The Way Orthodox Fellowship in English for adults - All ages 7:30 PM
Wednesday:
Mass 8:30 – 11 AM
Hymns class for adults 7 – 8:30 PM
English Bible Study 7:30 PM
Thursday
Mass 8:30 - 11 AM
English Midnight Praises 7:30 PM
Friday:
Mass 8:30 – 11 AM
Youth meeting 25 and above 7-9 PM
Discipleship Class 7-8:30 PM
Saturday:
Mass: 8:30 – 11 AM
Scouts 1:30 – 3 PM
Choirs and Theatre 2 – 4 PM
Vespers Praises 2:45 – 4 PM
Sunday School for grades 7-10 4 – 6:30 PM
Sunday School for primary 4:30 – 6 PM
Vespers & youth meeting 7-8:30pm English
Vespers &Bible Study Arabic 6-7:30 PM
Midnight Praises 7:30 – 9:30 PM
Sunday:
1st Mass 6:30 - 8:30 Arabic & English
2nd Mass.8:30 - 10:30 English - St Mary’s
Church
3rd Mass 8:30 - 10:30 Arabic - St John’s
Chrysostom
Psalmist School of Hymnology 11:15 AM –12:15 PM
Church Priests:
Fr Tadros Sharobeam 0414251251
Email: frtadros@me.com
Fr Habib Girgis Younan: 0401238177 – 94498871
Email: habibgirgisyounan@hotmail.com
Fr Michael Salib: 0422431821
Email: frmichael@sac.edu.au
Church Address: 5 Epsom Rd., Kensington Vic 3031 Tel: 93766651
Fr Kyrillos Tawadros 0411 518 399
Fr John Makary 0433 445 636
+ Holy Fifty Days:
With the feast of Holy Resurrection starts the Holy fifty days. First Sunday is Thomas Sunday, which is one of the Lord’s minor feasts. The church remember how the Lord revealed to His disciples the signs of His sufferings, as He called St Thomas to put his fingers and touch the prints of the nails, and the place of the spear in His side to remove away any doubts and give them a proof of His resurrection so that they can witness to all the world that we preach to you about the One Whom we have seen with our eyes and touched with our hands. The Lord manifested in His Resurrected Body the signs of the Cross even It was a glorified body. In these fifty days, the church embarks with Lord in a glorious journey in which the Lord reveal His Glory and His Kingdom. These are joyful days in which we do not fast as the Bridegroom is with us. The Lord is filling His disciples with support and peace to witness for Him and to be ready to be filled with the Holy Spirit Which abides with forever and is ready for His Second Coming. How wonderful are these days as the Lord reveal to His Bride the Human soul the Glories of the Heaven. I His Resurrection He opened for His Bride the Gates of the Paradise and accompany her in a journey through this world to Heavenly Jerusalem to live there forever. Let us make these days real spiritual days. Even there is no fasting but this body who enjoyed the spiritualties of the Lent and went through the passions of the Lord cannot any more get entangled in these materialistic lusts of the world. Let rejoice in the Lord and let us be elevated by Him to the Heaven. These are blessed days let us sanctify our thoughts and bodies and have the real joy of Resurrection.
The Martyrdom of St. George Prince of the Martyrs.
1st May - 23rd Baramouda
On this day, of the year 37 A.D., the great among the martyrs St. George, was martyred. He was born in Cappadocia; his father’s name was Anastasius, and his mother’s name was Theobaste. When he was twenty years old, his father died, and he went to Emperor Diocletian to take over his father’s position. He found that the Emperor had apostatized the faith and ordered the worship of idols. George was sorrowful, and he gave all his wealth to the poor and needy and set
free his slaves.
When he saw the edict of the Emperor against the Christians, he became raged and tore it. They took him before the Emperor, and he cried in their middest saying: “For how long you shall pour your anger against the innocent Christians, and force those who know the true faith to adopt the faith that you are in doubt of because it is fraudulent? So, either you believe on this true faith, or at least do not disturb with foolishness those who are steadfast in it.” The Emperor asked Mephnanius, one of his ministers, to pacify and persuade him. He asked him: “Who taught you to be daring like this.” The Saint answered: “It is the truth,” then started to explain it to him. The Emperor interrupted, reminding the Saint with the ranks that he bestowed on him, and promised him with more if he denied his Christ. The Saint refused with pride all these vain propositions. The Emperor tortured him severely, but the Lord strengthened him and healed all his wounds.
