28 INITIATIVE OF THE MEDIA COMMITTEE - DIOCESE OF SYDNEY & AFFILIATED REGIONS COPTS NEWS

Transcription

1 EL-MANARA 28 INITIATIVE OF THE MEDIA COMMITTEE - DIOCESE OF SYDNEY & AFFILIATED REGIONS COPTS NEWS Baramndah 1734 Volume 1, Issue 231 Volume 2, Issue133 I have been crucifi ed with Christ. It is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me. (Galatians 2:20). Find this issue online at NEXT ISSUE: 3 rd June 2018 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 28 th May 2018 PENTECOST 2018 CONGRATULATIONS REV FR SHENOUDA MANSOUR FOR OBTAINING HIS PHD Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affiliated Regions

2 PENTECOSTAL SUNDAY THE LIGHT GOSPEL READING: JOHN 12:35-50 Our Pentecostal Gift for today is the "True Light" In verse 35 the Lord tells us: A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you This verse demonstrates the Lord's Salvation Message: - The Light refers to the light of the Gospel, which is itself the message of salvation. It is the Light which is with us today, but for a little while, because our life on this earth is only for a little while. So our beloved Lord is reminding us to take this opportunity now, before it is too late. - He tells us to walk. Walking is an active action and in this instance it refers to a journey, and our life on earth is a journey. It is a journey of walking with and towards the Light. This light the True Light is Jesus Christ our Lord, through the Gospel, He gives His divine light, which shines upon our souls, our eyes and our path. The person who walks in the light is one who has nothing to fear nor to hide, because he is an honest person who abides by the law and one who follows the correct path. - Lest darkness overtake you. If we do not walk with the Light during the day, then the Lord tells us that, the darkness of the night will overtake you. Contrary to the person who walks in the Light, one who walks in the dark is one who is in fear of being seen. He is one who wants to hide because of wrongful acts. Such a person eventually loses the sense of direction and loses the way. - When the Lord speaks about the day He refers to our time on earth, and the night refers to the end of our life. If we do not travel our journey with the guidance of the Light, during the day, then our chance is lost forever when our life comes to its end. There are many factors which obscure the Light, preventing us from finding our path. Our getting too involved with worldly problems e.g. getting too deeply worried about our status, or chasing wealth and many other earthly concerns which grow like thorns and keep the light from shining upon our souls. By believing in Christ we have an honourable relationship with God: "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me because through our faith in Christ, it means that we also believe in the Father who sent Him. No one can go to the Father except through the Son. The doctrine of Christ is believed and received as the truth of God. We have peace in our hearts and in our souls because we believe the Lord Jesus is our Mediator with the Father. Christianity is not made up of philosophy or politics, but it is pure divinity. When The Lord Jesus cried out he wanted to show: - His strength in speaking. Even though they did not have courage to openly confess His name, He had courage to openly publish it - His seriousness in speaking. He cried as one that was serious and willing to convey to them, not only the gospel of God, but even His own soul. - His great desire that all people might take notice of His words. His warnings to us to walk in the light and abide in Him, remind us of the warning He gave to the Israelites: I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God and walk in His ways but if your heart turns away I announce to you today that you shall surely perish (Deuteronomy 30:15-18).Christ declares three important things: - The privileges and dignities given to those who believe. This gives us great encouragement to believe in Christ and to profess that faith. - By believing in Christ we have an honourable relationship with God: "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. He believes in Jesus to be the Son of God and equal in power and glory with the Father. - Through our faith in Christ, it is carried out to the Father who sent Him. Because no one can go to the Father except through the Son. The doctrine of Christ is believed and received as the truth of God. We have peace in our hearts and in our souls because we believe the Lord Jesus is our Mediator with the Father. Christianity is not made up of philosophy or politics, but it is pure divinity. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me faith is the eye of the soul, and through having a personal relationship with Christ, we come to the knowledge of God. Because: God made Himself known in the face of Christ (2 Cor.4:6), who is the face of His person (Heb.1:3). All those who believe in Christ are led by Him to the knowledge of God, whom Christ has revealed to us by His word and Spirit. Christ, as God, was the image of His Father s person; but Christ, as Mediator, is his Father s representative in His relation to man: the divine light, law, and love, being communicated to us in Him and through Him; so that in seeing Him (that is, through faith acknowledging Him as our Saviour, and Lord), we see the Father as our owner, ruler, and benefactor. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness This statement reveals: Only Christ came as Light to this world: "I have come as a light into the world", in order to be the light to the world. This implies that He is a being, and His being is Light, and that He was light even before He came into the world similar to the sun before it rises. The prophets and apostles were made to be light for the world, but only Christ CAME as the Light into this world, having already been a glorious light before His coming into the world (John 3:19). This reminds us of how He was the great pillar of light to the Israelites when they were in the wilderness. The comfort of Christians: that they will not abide in darkness. - they will not continue to be in the same darkness in which they were by nature; for through believing, they have become light in the Lord. - Whatever darkness of affliction or fear, the children of light might face, the Lord gave them the assurance that they would not be suffering for long. - They are delivered from that darkness which abides forever, and which has no hope, to the everlasting light and joy. And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. These words show the wonderful patience of the Lord, who did not condemn at once, but waited with patience. Even though the Lord had authority to judge, He suspended this judgement, because He had other work to do first and that was to save the world; to save those 2

