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.

April 7th – Annunciation Feast, one of the seven Major Feast of the Lord in the Coptic Orthodox Church

April 7th, 2010 = Paremhotep 29, 1726 (Coptic calendar)

He became man by the virgin, in order that the disobedience which began with the serpent might receive its destruction in the same manner in which it derived its origin. For Eve, who was a virgin and undefiled, having conceived the word of the serpent, brought forth disobedience and death. But the virgin Mary received faith and joy when the angel Gabriel announced the good tidings to her that the Spirit of the Lord would come upon her.

St. Justin the Martyr c. 160

From the Synaxarium:

Annunciation of the Divine conception and the Glorious Birth our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ to Saint Mary
On this day the church commemorates the Annunciation of our Lady, the Theotokos, the Virgin St. Mary. When the appointed time by God since eternity for the salvation of the human race had come, God sent Gabriel the Archangel to the Virgin St. Mary, who is from the tribe of Judah the house of king David, to announce her with the Divine conception and the Glorious Birth as the Holy Scriptures testifies: ‘ Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, ‘Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!’ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ‘And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. ‘He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ‘And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.’ Then Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I do not know a man?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

Then the angel gave her the proof of the validity of his massage: ‘Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ‘For with God nothing will be impossible.’ Then Mary said, ‘Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-36) When she had accepted this Divine Annunciation, the Only Begotten Son, the Word of God, who is One of the Three eternal Persons, came and dwelt in her womb, a dwelling, the human race cannot comprehend. And straightway He united with perfect humanity a complete unity inseparable and unchangeable after the unity. This day then is the first-born of all feasts, for in it was the beginning of the salvation of the world which was fulfilled by the Holy Resurrection of our Lord, saving Adam and his offspring from the hands of Satan.
We ask Our God and Savior graciously to forgive our transgressions and excuse our sins. Amen.

May Glory be to God for ever !

Unction of the Sick (One of the 7 sacraments)

Prayers are led by the priest at church or in the home to get chrismated and get granted the sacrament.

The prayer is also call the prayer of the Lamp (kandeel in Arabic language or andeel in Egyptian Arabic).

A general Unction of the sick prayer is done on the last friday of the Holy Lent.

Check out the following link for more information:

http://www.copticchurch.net/topics/thecopticchurch/sacraments/5_unction_sick.html

Fasting and Spirituality in the Coptic Orthodox Church

http://tasbeha.org/content/hh_books/fasting/index.html

The link above is for the book written by H.H. Pope Shenouda titled “The Spirituality of Fasting”.

January 21st -The Feast of the Miracle at Wedding of Cana

January 21st = Coptic month Toba 13th

On this day, the church celebrates the commemoration of the miracle that our Lord Jesus Christ
performed at Cana of Galilee. It was the first miracle that our Lord Jesus performed after His baptism.
He was invited to the wedding with His virgin mother, St. Mary, and also some of His
disciples.

When they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to
her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His
mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

There were set there six water pots of stone. Jesus said to them. “Fill the water pots with water.”
And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the
master of the feast.”

When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, he said to the bridegroom,
“Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine and when the guests have well drunk, then
that which is inferior; but you have kept the good wine until now.”

This was the beginning of the signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory and His
disciples believed in Him. (John 2:1-11)

To Him is the Glory with His Good Father and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Topic # 25 – September 27 – Feast of the Cross in the Coptic Orthodox Church

The Coptic Orthodox church celebrates the feast of the Cross twice a year, every year on the same days: Sept. 27 and March 17. Feast of the Cross is neither a major nor minor feast of the Lord. The feast of the Cross celebrates finding the cross of our Lord Christ in the fourth Century after it was buried down since the crucifixion.

From the Synaxarium:
Commemoration Of the Appearance Of The Glorious Cross.

The church celebrates the appearance of the glorious Cross of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ twice:

The First on the sixteenth day of the month of Tute, 326 A.D. by the hands of the righteous Empress St. Helen, the mother of Constantine the great, the righteous Emperor. This Saint when her son Constantine accepted the Faith in the Lord Christ, she vowed to go to Jerusalem. Her righteous son prepared everything needed to fulfill this holy visit.

When she arrived to Jerusalem with multitude of soldiers, she asked about the place of the Cross but no one would tell her. She took one of the jewish elders and pressured him by hunger and thirst until he was forced to direct them to the place where they might find the Cross at the hill of Golgotha. She ordered them to clear out the site of Golgotha where they found three crosses and that was in the year 326 A.D. However, they did not know the cross upon which Our Lord Christ was crucified, they brought a dead man and they laid upon him one of the crosses and then the other but he did not rise up but when they laid the third cross upon him he rose up immediately, then they realized that this was the Cross of Our Lord Christ. The Empress and all the believers kneeled down before the Holy Cross, and she sent a piece of it with the nails to her son Constantine. Immediately after, she built the churches that were mentioned on the Sixteenth day of the blessed month of Tute.

