Saint Peter the Disciple and Apostle
St. Peter
July 12 is the apostles feast when we celebrate the martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul. On this occasion, we would like to learn few lessons from the life of St. Peter, because he in many ways represents humanity in its strength and weaknesses. In the bible, we learn that St. Peter was a fisherman living in Capernaum, located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. When our Lord Jesus Christ called upon St. Peter to follow Him, he did not hesitate. He, his brother St. Andrew, and St. James and St. John, who were all fishermen, followed the lord (Matthew 4:19-22).
St. Peter did not only open his heart to the Lord, he and St. Andrew opened their house in Capernaum to Him. On one occasion when the Lord came to their house, He found St. Peter’s mother-in-law sick and He healed her. In that evening, many sick people came to the house to be healed (Mark 1:29-34).
His devotion to the Lord was rewarded by being selected with St. John and St. James to be the Lord closest disciples. Those three disciples were the only disciples who witnessed the raising of Jairus’s daughter from the dead (Mark 5:37). They were the witnesses to the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 17:1-8), and they accompanied the Lord when He prayed in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37).
St. Peter have a strong, self-assertive personality, and his quick action lead not only to many of his finest moments but also to some of his saddest experiences. When the disciples were in a boat weathering a severe storm at night and our Lord came to them walking on the water, St. Peter was the only one who asked to be given the same power. But as he started walking on the water, he got scared and cried for help (Matthew 14:22-33). When many disciples turned away from our Lord Jesus Christ because they could not understand His teachings, and He asked the twelve “Do you also want to go away?” it was St. Peter who answered “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life …” (John 6:67-69). On another occasion, when our Lord asked the disciples “But who do you say that I am?” St. Peter answered “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” and he was praised by the Lord (Matthew 16:15-19). But later when our Lord started telling the disciples about his crucifixion, St. Peter opposed Him and our Lord rebuked him because he is not mindful of things of God (Matthew 16:21-23).
The events of the Holly Week left its mark on St. Peter. When they got together for the last supper and our Lord started washing their feats, he could not allow that to happen, until our Lord told him “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” (John 13:3-11). Later, when St. Peter boasted that he is willing to die for Jesus, He warned him that he will deny Him three times (John 13:36-38). St. Peter joined the Lord in Gethsemane but he fall asleep, and when he wake up and saw the guards arresting his Master, he took a sword* and cut off a servant’s ear. Our Lord rebuked him saying “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52). Then he healed he servants ear (Luke 22:51). All the disciples fled except St. Peter and St. John who followed the Lord to the high priest’s courtyard (Matthew 26:56-58). However, at this point St. Peter became scared and when he was asked if he is a follower of Jesus, he denied that three times. Hearing the rooster crowed, He remembered our Lord’s warning, and he went out and wept bitterly (Matthew 26:69-75).
This was the saddest moment in St. Peter’s life, and the following days were probably unbearable. However, on Sunday St. Peter rejoiced with the disciples because our Lord Jesus Christ has risen from the dead. St. Peter was still ashamed of his denial of the Lord, and he did not know how to make up for his biggest sin. Then came his meeting with the Lord at the Sea of Tiberias (also known as the Sea of Galilee). In this meeting, our Lord asked St. Peter three times “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” and He asked St. Peter to resume his apostolic duty of shepherding the believers. The Lord told St. Peter to follow him, predicting what death he would endure for his Master (John 21:15-19). From this time on, St. Peter became a new man, and after he was filled with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, he started his courageous mission to spread the good news about Jesus all over the world.
* Some non-Christians claim that the mention of the sword in this event (especially Luke 22:35-38) and the words of our Lord “… I did not come to bring peace but sword” (Matt 10:34) Indicate that Christianity is also a religion of sword. But looking carefully into the context of each case, we see that our Lord’s intention is not a literal sword but He used the sword allegorically. The strongest support of this argument is what our Lord did when St. Peter cut the servant’s ear, especially His rebuke to St. Peter when he said “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Matthew 26:52).
May 24th- Commemoration of St. John the Beloved
Monday May 24th = The Sixteenth Day Of Coptic Month Of Bashans
The Commemoration of St. John The Evangelist
On this day the church commemorates St. John the Evangelist and his preaching in Asia Minor, the city of Ephesus, and the cities that are around it. Commemorates, the afflictions that he suffered and what befell him from the evil men who worshipped idols until he brought them to the knowledge of God and delivered them from the error of Satan by his teachings. The miracles that God performed through him. The writing of his Gospel, uttering in it with the eternity of the Son and His incarnation. His ascension to heaven in the Spirit, he saw the heavenly ranks and heard their praising and wrote about it in the book of Revelation.