3 28 Baramndah 1734 Copts News who were given to Him before He came to judge humankind; to offer salvation to the entire world. He was to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And so the role of judging was not in agreement with the undertaking of redemption (Acts 8:33). This judgement was coming, but for now, it was suspended for some time. For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." These words reveal: 1. The commission which our Lord Jesus received from the Father to deliver His doctrine to the world: I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father gave Me a command... And I know that His command is everlasting life was for the purpose of securing our everlasting life and happiness. But those who disobey Christ despise and reject everlasting life, so that not only Christ s words will judge them, but even their own. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." Our beloved Lord Jesus Christ observed exactly what the Father commissioned Him to do, and acted accordingly. The Lord was faithful and kept back nothing that was profitable to us. The Lord carried out His commission through obedience, and here He is giving us a lesson to also be obedient in His service. As a faithful witness, He delivered souls by speaking the whole truth. This is a great encouragement to us that the truthful sayings of Christ, are powerful to change a sinner to become righteous. Bishop Daniel Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney & Affi liated Regions IS THE RESURRECTION A TRULY LIFE- CHANGING EVENT IN YOUR LIFE??? Authored by Protobresbyter Vasile Tudora and sourced from It is magnificent to participate in the Church services on Pascha night, to be part of the joyful festival of light that the Resurrection of Christ brings on earth. The only sad part is that we start with many and end up with a few. Many people come, they receive the light, listen to the Gospel and hasten to go home thinking they have fulfilled their duty as Christians. But just witnessing the Resurrection is not enough, and is not the goal, what comes after is equally important. The miracle of Christ s Resurrection is, or better said, should be, a life changing event; should be the sparkle that would ignite your whole being in fire, should be the ferment that will initiate your complete refashioning, should be the impulse that will keep you going until the very end on the right path to salvation. But who believes in miracles today anyway? The Words of Abraham, addressing the unmerciful rich man from the parable of poor Lazarus, make more sense now than ever: If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded, even though one rose from the dead. (Luk 16:31). It is true: even after Christ, God Himself, has risen from the dead, we still want more proof. We still want God to prove, personally, to us, that He exists and all about Him is true. However, no matter how much proof we get, as stubborn children, we don t want to understand and we keep fabricating explanation after explanation to every piece of evidence God puts in front of us. Starting with the prophets of old and the history of the people of Israel, the Mother of God and the Apostles, continuing with the victorious Martyrs, the Fathers of the Church and all the saints, the miracle working icons, the uncorrupted relics of the saints, and we can go on and on, God surrounded us by a cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1). We cannot continue to ignore all this testimonials that point unmistakably to the existence of a most powerful God Who loves mankind. We just have to open the synaxaries, read the lives of the saints and will see God at work: healing the sick, changing sinners into saints, doing justice to the wronged, giving hope to the hopeless and joy to the mourning. We have to be blind to overlook what should in fact overwhelm us. What we see in the lives of the saints is nothing but the effect that Resurrection had on them. They did not limit themselves to be observers, to be spectators, to watch the show of Resurrection; they decided to play an active role in it. Each one of them declared: I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And that life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself on my behalf. (Gal 2:20) Being witnesses to the resurrection of Christ should prompt us to do something different, to loose the old habits that take us away from Him and replace them with new ones that will unite us with Him forever. If we don t know Him, now is the time to be introduced, if we don t come to church, now is the time to enter, if we don t pray, now is the time to ask His mercy, if we don t love, now is the time to partake in His unmatched love for us. Don t let this opportunity slip away by rushing home too soon. Christ is here and extends a hand to you, a hand that can take you out of the Hades of a superficial existence. Take it and be lifted up into life; take it and let Christ show Himself to you, personally, melting away all the doubts with His presence and replacing them with redeeming faith; take it and let this day be the first of your new life in Him. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affiliated Regions 3

