God willing, His Grace Bishop Tadros will celebrate the Divine Liturgy in commemoration of the Feast of St. Mark the Apostle, the intercessor of our church.
Vespers: May 7, 2012 at 7:30 PM
Matins 7:30 AM | Divine Liturgy: 8:00 AM -10:30 AM
In celebration of the feast of St. Mark, your local St. Mark Church in Los Angeles is holding their 1st annual carnival on May 5-6, 2012.
Come join us for a weekend full of activities and fun that the whole family can enjoy!
Open to all churches, to our neighbors and to the public. All are welcome!
Click here to see photos of the event.
The resurrection of Jesus is the strength of the church. It is the strength of a new life given to us by Jesus, to whom is the glory. When He trampled death and subdued Hades, He was victorious for us against the fearful enemy. The feast of the resurrection is a new chance for everyone. It is the strength of our resurrection, which we received in baptism, when we were buried with Jesus in the baptism of death. So as Jesus rises from the dead, then that is how we dwell in the new life.
It is the dawn of the resurrection… The women are on their way to the tomb in the early hours of the morning. They are carrying incense. They were saying among themselves, “Who shall roll us away the stone?” (Mark 16:3). There was a big stone placed against the door of the tomb. It could not be perceived by the human mind that these women could reach the body of the savior.
Numerously, it seams that Jesus is imprisoned in my soul, as if motionless, as He was in the tomb before the resurrection. This great stone of my numerous sins kept Him as a prisoner. How many times my soul lingered to see Jesus rising in His light and might! How many times I have tried to role over the stone, but without prevail? For the weight of the stone, bound by habits, was heavier. Many times I have said in despair, “Who shall roll away the stone?” (Mark 16:3).
Despite that, the women are on their way to the tomb. Their approach is a work of faith. So whether that was faith or craziness, still it will be rewarded. Then I will have to continue in my overwhelming desire, so that the stone would be rolled away. But the women didn’t go to the tomb empty handed they brought sweet spices for the Savior’s body, (Mark 16:1). Therefore, I have to bring something with me – at least as my good gesture – that is if I desire that the stone be rolled over from my soul. This gesture should be of value, even if it was a token, but it has to constitute a sacrifice. And now… The women have found that the stone was removed in an unexpected way. “There was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door.” (Matt. 28:2).
To remove the stone, there should have been an amazing miracle – An earthquake – because a push or a snug was not enough. It is the same for that stone within me, which seems to paralyze the movement of Jesus. It requires an earthquake… That is an internal overhaul, a full uprooting change. The matter requires an illuminated projectile that will shake me. This is how Jesus rises within me to subdue the old and make room for the new. This surpasses the arrangements and organizations, for it requires death which is followed by birth. The angel has announced to the disciples that Jesus, who is risen, is waiting for them in Galilee. Jesus Himself asserts the fact, saying, “Go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me.” (Matt. 28:10).
Why is the return to Galilee? Is Jesus trying to protect his disciples from the adversity of the Jews? Or does He want to confirm that after the turbulence of His sufferings, there will come days of peace and tranquility? Maybe… But it seems that there is a more deep reason than that. Jesus met His disciples in Galilee. There they heard His call and started to follow it. Therefore, the memories of those days will stay with our souls youthfully and refreshingly. This was after some of them were weak and hopeless, without faith during His sufferings. Jesus wanted them to return once more to their first vigor and their old warmth… He wanted to renew their emotions and their will, which were there when they first met. In the atmosphere of the Galilee, which the Lord has returned to, was for the new life, which He will fulfill and declare to them. There is a ‘Galilee’ in the life of each of us. Or at least among those who, one day, met the Savior and loved Him. The ‘Galilee’ is the time, during which I felt the Lord is looking at me, and calling my name. Since that time, long years have passed, maybe burdened with a lot of sins, during which it seems that I have forgotten Jesus. But despite this – whoever meets Jesus – even once – will never forget Him. Here is Jesus calling on me to go to the ‘Galilee’ of my life, to reconfirm that love, which I was characterized with during my early days. There I will see Him anew.
My Master… I would like to return to the ‘Galilee’, but will I meet You there? How will my heart illuminate, that which was dim? Is it just by mentioning the ‘Galilee’, my life will be content, will I regain my emotions, with my first meeting with You? “And, behold, He goes before you into Galilee.” (Matt. 28:7). My son, don’t think about the new meeting in pain. I will be honest in the promise that I will strike with you. I will do more, just for the intention of your waiting, in the ‘Galilee’ of memories. I will be there before you, to guide you. When you stead fast your heart anew in ‘Galilee’, then He is the One who will guide you, He will know you and will talk with you…
Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. He came to them. He didn’t spend time in scolding them for their weak belief, and they didn’t waist time to apologize, or explain their excuses. But everything happened in simplicity and love giving, He said unto them, “Have you here any meat?” (Luke 24:41). “And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.” (Luke 24:42).