The Second celebration that the church commemorates the Cross is on the Tenth day of the month of Baramhat by the hands of Emperor Heraclius, in 627 A.D. When the Persians were defeated by Heraclius they retreated from Egypt to their country. On their way back they passed through Jerusalem, a persian prince entered the church of the Cross which was built by Empress Helen. He saw a great light shinning from a piece of wood located on a place decorated with gold. He thrust his hand to it and there went forth from it fire which burned his fingers. The Christians told him that this is the base of the Holy Cross and they told him how it was discovered and no one was able to touch it except a Christian. He deceived the two deacons who were standing to guard it and gave them much money so they would carry this piece and go with it with him to his country. They took it and put it in a box and went with him to his country along with those who were captured from the city of Jerusalem.

When Emperor Heraclius heard that, he went with his army to Persia, fought with them and slew many of them. He traveled about this country searching for this piece of the Holy Cross but he could not find it, for the Persian prince had dug a hole in his garden and ordered the two deacons to put the box in it and buried it and then he killed them.

One of the captives of that Persian prince which was the daughter of one of the priests, was looking out of the window by chance and saw what happened. She went to Heraclius the Emperor and told him what she saw. He went with the bishops, priests and the soldiers to the place. They dug there and found the box, they took the piece of the Holy Cross out, in 628 A.D., wrapped it in magnificent apparel and Heraclius took it to the city of Constantinople and kept it there.

May the blessings of the Holy Cross be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.

The meaning of the Cross in the New Testament
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23; cf. Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34)
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:38; cf. Luke 14:27)
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but for us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18)
“But we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:23)
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14)
“For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2)
“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?” (Galatians 3:1)
“knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.(Romans 6:6)
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

The Spiritual Meaning of the Cross
by H.H. Pope Shenouda III

Let us examine the spiritual meaning of the Cross, and its importance and benediction in our lives. The Cross is every difficulty which we suffer in view of our love for God, or for our love for people, for the Kingdom of God in general.

When we make the sign of the cross, we remember many of the theological and spiritual meanings that are connected to it.

1. We remember the love of God for us, who accepted death instead of us, in view of our salvation. “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Is. 53:6). When we make the sign of the cross, we remember “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

2. And in the Cross, we remember our sins. Our sins that He has borne on the Cross, and for which He Incarnated and was crucified. With this remembrance, we become humiliated, our souls become contrite, and we thank for the price which He paid for us “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20).

3. And in the Cross, we remember the divine justice: How forgiveness was not on account of justice. But the divine justice took his right on the Cross. We do not then consider sin as a slight matter, the sin whose price is such as that.

4. In our signing of the Cross, we declare our discipleship to this crucified One. Those who take the cross simply by its spiritual meaning, inside the heart, without any apparent sign, do not openly manifest this discipleship, which we declare by signing the cross, by carrying the cross on our breasts, by kissing the cross in front of everybody, by drawing it on our hands, and by raising it above the places in which we worship. With all this, we openly declare our faith, and we are not ashamed of the Cross of Christ in front of people, but rather we boast of it, we hold fast to it, we celebrate feasts for it. Even without speaking, our plain aspect manifests our faith.

5. We do not make the sign of the cross on ourselves in a silent manner, but we say with that: In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus each time we declare our faith in the Holy Trinity who is One God for ever to eternity, amen. Thus the Holy Trinity is continually in our thoughts, and that is not available to those who do not make the sign of the cross as we do.

6. In making the sign of the cross, we also declare our belief in Incarnation and Redemption: When we make the sign of the cross from upward to downward, and from the left side to the right side, we remember that God has come down from heaven downward to our earth, and transported people from the left side to the right side, from obscurity to light, and from death to life; and how many are the meditations which come to our hearts and minds from the signing of the cross!

7. We remember forgiveness in the Cross, how our sins were forgiven on the Cross, and how our Lord addressed the heavenly Father saying (while He was on the Cross): “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34).

8. In the signing of the cross, there is a religious instruction for our sons and for others:
Whoever makes the sign of the cross, when he prays, when he enters the church, when he eats, when he sleeps, and at every moment, he remembers the Cross. This remembrance is spiritually useful and scripturally desirable. In it there is also an instruction for people, that Christ was crucified, and an instruction especially for our small children who grow from their childhood being used to the cross.

9. By making the sign of the cross we preach the death of the Lord for us, conforming to his commandment. This is the commandment of the Lord who has redeemed us, to preach His “death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). In making the sign the cross we remember His death at all times, and we keep remembering Him till He comes. We also remember Him in the sacrament of Eucharist. But this sacrament is not done every moment, while we can make the sign of the cross at every moment, remembering the death of Christ for our sake.