4 Coptic Orthodox Church Diocese of Sydney and Affiliated Regions Board of Deacons Elections Central Committee (2018) ROLLS UPDATE PROCEDURE Today (04/03/2018) starts the first stage of the elections which is to update the list of people eligible to vote in the 2018 Board of Deacons elections, this stage continues for 3 weeks from today after which we will have 3 weeks for Easter break and continue the other stages from Sunday 15/04/2018. PROCEDURE FOR CHURCH MEMBERSHIP UPDATE 1) Church representatives will be sitting outside the entrances of the Church with the rolls and update forms with clear signs indicating that this is for the Church Board of deacons Elections ) Every person who is 18 years of age or over will be asked if his name is on the rolls and the representative will tick the name in the roll, if not on the roll the member will be asked to fill in a Church membership form to add that member to the elections rolls. We urge all members of the congregation to take part in this important function to elect the suitable people who will serve the Church for the coming 3 years. John Nakhla President of Elections Sub Committee 2018 Coptic Orthodox Church Diocese of Sydney and Affiliated Regions Board of Deacons Elections Central Committee (2018) We would like to advise that the elections will be carried out at all Churches in accordance with the schedule below. Further information about every stage will be published in due course. ELECTIONS 2018 SCHEDULE 11/02, 18/02 & 25/2/18 Appointing reps at Churches 04/03, 11/03 & 18/3/18 Updating Databases at Churches 25/03/18 To 08/04/18 Easter Break 15/04/18 & 22/04/18 Nominations 29/04/18 Publishing names & receiving objections 6/05/18 Receiving Objections 13/05/18 Announcement of names for elections 20/05/18 Elections 27/05/18 Announcement of Board of Deacons for every Church Any changes to the above schedule will be published in the Diocese newspapers. All the congregation are invited to participate in this important function to select the Deacons who will be serving as members of your Church Board for the coming 3 years. John Nakhla President Board of Deacons Elections Central Committee (2018) 4

5 28 Baramndah 1734 Copts News PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR NSW Ecumenical Annual Fund 2018 Raising dinner! 3 Course Dinner $50 per head Adults $30 per head Children Special Keynote Speaker His Grace Bishop Haigazoun Najarian, Primate of the Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia and New Zealand will speak on The Armenians: Past, present and future in Diaspora, Australian context Followed by time for questions SATURDAY, 12 MAY P.M. TILL 10.PM Where: Armenian Apostolic Church of the Holy Resurrection Address: 10 Macquarie Street, Chatswood NSW, 2067 Bring your friends and family, and come along! RSVP: Deacon Nishan Fr Youssef Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affiliated Regions 5

6 Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord. (Matthew 25:21) His Grace Bishop Daniel, Bishop of the Diocese of Sydney & Affiliated Regions, The Reverend Fathers of St Antonious & St Paul Coptic Orthodox Church- Guildford, the Monks, and all the Congregation & the staff of the Diocese of Sydney & Affiliated Regions would like to congratulate Their Beloved Very Reverend Fr Shenouda Mansour On the Great Achievement of obtaining the Doctorate Degree in Investigation of attitudes to identity, culture and language in the Coptic school community Together with all the congregation of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Sydney and its Affiliated Regions, we wish to convey to your reverence our heartfelt Congratulations and gratefulness and wish your reverence every success and pray that the Lord will continue to make fruitful the service of your reverence so that it may be a source of profit and blessing to all. We ask that our beloved Lord preserve Your Grace and bless your service through the intercessions of St. Mary the Mother of God and all Angels, all Martyrs and all Saints, and through the prayers of the Father of Fathers and Shepherd of Shepherds, His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, may God keep his life for us for many peaceful years to come. 6

