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
Additional Liturgies during the Lent:
Tuesday 12- 3pm
Thursday 5 - 7 pm
The Appearance of the Head of St. John the Baptist.
9th March - 30th Amsher
On this day we celebrate the commemoration of the appearance of the head of St. John the Baptist. Herod commanded his head to be cut off and brought on a platter and given to Herodias, according to her request. (Mark 6:7-28( It was said that after the feast he regretted the slaying of St. John so he kept the head in his house.
Aritas, the Arabic King, Herod’s father-in-law, was enraged because Herod banished his daughter and married the wife of his brother, while his brother was still alive. Aritas instigated a war against Herod in revenge for his daughter. He overcame Herod, dispersed his army and destroyed the cities of Galilee. When Tiberius Caesar learned that the reason for these wars was the slaying of a prophet, who was great among his people, by Herod, who banished his wife, the daughter of Aritas, the Arabian king, and married his brother’s wife, he summoned Herod and Herodias to Rome. Herod hid the head of St. John in his palace and went to Rome. When he arrived there, Tiberius removed him from his position and stripped him of all his possessions and exiled him to Spain where he died. Herod’s palace was ruined and became an example for those who might think of following in his footsteps.
A few years later, two believing men from Homs went to Jerusalem to spend the holy fast (Lent( there. Night fell on them while passing by the ruins of Herod’s palace, so they spent the night there. St. John appeared to one of them and told him about his name and the whereabouts of his head and ordered him to take it to his house. When he woke up, the man told this to his friend and they went to the place where the head was buried. They dug and found a sealed pottery vessel. When they opened that vessel, a sweet aroma spread out of it. They found the holy head, took its blessing and placed it back in the vessel. The man that saw the vision took it to his house. He put it in a safe place and put a candle in front of it. Before his departure, he told his sister about it and she went on doing the same thing.
The head was handed from one person to another until it came to the hand of a follower of Arius who attributed the wonders and miracles that happened through the holy head to the heresy of Arius. The Lord commanded someone to force him out of his house. The place of the head remained unknown until the time of St. Cyril (Kyrillos(, Bishop of Jerusalem. St. John appeared to Abba Martianus, Bishop of Homs, in his sleep and told him about the place of the head. He went there and found the head and that was on the thirtieth of the month of Amshir. The prayers of this saint be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Abba Kyrillos the Sixth, the 116th Pope of Alexandria. On this day also of the year 1971 A.D., the holy and righteous father Abba Kyrillos the Sixth, the one hundred and sixteenth Pope of Alexandria, departed. God has accorded this pure father the gift of working great miracles even after his departure. His prayers and blessings be with us. Amen.
The Departure of St. Narcissus.
10th March - 1st Baramhat
On this day of the year, 222 A.D., departed the father St. Narcissus, Bishop of Jerusalem. This father came to Jerusalem during the reign of Alexander Caesar, who loved the Christians, in the year 190 A.D. This father was holy and unblemished in all his conduct. He shepherded his people with the best of care. Later, Alexander died and after him Maximianus Caesar reigned who incited persecution against the Christians. He slew many of the bishops and the remaining fled leaving their parishes. God granted this father the gift of performing wonders. On the eve of the feast of Easter, the oil in the lamps ran out, so he ordered the lamps to be filled with water and were lit. They all illuminated that night also by the light of his teachings. The enemy of the good did not stop but, moved some people against him. They accused him of committing the sin of infidelity. God›s punishment for those liars was bitter. One of them burned to death, and the bowels of another poured out and died, the body of the third wasted out from a long sickness, the fourth was killed and the fifth repented with tears confessing his sins. As for the saint, he went to the desert and disappeared there, lest his stay be a stumble to others. Since nothing was known of St. Narcissus whereabouts, another man was chosen in his place whose name was Dius. Dius remained for a short period of time; he then departed. Upon Dius› departure they chose another called Ghordinus. When the time of persecution was over, Abba Narcissus returned to Jerusalem where he was greeted by his people with great joy. Ghordinus asked him to take over his Chair but, he refused preferring the solitary life. Ghordinus insisted that he stays with him in his cell. St. Narcissus stayed with him for one year at the end of which Ghordinus departed and St. Narcissus acquired his Chair. He had aged and was very week so, he asked his people to choose another bishop, but they refused.
