August is a special month. August lies on the Coptic month of Mesra, which is dedicated to St. Mary, the Mother of God. On Mesra 1, which is August 7, the Virgin Mary fast begins. This fast lasts 15 days, until Mesra 16, which is the day that St. Mary’s body travelled to heaven. When St. Mary was peacefully praying, …
St. Abanoub of Nehisa
Think back to when you were 12 years old, or try to imagine your life at that age. What are you doing? Perhaps you are attending school, playing outside, or in the worst case scenario, studying for a really hard test. Can you imagine any 12-year old standing in front of an emperor, challenging him by proclaiming their faith, knowing …
St. Mary of Egypt
Just two years ago, our church received the blessed relics of St. Mary of Egypt. Her story is a perfect example of repentance and change. She was born to Christian parents in Alexandria but unfortunately when she was 12, she was tricked by Satan and lived a life of sin for almost 17 years. One day, she decided to board …
The Feasts of the Cross
In our Coptic Church, we celebrate the Feast of the Cross of our Lord twice every year: on Tout 16 (around mid-September) and the 10th of Baramhat which is March 19th of this year. On Tout 16, we celebrate Queen Helena going to Jerusalem and finding the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. When she had climbed up the hill …
The Letter to Philemon
The Story: The letter to Philemon is one of St. Paul’s 14 epistles. Philemon was a master to a slave named Onesimus. One day, Onesimus was tempted and stole money from Philemon and ran away to Rome, where he met St. Paul. St. Paul’s preaching moved him and caused him to feel sorry about what he did. He told St. …
Jesus is Risen
We are now celebrating the greatest feast day in the year! Jesus has come back to like! Alleluia! Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday to take away our sins. But He didn’t just die- He came back to life again so that we would come back to life one day too. The apostles were afraid when Jesus was …
Jesus ascends into heaven
This month, we celebrate the feast of the Ascension (when Jesus went up, body and soul, into Heaven). Forty days after Jesus rose from the dead He took his disciples up to a big hill and told them that he was going to send the Holy Spirit to them soon. Then He went up into the sky and disappeared behind …
The Apostles’ Feast
Why did Jesus choose Disciples and Apostles for Himself? Jesus Chose them to be His friends! He sat with them and talked with them. He chose them to be with Him always and to teach them so that they become His witnesses and teach other people. “He who hears you hears Me…” (Luke 10:16). He chose them so that they …
What is this light?
On day Jesus took Peter, James, and John up onto a mountain to be alone. These disciples witnessed an amazing event. As they watched, Jesus transfigured, which means that he changed appearance. His face shone like the sun and his clothes became as white as the light. Although they had been long dead, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and …
New Again
God promised his people in the old testament that he would raise them from the grave. In the new testament, Jesus raised His friend Lazarus from the dead. At the end of time, God will raise everyone from the dead. God does not like death. We all have to die because we are sinful, but God wants to raise us …