friends may abandon us at a time of sorrows and trials, but when we say to the Lover of mankind “I have no one “he answers without delay. Rise, take up your bed and walk”
When the human soul awakens and addresses the Lord Christ, saying “I am dark, but lovely, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, My mother’s sons were angry with me“ )Song 1: 5( The Lord Christ is kind to that soul and speaks to her, saying,“ How fair is your love, My sister, my spouse! How much better than wine is your love, and the [c]scent of your perfumes than all spices! “)Song 4: 10(
And one person may be a cause of blessing to others or to the whole world. Saint Athanasius the Apostolic led the whole world against the heretics and had been a disciple at the hands of Saint Anthony, the father of the monks. Saint John Chrysostom says, “When you see a person in need of a cure, to his spirit, soul or body, do not say in yourself that this is the work of so-and-so, to save him from his evil and cure him. Answer me honestly, if you find a container full of gold, will you say to yourself why does this vessel not be taken by so-and-so. Rather, you hasten like a raven wolf snatching and you will take it before any human being. Let this longing be with your fallen brothers, putting in yourself
that you have found a very precious treasure, and that you take care of your brother’s salvation. For whoever “let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save [l]a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. )James 5:20(
It is probable, that this paralysed man have someone to put him into the water, but he remained thirty-eight years sick, because he loves to be sick of sin and remains crippled from repentance for a long time.
This paralysed man remained crippled until the Lord Jesus came to him and healed him. And here we see the Lord Jesus in the person of the father of confession every day calling each of us “Would you like to be absolved?”
If you did not rush towards Him, it means that we would have preferred to stay crippled at the edge of the pool.
O true Doctor for our souls, our bodies and our souls, O Bishop of everybody, visit us with Your salvation. He takes care of the soul in the green pastures and narrates it from the living Water forever as David the prophet says: “the Lord is My shepherd I shall not want”. + He does not know who He is It has not been proven that the crippled had met the Lord Jesus before, for he did not see him until his recovery. It was a casual meeting, and after this meeting the Lord Jesus disappeared to escape from the praise of people. Holy people do not love praise or reward because they believe that their reward is great in the kingdom of heaven and that their Father who sees in secret will reward them publicly.
It may happen that the Lord Jesus Christ will meet with us casually. And in this meeting we had a salvation from many evils. How many times He did miracles in our life with a strong arm? How many times He saved us from dangers that were approaching, whether on land, sea, or air? How many times He has covered us, kept us, accepted us, and had compassion on us until this moment. All these things David had said in the beautiful psalm when he says, “he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty…. you shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day )Psalm 91( Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; Nor are there any works like Your works… For You are great, and do wondrous things; You alone are God. )Psalm 86: 8, 10( Indeed, he is still shadowing us with his right hand and embracing us every time ... “His left is under my head and his right embraces me.” )Song 8: 3(. We enter into a true relationship with the Lord Jesus and know Him with the true knowledge for He is everything in our life “the Alpha and the Omega ... the beginning and the end. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes [d]shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. )Rev. 21:6-7(. + Sin no more:
The Lord Jesus did not say to that paralysed man ‘sin no more’ until after he had healed him. And the healthy sick
went to the temple to thank God for his recovery. There he realized that the Lord Jesus was the one who healed him, so he went and confessed that Jesus was the one who healed him. That was an acknowledgment of the good that came at its time and place. How beautiful is thanksgiving, it is not an act or an event, rather it is a life style that has a deep meaning, which is the acceptance of God’s will in health and sickness, in wealth and poverty, in happiness and misery. That is, thanksgiving is a must at every condition and for every condition and in every condition. That is why the Church arranged at the beginning of her prayers the prayer of thanksgiving: “Let us thank the merciful God, God, the Father of our Lord, God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ, for He had covered, helped us, and preserved us ... etc.”
And we notice that the Lord Jesus, after healing the paralysed, warned him, saying, “sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” )John 5:14(. Then the warning was focused on not returning to the sin that caused him illness, lest he be afflicted with what is worse and more cruel. The sick when he does not take care after healing he may suffer from more complications than the disease itself )the setback(. Thus the sinner after his repentance, if he neglects to implement the commandments and the instructions of the spiritual father, then he will suffer more spiritual illnesses than he used to, especially since the enemy of good, envies the healing of such people, so he aims all his arrows towards them to return them to their first life. Let us always be careful lest we sin and have more evil. “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” )Luke 9: 62(
And the Lord Christ here, with his pre-knowledge, warned him of a mistake that he would do more than this. St. Cyril said in St. Mary’s life-story )maymer( this story about the paralytic man:
While they were on their way, the Jews looked at them and ordered a mighty man named Theofina to snatch the bed and wait for them at the foot of the mountain until they reached him with firewood and set it on fire, so he stood behind the apostles and when they approached, he came forward and extended his dirty hands to the bed on which the body of the Virgin Mary was laid. The angel of the Lord struck him with a sword of fire on his arms, he cut them off. He started crying out bitterly to the disciples, saying, ‘Have mercy on me, O apostles of Christ the Saviour, and be good with me. I have done this evil through ignorance and under the directions of the leaders of the wicked Jews, and know that I am the paralytic man who was healed by the Lord of Glory Jesus Christ after spending thirty-eight years paralysed. And He commanded me not to return to sin again, lest I suffer more than the first. So they pleaded for him and he was healed immediately. Let us call the name of Christ our Saviour, for He is our weapon, He is our support, He is our steadfastness, our strength, our help and our consolation. This article is taken briefly from the book ‘The Spirituality of the Holy Lent Readings’ by Father Samaan El-Syriany.