Alexander, Bishop of Cappadocia, came to Jerusalem to visit the Holy Land and pray. When he was about to return, after the feast, the people heard a great voice in the church of the Resurrection saying: «Go to the gate of the city, the first one to enter it, seize him, make him stay to assist Narcissus.» When, they went to the gate, they met the Bishop Alexander, and pleaded with him to stay to assist Abba Narcissus. After much resistant, Bishop Alexander decided to accept and stay until the departure of St. Narcissus. This father remained on the Episcopal Chair for thirty seven years, and all the years of his life were one hundred and sixteen years.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
The Martyrdom of St. Macrobius (Makrawy( the Bishop. ( 11th March - 2nd Baramhat
On this day the blessed Saint Anba Makrawy (Macrobius( the bishop was martyred. This father was of the nobles of Ashmun Grais (Ashmun Kharirat( and he was ordained bishop for Nikiu (Nakiyos(. When persecution against Christians started, Youfanyous, the Governor, sent for the
Saint to appear before him. Before he went to the Governor, he went before the Holy Altar, lifted up his hands and prayed. He hid the Altar accessories (Utensils( and the service vestments in a place in the altar. He prayed again to the Lord Christ to guard His church. Then he went with the messengers to the Governor who asked him about his name and his hometown. When the Governor realized that he was the Bishop of the city, he ordered him to be beaten and humiliated. They mixed lime with vinegar and poured it down his throat. Nevertheless, God guarded him and he was unharmed.
Later, the Governor sent him to Armenius, the Governor of Alexandria, who casted him into prison. The Lord made, through his hands, many signs. Eucharistos, the son of Julius EL-Akfahsi, the writers of the biography of the martyrs, was paralytic. St. Macrobius prayed over him and God healed him through his prayers. He celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Julius home, administered the Holy Mysteries to them, and asked Julius to care for his body and to write his biography.
When Armenius heard what this Saint was performing signs and wonders, he ordered him to be tortured with different kinds of tortures: to be squeezed with the wheel, to cut off his members, to cast him to ferocious lions, to throw him into the sea, and to cast him into hot fire. The Lord strengthened him and all these tortures did not harm him. This Saint had a virgin sister called Mariam who served the church and two brothers named Yoannis and Isaac. They came to him while he was in prison and wept before him saying: “You have been a father to us, after our father; so how can you depart and leave us orphans?” He comforted, encouraged, consoled, and asked them to leave in peace. Finally, not wanting to see the Saint tortured any more, Julius EL-Akfahsi advised the governor saying: “Write the decree of this old man and get rid of him” The Governor listened to him and ordered his head to be cut off. Julius took his body and swathed it in wrappings embroidered in gold. He placed a golden cross on his chest and sent the body with his men in a ship to his Episcopal seat in Nikiu. The ship sailed until it arrived to the city of Ashmun Grais (Ashmun Kharirat(. It stopped as if it had been tied with chains and all attempts to move it failed. While they were trying to do that, a voice came out of the body saying: “This is the place wherein God is pleased that my body shall rest.” When they told the people of the city, they came out to the ship carrying palm branches. They carried the body with great honor to their city. He lived for one-hundred thirty one years; thirty of them as a priest, thirty nine as a bishop, and he completed his good strife and received the crown of life.
May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Commemoration of the Martyrdom of St. Eudexia (Eutychia(.
14th March - 5th Baramhat
On this day also is the commemoration of St. Eudexia
which is interpreted “happiness”. This Saint was Samaritan by race and religion, from the city of Baalbek. The name of her father was Younan and the name of her mother was Hakeemah. She lived her early life in immorality. With the beauty of her face and physical appearance, she stumbled many and made them to fall into sin acquiring thereby great wealth.