This was during the reign of Emperor Domitianus (Domitian), when he exiled St. John, after he placed him in a cauldron filled with boiling oil, and was not harmed, to the island of Patmos, where he wrote the book of Revelation.
After Domitian had been killed in the year 96 A.D., St. John returned to Ephesus. He found some heretics of the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6) who taught that Christ’s birth was a natural birth from both Joseph and Mary. For this reason, he wrote his Gospel to refute their heresy.
St. John had ardent zeal for the salvation of sinners. Once he saved a youth, delivered him to the bishop, and told him: “I entrust you with the safe keeping of this soul,” but the youth, because of his bad conduct and the evil company that he kept, spoiled his morals and he became the head of a band of robbers. When St. John returned, he asked the bishop about the young man, who expressed his sorrow to St. John for the condition that became of this young man and told him what had happened. St. John rode a horse, took with him a guide, and travelled to his place.
When he arrived to that place, he was caught by the thieves and they took him to their leader.
When the leader saw St. John, he knew him, and was ashamed and tried to flee. St. John told him:
“My son, be merciful to yourself, because the door of hope is still open for your salvation, and I will be your intercessor before the Lord Christ.” Then, the young man wept, returned repenting, and St. John administered to him the Holy Communion to strengthen him.
This feast is a commemoration for his evangelism, and also because on this day a church was consecrated after his name in the city of Alexandria.
May his prayers be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.
Topic # 23 – August 22nd – Feast of St. Mary in the Coptic Orthodox Church
The feast of St. Mary is always on August 22nd every year which correspond to the Coptic date Misra 16th. The Feast of St Mary is celebrated with a morning liturgy after a fast of 15 days starting on August 7th. The synaxarium story was retrieved from http://www.pageshere.com/index.php?option=com_synaxarium
Here’s it is :
The Sixteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Misra
Misra 16
Assumption of the Body of the Pure Virgin St.Mary
On this day, was the assumption of the body of our pure Lady St. Mary, the Mother of God. While she was keeping vigil, praying in the Holy Sepulchre, and waiting for the happy minute of her liberation from the bonds of the flesh, the Holy Spirit informed her of her forthcoming departure from this vain world. When the time drew near, the disciples and the virgins of the Mt. of Olives (Zeiton) came and the Lady was lying on her bed. Our Lord, surrounded by thousands and thousands of angels, came to Her. He consoled her, and announced her with the everlasting joy which was prepared for Her. She was happy, and she stretched out her hands, blessed the Disciples, and the Virgins. Then, she delivered up her pure soul in the hand of her Son and God, Jesus Christ, Who ascended her to the higher habitations. As of the pure body, they shrouded it and carried it to Gethsemane. On their way, some of the Jews blocked the way in the face of the disciples to prevent the burial. One of them seized the coffin. His hands were separated from his body, and remained hanging until he believed and repented for his mischievous deed. With the prayers of the holy disciples, his hands were reattached to his body as they had been before. St.Thomas was absent at the time of St.Mary’s departure, but he came after the burial. On his way back to Jerusalem, St. Thomas saw angels carrying St.Mary’s pure body and ascending with it to heaven, and one of the angels said to him, “Hurry and kiss the pure body of St. Mary.”
When he arrived to the disciples, they informed him about St. Mary’s departure. He told them, “I will not believe, unless I see her body, as you all know how I did doubt the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ before.” They took him to the tomb, to uncover the body but they did not find it, and they were perplexed and amazed. St. Thomas told them how he saw the pure body ascending to heaven, carried by angels. The Holy Spirit then told them, “The Lord did not Will to leave Her Holy body on earth.” The Lord had promised his pure apostles that they would see her in flesh another time. They were waiting for the fulfillment of this truthful promise, until the sixteenth day of the month of Misra, when the promise of seeing her was fulfilled. They saw her sitting on the right hand of her Son and her Lord, surrounded by the angelic Host, as David prophesied and said, “At your right hand stands the queen.” (Psalm 45:9) St. Mary’s life on earth was sixty years. She spent twelve years of them in the temple, thirty years in the house of the righteous St. Joseph, and fourteen years in the care of St. John the Evangelist, as the Lord commanded her saying, “Woman behold your Son,” and to St. John, “Behold your Mother.”
