Bishop Daniel Cross, the Lord Carried All of Our (Leviticus 1 :9, 13, 17)
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L-MANARA 10th Tout 1737 AN INITIATIVE OF THE MEDIA COMMITTEE - DIOCESE OF SYDNEY & AFFILIATED REGIONS 20th September 2020 E Volume 1, Issue 263 COPT'S NEWS Volume 2, Issue165 “I have been crucifi ed with Christ. It is no longer I who lives but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20). NEXT ISSUE: Find this issue online at 18th October 2020 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: www.elmanara.org.au 12th October 2020 HAPPY NEW COPTIC NEW YEAR HAPPY EL NAYROUZ HAPPY FEAST OF THE CROSS Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affi liated Regions [email protected] 20th September 2020 THE CROSS IN OUR LIFE from trees. • The head represents all transferred His people from the the thoughts and senses, and darkness to light, or from death • Trees are a symbol of life. so when we are crucifi ed with to life... the Lord, we are purifying our • They provide shelter to thoughts and senses, through If we spend some time in the birds that live in it. sharing the Lord’s crown of contemplation each time we thorns… make the sign of the cross, we • They provide protection • The side is close to the will notice how many beautiful to those who are under it from heart and the emotions, and so, lessons we can learn from the the elements in the world – like when we are crucifi ed with the cross! rain and sun. Lord, we are purifying our heart Let us read together Galatians and emotions through sharing Also, the Lord gave us a 6:14… • In the same way, the cross the Lord’s spear... commandment to proclaim is our symbol of everlasting life. • The hands represent the His death until He comes (1 "But God forbid that I should deeds, and so when we are Corinthians 11:26), and this is glory except in the cross of our • Through it we reach our crucifi ed with the Lord, we are something we do every time we Lord Jesus Christ, by which the eternal home, and through it, purifying our deeds through do the sign of the cross. world has been crucifi ed to me, we are protected from all the sharing in His nails… and I to the world" (Galatians negative forces in the world. • The feet represent the 4. Every time we make 6:14) The Lord carried His Cross and way, and so when we are the sign of the cross, we walked to His destination point. crucifi ed with the Lord, we remember God's love for us. Today we celebrate the Feast The journey was not easy, but are purifying our way through of the Cross, and so, we full of pain. And because the sharing in His nails. And so, Our beloved Lord off ered the shall discuss together, 10 Cross was heavy, the Lord fell when we are crucifi ed with the ultimate sacrifi ce of love, when characteristics of the Cross, and down, but along the way, He Lord, our whole self is being He died for us, and that’s why why the Cross is important in was comforted and helped by purifi ed and redeemed, through He mentions in John 15:13, our life? people like Veronica. being on the cross… "Greater love has no one than • And so, when the Lord this, than to lay down one's life 1. The Cross is a biblical • This shows us that we opened up His arms to be nailed for his friends." (John 15:13). commandment and our also must carry the Cross of on the cross, He was showing beloved Lord gave it great the Lord and walk with it to our us how much He loved us – yes, And also we read in Romans 5:8- importance: destination – which is eternal even to death. 10, “God demonstrates His own life... love toward us, in that while we From the time the Lord started • The way will not be easy, 2. The Cross of our Lord were still sinners, Christ died for His ministry, He spoke about and we will experience suff ering Jesus is our identity as us... we were reconciled to God the importance of the Cross. and hardships and pain… Christians, and we are through the death of His Son.” He said: “He who does not take • Sometimes the burden declaring our belief in the (Romans 5:8,10). up his cross and follow after Me will be so great that we may fall Holy Trinity. is not worthy of Me” (Matthew down... 5. We make the sign of the 10:38). And also, “Whoever does • But the Lord will also That is why it is very important cross because it gives us not bear his cross and come provide for us His servants for us to always do the sign power. after Me cannot be My disciple” along the way, who will help us of the cross before beginning (Luke 14:27). and encourage us. anything. It is proof that we St Paul the Apostle felt the belong to the Lord, and every power of the cross and that’s But what does it mean to take The Lord was then nailed to the time we make the sign of the why he said, "For the message up your Cross? cross – by His hands and feet. cross, we are thanking God for of the cross is foolishness to making us His children. those who are perishing, but to • It means that you love • At the time of the beloved us who are being saved it is the Him above everything else in the Lord’s crucifi xion, He carried 3. When we make the sign power of God. " (1 Corinthians world. all the sins of the world – from of the cross, we declare 1:18). • It means you are ready to Adam, to the end of the world. our belief in the Lord’s off er any sacrifi ce for the sake of • And the Lord took all Incarnation and Redemption. And so, when we make the sign the Lord these sins, and nailed them to of the Cross, we are fi lled with • It means that when you the cross. • That is why we make the power, because through the are crucifi ed with the Lord, you • And so our beloved Lord’s sign of the Cross from the top, cross, the Lord defeated death are being saved through the crucifi xion on the cross became downwards, and from left to and Satan, and gave us eternal purifi cation of the Cross… our purifi cation and salvation. right. life. • The Lord also suff ered • The top – bottom Let us spend a few moments to through His crown of thorns, represents that we believe God And that’s why the children of contemplate on the Cross, and and His pierced side. descended from heaven to God use the sign of the cross it’s meaning in our lives… earth… as a sign of victory and the So what does this symbolise: • And the left to right power of God. (eg St Anthony, What is the Cross made of? It is represents that we believe God St George…) made of wood, and wood comes 2 [email protected] 10th Tout 1737 Copts’ News being reconciled with God. "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise 12:2). And so, we understand Him." (Isaiah 53:10) from this verse that the full joy of • The cross gave us the the Lord Jesus was in the Cross. 6. And so, when we do the blessing of a new pure life & Our beloved Lord Jesus satisfied sign of the cross, Satan eternal life… the Father through-out His life 9. Every time we do the trembles and runs away! • The cross gave us the on earth, but He entered into sign of the cross, we re-live blessing of being members in the fullness of this satisfaction the Lord’s journey through From the beginning, Satan tried the Body of the Lord… on the Cross, when He "became passion week. very hard to separate us from • The cross gave us all the obedient to the point of death, God. But all his efforts resulted graces of the New Testament… even the death of the cross. " We remember each day during in nothing, through the blood of • That is why the priests (Philippians 2:8). Passion Week, how the Lord felt our Lord on the cross. use the cross to bless people, to and how He suffered, until He show that the blessing does not So every time we see the reached His final destination on And that’s why, whenever Satan come from them, but from the Cross and do the sign of the the Cross. So when we do the sees the cross, he trembles and Cross of the Lord. Cross, we remember the sign of the cross, we remember flees, because he remembers Lord’s perfect obedience and and witness to these holy days. his great defeat. 8. The Cross is very perfect submission, and so we important in our life because try to resemble our Lord in His 10. Every time we do the sign 7. Every time we make the it was the acceptable obedience – even “to the point of the Cross, we are looking sign of the cross, we receive sacrifice for the Father. of death.” forward to the Lord’s glorious a blessing. Second Coming. When our beloved Lord offered But the Cross was not only Before the Lord’s crucifixion, Himself to be crucified, the pleasing to the Father, but was the whole world was under the Father looked at Him as a "a also pleasing to our Lord Jesus penalty of death.