So life returns to its original nature, to that time from when it ceased. If I betrayed Jesus and left Him, when I set a time to return to Him, I don’t have to worry or prepare for such a meeting. I only have to let Him return into my daily life. I would place Him in my current events. Get Him involved in my problems and my wishes. It is enough to offer Jesus His share of the fish and honeycomb. At this instance Jesus will be present at the table. He will share our lives anew. This happens in the blink of an eye. But we have to act in humility and repentance. The exterior condition is simple and easy, but we require an overhaul from within We require to surrender, and be humble. “After that He appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.” (Mark 16:12). Jesus, after His resurrection, appeared to individuals who knew Him (John 20:20).
We beseech Jesus our Lord, who has risen from the dead, to give us the spirit of the resurrection from within, to renew our lives and our repentance. We desire Him to enter unto us, even if the doors were closed, so that we can hear His divine voice.
1. Our Behavior Inside and Outside of ChurchIt is very noticeable that many people during Pascha Week are one thing inside church and completely different outside. In side church, black curtains, somber hymns, solemn readings, and concentrating on the suffering of Christ. Outside of church, we often laugh, joke around, socialize, think and talk about many worldly issues. We lose all the spiritual depth that we gained inside church. Let us concentrate our thoughts, conversations, and meditations around the events of this holy week and the Passion of our Savior.
During our regular fasting days, we pt the words of the bible before us, “Consecrate a fast, call a sacred assembly.” (Joel 1:14). How much more then should we apply this commandment during Holy Week? This week should be characterized by solitude and retreat with God, by staying away from idle discussions and various means of entertainment of pleasure. Reserve your time to God and to spiritual activities worthy of this week.
In the first hour of the Monday of the Holy Pascha, we read St. Shenouda’s homily, which warns us: “Brethren if we want o escape God’s punishment and find mercy in His eyes, let us sit every evening alone by ourselves and search our souls…”
Meditate on the events of the week one by one: from Palm Sunday, when Christ refused His worldly kingdom and the Jews gave up their hope in Him, until they crucified and buried Him. On Palm Sunday, ask yourself, “Is Christ King and Lord over everything in my life? Do I, like Christ, turn down worldly glory for spiritual and eternal glory? During the General Funeral Service, do I consider myself attending my own funeral?”
And when the church denounces Judas’ traitorous kiss on the eve of the Wednesday of Pascha Week, ask yourself in prayer, “How often, O Lord have I betrayed You? How many times have I told You words of love in prayers, while my actions show the opposite and my heart is far away from You?”
Saint Paul said, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to His death.” (Philippians 3:10) Can we give ourselves an exercise this week to share in the fellowship of His suffering and be conformed to His death? Can we follow Him in His suffering and ascend with Him to the Cross? Can we say with St. Paul, “With Christ I have been crucified; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” ? (Galatians 2:20).
Therefore, in order for Christ to live in us, we have to carry our cross and follow Him. If you have a cross in your life, do not complaint about it. Instead, rejoice in it and bear it for Christ’s sake. “for to you has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him but to suffer for His sake.” (Philippians 1:29).
Whoever puts the suffering of Christ before him will not take any pleasure in eating and drinking or pampering the body. But in order to succeed in pursuing asceticism, we must satisfy our souls with spiritual food so that it may thrive and overcome physical hunger. It was customary for the Church to fast until at least the 9th hour on normal fasting days and until sunset during the Holy Week of Pascha.
St. Athanasius even declared that this period of Holy Week should be received with “longer prayers, fasts, and vigils so that we may be able to anoint our lintels with precious blood and escape the destroyer.” And again, the blessed saint says, “Let us thus engage in the holy fasts, as having been prescribed by Him, and by means of which we find the way to God.”
Spiritual readings are also food for the soul. The church has organized for us a treasure of appropriate readings for every day of the Holy Week, comprised of Gospel readings, Old Testament prophesies that correspond to the events of each day, spiritual explanations and sermons of the Church Fathers. On Bright Saturday (Apocalypse night) the church reads the entire Book of Revelation.
The hymns of the Pascha Week are moving and full of spiritual depth. Hymns, like reading, preserve the thought from wandering and guide it in spiritual direction. We should continue to recite the hymns while walking, meditating, resting.
Since the prayers of the Agpeya are not used during Holy Week, we are to substitute personal prayers in their place, in addition to the intensive prayers of the church, asking the Lord who bore the sins of the world and died for us, to forgive and have mercy upon us according to His great mercy.
During this week, each person must sit with himself and remember his sins and put them on Christ’s shoulders and tell Him in shame, “Carry O Lord my sins too, with the sins of the rest of humanity. Take my sins and nail them to the Cross with You, so that Your Blood may wipe them away!”
Look carefully at your sins and know that they are the cause of His crucifixion. Many people cry out of their sorrow for Christ’s suffering while they crucify Him every day with their sins. We should not feel sorry for Christ during this week, but should be sorry for our sins that caused Him these pains. As Jesus told the women that were crying over Him, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not cry for Me, but cry for yourselves and your children.” (Luke 23:28).
Before the Cross, we all stand as sinners, all under the condemnation. “no one is righteous, not even one.” (Psalm 14:3). We confess our sins and prepare ourselves for communion. There are three liturgies during Holy Week: on Passover Thursday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday (Preceded, of course, by the Liturgy of Palm Sunday).