7 28 Baramndah 1734 St. Mark Nubian Foundation (ACN / ABN ) P.O.BOX 574 ST MARYS NSW 1790 TEL: FAX: ADDRESS: - stmarknubianfoundation@gmail.com (For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men) 1 Peter 2:15 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion (Psalm 112:5) Under the auspice of the Australian and the Sudanese dioceses, we are sending a container to Juba South Sudan. The Foundation is pleading to every person to donate generously to cover the following: - i) Purchase of Container. ii) Removal & freight expenses to Mombasa. iii) Logistics from Mombasa to Juba through Uganda. iv) Buying Foodstuff. v) Getting School needs for the students. Your cheerful donation can be forwarded to our bank account with details as follows: - Swift Code: - SGBLAU2S BSB: A cc: Financial Institution: - St. George Bank Account Name: - St. Mark Nubian Foundation He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord; and He will pay back what He has given. (Proverb 19:17) All Donations are Tax deductable St. Mark Nubian Foundation Board of Directors:- Fr. Yousef Fanous (Director & Presiding Member), Fr. Pishoi Botrous (Director & Vice President), Mobarak Alera (Director & Liaison Officer), and Emile Girgis (Director and Secretary & Treasurer) Copts News The Art Of Iconography A course run by St Luke's Iconography College Course modules include: The art style of the Coptic Icon The painting style of the icon A historical account of the icon from the time of the Iron Age The meanings behind the icon The meanings and placement of the cross in the icon The meanings of colours in the icon The meanings of shapes in the icon The meanings of items pictured with the saints Every Saturday starts Saturday 10/03/2018 St Demiana & St Athanasius Coptic Church. 119 Highclere Ave, Punchbowl. From 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm Course is free of charge, however students are to supply their own materials. For registration call Mr Alfred Kaldass on or Mrs Nelly Grace on Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affiliated Regions 7

8 COPTIC ORTHODOX PATRIARCHATE 168 BATH ROAD, KIRRAWEE St. Mary, St. Bakhomios and St. Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church, h with the prayers and under the shepherd ship of His Day Wednesday 16/05/18 Thursday 17/05/18 Friday 18/05/18 Saturday 19/05/18 Sunday 20/05/18 MONDAY 21/05/18 Tuesday Feast of St. Bakhomios, Father of Communal Monasteries grace bishop Daniel; invites all to the blessing of the Spiritual days for the feast of the departure of: St. Bakhomios father of Community Morning service Holy mass Holy Mass 8:30am - 11:00am Holy Mass 5:00am - 7:00 am Holy Mass 8:30AM -11:00am Rev. Fr. Abdelmessih Guirgis Holy Mass 07:30AM - 09:45am Rev. Fr. Matthew Attia The usual English and Arabic Mass 8:30-11:00AM Holy Mass V. Rev. Fr. Dawoud Guirgis St. Bakhomios Feast 12:00 Midnight Monday 2:00am Tuesday early morning. 22/05/18 Evening service, 6:30 9:00pm Vespers, procession, glorification & sermon Sermon: No matter what I do, without Love it benefits me nothing By: V. Rev. Fr. Makarious Ibrahim Sermon: Love is not provoked By: Very Rev. Fr. Tadros Samaan A combined meeting for the youth of the churches (St. Mary and St. Mina, St. Mark, St. George, Pope Kyrillos and habib Guirgis and St. Bakhomios) 7:30-8:30pm-Vespers with procession and Glorfication 8:45-9:00pm - Church Choir 9:00 9:45pm the life of St. Bakhomios in my life being a youth By: V Rev. Fr. Tadros El-Bakhoumi 10:00pm Conclusion and giving the blessing 5:00pm 6:00pm Praises before Vespers 6:00PM 7:30pm - Vespers, procession and Glorification 7:30pm 10:00pm - Midnight prayer and praises 6:30pm - 9:00pm Dinner function with a Sunday school play about the crucifixion of our Lord 6:30PM 7:45pm - Vespers, procession and Glorification 7:45-8:00pm Choir 8:00-8:30pm - Sayings of St. Bakhomios 8:30-10:30pm- Midnight agbia prayers and priases 10:30-10:45 morning hour prayer and morning thoxologies 11:00-11:40 Early morning incense raising, getting ready for the holy mass, The agbia prayer 3 rd and 6 th hour, The offertory and the holy mass, conclude at 2:00am. COME AND INVITE ALL WITH YOU THE BLESSINGS OF ST. BAKHOMIOS BE WITH YOU. ll Correspondence to: PO BOX 354, Miranda NSW Phone Number: (02) , Church Number: (02) , Fax N o : (02) father_tadros@bigpond.com 8

9 28 Baramndah 1734 Copts News Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affiliated Regions 9

