His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion and His Grace Bishop Abraham Celebrates the Divine Liturgy at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church
On the 4th Sunday of the blessed Coptic month of Kiahk, 1741, January 5, 2025, His Eminence Metropolitan Serapion accompanied by His Grace Bishop Abraham celebrated the Divine Liturgy at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Los Angeles, California. Participated in the Divine Liturgy were Presbyters: Fr. Samuel El-Baramousy, Fr. Rewies Antoun, Fr. Mina Rofail, and Archdeacon: Severus Mikhail. May God bless every work for the glory of His holy name.
Feast of the Cross
In early Christianity, the Holy Cross was very revered. It signified protection, holiness, worship, and blessing to believers everywhere (even before Empress Helen discovered it). In this feast, the churchfocuses on the Holy Cross and how through the Cross, the Lord, descended to Hades to save the righteous. Though the Holy Cross, the Lord opened the doors of the Paradise of Joy again. The Holy Cross is the true power of Christians. The church celebrates the – …
The Apostles' Fast
The Pentecost, descent of the Holy Spirit, is immediately followed by the Apostle’s fast which lasts from the Monday after Pentecost to July 12th (Abib 5th). The apostles started preaching after the reception of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts does not end with the word “Amen,” unlike most other books in the bible. This is significant because the preaching of the apostle did not stop at the end of the book. It is – …
The Glorious Feast of our Lord's Ascension
On the Feast of Ascension, we commemorate the last day of the physical presence of the risen Christ amongst His disciples and His ascension to the heaven. It may seem like a parting, a separation, and that after it, our Lord is not with us in quite the same way any longer. However, Christ ascending to heaven opens the gates to us, His people, He prepares a way for us, and He carries us and – …
Glorious Feast of the Resurrection and the Holy Fifty Days
The Coptic Orthodox Church brings to mind the present reality of the power of Christ’s resurrection from the dead on the third day. By His death, Christ has trampled death and has bestowed eternal life to those in the tombs. The Lord of Glory raised Himself from the dead on the Sunday of Resurrection. He rose for us to clothe us with the new man and grant us eternal life. Quote: Before the divine sojourn – …
Sixth Sunday of the Great Lent
The last Sunday in Lent is the Sunday of Baptism, during which we read the gospel reading of the man born blind. “I was blind and now I see.” This is our everlasting experience as children of the Heavenly Father. We were blind and He opened our sight so we beheld miracles of His laws and we saw what the prophets longed to see, and He gave us understanding of the Scriptures. “Go wash in – …
Fifth Sunday of the Great Lent
The gospel of the fifth Sunday talks about Bethsaida which symbolizes Baptism. We, the crowds of Christians, were beside it sick, lame, blind and paralyzed, suffering every spiritual sickness. The Angel that moves the water symbolizes the Holy Spirit Who comes down on the water of baptism. This is our share in Christ: those who are baptized have ever in the Father even if they have been sick for 38 years. The practice of this – …
The Third Sunday of the Great Lent
Repentance in Christianity is different from any other repentance. It is the return of the son to his Father and the Father falling on the neck of His son to embrace him and kiss him (Lk. 15:20). This is the gospel reading of the third Sunday of the Great Lent. The Father’s paternity to us is not because of our righteousness, but because of His paternity to His children, especially the sinners. The Father’s paternity – …
Second Sunday of the Great Lent
The gospel of the Second Sunday deals with the temptation of doubting God’s paternity toward us, “If you are the son of God, why does He leave you hungry? Why does God allow the presence of disease, failure and the death of His beloved?” Practice: It is our duty this week to examine our faith in the love of the Father Who gave His Son for us. Our faith should surpass all temptations and emotions. – …
The First Sunday of the Great Lent
The gospel of the first Sunday of Lent calls for the surrender of life to the Father. “Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat…nor yet for the body, what you shall wear…do not worry about tomorrow.” The reason for not worrying is that, “your heavenly Father knows that you have of all these things” (Mt. 6:32). The practice of this week is a call to a secure life in the care of – …
Preparatory Week of the Great Lent
The Great Lent is considered the holiest fast because our Lord Jesus Christ fasted it Himself. Therefore, during the Great Lent we follow the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who fasted on our behalf forty days and forty nights (Mt. 4:2). Also, during the Holy Pascha, which comes after the forty days, we live the Passion of Christ day by day and hour by hour. The Church declares to us that the closet – …
The Departure of Saint Severus the Patriarch of Antioch
On this day of the year 538 A.D., the holy father St. Severus, Patriarch of Antioch, departed. He was from Asia Minor. His grandfather, whose name was also Severus, saw in a vision someone telling him, “The child who is for your son will strengthen Orthodoxy, and his name will be after your name.” When his son had this saint, he called him Severus. He was taught the Greek wisdom and church subjects. Once, the – …