Pascha Week is not an opportunity to benefit for a week only, but a time to store up spiritual nourishment enough to last the whole year, particularly needed during the 50 days after the Resurrection when there is no fasting.
“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zech 9:9)
This is how the Lord invites us to rejoice and be extremely glad, through the words of Zechariah the prophet, on the day Jesus Christ enters Jerusalem. Hence we hope to take our share and enjoy that spiritual happiness on this day. Jesus has entered unto us this day to reign over us. Then rise O beloved ones with praises and rejoice and spread your clothes, take off the old, raise the banner of victory in your life and hold the palm branches in your hands. Say to the Lord: Amen, come O our Lord Jesus, reign over us, reign over our heart, like the temple in Jerusalem. Drive out those who hinder our worship…for our hearts have become the den of thieves. The world has entered it in negligence and has ruined its beauty, though it was once the house of prayers. O Lord drive out those who sold doves, overturn the tables of the money exchangers. Purify our hearts so that they can return to you. Once more fill our heart with the incense of prayers and the offerings of praises.
This is our praise for today. This is our asking of the Lord, ‘Save us…save us.’ Today is the day of salvation. On the dawn of this day the Lord entered the house of Zacchaeus and said, “Today salvation has come to this house.” (Luke 19:9). Today Timaeus the blind cried out saying, “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:48). So the Lord opened his eyes. Do not stop repeating the name of salvation that is for our Lord Jesus Christ…experience the power of His salvation and the strength of His arms.
The Lord has preceded that by saying, “I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” (Luke 13:35). This phrase benefits our hearts to accept the kingdom of Jesus. Then we can welcome Him to reign in our hearts. We hope to always say it to the Lord so that we can see His face….we always say this phrase before the reading of the Gospel, in every liturgy, to welcome the words of the Gospel in a prepared heart. For he who accepts the Word accepts Christ the King, because He is the incarnate Word of God.
The first thing that was declared in the Kingdom of Christ was the great rejoice and the peaceful heart. Since the first moments of His birth, the multitude of angels rejoiced with the everlasting praises, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace…” (Luke 2:14). Hence, today the multitudes glorify the Lord saying, “Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.” (Luke 19:38). Peace is just one of the signs that Christ is among us, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you.” (John 14:27). Therefore, if we miss this peaceful heart and the spiritual joy, then we are not ready for Jesus to live within us.
Christ has come to destroy the deeds of Satan. Our faith in Jesus is a victory over the world, over death, over bodily desires and over the love of the world. Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead, so we were victorious over the fear that threatened our lives. That is why the multitudes rejoiced on this day and went out to meet Him, for they heard that he carried out those miracles, “The justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:26) He who accepts Jesus as King on this day will never be enslaved, for Jesus has reigned over us and gave us freedom to become the sons of God.
He who was victorious over death, cried over Lazarus who died. He who sanctified the temple has cried over Jerusalem. This day Jesus is in our midst. He is the King who is crying for those who are laying around us in the desire of the world and sins, the ones who have ignored the time for their salvation. This day Jesus is in our midst crying for those slain by sin. Those are the ones who have rejected to shelter under the spread of the cross and the shadows of the wings of His love. On this day, we hope to recognize the extent of His tears, enter into the partnership of His love and sacrifice for mankind.
Jesus neither reign with the sword, nor with the power of mankind. The kingdom of Jesus is not spread by wars, or by a materialistic power….Jesus is a meek King, gentle and lowly at heart. He gently reigns, not with vehemence. He who accepts the kingdom of Christ learns to be like his teacher. He does not shout, does not feud and no one on the streets hear his voice. Every time we lose our meekness and humility, then we have lost the characteristics of Jesus and we are no longer in His likeness.
The law of Christ is, “It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.” (Matt. 10:25)
One of the major characteristics of the Kingdom of Christ is the likeness of children. That is why the Lord has previously said, “Unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 18:3)
John the evangelic witnessed in the Revelation one hundred forty four thousand children in heaven…a large band with amazing secrets. Also Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes.” (Luke 10:21) This day the children are like the angels praising without ceasing. Today, we need to return to our childhood, the warmth of love, which is pure without question and without glamor or pride. The closer we approach our first childhood we recognize the kingdom of Christ.
Today, Jesus entered Jerusalem to be crucified. This is the objective. He set his sight toward Jerusalem. For Jesus, the cross was His secret throne, on which the Lord has reigned with love. He has stretched His arms to encompass all mankind, and has sacrificed Himself for the whole world.
The cross is the sign of the kingdom of Christ. It is the sign of the Son of Man and at the same time it is the sign of the overwhelming love. It is the sign of sacrifice…through the cross there is no room for selfishness, self esteem or a place for hatred, detest or resentment. When we enter the kingdom of Jesus on this day it means our acceptance to become deep in love, every day, not only for our kin or close ones but for everyone. Here, love does not know any distinction or peculiarity.
If only, on this day, we persistently ask, ‘Your Kingdom come…blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord…save us.’
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