When the Emperor was weary of torturing him, he brought a magician, whose name was Athanasius, who gave the Saint a cup full of poison to drink. St. George made the sign of the cross over the cup then drank it. When no harm came upon him, the magician believed in the Lord Christ, and received the crown of martyrdom. The Emperor became raged and ordered to squeeze him until he delivered up his soul, and they cast his body out side the city.
The Lord Christ raised him up, and the Saint returned to the city. When the people saw him, three thousand and seven hundred souls believed. The Emperor ordered to cut off their heads and they received the crown of martyrdom.
When St. George stood before Emperor Diocletian, along with seventy kings that were sitting around him, they asked the Saint: “We wish you to make these chairs that we are sitting on to put forth leaves, and bear fruit.” The Saint prayed to the Lord Christ, the Lord accepted his supplication and the chairs put forth leaves and bore fruit. They took him once to a cemetery and asked
him to raise the dead therein. He prayed to the Lord Christ. The Lord raised them and after they talked to them, they returned to their graves and died.
A poor woman, brought her son, who was blind, deaf and dumb, he prayed to the Lord Christ then made the sign of the cross over him, and he was healed right away.
Diocletain, during all that, went on torturing St. George, until he was weary and bored of that. He started to be pleasant to the Saint and promised to give him his daughter in marriage if he would offer the incense to his gods. The Saint pretended that he accepted his offer, and the Emperor rejoiced and brought him into the royal palace. While St. George was praying the Psalms, the Empress heard him and asked him to explain to her what he had said. He began to interpret to her all the events from the creation of the world to the Incarnation of the Lord Christ, and his words entered her heart and she believed in the Lord Christ, to Whom is the Glory.
The Emperor ordered to call upon all the men of the city to gather, in order to see Saint George offering the incense to the Emperor’s gods. When multitude gathered by the idols, Gawargios )George( stood and cried at the idols in the Name of the Lord Christ the Savior of the world. The earth opened its mouth and swallowed all the idols. The Emperor and all those who were with him were ashamed and he returned to his palace full of fury and wrath. The Empress told him: “Didn’t I tell you not to oppose the Galileans, for their God is strong and mighty?” The Emperor was exceedingly wrath with her, for he knew that St. George had brought her also to his faith. The Emperor with rage ordered to comb her body with a steel comb, then cut off her head, and she received the crown of martyrdom. Finally, Diocletian decided to put an end to the humiliation that befell him, so he ordered to cut off the head of St. George, and he received the crown of martyrdom. A Christian took the body, wrapped it in expensive shrouds, and took it to the city of Lydda, his home town, and they built a great church on his name there. His intercession be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
The First Sunday of the Holy Pentecostes
John 20: 19-31
“Peace be with you ...” )John 19:26( The Lord rose from the dead ... and became the first of the departed ... The Lord triumphed over the hades and the death ... Thus, we have the right in Him and through Him to return to Paradise and to the embrace of the Father ... The Lord is no longer in the graves ... The whole world must know, feel and hear the resurrection .... But the whole world must feel the resurrection and live with it ... But it is painful to find the world hearing about the Christ who feeds the crowds and rejoices in Him and runs after him ... They hear about Christ who heal the sick, admire him and crowds behind him ... Rather he hears about the crucified Christ and look at him and feel pain and weep ... But here stops the march of many ... Even to the grave ... It is easy to talk about a Messaih whom you see, and feelt ... but it is very hard to talk about a Messaih, the world does not see ... even if He risen from the dead. Even for the disciples it was not easy for them ... even though Christ had risen from the dead ... they were still behind the closed doors ..... and the Lord ahowed them his hands and his side ... and gave them peace ... Even Thomas who did not see Him the first time ... It was never enough to hear the news ... but he must also hear himself, see andtouch ... Here he noted that what Thomas asked to touch the Lord and touch his wounds ... the same as the Lord did with His desciples before ... Thomas openly request what the desciples wished in secret ... and the LORD heard all the their requests ..Thus the Lord dealt with the fear of the disciples to give them peace ... He treated their weakness as witnesses to resurrection by living testimony ... He treated their hesitation by giving them authority for His name in the whole world ..... And the Lord Who is still working with the fearful ... And with the weak in faith ... And with those who are hesitant .... And those who are reluctant ... And from these came out strong witnesses to resurrection ... And with them the whole world will hear and believe ...