10. In making the sign of the cross, we remember that the retribution of sin is death: because otherwise Christ would not have died; “we were dead in trespasses” (Eph. 2:5). But Christ died instead us upon the Cross and gave us life. Having paid the price on the Cross, He said to the Father: “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

11. In making the sign of the cross, we remember the love of God for us. We remember that the cross is a sacrifice of love. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). We remember that “God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us… and we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom. 5: 8,10). In the Cross, we remember the love of God for us, because “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (John: 15:13).

12. We make the sign of the cross because it gives us power. The apostle Saint Paul felt that power of the Cross, and said: “by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). And he also said: “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18). Note that he did not say that the crucifixion is the power of God, but he said that the simple word of the cross is the power of God. Therefore when we make the sign of the cross, and when we mention the cross, we are filled with power; because we remember that the Lord trampled death by the cross, and He granted life to everybody, and forced and defeated Satan. Therefore, we make the sign of the cross, because Satan dreads it: All the labor of Satan since he fought Adam until the end of time, has been lost on the Cross, because the Lord has paid the price, and erased all the sins of people with His blood, for those who believe and obey. Thus, whenever Satan sees the cross, he is terrified and remembers his greatest defeat and the loss of his labor, and so he is ashamed and runs away. Thus all the sons of God constantly use the sign of the cross, considering that it is the sign of conquest and victory, that it is the power of God. As for our part, we are filled with power inside. But the enemy outside is scared. And as in ancient times the bronze serpent was lifted up, as a healing for people and salvation from death, even so the Lord of glory was lifted up on the Cross. (John 3:14). Thus is the sign of the cross in its effect.

14. We make the sign of the cross, and take its blessing: In ancient times, the cross was the sign of malediction and death because of sin. But on the Cross, the Lord bore all our maledictions, in order to grant us the benediction of the reconciliation with God (Rom. 5:10), and the benediction of the new life. Therefore all the gracious things of the New Testament come from the Cross. The clergy use this cross in the giving of benediction, as an indication that the benediction is not issued from them personally, but from the cross of the Lord who has entrusted them to use it for granting benediction, and because they take their ministry from the ministry of Him who was crucified. All the blessings of the New Testament follow the cross of the Lord and its effect.

15. Thus, we use the cross in all the holy sacraments of Christianity, because they all have their source in the merits of the blood of Christ on the cross. Without the cross, we could not deserve to come near to God as sons in Baptism; and we could not deserve the communion of his body and blood in the mystery of Eucharist (1 Cor. 11:26), and we could not enjoy the blessings of any mystery from the mysteries of the Church.

16. We pay attention to the Cross in order to remember our participation in it. We remember the word of the apostle Saint Paul: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20). And also his word: “that I may know Him and the power of
His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being comforted to His death” (Philippians 3:10). Here we ask ourselves when shall we enter into participation with the sufferings of the Lord and shall be crucified with Him. And here we remember the thief who was crucified with Him, and deserved to be with Him in paradise. Probably he is in paradise singing with the song that Saint Paul said later “I have been crucified with Christ.” All our wishes are that we ascend on the cross with Christ, and to boast about this cross, which we remember now whenever we touch it with our senses.

17. We honor the cross, because it is a subject of joy for the Father: The Father who has accepted Christ on the cross with all joy, as a sin sacrifice and also as “a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord” (Lev.1: 5,13,17). The Lord Christ has satisfied the Father with the perfection of His life on earth, but He entered into the fullness of this satisfaction on the Cross, where He “became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). Each time we look at the cross, we remember the perfection of obedience, and the perfection of subjection, in order to imitate the Lord Christ in his obedience, to the point of death. As the cross was a subject of joy for the Father, so also it was a subject of joy as regards the Son who was crucified, of whom it was said: “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb. 12:2). Thus was the fullness of Christ’s joy in His crucifixion. May we be like that.

18. In the cross, “we go forth to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach” (Heb. 13:12) with the same feelings that we have in the holy week, and in that, we remember what was said about the prophet Moses: “esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt” (Heb. 11:26). The reproach of Christ is His crucifixion and His sufferings.

19. On the cross, we remember the salvation that the thief who was crucified with the Lord obtained: That gives us a wonderful hope. How could a man be saved in the last hours of his life on earth, and get a promise to enter the paradise. How the Lord with His spiritual influence on this thief, had been able to draw him to Himself, and remember his faith and his confession, without remembering any of his previous sins. How great is that hope which was realized on the cross.

20. We bear the cross which reminds us of His second coming: As it has been mentioned in the gospel about the end of the world and the coming of the Lord: “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven [i.e., the cross], and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds.” (Matt. 24:30).

Let us remember the sign of the Son of Man on earth, so long as we expect this sign of His in heaven in His majestic coming.
http://www.coptichymns.net/module-library-viewpub-tid-1-pid-607.html
Carrying The Cross
His Grace Bishop Serapion

Our Church celebrates two feasts for the Cross. One is on Parmhat 10th (March 19th), which always falls during Great Lent. The other is on Tout 17th (September 27th), which falls at the end of our celebrations of the The Coptic New Year (The Feast of Nairouz), and this latter Feast of the Cross is celebrated for three days.

