Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church
Yorktown,Virginia
©2012, Saint Mary Coptic orthodox church ,york town ,virginia, All Rights Reserved.
Congratulations to the Coptic Orthodox Church
The Month Highlight
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II
118th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch and Archbishop
for the Apostolic See, the See of Saint Mark the Evangelist
of Egypt, Nubia, Sudan, Pentapolis, and all the regions
of the See in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America,
South America, and Australia
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Axios Axios Axios …
Papa Avva Tawadros Pi-mah esnav Pi Arshi erevs
Worth Worthy Worthy …
Pope Tawadros the Second, the Patriarch
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We pray that the Lord would grant
His Holiness Pope Tawadros II many peaceful years
shepherding his flock in purity and righteousness.
Recommended boooks
Spiritual Artilcles
The Holy Great Lent
His answer to Satan is a trenchant affirmation that to live our lives as though God did not exist, that is, “by bread alone,” is to live according to a demonic lie. Fasting is an essential element of the Christian Life. Christ fasted and taught men to fast. Blessed fasting is done in secret. It has its goal in the purification of our lives, the liberation of our souls and bodies from sin, the strengthening of our human powers of love for God and man, and the enlightening of our entire being for communion with the Blessed Trinity.Let us fast with a pleasing fast to the Lord. This is the true fast: the casting off of evil, the bridling of the tongue, the cutting off of anger, the cessation of lusts, evil talking, lies and cursing. The stopping of all these, is the true and acceptable fast. Genuine fasting, which subjects our flesh and its passions to the will of a humbled and contrite spirit is perhaps the most effective means to grow in God’s grace
(see Romans 8:1-17)
It opens our innermost self to the promptings of the Holy Spirit Who yearns to make our soul His temple. It is this possibility for growth in Christ-likeness through fasting that should fire our self-discipline according to the canons and rules of the Church. The point is to give up a measure of our dependence upon the material world in order to experience personally our hunger for God.
The days of fasting are days of repentance and contrition. At the same time, they are periods of joy and cheer as believers experience victory and power in their innermost self. Fasting does not imply fatigue, restraint, or irritation, but rather it inspires joy and inward gladness with the Lord reigning within the heart. This is the experience of the Coptic Church particularly during the Holy Week. At that time believers practice asceticism more than any other time of fasting. The signs of real spiritual joy and consolation filling the heart are so clearly evident then. How you begin and conduct your fast will largely determine your success. You have to plan to make your time with the Lord more meaningful and spiritually rewarding.
Set Your Objective!
Why are you fasting? Is it just as a tradition of the Church? Or is it for spiritual renewal, for guidance, for healing, for the resolution, of problems, for special grace to handle a difficult situation? Ask the Holy Spirit to clarify His leading and objectives in your prayer for fasting. This will enable you to pray more specifically and strategically.
By Pope Shenouda III
When Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights in the wilderness in preparation for His saving ministry, we are told that the devil tempted Him to change stones into
loaves of bread. The Lord rebuked the tempter with the words, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:14; Deuteronomy 8:3)
In this way Jesus succeeded where Adam had failed (see Genesis 3:1-6)
April 7,Baramhat 29
Lazarus Saturday
April 27,Baramouda 19
Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem
(Hosanna Sunday)
أحد الشعانين
April 28, Baramouda 20
The Holy Pascha
April 29 – May 1
Covenant Thursday
May 2,2013.
Good Friday
May 3,2013.
Glorious Feast of the Resurrection
May 5,2013.
For H.H Pope Shenouda III
تحتفل الكنيسة بتذكار بشارة أمنا والدة الإله العذراء القديسة مريم وذلك أنه لما جاء الوقت المعين منذ الأزل من الله لخلاص البشر. أرسل الله رئيس الملائكة جبرائيل إلى القديسة مريم البتول التي من سبط يهوذا ومن قبيلة داود الملك ليبشرها بالحبل الإلهي والميلاد المجيد. كما شهد بذلك الكتاب المقدس بقوله: في الشهر السادس أرسل جبرائيل الملاك من الله إلى مدينة من الجليل اسمها ناصرة إلى عذراء مخطوبة لرجل من بيت داود اسمه يوسف واسم العذراء مريم فدخل إليها الملاك وقال: سلام لك آيتها الممتلئة نعمة. الرب معك مباركة أنت في النساء فلما رأته اضطربت من كلامه وفكرت ما عسي أن تكون هذه التحية فقال لها الملاك " لا تخافي يا مريم لأنك قد وجدت نعمة عند الله وها أنت ستحلبين وتلدين أبنا وتسمينه يسوع هذا يكون عظيما وابن العلي يدعي ويعطيه الرب الإله كرسي داود أبيه ويملك علي بيت يعقوب إلى الأبد ولا يكون لملكه نهاية’ " فقالت مريم للملاك " كيف يكون هذا وأنا لست أعرف رجلا؟ " فأجاب الملاك وقال لها " الروح القدس يحل عليك وقوة العلي تظللك فلذلك أيضا القدوس المولود منك يدعي ابن الله".
ثم قدم لها دليلا علي صدق بشارته قائلا: "هوذا أليصابات نسيبتك هي أيضا حبلي بابن في شيخوختها وهذا هو الشهر السادس لتلك المدعوة عاقرا , لأنه ليس شيء غير ممكن لدي الله " فقالت مريم " هودا أنا أمة الرب. ليكن لي كقولك " فمضي من عندها الملاك (لو 1: 26 – 38).
وعند قبولها هذه البشارة الإلهية نزل الابن الوحيد قوة الله الكلمة أحد الثلاثة الأقانيم الأزلية وحل في أحشائها حلولا لا يدرك البشر كيفيته واتحد للوقت بإنسانية كاملة اتحادا كاملا لم يكن بعده افتراق.
فهذا اليوم آذن هو بكر الأعياد. لأن فيه كانت البشري بخلاص العالم وفي مثله تم الخلاص بالقيامة المجيدة لآدم وبنيه من أيدي الشيطان نسأل إلهنا وفادينا أن يتفضل فيغفر لنا آثامنا ويتجاوز عن خطايانا. أمين.
عيد البشارة المجيد