+ Peace to you ...
The doors are closed .... because of the fear of the Jews .... The fear we saw at the cross .... And the fear we saw at the empty tomb ... This fear had to be cured and the Lord of rids mankind from it ... What is the secret of fear? .... Fear of pain .... Fear
of responsibility .... Fear of the unknown ....
They are all closed doors, one needs to open them to rest ... What are the hardest closed doors ... We are always afraid behind the closed doors .... Behind the closed doors ... There was a fearful angel .... striking the firstborn in the land of Egypt. But there are doors closed with wooden doors only ... And there are doors closed with blood ... These cannot be accesed by the destroying angel ...
In the Old Testament, there were those who were behind the closed doors in one of the towers ... and the whole tower burned with fire and destroyed all of them ... )Judges 9( But there were others who were behind closed doors but in joy ... like Peter in prison ... Paul and Silas behind the walls of the prison in Phillippe ... There are those sitting behind closed doors miserable sad scared .... So even if you live in a palace, it becomes a prison ... There are those who live in closed doors, as if they live in the sky on its breadth. Look at the hermits and the saints in the wilderness and the caves and the cracks of the earth ... The world has diminished before them and they have set out in the glory of the heavenlu places ... O you who sit behind the closed doors ... Did you know that the Lord can enter while the doors are closed .. But the Lord has risen from the dead ... that those who have not yet risen from the dead .... they are only ones still imprisoned behind locked doors .... Those who have risen from dead do not have closed doors. How welcoming and beautiful was the furnace of fire for the three ypung boys ... because there was Christ the Lord with them and strengthen them comforting them .... How scary was the frightening den of lions ... the whole place became full of peace and joy .... because Daniel’s and his mind out there in heaven ....
And you, beloved ... Are you still lying in the graves ... Have you still not risen with Christ .... and still afraid of the world and the people of the world ....do you still feel helplessness and fear in front of flimsy things ... Rise from the dead ... go out ... break the chains and get out of the closed doors ... + Showed them his hands and his side .... Nothing really strengthens a person like putting his hands in the wounds of the Lord ... to touch
the wounds that the Lord has been wounded for us .... He touches the love of the Lord for the sake of me and for everyone ... If you forget, beloved, how much God loves you and how much he cares about you ... Come and touch His wounds ... That son when he sees his elderly father ... and sees him walking with difficulty ... or his eyes have weakened ... or suffering diseases ... Sadness and and his love increase for his father ... seeing in the pain of his father all the love of his father and sacrifices for many years .. he feels that he is ready to do anything for him .... and now, hardhsips and his illnesses shows his love and sacrifice .... Constantine the Great .... In the Council of Nicaea stands in honour and respect for the Fathers of the Church kissing their hands especially the wounds of those who have been imprisoned and tortured for their Christ for their testimony of their Christ
.... And you, O Beloved ... If you feel God’s mercy with you ... How can you forget his wounds for you? ....
In the sufferings of Christ teaches us a lot ... you see a wonderful love beyond the perception of humanity ... God himself suffering for human beings ... In the pierced hand of Christ ... See the hand that created you ... Then pierced for the sake you to get you not to be lost and wasted because of your sins
.....
In the pierced feet of Christ .... We see the effects of fatigue and exhaustion from striving for for you all day ... For the sake of Samaritan the Lord walks half a day ... And for the lost straying sheep the Lord goes between the thorns looking and searching .... seeing this unlimited love would you wash these feet with your fregrance of your love, His Feet which has rescued you of the path of misguidance ... wash them with your tears .... In the open side of Christ .... You will see a wonders ... come to see what you never imagined .... You see your self inside the Lord’s side carrying you shadowing you ... You see yourself washed with his pure blood that was shed for you .... When you stand weak in front of any problem, remember the wonds of love ... Come and touch it ... Stand in a warm prayer and pour yourself under the feet of the Lord ... and partake from his body pierced for you and his blood sheds for you and you will find all your problems dissolve easily and perefectlty ... .
Ater this do you still doubt .... Do you say I want
to see and touch .... God loves you too ... And make sure he will show himself to you ... He loves Thomas very much ... He gave Thomas the gift of testimony in the same strength as He gave the Apostles ... And you too He will give you and strengthens your weak faith .... + As the Father sent Me, I send you ... Receive the Holy Spirit.