Our celebration of the Cross is actually a celebration of Christ’s victory over Satan and conquering both sin and death. Also, in celebrating the Feast of the Cross, we are reminded that we are called to carry the cross. As our Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, we also must be crucified; we must have fellowship in the likeness of His death so we may enjoy the blessings of His resurrection, as St. Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20)

Our Lord Jesus Christ calls us to carry the Cross. This calling is illustrated in the following sayings of our Lord:”If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matt. 16:24). “And he who does not take his cross, and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matt. 10:38). “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Lk. 14:27) “Strive to enter through the narrow gate.” (Lk. 13:24). “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matt. 13-14)

What Does It Mean to Carry the Cross?

1. Carrying the cross is bearing suffering for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Carrying the Cross is partaking in Christ’s suffering. St. Peter considered that bearing suffering for the sake of Christ is the same as partaking in Christ’s sufferings; he wrote, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” (1 Pet. 4:12) Those believers, who bear sufferings for the sake of Christ, partake of His sufferings. Therefore, St. Peter called them to rejoice and added, “If you are reproached for the Name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.” (1 Pet. 4:14) But St. Peter also warns the believers not to consider all sufferings as a partaking in Christ’s sufferings. The person, who bears suffering as a result of his own mistakes, is not considered to be suffering for the sake of Christ or partaking in His sufferings; he wrote, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” (1 Pet. 4:15-16)

2. Carrying the Cross in the form of spiritual struggles and self-control. The person, who strives in his spiritual life to control his thoughts and senses, as well as struggle in the ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and prostrations (metanoias), is carrying the cross of spiritual struggle. The early Church, especially in the first few centuries, experienced persecutions and presented thousands of martyrs. Then the life of monasticism appeared and thousands raced to struggle in the ascetic life by living in the wilderness and deserted places, because of their great love for Christ our King. These ascetics, as they struggled in their spiritual life, presented a new and renewed form of martyrdom without shedding of blood.

3. Struggling in the service and seeking the salvation of all souls is another form of carrying the Cross.

4. Enduring with thanks the trials of illness and poverty is yet another form of carrying the Cross.

St. Paul Carrying the Cross:

The life of St. Paul presents to us a unique example of carrying the Cross in all its forms.

1. St. Paul suffered greatly for the sake of Christ. When our Lord called him, He said about him, “For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:16) St. Paul also talked about some of his sufferings when he wrote, “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of water, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in cold and nakedness.” (2 Cor. 11:24-27) In the end, St. Paul received the crown of martyrdom when he was beheaded during the reign of Nero.

2. St. Paul carried the cross is his spiritual struggles; he wrote, “But I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Cor. 9:27) Towards the end of his life, he wrote, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” (2 Tim. 4:7-8)

3. St. Paul also carried the cross of service. He was the great evangelist, who traveled land and sea, preaching the name of Christ in many countries. The Book of Acts mentions many of his journeys, and how he suffered in his missionary work. He said about his own preaching ministry the following, “so that from Jerusalem and round about Illycrium I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” (Rom. 15:19) St. Paul also carried the cross of pastoral care, when he cared for all the churches he established. His epistles to the churches in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Colosse, and Thessalonica witness to this fact. He also said that in addition to bearing sufferings and tribulations for the sake of Christ, “besides the other things, what comes upon me daily, my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?” (2 Cor. 11:28-29)

4. St. Paul carried the cross of illness. He described this cross as “a thorn in the flesh”. He wrote, “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.” (2 Cor. 12:7) St. Paul pleaded with the Lord to lift this cross from him, but the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9), and he accepted this cross joyfully.

Carrying the Cross with Joy:

It is not sufficient that we carry the cross, but we must follow the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who carried the Cross with pleasure, as St. Paul wrote, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb. 12:2) St. Paul himself endured the cross in all its forms and wrote, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:9-10)

We ask our Lord, Who joyfully carried the Cross for our sakes, to grant us the endurance to carry, with pleasure, the Cross behind Him that we may have fellowship with Him and can say with St. Paul, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” (Phil. 3:10)
http://www.lacopts.org/articles/carrying-the-cross

The Dynamism of the Cross
by Hegomen Pishoy Kamel

Have you experienced the dynamism (literally, the vigorous, active energy) of the Cross in our lives? A meditation for the Feast of the Cross.
The Dynamism of the Cross
by Hegomen Pishoy Kamel
Have you experienced the dynamism (literally, the vigorous, active energy) of the Cross in our lives? A meditation for the Feast of the Cross.

Introduction

The Cross is not a temptation or a calamity that might attack a person. Rather, it is the daily experience of fellowship with the crucified Jesus. It is the weapon with which we can conquer the world, and our song of victory over our ego and the desires of the body.