A saintly monk from Jerusalem called Germanus heard about her. He went to her, preached her with solemn and frightful words, mentioning to her hell, worms, darkness, and the fearful punishments which are therein. She asked him: “Does the body rise after death, and after it becomes dust to be judged?” He replied “Yes”. She asked him: “What are the proofs on what you said, since the Torah that God gave to Moses the prophet and my fathers did not mention this?” He explained to her with biblical and logical proofs until she was convinced. She asked him: “If I go back on my evil works would God accept me?” He replied: “If you believed that the Lord Christ had come to the world, took away our sins by His Crucifixion, repented now a sincere repentance, and been baptized, He will accept you, and will not mention any of what you have done, but you will be as if you just have been borne.”
Her heart opened to the faith and asked him to help her to fulfil that. He took her to the bishop of Baalbek and she confessed before him the Holy Trinity, the incarnation of the Word and His Crucifixion. While the Bishop was praying over the water to baptize her, the Lord opened her mind, she saw an angel attracting her to the water and the other angels were rejoicing for her. Then she saw an ugly terrifying looking person trying to drag her away from them and he was in wrath with her. What she saw increased her desire for repentance and baptism. After her baptism, she gave all what she gained as fruit of her sin to the poor and needy. She entered a convent of nuns, she put on the garb of monasticism, and fought a good and perfect fight. Satan entered into some of her friends who informed the Governor about her. The Governor commanded his men to bring her. When she came into his house she found great lamentation and weeping for the governor’s son had just died. She came to where the son was laid, prayed entreating the Lord Christ for his sake and He raised him up from death. The Prince believed in Christ through her. Another prince called Diogenes heard about her. He brought her before him, and she saw a soldier standing before him, who was blind in one eye, she prayed and made the sign of the cross over the eye, and it was opened. The prince released her instantly. Shortly after this, another Prince called Bekeyfius was appointed, and he heard about her and had her brought to him. She asked the Lord Christ to give her a portion with the martyrs. The Prince commanded to cut off her head, and she received the crown of martyrdom. May her intercession be with us. Amen.
Meditation on Liturgy’s Gospel
Second Sunday of Lent
Matthew 4:
1-11
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.´ (Matthew 4:4(
After the Lord Christ was baptized by John the Baptist, the Spirit took him out into the wilderness. The Spirit here means the Holy Spirit obviously. And in the wilderness, after fasting for forty days, The Lord entered into temptations by the devil. We notice here that our Saviour approached to fight Satan after baptism, not before it; for baptism in itself is a cause and an initiative for the devil to start war with us. By baptism we have declared war on him; we declared that we have become citizens of heaven, a follower of the Nazarene. This in itself is a declaration of war against Satan who wants our destruction and our harm, therefore, the war with Satan continues.
The Lord Jesus has laid the path for us to win this war. Satan confronted the Lord and thought that he was facing a mere person. For, according to Saint John Chrysostom, he was still suspicious of the reality of the Lord Jesus. On the other hand, the Lord Jesus also confronted him as any human being confronts Satan. The Lord could, with his divine authority, expel Satan from the very first moment, but He gave us an example so that we too know how to face the wars of Satan.
The wars here are divided into three parts:
1( The lust of the flesh; and this involves indulging in food, drink, fornication and immorality.
2( Pride of life; and this includes in its meaning self- importance, pride, envy and hypocrisy.
3( The lust of the eyes; this means the love of money and outer appearances of the world that follows from them recklessness, theft and lying.
+ Man shall not live by bread alone
It is the first type of temptation that the devil tries to defeat us with; which is the lust of the flesh. In it the devil came to Christ Who was fasting for forty days and He was finally hungry. In this situation he appeared as a person just like us; hungry, thirsty, and tired. At that difficult time of hunger, Satan begins his war; ‘command that these stones become
Indeed, how difficult and intense is lust of the body. It is supposed to be the cause of blessing and preservation of the human race and its survival. As for man, he misused it and turned it into the destruction of his body and soul. For a meal of lentils, Esau sold his birthright, only to fill his stomach with the food he desired (Genesis 27( Because of temporary lust, Samson was going to lose his soul because he clung to an adulterous woman who destroyed him (Judges 16(. And because of the same sin, thousands of (. the children of Israel perished when they fell into the sin of fornication with daughters of Moab (Judges 24(. 24 thousands perished in one day from the people of Israel (number 25(. (. O, how much do we destroy ourselves because of our wrong use of the natural instincts that the Lord has placed in us, and how much Satan uses these instincts to destroy us? Food is supposed to be the source of energy necessary for you to perform your daily tasks and duties. But how many types and forms of food that have no purpose other than pleasure, time wasting, and the destruction of the body we do?