Are you after all this still hesitant to come out and tell all the nations of God’s mercy and love for you ... Beloved, get out and do not hesitate for the Lord to send you ... You do not go out on yourself ...
Moses thought himself strong and could do something for his brothers ... he found himself very weak ...and when he knew his weakness ... the Lord’s wanted to send him ... He became very strong ... shook the throne of Pharaoh and the whole land of Egypt in front of him ... Go, speak in the name of the Lord, and do not be afraid ... that the Lord has sent you ... always remember this ... You are sent for the salvation of the souls of others also ... do not say that I know nothing ... Do not say that they will mock me ... You have extraordinary power. You are not alone, but you have the power and authority of the Holy Spirit ... He saw Peter denies his teacher in front of a slave ... It is unbelievable that he was the same Peter who confronted the people and all the chief priests and rebuked them and believed through him thousands of souls .... He saw Mark following the Lord from afar wearing a garment on his nakedness and then flee ... may not believe that he himself entered Egypt and all the idols of Egypt fell before him and illumined the hearts of its people by faith
....
Dear beloved ... Do not stand hopeless in front of the closed door ... The Lord enters from the closed doors ... and says to you ... Peace be upon you .....
Do not weaken in front of difficult situations .... but turn your eyes and touch the wounds of the Lord take from them the power of faith make you jump off all your restrictions ... Do not hesitate to accept call for the service .... You are not weak ... You are not alone ... but get out in strength and say to all ... that we have seen the Lord ...
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II Message for the Feast of Holy Resurrection =
20th April 2025
In the Name of The Father and The Son and The Holy Spirit. Amen Ekhristos Anecti. Alicos Anecti. Chirist is Risen. Truely He is Risen I congratulate you all on the glorious Feast of the Resurrection. The feast with which we conclude a holy fast that has lasted for fifty-five days. We celebrate the glorious Resurrection over the next fifty days, which we call the Holy Fifty Days.
On the glorious Feast of the Resurrection, we celebrate God’s work with us, whereby He granted us a triple blessing through His Resurrection. He granted us love, grace, and communion. This is what we always express in the short concluding benediction of all prayers. We say the love of God the Father, the grace of the Only-Begotten Son, and the communion, talent, and gift of the Holy Spirit. And this triple blessing we received in the glorious Resurrection, or because of the glorious Resurrection.
First, the love with which God loved us, so that He came into the world out of love for us. We love Him because He first loved us )1 John 4:19(. This was the glorious incarnation. The glorious incarnation was God’s passage to us on earth. His love was not theoretical, verbal, or remote, but true love. He came and was incarnate, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory )John 1:14(. This is how God loved the world. There is no love closer or stronger than for the lover to draw near to the beloved. Every person among us became beloved of the loving God.
Then came the great grace: the grace of resurrection, the grace of forgiveness, the grace of redemption, and the grace of renewal. We obtained and received these graces through the work of Christ. His incarnation on earth, then His death on the glorious cross for our sake. Then His resurrection for our salvation. This great grace grants mankind the grace of resurrection. As we know, the resurrection involves “the act of rising,” a powerful act. A person who was sitting then stood and continued to stand. This is a sign of readiness, and a sign that a person is in complete health: rising. Therefore, we begin the daily midnight praise saying: Arise, O children of light, let us praise the Lord of hosts. The children of light are the children of resurrection. And we begin with the verb, “Arise.” This is the glorious resurrection that we enjoy. Also, the communion of the Holy Spirit, Who unites us all in one Church, in one faith, in one work, in one hope, and beginning with one love. We all become members of the Body of Christ. And Christ becomes the head of this Body. The work of the Holy Spirit in us is to unite us all through the Holy Sacraments, through prayers, through readings, and all spiritual practices. This is love, this is grace, and this is fellowship. Therefore, in every prayer, the priest concludes the prayer with this concluding phrase. He reminds us of God’s works with us in love, grace, and communion. This is our life program in church readings. This is found in the Gospels of the liturgies throughout the