For every individual – the priest, the youth, the college student, the employee, the husband, the wife – the Cross is central to all our dealings with God. The Cross is at the center of our daily struggles with the world, with people, with even those we meet on the street.

The Cross is our weapon in spiritual warfare. It is the source of our love and our service to everyone. It is the source of an amazing comfort in troubles. It is the way to freedom, joy, and submission to the Lord.

Whoever loses his cross, loses his Christianity, and with it loses his experience with the Father, for Golgotha had been a meeting place for man to meet with God. On Golgotha, man found love, forgiveness, overcoming injustice, overcoming the world, submission of his will, and the joy of the Son.

The Cross is my life; there is no life except through the Cross. The Cross and I are in a continuous dynamism (i.e., a vigorously active, forceful energy). On the Cross, I crucify myself, and through it, I crucify the world. From the Cross I discover God’s love to me.

Part I: The Cross is the Weapon of Purity

Purity is the Secret of Power

When impurity defiles a person’s life, the body turns into a flaming furnace that sets on fire all his desires, until the person burns himself by those desires, until his power is consumed, and until he loses his sight forever. This is how Samson’s power came to an end. The eye that desired Delilah kindled a fire of lust in his heart until he was burned by it and lost his power, and, until at last, his eyes were gouged and he fell from his dominion (2 Pet. 2:10) and used as ox.

The Light of the Body is the Eye (Matt. 6:22)
If the eye is kindled by the fire of lust, it loses its sight and the whole body loses it light. And then all becomes dark. It is only the eye that is able to make my whole life dark, away from the light of Christ. The eye turns all the senses of the body to work in darkness, and fills the heart with darkness, until it thus turns the body into an obscure tomb.

The Eye is the Camera of the Person
Through the eye, the pictures are imprinted in the mind, like film in a camera, and from this “film” one can print thousands of pictures. That is why the eye is of great importance, because through it, pictures can be taken for the devil’s benefit. The devil can imprint thousands of images and expose them to me at any time, exciting the desires of the body, causing troubles and suffering so that my life is transformed into a living hell, where the mind and the imagination become a center for these images to be stored and later exposed at any time, even after repentance and confession.

My God, You showed me where to start, when You said, “It is better for you to pluck out your eye…” O, my God, how can I regain the light of my body and the sight of my eyes that I have lost? Shall I shut my eye and pluck it?

Discernment Between the Powers
A person has three important powers: that of the sight, thought, and heart. These are the most influential powers in our lives. In order to regain the purity of the eye (sight), we must free the heart and thought from the sight. This can only be done through the power of our Lord’s Cross, which is the weapon of conquest.

For example, if the eye beholds a certain sight, the thought can separate and think only of God at that moment. The Cross is the power that helps us discern between what we see and what we think. So, even if our eyes see things that can cause us to stumble, the thought can be liberated from the sight, which means it will be free and thinking only of God. Thus, if we keep the power of the thought always fixed on God, and the power of the heart always busy with His love, then the eye can become free and illuminate us by seeing the light of God in all creation.

During the Sixth Hour of the Holy Agpeya, the Church expresses the action of lifting our hearts and thoughts to God by focusing our sight on the Cross. As we commemorate the Lord’s crucifixion, we pray, “By the nails with which You were nailed, deliver our minds from foolishness to the remembrance of Your heavenly laws according to Your tender mercies.” This prayer precisely expresses the separation between worldly desires and delivering the mind from foolishness through the Cross by teaching us to: (a) nail the thought – we keep our eyes pure from foolish sights to drive away sexual pleasures from the eye; and (b) raise the thought – we attach our thoughts to God by remembering His heavenly laws.

The Crucified Eye
The eye always desires to be satisfied by looking. David the Prophet looked and desired; Adam found the Tree “pleasant to the eyes, good for food.” (Gen. 3:6) Also, “whoever looks, desires.” (Matt. 5:28)

The sons of God are given pleasant and beautiful sights to satisfy the eye, such as the Holy Cross. We should not just look at it casually, but rather, contemplate upon it, meditate on it, and be satisfied by it. The sight of Jesus hanging from the Cross, the sight of His wounds, the sight of His scourges, the sight of the nails, the sight of spitting on His holy face, the sight of His thirsty mouth, the sight of His outstretched arms, the sight of His bent head. These are all blessed sights that the eye should be accustomed to seeing; they are the sights that will truly satisfy the eye.

What our Lord sees with His sight is different from what we see: He carries me, and He sees me, the lost sheep. He sees the sight of the Father, embracing me. He sees my door, as He knocks and waits for me to open. He sees the sinner woman, her tears falling on His feet. These are pleasant and satisfying sights. Likewise, the icon of the Holy Virgin Mary is satisfying to our sight, and pleasing to our eye, for her purity and beauty are uplifting.

