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 the Great Saint Anba Paul, the First Hermit.
9th February – 2nd Amsheer
On this day of the year 341 A.D., the great saint Anba Paul, the first hermit, departed. This Saint was from the city of Alexandria and had a brother whose name was Peter. After the departure of their father, they divided the inheritance between them. When his brother took the greater share, Paul’s feelings were hurt, by his brother’s action. He said to his brother, “Why don’t you give me my rightful share of the inheritance of my father?” Peter responded, “You are a young man, and I am afraid that you might squander it. As for me, I will keep it for you.”
When they did not agree with each other, they went to the governor to judge between them. On their way, they saw a funeral procession. Paul asked one of the mourners about the deceased man. Paul was told that he was one of the noble and rich people of the city, and that he left his riches and his wealth behind, and that they were taking him to bury him with only his garment.
St. Paul sighed in his heart and said to himself, “What do I have to do then with all the money of this temporal world which I shall leave naked?” He looked to his brother and said to him, “My brother, let us return, for I shall not ask you for anything, not even for what is mine.”
On their way back, Paul left his brother and went on his way until he came out of the city. Paul found a grave where he stayed for three days praying to the Lord Christ to guide him to what pleases Him. As for his brother, he searched for Paul diligently and when he did not find him, he was very sorry for what he had done.
God sent St. Paul an angel who took him out of this place and walked with him until they reached the eastern inner wilderness. He stayed there for 70 years, during which he saw no one. He put on a tunic made of palm tree fibre. The Lord sent him a raven every day with a half loaf of bread. When the Lord wanted to reveal the holiness of St. Paul and his righteousness, He sent His angel to St. Antony (Antonius( the Great, who thought that he was the first to dwell in the wilderness. The angel told St. Antony, “There is a man who lives in the inner wilderness; the world is not worthy of his footsteps. By his prayers, the Lord brings rain and dew to fall on the earth and bring the flood of the Nile in its due season.” When St. Antony heard this, he rose right away and went to the inner wilderness, a distance of one day’s walk. God guided him to the cave of St. Paul. He entered, and they bowed to each other, and sat down talking about the greatness of the Lord.
In the evening, the raven came bringing a whole loaf of bread. St. Paul said to St. Antony, “Now, I know that you are one of the children of God. For 70 years, the Lord has been sending to me every day, half a loaf of bread, but today, the Lord is sending your food also. Now, go and bring me back in a hurry the tunic that Emperor Constantine had given to Pope Athanasius.”
St. Antony went to St. Athanasius, and brought the tunic from
him and returned to St. Paul. On his way back, he saw the soul of St. Paul carried by the angels up to heaven. When he arrived to the cave, he found that St. Paul had departed from this world. He kissed him, weeping, and clothed him in the tunic that he asked for, and he took his fibre tunic. When St. Antony wanted to bury St. Paul, he wondered how could he dig the grave? Two lions entered the cave, bowed their heads before the body of St. Paul, and shook their heads as if they were asking St. Anthony what to do. St. Antony knew that they were sent from God. He marked the length and width of the body on the ground, and they dug the grave with their claws, according to St. Antony’s directions. St. Anthony then buried the holy body and went back to Pope Athanasius and told him what had happened. St. Athanasius sent men to bring St. Paul’s body to him. They spent several days searching in the mountains, but they could not find the place of his grave. St. Paul appeared to the Pope in a vision and told him that the Lord would not allow the revelation of the location of his body. He asked the Pope not to trouble the men, but to have them brought back.
Pope Athanasius used to put the palm fibre tunic on three times a year during the Divine Liturgy. One time, he wanted to let the people know about the holiness of the owner of that tunic. He put it over a dead man, and the dead man rose up instantly. The news of this miracle spread all around the land of Egypt. His prayers be with us all. Amen. The Departure of St. Longinus, Abbot of El-Zugag Monastery.
9th February – 2nd Amsheer
On this day also, the pure saint Anba Longinus, the abbot of the El-Zugag monastery, departed. He was from Cilicia (in Asia Minor(. He became a monk in one of the monasteries, where his father Lucianus became a monk after his wife had died.