May Her intercession be with us. Amen.
Topic # 22- July 12th- Feast of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul
From the Coptic Synaxarium:
July 12th comes on the 5th day of the coptic month Abib.
On this day, the two great saints Peter and Paul, were martyred. Peter was from Bethsaida, and he was a fisherman. The Lord chose him on the second day of His baptism after He chose Andrew his brother. He had fervent faith and strong zeal. When the Lord asked His disciples: “Who do men say that I am?” So they answered, “Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” … Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Mat. 16:13-20) After he received the grace of the Holy Spirit, he went around in the world preaching of the crucified Christ, and he converted many to the faith. God wrought great and innumerable signs and wonders by his hands. He wrote two catholic Epistles to the believers. When he came to the city of Rome, he found there St. Paul the Apostle. Through their preaching, most of the people of Rome believed, so Nero seized Peter and commanded to crucify him. Peter asked
them to crucify him head downwards, and he delivered up his soul into the hand of the Lord.
As of St. Paul the Apostle, he was born in Tarsus two years before the advent of the Savior. He was a Jew, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. He was well learned in the Law of the Torah, and he was jealous for it. He persecuted the Christians.
When they stoned St. Stephen, Paul was guarding the clothes of those who were stoning him. He took from Caiaphas, the high priest, letters to the synagogues of Damascus, to bind the Christians and bring them to Jerusalem. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” Then He ordered him to go to Ananias in Damascus, who baptized him, and he received his sight at once. He was filled by the grace of the Comforter, and he proclaimed boldly the Faith. He went around in the world preaching of the crucified Christ. He suffered much beatings, imprisonment, and was bound with fetters, some of which are mentioned in the book of the Acts of the Apostles and in his Epistles.
He went to Rome and proclaimed the Faith there and many believed by his hands. He wrote for them theEpistle to the Romans which was the first of his fourteen Epistles.
Finally, Nero seized him, tortured him severely and ordered his head cut off. While St. Paul was passing along with the executioner, he met a damsel who was a kinswoman of the Emperor Nero, and who had believed through him. She walked along with St. Paul, weeping, to where they carried out the sentence. He comforted her and asked her for her veil. He wrapped his head with the veil, and asked her to return back. The executioner cut off his head and left it wrapped in the veil of the young girl, and that was in the year 67 A.D. The young girl met the executioner on his way back to the Emperor, and asked him about Paul and he replied, “He is lying where I left him and his head is wrapped in your veil.” She told him, “You are lying, for he and Peter had just passed by me, they were arrayed in the apparel of kings, and had crowns decorated with jewels on their heads, and they gave me my veil, and here it is.” She showed it to the executioner, and to those who
were with him. They marvelled, and believed on the Lord Christ.
God wrought by the hands of Peter and Paul many great signs and wonders, that they even carried the sick out into the streets … that as Peter came by … his shadow might fall on them … and they were all healed. (Acts 5:15) The handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from Paul’s body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. (Acts 19:12)
May their prayers be with us, and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Topic # 18 – May 8th – St. MARK, the Evangelist of the Land of Egypt
According to the Coptic Synaxarium:
On May 8th, or the Thirtieth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah, the great apostle St. Mark, the evangelist of the land of Egypt, was martyred. He was the first Pope of Alexandria and one of the Seventy Apostles.
His name was John, as the Holy Bible says: “He came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying” (Acts 12:12). He was the one that the Lord Christ, to Whom is the glory, meant when He said: “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples” (Matthew 26:18).
His house was the first Christian church, where they ate the Passover, hid after the death of the Lord Christ, and in its upper room the Holy Spirit came upon them.
This Saint was born in Cyrene (One of the Five Western cities, Pentapolis – in North Africa). His father’s name was Aristopolus and his mother’s name was Mary. They were Jewish in faith, rich and of great honor. They educated him with the Greek and Hebrew cultures. He was called Mark after they emigrated to Jerusalem, where St. Peter had become a disciple to the Lord Christ. St. Peter was married to the cousin of Aristopolus. Mark visited St. Peter’s house often, and from him he learned the Christian teachings.