Thus, when the eye focuses on the sights that truly satisfy, it begins to reject the sights of the world, because nothing will satisfy the eye except for divine sights. The crucified eye is a controlled eye and should be circumcised to God. The eye, which works like a camera, should store the pleasant sights of the Cross, and practice sanctity and purity, until we actually sleep peacefully, in the stream of these pleasant sights, seeing only pure sights in our mind’s eye.

The Crucified Eye is a Plucked Eye
“Plucking the eye” is a commandment from the Gospel; it is self-denial and sacrifice, the best strength that the Cross gives to us. Abraham took his only son (his only eye) and arose to sacrifice him with an internal joy, considering that his faith and obedience to God were of greater benefit than the loss of his son. Abraham’s honesty in sacrificing Isaac, his joy, love, and obedience gave us a preview of the Lord’s day – the day of His crucifixion, when the world saw Christ slaughtered as the only Son who returned alive.

If you are serious in resisting evil sights to the point of crucifying the eye (that is, plucking the eye as the Gospel says), God will see your honesty and will give you a chaste and pure eye the moment you raise the knife toward it to sacrifice it. Just as He did not allow Abraham to actually harm Isaac, so will He give you a pure eye the moment you make the step toward sacrifice.

The plucking of the eye, by the power of the Cross (self-denial and sacrifice) is a positive, victorious power. It is a power free of suppression and filled with joy, compatible with the infinite might of God and the power of salvation in the Cross of our Lord.

The Eye of Christ
It is the eye of a person who is freed by the Cross from any foolish thought. It is the fruit of the might of the Cross, always fixed on Godly things. It sees God in everything and in all His creation. It sees God in the heart of a sinner women, in the heart of the publican beating his chest, in the heart of the thief on the cross. God will be in the center of the eye’s movement, because it is an eye consecrated and sealed by God through the Holy Myroun.

Part II: The Cross of Pleasure

So what forces us not to “take a look” (at things that please the eye in the worldly sense)? It is when we realize that the eye is the lamp of the body, and through its waywardness, we can convert the whole body into a fiery hell, in which human life ends!
The Motive is Temporary Pleasure
“…he looked to lust after…” (Matt. 5:28)

Pleasure is the reason we form the different habits that enslave us. Consider the examples of pleasure: sexual pleasure, pleasure of food, pleasure of sleep, laziness… Bodily pleasure kills our persistence, spiritual struggle, and reading of the Bible.

Bodily pleasure gives us the motive to have the “evil look” and look for pleasure in cheap magazines, tabloids, gossip, television, and empty books that flood the market nowadays. Bodily pleasure leads to frivolity of the mind for the entire day, so that we watch TV or chatter without any aim or purpose all day long. It causes a person to be slow in his spiritual thought, lazy, and insensitive, like a feather submerged in mud.

The chaste soul is like a soft, delicate feather that can easily fly because of its lightness. Through prayer and spiritual meditation, the chaste soul flies like a feather high above base, worldly matters. Yet if this feather is spoiled with bodily pleasures, it becomes weighed down with mud and dirt. It can no longer fly upward, but on the contrary, will constantly descend downward.

Pleasure is a Hook in the Hand of the Wicked
Through pleasure, the enemy makes us fall into sin (from the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil). So if “the hook” of pleasure catches the eye, tongue or ear, it will completely attract the person to sin. This pleasure must be crucified on the Cross.

Fixing our eyes on the wounds of the Lord curbs the desire for sexual pleasure. Meditating on the Lord’s thirst on the Cross will give meaning to our fasting, as fasting is not merely abstinence from food, but it is also crucifying the gluttonous pleasure of food. Meditating on the Lord’s nakedness on the Cross is enough to crucify our pleasure for fancy clothes or obsession with our appearance, which can burn all creation by the flame of desire.

Thus, we will feel the dynamic power of the Cross in our lives, where it will become a practical matter of fact on which we will crucify every bodily and worldly pleasure every day, and at any time. On the other hand, any worldly desire presents to us a way in which we can remember the Cross and its effect in our lives. The Cross becomes our life. We’ll live in it and be affected by it throughout our days. It will be our own Cross, which we will carry and followed the crucified One.

The Pleasure of the Cross
Throughout all generations, the Cross has been our pleasant song, desirable to the eye, and delightful to the ear. The Blood and the Body of the crucified Christ became the tastiest food to the Christian, along with the Word of God, which is sweeter than honey. If a person is trained to taste the sweetness of the Word of God and the Cross, then he will soon despise every worldly pleasure of the body.

Lack of spirituality and a strong thirst for sexual and worldly pleasures (such as materialism, clothing, food, etc.) is undoubtedly caused by a lack of learning and tasting what spiritual pleasure actually is.