Coptic year. In the months of Tute and Babah, we learn the love of God the Father. In the seven months following that, from Hathor, we learn the grace of the Only Begotten Son, who worked with us. Then, in the remaining months, we learn the communion, talent, and gift of the Holy Spirit. The Resurrection is a great power. One of the beautiful stories that symbolically tells the power of the Resurrection is: Some children went and asked fire, “Are you the strongest thing on earth?” It told them, “No, water is stronger than me.” So they went and asked water, “Are you the strongest thing on earth?” It told them, “No, the sun is stronger than me. It evaporates me.” They went to the sun, “Are you the strongest thing before the earth?” It told them, “No, the clouds shade me and cover me.” So they went to the cloud and asked it, “Are you the strongest thing on earth?” It said, “No, the air moves me from one place to another.” So they went to the air and asked it, “Are you the strongest thing on earth?” It told them, “No, the mountain is stronger than me because it changes my direction when I encounter a mountain, and I cannot cross it.” So they went to the mountain and asked it, “Are you the strongest thing on earth?” It told them, “No, man is stronger than me, because he can break me apart.” So they went to the man and asked him, “Are you the strongest one on earth?” He told them, “No, death is stronger than me. I cannot defeat death.” They said, “Let us ask death.” Are you the strongest thing?” It told them, “No, Christ is stronger because by death He trampled death. By Christ’s death on the cross, He trampled death. As the Apostle Paul teaches us: “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” )1 Corinthians 15:55( Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead to defeat death. In this way, we have been given eternal life. We say, “Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing life.” I congratulate you all on the glorious Feast of the Resurrection. I congratulate all the Metropolitans, Bishops, Priests, Hegumens, and Presbyters. I congratulate the Deacons and Archons. I congratulate the servants, and all Coptic families celebrating the glorious Feast of Resurrection. I congratulate all the children and youth in every church, in every service, in every corner of the world. One of the fortunate coincidences of this year is that we all celebrate the glorious Feast of Resurrection together. All Christians worldwide celebrate the glorious Feast of Resurrection on the same day. This is fortunate, because this year we also celebrate the seventeenth-century anniversary of the first ecumenical Council of Nicaea. It is the Council that formulated the Creed: “Truly, we believe in one God.” I congratulate all the churches across the world. I congratulate all those who work and serve. And I convey to you the love of the Mother Church in Egypt. To all our churches in North America, South America, and Europe. In Africa, in the See of Jerusalem, in Asia, and in Australia. I congratulate everyone. I wish you a blessed feast and a resurrection with Christ. And joy that lasts throughout your life. And let us not forget love, grace, and communion. To our God be all glory and honor, now and forever. Amen
One year ago on Lazarus Saturday 27th April 2024we started using the new build� . ing. we thank our Lord who supported us through the prayers of ST Mary and all the saints. We are waiting to start Child Care Service soon Thanks to all who offered support and prayers
Monday 21 April 2025
Statement of Condolence on the Passing of His Holiness Pope Francis “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” - John 11:25
It is with profound sorrow that the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of Melbourne and its Affiliated Regions extends its heartfelt condolences to the Holy See of Rome and the Catholic faithful worldwide on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. the Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church.
Only hours before his repose on Easter Monday. His Holiness was seen joyfully blessing the faithful from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on the glorious Feast of the Resurrection. In his final public appearance. he bore witness to the Risen Lord. radiating the hope and joy of the Resurrection to the world - a fitting conclusion to a life devoted to humility. compassion and unwavering service to Christ and His people.
In April 2017. His Holiness Pope Francis made a historic Apostolic Journey to Egypt. where he met with HisHoliness Pope Tawadros II. During this visit. he offered heartfelt condolences to Pope Tawadros II for the tragic bombing of St Peter and St Paul Church in Cairo. and prayed for the victims and their families. The meeting marked a significant moment of solidarity with both Patriarchs reaffirming their shared commitment to Christian unity and faith amidst adversity.
Pope Francis will be remembered for his courageous leadership. his unwavering advocacy for the poor and the vulnerable. and his unrelenting pursuit of peace. justice. and Christian unity. His legacy will continue to inspire generations to come.
We also extend our sincerest condolences to His Grace Archbishop Peter Andrew Comensoli. Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne. and to the clergy and faithful of the Archdiocese of Melbourne during this time of mourning. May God grant them strength. comfort. and peace.
As we grieve the passing of Pope Francis. we also rejoice in the hope of the Resurrection. We pray that our Risen Lord. who conquered death and granted us eternal life. may now receive His faithful servant into the joy of His kingdom. May his memory be eternal.