When the abbot of this monastery departed, the monks wanted to appoint St. Lucianus an abbot over them, but he refused, for he shunned the vain glory of the world. He took his son Longinus and went to Syria, where they lived in a church. God revealed their virtues by performing many miracles through them. For fear of the vain glory of this world, Longinus went to Egypt with his father’s permission.
When he arrived, he went to the monastery of El-Zugag, west of Alexandria. The monks received him with joy. After the departure of the abbot, the monks appointed Anba Longinus abbot over them, for what they saw of his virtues and his good conduct. Shortly after, his father Lucianus came to him, and they worked together in making the canvas sails of boats, and sold them to support themselves. God performed many miracles and signs on their hands. Father Lucianus departed from this world in peace, and shortly after, his son, Anba Longinus, departed also. The prayers of these two saints be with us, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Martyrdom of St. Agabus, One of the Seventy Disciples.
11th February – 4th Amshir
On this day, St. Agabus, one of the seventy disciples, was martyred. The seventy disciples were chosen by the Lord to go before Him to preach the gospel. St. Agabus was with the twelve disciples in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
He received the gift of prophecy, as the Acts of the Apostles tells us, “And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’” (Acts 21:1011( This prophecy was fulfilled. (Acts 21:17-36( He also prophesied about a famine on all the earth, and this was fulfilled during the time of Claudius Caesar, the Roman Emperor. (Acts 11:27-28( He preached the gospel together with the holy apostles. He went to many countries, teaching and converting many of the Jews and the Greeks to the knowledge of the Lord Christ. He sanctified them by the life-giving baptism. This moved the Jews of Jerusalem to arrest him, and they tortured him by beating him severely, and putting a rope around his neck, and they dragged him outside the city. They stoned him there until he gave up his pure spirit. At this moment, a light came down from heaven. Everyone saw it as a continuous column between his body and heaven. A Jewish woman saw it and said, “Truly this man was righteous.” She shouted in a loud voice, “I am a Christian and I believe in the God of this saint.” They stoned her also and she died and was buried with him in one tomb. Their prayers be with us and glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Martyrdom of the Saints Abakir, John, the Three Virgins and Their Mother.
13th February – 6th Amshir
On this day also, the saints Abakir; John; the three virgins, Theodora (which means the gift of God(, Theopisti “Theophana” (which means the faithfulness of God(, and Theodosia (which means the glory of God(; and their mother, Athanasia (which means the immortal(, were martyred. St. Abakir was a monk since his young age, and St. John was a soldier in the private guards of the Emperor. They left Alexandria, their own home town, and lived in Antioch. When Diocletian incited the persecution against the Christians, they confessed their faith in the Lord Christ along with the virgins and their mother. When the Emperor knew that they were from Alexandria, he returned them to the governor of Alexandria. When they came to Alexandria, and were brought before the Governor, they confessed their faith in the Lord Christ. He ordered them beheaded. St. Athanasia was comforting and confirming her daughters and telling them that if
they were martyred, they would become the brides of Christ. The virgins were beheaded first, then their mother, then St. Abakir and St. John.
Their bodies were cast to the wild beasts and to the birds of the sky. However, some believers came and took their bodies by night and they placed them in a coffin and hid them until the end of the time of persecution. Their prayers be with us, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The Feast of Presenting the Lord Christ in the Temple. 15th February - 8th March
On this day we celebrate the feast of presenting the Lord Christ to the temple after 40 days of His blessed birth. St. Joseph the righteous and His mother, the Virgin Mary, presented Him in the temple, to fulfill the Mosaic Law. St. Luke the Evangelist says that when His parents brought Him according to the custom of the law, the just and devout Simeon the elder took Him in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all people, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the Glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:29-32( Simeon was one of the 70 elders who translated the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek. This was in the time of Ptolemy Soter in the year 296 B.C., who was sent by the will of God to Jerusalem. He brought 70 men from among the learned Jewish teachers and scholars and commanded them to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek(1(. He put every two of them in an isolated place so they would not agree on one translation, and to ensure a correct text after comparing all of the translations. Simeon the elder was one of them. When Simeon was translating the verse from Isaiah 7:14, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel,” he was afraid to translate that a virgin would conceive, because the King would mock him. He wanted to translate the virgin as a “young lady.” He was disturbed because of this inaccurate translation, and God revealed to him in a vision that he would not die before he would see Christ the Lord born of a virgin. This was fulfilled and he lived about three hundred years. When Christ was born; he was very well advanced in age and his sight dimmed. When he carried the child Jesus in his hands, his sight came back to him, and the Holy Spirit told him, “This is the child that you have been waiting for.” He blessed God and said, “You are letting Your servant depart in peace according to Your Word, for my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the Glory of Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:28-32( The prayers of this righteous man be with us, and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Meditations on the bible readings