Let us go back to our Father’s House and eat the fatted calf, and enjoy being embraced in His bosom. Let us leave the pleasure of the pods of the swine, the adulterers and adulteresses (i.e., the love of the world). (Luke 15)

Here, we confront a spiritual item from St. Augustine’s contemplations. He had been indulging in his bodily lusts when he came back to Christ and discovered true pleasure – that is, true pleasure in Christ. During a conversation with his mother, St. Monica, he said, “We sat down talking together in great pleasure, yearning for those heavenly springs that flood with life… all the worldly pleasures, with their most inviting and tempting offers, become insignificant trifles before our eyes, until they become so small that they cannot be compared to the pleasure of God, or even mentioned in comparison to the joy of God. We were soaring with a flaming pleasure toward God, longing to arrive at the infinite pleasure, where You sat, O Lord, feeding the righteous from the Food of Truth forever.”

One of the saints said that worldly pleasures are dirtier than the filth of animals when we try to compare them to spiritual pleasures, the pleasure we derive from meditating upon the Cross.
Part III: The Cross of Thoughts

The human mind is the center of unlimited imagination, created mainly to float in the infinite love of God expressed in the Cross. However, man has satisfied the mind with a different type of imagination, filling his life with distractions. Nothing can save him from these distractions except the One who descended to Hades through the Cross.

These imaginations mainly have specific purposes, such as:

+ When the heart is filled with hatred, the imagination is filled with unlimited thoughts of anger, evil surmising, and wishing disaster upon those we hate.

+ When the heart follows pride, the imagination plunges into thoughts of vanity, judging others, and likening ourselves to saints.

+ When the heart cares about the ego, the imagination turns to fear that engulfs the soul: fear of the future, fear of trouble, fear of what people think, and paranoia that we are surrounded by people plotting against us.

+ When the heart searches for pleasure, and keeps this pleasure to itself, the person’s entire life will be filled with sexual thoughts, and thus, his life becomes a burning hell.

In our struggle to control our thoughts and imagination, we will fail in our struggle and will not find any help unless we seek it through the Cross, which is the only refuge for struggling souls.

+ In the Cross, hatred melts, and love and forgiveness will replace it.

+ In the Cross, pride diminishes, and the meekness of the Beloved who did not open His mouth will replace all pride.

+ In the Cross, fear will disappear and be replaced by full submission.

+ In the Cross, sexual frivolity decreases and we move up to heavenly thoughts.

Meditating on the Cross alone inflames our hearts with the fire of Divine Love, until the love of God is poured into our hearts from the Cross. There, we will be united with Christ, where we will live in forgiveness, meekness, and complete trust in the Lord during times of tribulation. Thus, the Cross becomes a continuous, constant experience with the Crucified Lord, all day long, where our thoughts and imagination float in the love of God. That love is expressed in the Cross, and all of our thoughts will abide – and find perfect rest – there,
The Cross of Psychological Troubles

The mind is a center of fear, psychological anxiety, and worrying about the future. These psychological troubles deprive us from calmness and steadiness. Psychological troubles thus cause frivolity of the thought, sight, and heart. As the Holy Bible says, “There is no peace for the wicked, says the Lord.” (Isa. 48:22). To the children of God, however, our Lord Jesus gave us true peace, not as the world gives, for the heart that is full of peace can steadily reach toward God.

Have you Committed your Life to God?

Amidst the tribulations of the world, our struggle, the annoyance of others toward us, the responsibilities of life, and worrying about the future, how can you gain psychological peace?

To answer this question, we should ask ourselves why we cannot submit ourselves to God after He bought us with His Son�s Blood? Why can we not commit our lives to Him? That is why the Lord says, Your life is in My possession. I bought it with My blood. “Do not be afraid… How is it that you have such little faith? Do not care about tomorrow.” Even your sins, I will wash away with My Blood.

Look at the Cross

“Into Your hands, I commit My Spirit.” This was the last teaching that the Lord uttered on the Cross. The Cross was not man’s doing, but rather a divine work completed by the Lord. The Cross in its outer appearance was an expression of the world’s injustice; the Lord was a victim in the hands of rulers who hand hardened hearts.

But from an inner appearance, the Cross is complete joy, love, and submission to the Father for the salvation of the world. “Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the Cross, despising the shame.” (Heb. 12:2) “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him that judges righteously.” (I Pet. 2:23)

Crucifying the Ego

“Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)

The dynamic motion of the Cross is an internal motion. Its first aim is to crucify the ego. The ego is the center where pleasure, thoughts, materialism, dignity, judgment, and cares of the world and worldly matters move around. The Cross is the only way to crucify the ego.

Looking at Jesus crucified removes from us the pleasure of the ego and its cares. Looking at Jesus naked on the Cross removes from us the desire for materialism. Looking at Jesus despised on the Cross removes from us our pride and judgment of others. Looking at the nails that the Lord was nailed with lifts our thoughts from the frivolity of this world to the remembrance of His heavenly laws and commandments.

The Dynamism of the Cross in my Life

Thus, in daily experiences, at every moment, the Cross becomes the center of our dealings with God. Whoever loses his cross, loses his way to God, and whoever loses his cross in life becomes cold, lukewarm, or has no dealing with God.