What do you say, for example, about alcohol, is it for use?
What do you say about cigarettes and drugs, are they for the benefit of the body?
What do you say about excessive food, are they not harmful to health?
Isn’t it really surprising that there are many who are ready to do the impossible to lose weight but are not ready to dispense such harmful things? Beloved, the good body and health is not in the complex prescription drugs that you follow, but it is in self-discipline, in an upright spiritual life framework.
Likewise, the sexual instinct which is supposed to be the cause of a blessing for a person, how much it is used to harm oneself? The use of this instinct without control is one of the most difficult things in which a person falls and loses his self-esteem and the respect of others for him. And above all, he also loses his own salvation. The painful thing is that there are those who use
this instinct to let others fall as well, especially with inappropriate clothes, rude words and behaviours, and woe to such people who become as stumbling blocks to others.
Inappropriate clothing is not only an insult and disdain for our bodies, which are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and it is not only disobedience to God, who clothed the man with leather cloths when he came out of Paradise, but it is also the cause of the fall of others.
+ You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”
This is the second experience. Pride of life.. Satan is still doing the same thing with us. He takes you over the pinnacle of the temple and asks you to through yourself down. The devil is saying that as long as you are a believer, as long as you are a son of God, no harm will befall you. Moreover he makes you ask in your prayers for God to help you reaching this pride of life.
A person who puts himself in debts and many instalments beyond his capacity, without wisdom, is a person who strives for the pride of life. Thus, he entangles himself and worries, and is unable to devote for his own salvation or the salvation of his household.
The person who does not apply traffic laws while driving his car, but says: God forbid, in order enjoying his hobby of speeding or shortening the time is tempting God for no reason. He puts himself in trouble, commits more sins unnecessarily and transgresses the rights and safety of others.
The person who burns his chest and also the chests of others with smoking regardless of all warnings that this is a danger to his health and the health of those around him, is tempting God for the sake of a lust that magnifies the life in which he wants to live. The same thing is with the gambler who gambles with his money; he is gambling with his health and gambling with the comfort of his household, he is gambling with everything in his life for a quick gain that he wants to achieve by any means. What a difficult situation that this person lives in where in reality
he loses everything, and most important is his own salvation.
Beloved, are you searching for things beyond your power just for your pleasure and your body’s lust? Beware of rushing in this way. It is better to be contented and diligent for the sake of your own salvation and for the sake of your treasure in heaven.
+ You shall worship the LORD your God He took him on a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and claimed falsely that he owns all these kingdoms and asked the Lord to worship him. How hard is the deception of the eyes that the Devil uses with us? He deceives you with a shiny appearance from the outside, just as Eve deceived in the old days when she saw that the tree was pleasant to the eyes and good for food (Genesis 3: 6(, and pleasant to look . ( From the outside it is beautiful, but from the inside it is filled with all the bitterness and sorrow.
Beloved, are you one of those who are deceived by bright colours, loud sounds and luxurious views? Are you one of those who are ready to give everything in order to reach such things? Beware, all this is just an outlook, a view from the outside, as for its truth, it is very bitter. Just as the Prodigal son sought wealth and pleasures and ended up in a pig fields, desiring to eat pods and not be given to him.
Let your principle be that I will only worship my God and my Saviour. I will not submit to any desires or temptations that separate me from my God whom I love and Who loved me first.
Solomon, the richest of the kings of the world and the wisest of them, knew the truth of this world, so he said (vanity of vanities, all is vanity(. And you, beloved, it is an hour (. to wake up, arise and expel the love of the world from you and cling to God. You shall worship the Lord your God and Him only you shall serve.