10 10 THE POSITION OF THE RESURRECTION IN OUR LIVES Contented from last week If you ask me; why don t I feel the new man that is in me, or feel that I possess the newness of life or this resurrection we share in? I will tell you that the resurrection and the new man or the new creation is of Christ s heavenly nature. When Christ rose from the dead not everyone could see Him. Christ was born and died on the cross in a human body filled with the divine attributes, and we were filled with Him. He rose in that same body, becoming a celestial body that cannot be seen, and we were united with Him. He chose to whom He would reveal Himself, opening their eyes to the Divine truth so that they may know Him. We have fellowship with Him in this celestial nature, hidden in us in a way that cannot be revealed to us or any other living being. The Apostle Paul explained it this way: For you have died, and your life (new) is hid with Christ (resurrected from the dead) in God (Col 3:3). Christ cannot be seen nowadays, but His life is hidden in God. In Him we also become unseen, meaning our new nature or the new man who lives in Christ s resurrection. This is what St John in his First Epistle assures us: Beloved, we are God s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is (1 Jn 3:2). The Apostle Paul also affirms this: When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Col 3:4). The nature of God is not to be revealed now in any form. If we take part in it then the law will be applied to us. As Christ says, the new creation separates us from the world: I have given them thy word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not pray that thou shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil one (Jn 17:14, 15). Among the most important of new man s features is that he is a creature that resembles God in righteousness and sanctity of truth, and is entrusted with implementing the commandment to love God and others faithfully, because he (the new man) is born of God and God s nature is love, and God s love is active. Whoever has God s love must show it if it is to increase. The effective gift of love is new man s life and his righteous deeds. St John in his First Epistle says: He who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God; for God is love (1 Jn 4:7, 8). This verse is remarkable in that it reveals the source of the mystery of being born of God, and that is love. True, faithful love with a whole heart immediately reveals that its owner is born of God with a new creation and new nature. Love is the certificate of God s children, and St John declared it to be a source of the knowledge of God: He who loves is born of God and knows God. The knowledge here is the unveiled knowledge as between two lovers. St Paul says: Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? (1 Cor 9:1). Assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God s grace that was given to me for you, how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God s grace which was given me by the working of his power (Eph 3:2-7). These days we notice that the majority of those who come to by Fr. Matthew the Poor Christ with fervour and vigour do not come by means of teaching and sermons, but through an inner response to Christ s personal invitation. St John reveals this mystery in his First Epistle: And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true (1 Jn 5:20). Here, understanding and the knowledge of truth are the application of the new birth as a man comes into the knowledge of Christ, love for Him and faithfulness to Him, without means or teaching. The understanding gives him an inner revelation of Christ and over a period of time he comes to know about Christ and learns from Christ what many others have not known. Although this makes us very happy, at the same time it draws our attention to a flaw in our understanding, where the vision of truth is being overcome by the world and is gradually disappearing. We are not abiding in the new creation we received through Christ s resurrection according to the exhortation: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set you minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God (Col 3:1-3). What can we say dear brothers? The treasure in your hands which has been entrusted to you and came down to us through the blood of martyrs and the tribulation of past generations is all but removed from our hands, to be given to others who will be faithful witnesses to Him. For we have risen with Christ and boast of it, but we do not concern ourselves with what is above or seek it. Our interests are earthly and self-centered. We say we have died with Christ and boast of it but we live for the world and not with Christ or for Christ.

11 Copts News 28 Baramndah 1734 SERMONS MUSIC VIDE OS READINGS UPPER ROOM MEDIA Bringing the Word of God from a timeless faith into your hearts and minds anytime, anywhere. Applications for Semester 1, 2018 close February Offering undergraduate degrees incl. BTh, and postgraduate degrees incl. Masters to PhD can be studied face to face, or online anywhere in the world Upper Room Media is a service of the Orthodox church which brings you fresh Christian media in the form of sermons, music, blogs, videos and much more, everyday! APPLE Accredited Summer Intensives S1, 2018 St Cyril s is accredited through the Sydney College of Divinity. FEE-HELP available. Scholarships for 2018 open now. Enrol quickly, spots filling fast! 12 Lectures over two weekends in January and February. Units offered include the Alexandrian Legacy and Mission & Evangelism. Enrollments close December 29 and January 8, respectively. Units offered include intro to Syriac Language, intro to Pastoral Theology & Ministry, intro to New Testament, intro to Theology, Coptic Art and Archeology, Coptic A (MQ) For more information go to e: registrar@stcyrils.edu.au fb: a: 72 Wollongong Rd, Arncliffe, NSW 2205 p: WHO WE ARE Since opening in 2003, Exodus Youth Worx has grown from a small gathering of youth at a park to a recognised youth agency helping young people and families who are facing many challenges such as homelessness, drug and alcohol dependency, neglect and other forms of abuse. HOW TO HELP During these years we have: Engaged with over 45,000 youth BSB: Helped 50% with intense case work ACC NO: Trained 40 iworx trainees ACC NAME: Exodus Youth Worx Found homes for 203 youth Welcomed more than volunteers Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affiliated Regions 11

12 12

13 28 Baramndah 1734 Copts News Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affiliated Regions 13