The Cross, then, is my Life. On it, I crucify myself and the world. From it flows fountains of spiritual pleasure, holy sight, divine love, and pure thoughts. The Cross is the song of my triumph, and of submitting my life to the One who deserves my commitment. I see Him, and relate with Him at work, at school, in my studies, with my friends, with those who treat me badly, in my prayers, and while I sleep.

The Cross becomes my entire life.

Glory be to God forever. Amen.

http://www.coptichymns.net/module-library-viewpub-tid-1-pid-38.html

Topic # 24 – September 11th – a New Coptic Year begins

On September 11 or 12th (every 4 years) is the beginning of the blessed Coptic year. It is necessary to keep it a holy day with full purity and chastity. Let us start a new demeanor as St. Paul the Apostle says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Cor. 5:17-18) And Isaiah the Prophet says, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the meek; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (Isaiah 61:1-2) And David the Prophet says, “You crown the year with Your goodness; and Your paths drip with abundance.” (Psalms 65:11).
http://st-takla.org/Full-Free-Coptic-Books/Coptic-Synaxarium-or-Synaxarion_English/01-Toot/Coptic-Calendar_01-Tout.html

Coptic Calendar

http://www.suscopts.org/coptic-orthodox/church/calendar

Beginnings of the Coptic Calendar

The Coptic years are counted from 284 A.D., the year Diocletian became Roman Emperor, since his reign was marked by tortures and mass executions of Christians, especially in Egypt. Hence, the Coptic year is identified by the abbreviation A.M. (for Anno Martyrum or Year of the Martyrs) which is unfortunately also used for the unrelated Jewish year (Anno Mundi).
To obtain the Coptic year number, subtract from the Julian year number either 283 (before the Julian new year) or 284 (after the Julian new year). In the year 2009, we celebrate the beginning of the year 1726 A.M.
The Blood of the Martyrs
The Egyptians offered so many Christian martyrs during the reign of Diocletian, that historians tell the story of the blood of the martyrs reaching the knees of horses. Thus, the blood of the martyrs watered the seed of the Egyptian Church.
As we celebrate the Egyptian new year of the great martyrs, we are celebrating and glorifying the millions of Egyptian martyrs who have suffered to maintain and pass down to us the Christian faith.

Topic # 19 – Feast of the ASCENSION in the Coptic Orthodox Church

40 days after the feast of the Resurrection (Easter), the Coptic church celebrates the feast of the ASCENSION.

Today’s Readings
PSALM
Ps 24:9 ; Ps 24:10
Lift up your heads, O you gates!
Lift up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory?
The LORD of hosts,
He is the King of glory.
GOSPEL
Lk. 24:36-53

“36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, “Peace to you.” 37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”
40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.[f] 41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.[g] 43 And He took it and ate in their presence.
The Scriptures Opened

44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
46 Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise[h] from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem[i] until you are endued with power from on high.”
The Ascension

50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and[j] blessing God. Amen.

You may check out the related chants from the following blessed site:

http://tasbeha.org/mp3/Hymns/Major_Feasts_of_the_Lord/Ascension.html

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.

Topic # 16 Rites of PASCHA week in Coptic Orthodox Church

Rites of Pascha prayers

Certainly, one book cannot completely describe all the rites of the prayers of Pascha. However, if you are looking for headings and very brief overview, read the following. Please forgive if I skipped your favorite part.

As a general program of every day (mon, tue, wed, thu, fri) of pascha
there are 5 hours of evening in addition of 5 hours of morning pascha prayers (1st hour, 3rd hour, 6th hour, 9th hour, and 11th hour), 12th hour on Friday only.

Every hour includes the following:
1. Prophecies from old testament,
2. Hymn of worship and praise of “Cwk ta te gom..”
3. Psalm of David sung in special tune
4. Psalm repeated (prophecy)
5. Hymn of “ke aberto”
6. Gospel (new testament)
7. Hymn of Khen Efran

At the end of the evening prayers and end of morning, our priest leads the litanies which are supplications and end with the beautiful hymn of “Eb-oro”.

Here’s the rite of Pascha Thursday:
1. Morning pascha prayers,including in 1st hour, the tune of “Jodas (Judas) you broke the law”,
2. Lakan prayer of the waters and washing of feet at about 11:00 AM, you can take home blessed (prayed on) water, bring own bottle of water,
3. Liturgy includes communion starts at about 12:00 PM,and ends about 1:30PM
4. Evening Pasch prayers starts at about 6 PM, in addition to extra Gospel readings of the “Paraclete”.

The very special tune “remember me O Lord in your Kingdom” is repeated in the 6th hour of the day of good Friday.

The tune of “Golgotha” sung during the burial on Friday after the 12th hour.

The Lamentations of Jeremiah is read after the 12th hour and before the burial on good Friday.

Hope you’ll be able to attend as much as possible from the pascha prayers this year.