St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, New Orleans Louisiana

The Coptic Orthodox Diocese Of

The Southern United States

St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church New Orleans Louisiana

June 1997 Church News Letter & Activities Calendar

He Ascended Into The Heavens, And Sent To Us the Paraklete

Sprit Of Truth And The Comforter, Amen Alleluia

The Glorious Feast of the Ascension

On Thursday, June 4th, the Holy Church will celebrate the glorious feast of the Ascension, in which the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father.

The disciples were standing and the Lord ascended, "and a cloud received Him out of their sight". Two angels then appeared to them and said, "Why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus Who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:9-12)..

The Ascension was evidence of the glory with which the Lord ascended and with which He will come in His Second Coming.

The sadness of Golgotha disappeared with the joys of the Resurrection, and the majesty of the Resurrection increased with the glories of the Ascension. The Lord, in His Ascension, was above the level of nature. His Ascension was evidence of the end of the period of self-concealment without return. Therefore, when He returns in His Second Coming, He will come in His glory, with the multitude of His Saints, on clouds with His angels (Matthew 25:31); He will also "come in the glory of His Father with His angels" (Matthew 16:27).

The phrase sitting on the right hand of the Father means in the majesty of the Father or in the glory of the Father. Saint Paul the Apostle said about the Lord that "He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on most high, having become so much better than the angels" (Hebrews 1:3,4).

By His Ascension to heaven, He attracted our attention and hearts to heaven also because He said "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:32). With His lifting up He will prepare a place for us, for He said "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:3).

We will be with Him in glory and in the joyous eternity. As for now, those who depart from this ephemeral world will be with Him in Paradise as He said to the repentant thief who was crucified with Him; "today you will be with Me in Paradise" (Luke 23:24). The important thing is that we will be with Him.

On this point Saint Paul the Apostle said "For I, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better" (Philippians 1:23). How will this be however, and how will we be with Him?

He who ascends with his heart and thought above the level of the earth and materiality deserves to ascend and be with the Lord. As for those who adhere to the earth and materiality, how will they ascend? Whenever man ascends, then the earth will decrease in his point of view, and everything will diminish, as if it were nothing.

The feast of the Ascension also gives us the principle of ascension. The spiritual life, or the life with Christ, is a continual upwards growth until we reach the life of perfection. It is the permanent connection with heaven. The bell tower in the church gives us an idea of the upwards direction towards heaven and the ascension above the level of the earth and the earthly.

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1 June Divine Liturgy "English" New Orleans Flight To Egypt 8:30AM-12:30PM ---------------- Aghapi Leaving to Destin Retreat	2 Destin Retreat	3 Destin Retreat	4 Destin Retreat	5 Divine Liturgy Destin Ascension Feast 9:00-11:00AM End of Retreat	6 Vespers & Bible Study ---------------- Mobile, AL. 7:30PM-9:30PM	7 Divine Liturgy Mobile, AL. 9:00AM-12:30PM Aghapi --------------------- Vespers, Bible Study&Midnight New Orleans 7:00PM-9:00PM
8 Divine Liturgy New Orleans 8:30AM-12:30PM Aghapi	9	10	11	12	13 Vespers & Bible Study Birmingham, AL. 7:30PM-9:30PM	14 Divine Liturgy Birmingham, AL. ------------- Vespers, Bible Study&Midnight New Orleans 7:00PM-9:00PM
15 Divine Liturgy New Orleans Pentecost Feast 8:30AM-12:30PM Aghapi and Father's Day Celebration	16 Start Of The Apostel's Fast	17	18 Divine Liturgy New Orleans 9:30AM-12:00PM	19 Divine Liturgy New Orleans 9:30AM-12:00PM	20 Vespers & Bible Study Tallahassee, FL.	21 Divine Liturgy Tallahassee, FL. ------------- Vespers, Bible Study&Midnight New Orleans 7:00PM-9:00PM
22 Divine Liturgy New Orleans St. Mena Feast 9:30AM-12:30PM	23 Vespers New Orleans Eve Of St. Mark Feast 7:00PM-8:30PM	24 Divine Liturgy New Orleans St. Mark Feast 9:30AM-12:30PM	25 Divine Liturgy New Orleans 9:30AM-12:30PM	26 Divine Liturgy New Orleans Martyrdom Of St. George Of Mozahim 9:30AM-12:30PM	27 Vespers & Bible Study Memphis, TN.	28 Divine Liturgy Memphis, TN. 9:00AM-12:00PM ------------- Vespers, Bible Study&Midnight New Orleans 7:00PM-9:00PM
29 Divine Liturgy New Orleans 8:30AM-12:30PM Aghapi	30 Abouna's Trip To San Antonio Hymnal Retreat	1 July San Antonio Hymnal Retreat	2 San Antonio Hymnal Retreat	3 San Antonio Hymnal Retreat	4	5 Vespers, Bible Study&Midnight New Orleans 7:00PM-9:00PM

Church News:

Congratulations:

Congratulations to Dwayne and Nora on their engagement.
Congratulations to Amgad and Julie for their blessed wedding.
Congratulations to Ninette for her graduation.
Congratulations to Wagih and Amal in Destin, FL, for their newborn son Joseph.
Congratulations to David Botros Rizk for his ordination as a deacon (epsaltos).

Happy Birthday:

Sam Adel Sakla ...................... June 1

Suzan Mounir Gindi ................ June 19

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Created 8/01/1997