First Sunday of the blessed month of Amsheer
John 6 :22-27
“Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life” John 6:27. Often, man labours for the food which perishes … and what is amazing, is man spending all his labouring to feed his body … and at the end, this body with all the labours spent on it, is given to dust (and decay by( worms … and more astonishing is that the spirit which will never die … does not receive this measure of care … and more amazing is that all agree on the importance of the ever-lasting (heavenly( life, but never given the attention or priority which it deserves …
There are three dangerous diseases which are obstacles for man and his or her ever-lasting life:Delays +++ too-busy +++ complacency
How easy it is for man to delay taking action and for one to give him or herself the excuse that there still much time for repentance … and there are too many engagements which the world puts as an obstacles in one’s way … and furthermore, it is very easy to be complacent and lazy because of the many concerns with our physical bodies … + came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus +++ They did not come to hear His teachings … despite that they were elated with His teachings … and were astonished at greatness of His teachings … but all this in their point of view; could wait … what is of more importance is the fulfilment of the body (with bread( … they remembered firstly that they were filled with five loaves of bread and two fishes … how easy it is for man to delay spiritual fulfilment for the bodily fulfilment … and for the bodily food, one is willing to labour with sweat and not caring for his or her spiritual starvation and one’s spiritual needs
…
In fact, this is the problem of the world we live in nowadays … for man had excelled in (fulfilling( the physical bodily needs … and even succeeded in reaching the moon and walk in space … but alas, man has not learned how live peacefully with his fellow man … the world is full today with many struggles, wars, difficulties and blood shedding …
Similarly the same image exists today in our own homes … for we take great care to fill our home with all that beautiful, well decorated and new … paying much attention to our food and clothing, but we still find with all these, our lives are full of tribulations and difficulties … this is because our spiritual need almost non-existent … beloved, when would you start caring (for your spirituality(??? Tomorrow … next year … when God wills … why do you delay???
Do you know, beloved that all evil people have intend-
ed to repent (one day( but are always delaying their repentance … do you know that hades is full with (people( who had good intentions and there are people who delay since they do not want the restrictions of repentance … similar to pharaoh … every time he realized that the plague was lifted from him (and Egypt( … he becomes obstinate and stubborn … then, he returns to delays and fractious … thinking that, the same will happen again and he will escape the plagues … to the extent that he entered into the parted sea after the Israelites thinking that he will be saved … but it was the end for him (and his armies( (Exodus 14( … It is a type of stubbornness … which deceives the person with the appearances of life and leading (such person( to think that there are many chances still to come, unaware it might be one step away from the end …
Also, there are those who delay repentance thinking that at the last-moment one can repent … and sets him or herself the thief on the right (of Christ in the Crucifixion( … (believing( in the last moment, one can repent but how many had a minute to repent??? And even if such a minute were found will such truly repent??? … for repentance is an inner willingness … and not just a few words one utters in the last moment … how many evil men tried to offer (words of( repentance in the last moment and could not … and instead of repenting they might have committed more sins … We hear of (Emperor( Julian the Apostate (361-363 AD( who rejected the (Christian( faith and persecuted the Christian very severe persecution … he went to war against the Persians and during (this war( he was fatally wounded and as he was breathing his last breath; he was crying out throwing his spelt blood in the air and saying … You, the Galilean have won … that is (the person( who had vowed to eliminate all Christians upon his return from the wars … We also hear of an evil man who was about to die and one of those attending to him, asked him to offer penance of repentance to God, so he said to him … how can I when I had forty years as a I am and refusing repentance … and another person who loved a girl very much … so he took her and they lived together in a life of sin and adultery and when he caught a serious disease he was visited by a servant of God, who was asked by this person; what should he do to be saved? … and with great pleasure this young man offered his money to the poor and forgiven all debts owed to him … then when the servant of God asked him to let the girl go out of his house and repent and regret the of sin he spent with her … this young man, moaned and said; I cannot … he was warned of the torment
of hades … and reminded of the joys of the heavenly (life( and its glories but the young man said he cannot (let her go( and with all what is left in him of strength, he grabbed the arm of this young woman and pulled her to his chest and given his last breath unable to offer a (true( repentance despite having the chance …
Beloved, be aware, for the thief on the left (of Christ( had the same opportunities the thief on the right had to repent but he did not benefit from such opportunities.