Once Aristopolus and his son Mark were walking near the Jordan river, close by the desert, they encountered a raving lion and a lioness. It was evident to Aristopolus that it would be his end and the end of his Son, Mark. His compassion for his son compelled him to order him to escape to save himself. Mark answered, “Christ, in whose hands our lives are committed, will not let them prey on us.” Saying this, he prayed, “O, Christ, Son of God protect us from the evil of these two beasts and terminate their offspring from this wilderness.” Immediately, God granted this prayer, and the two beasts fell dead. His father marvelled and asked his son to tell him about the Lord Christ. He believed in the Lord Christ at the hands of his son who baptized him.
After the ascension of the Lord Christ, he accompanied Paul and Barnabas to preach the Gospel in Antioch, Seleucia, Cyprus, Salamis, and Perga Pamphylia where he left them and returned to Jerusalem. After the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, he went with Barnabas to Cyprus.
After the departure of Barnabas, with the order of the Lord Christ, St. Mark went to Afrikia, Berka, and the Five Western cities. He preached the Gospel in these parts, and believed on his hands most of its people. From there, he went to Alexandria in the 1st. of Bashans 61 A.D. When he entered the city, his shoe was torn because of the much walking in preaching and evangelism. He went to a cobbler in the city, called Anianus, to repair it. While he was repairing it the awl pierced his finger. Anianus shouted in Greek saying “EIS THEOS” which means “O, ONE GOD”. When St. Mark heard these words his heart rejoiced exceedingly. He found it suitable to talk to him about the One God. The Apostle took some clay, spat on it and applied it to Anianus’ finger, saying in the Name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and the wound healed immediately, as if nothing happened to it. Anianus was exceedingly amazed from this miracle that happened in the Name of Jesus Christ, and his heart opened to the word of God. The Apostle asked him about who was the only God that he cried for when he was injured. Anianus replied “I heard about him, but I do not know him.” St. Mark started explaining to him from the beginning, the creation of heaven and earth, the transgression and fall of Adam, the flood, how God sent Moses, who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, and gave them the Law, the captivity of the children of Israel to Babylon, and the prophecies that foretold the coming of Christ.
Anianus invited him to go to his house and brought to him his children. The Saint preached and baptized them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. When the believers in the Name of Christ increased and the pagan people of the city heard that, they were raged with anger and thought of slaying St. Mark. The faithful advised him to get away for a short while for the sake of the safety of the church and its care. St. Mark ordained St. Anianus a Bishop for Alexandria, three priests and seven deacons. He went to the Five Western Cities, remained there for two years preaching, and ordained bishops, priests, and deacons. He returned to Alexandria where he found the believers had increased in number, and built a church for them in the place known as Bokalia (The place of cows), east of Alexandria on the sea shore. It came to pass, when he was celebrating the feast of the Resurrection on the 29th day of Baramudah, year 68 A.D., the same day coincided with the great pagan Celebration for the feast of the god Syrabis, a multitude of them assembled and attacked the church at Bokalia and forced their way in. They seized St. Mark, bound him with a thick rope and dragged him in the roads and streets crying, “Drag the dragon to the place of Cows.” They continued dragging him with severe cruelty. His flesh was torn and scattered everywhere, and the ground of the city was covered with his blood. They cast him that night into a dark prison. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him: “O Mark, the good servant, rejoice for your name has been written in the book of life, and you have been counted among the ongregation of the saints.” The angel disappeared, then the Lord Christ appeared to him, and gave him peace. His soul rejoiced and was glad.
The next morning (30th of Baramudah), the pagans took St. Mark from the prison. They tied his neck with a thick rope and did the same as the day before, dragging him over the rocks and stones. Finally, St. Mark delivered up his pure soul in the hand of God, and received the crown of martyrdom, the apostolic crown, the crown of evangelism, and the crown of virginity. Nevertheless, St. Mark’s death did not satisfy the rage of the pagans and their hatred. They gathered much firewood and prepared an inferno to burn him. A severe storm blew and heavy rains fell. The pagans became frightened, and they fled away in fear. The believers came and took the holy body, carried it to the church they built at Bokalia, wrapped it up, prayed over him and place it in a coffin. They laid it in a secret place in this church.
The prayers of this great Saint and honorable Evangelist be with us and Glory be to our God forever.
Amen.
May 1st – St GEORGE – Prince of the Martyrs
The coptic orthodox celebrates St George on May 1st or the 23rd day of the coptic month Baramouda.
On May 1st we celebrate the martyrdom of St George. Here's is the story from the SYNAXARIUM.
On this day, of the year 307 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.
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