+ Rabbi, when did You come here??? +++
We are very exhausted … seeking You … we have troubled ourselves … we took our boats in search of You … why is all this care … because of the bread … because of perishable food …
The foolish rich man preoccupied himself with building new barns, his money and physical bodily needs … he went on demolishing his barns and building larger ones … and kept on wishing himself many years to enjoy the wealth of the world (Luke 12:13-21( …
We should not forget our salvation and everlasting life being pre occupied with the labours of the world … a story from the past … it was said there was a huge cave and within this cave is three thousand caves … and if anyone ever entered the main cave, it was said he or she will perish of hunger … this is because as soon as one enters to within the caves, one would keep on moving to see the different cave and being preoccupied with seeing all, one discovers that he or she has no food or sustenance and because of the many caves one becomes lost till they perish of hunger … but, a wise man carried with him a ball of fine thread on his entering the main cave and kept on unrolling the thread everywhere he went within the caves … on his return, he followed the thread to the entrance of the cave and by doing this, he avoided destruction and was saved …
This fine thread which one must keep in his or her hands is you being aware and concerned with your everlasting life.
The person, who is constantly preoccupied with this world is like a painter who is drawing a picture of a human and starts by drawing the feet and continues upwardly with the drawing when one get to draw the head, one run out of canvas and the drawing stays without a head, thus is the person who is only concerned with materialistic and desires of the world, can not reach above the earthly because his or her thoughts are concerned only with the earthly … Felix the ruler’s problem … was that he had no time
… and when St Paul talked to him about righteousness, purity and the final judgement … Felix was petrified and said to Paul, go now and when I have time, I will call for you (Acts 24( … and you beloved … are you still too busy??? Have no time ??? too busy for your salvation and your everlasting (heavenly( life??? But till when??? …
Remember the five foolish maidens; they were virgins and had lamps and they too desired to meet the bridegroom … but they were not well prepared … they were preoccupied with the world … and forgotten to take oil with them … And you, have you forgotten your everlasting life and your salvation??? Are you too busy with world to this extent??? …
+ Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures +++ Enough laziness … enough complacency … Satan can not make you fall into blasphemy and profanity … or adultery … or committing murder … or stealing … Satan cannot make commit many sins … but, how easy it is to make you be lazy and complacent … with the excuse that one is tired … or the excuse of too much work … how easy it is to convince you that you are tired this night … therefore, no need for prayers … and in the morning; late for work therefore not important to pray today … or, you stayed up late on Saturday night, therefore no need (to attend( church on Sunday … Satan, does not say to you that prayers are not important … or try to convince you that going to church and partaking of the Eucharist is not important … Satan, will only tell you are too tired today or exhausted this night … or too busy with friends … Many were too busy with the world while Noah was building the ark … they did not take heed of his warnings … and all perished … also, many in Sodom were too busy and forgotten themselves and made fun of Lot and his warnings and all destroyed ….
And you beloved is you still lazy and complacent … still asleep in your bed … you will sleep a lot later … but your salvation cannot wait … for, the door is about to be shut, therefore, will you haste to be saved??? …
Do not delay … this might be your last chance … Do not be too busy … your salvation is more important than anything else …
Do not be complacent … for sleep and complacency are the easiest way to hades +++
Jonah’s Fasting
Monday 10th - Wedesday 12th
February
Jonah’s Fasting start on Monday 10th February - Wedesday 12th February. It is a restrict Fasting to be observed as Wedesdays and Fridays.
St Mary’s Church services during this Fasting as follows: Monday 8:30 - 11am Tuesday 5 - 7am (early morning( Wednesday 8:30 - 11am Thursday (Feast of Jonah( 6 - ( 8am
May the Lord grant us the blessings of this wonderful time of Jonag’s Fasting.
