Bishop Daniel Officially Opens St Mary & St Moses the Mighty Church – Bundaberg – Qld
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L-MANARA 7th Hatour 1736 AN INITIATIVE OF THE MEDIA COMMITTEE - DIOCESE OF SYDNEY & AFFILIATED REGIONS 17th November 2019 E Volume 1, Issue 252 COPT'S NEWS Volume 2, Issue154 “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 15th December 2019 DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: www.elmanara.org.au 9th December 2019 CONGRATULATIONS TO HIS HOLINESS POPE TAWADROS THE SECOND On the occasion of the 7th Anniversary of the enthronement of His Holiness Pope Tawadros the Second on the See of St. Mark the Apostle, and his blessed birthday. We congratulate the father of Fathers and Shepherd of Shepherds with the warmest wishes and sincere greetings. May our Lord preserve him in health and peace for many years and peaceful ages, faithful against any challenges that face our glorious church. We always renew our promise to His Holiness to stand behind him in his journey to revive our great national orthodox church. The Lord strengthen your steps in your journey that is guided by the Holy Spirit for “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn”, and we ask for all your prayers for us, to our God all Glory forever Amen. HG BISHOP DANIEL OFFICIALLY OPENS ST MARY & ST MOSES THE MIGHTY CHURCH – BUNDABERG – QLD Published by the Diocese of Sydney & its Affi liated Regions [email protected] 17th November 2019 PARABLE OF THE SOWER GOSPEL READING: LUKE 8:4-15 • Therefore, those who • The rocky ground Communion, and so on. have a hard mind and heart represents those people who do not receive the divine seed, are still attracted by the desires “But others fell on good ground, but instead, they are a way for and lusts of the world. Although sprang up, and yielded a crop a unclean people to walk on them. they may hear and accept in their hundredfold" … “But the ones minds Christianity, their heart is that fell on the good ground are But what is found along the divided. And therefore, they may those who, having heard the wayside? feel happy to listen to stories word with a noble and good People living according to this about the kingdom of God or heart, keep it and bear fruit with world, who are concerned only the glory of the saints, but as patience.” about the desires of the world, soon as they are faced with hard and not about God, These times and persecutions, they • The good ground In the Gospel reading of today, people can stop us from hearing forget these stories and run. represents those who do not run our beloved Lord is telling us and practicing the word of God, after the lusts of the world, and the parable about how He is the if we are not strong in faith. so, they are able to bear much sower of all things good. The “And some fell among thorns, spiritual fruit. The more you are Lord showed how important this Then the devil comes and takes and the thorns sprang up with it in the world, the less you will parable is by also explaining it to away the word out of their hearts: and choked it” … “Now the ones yield in spiritual fruits. the people – it is the fi rst parable • While we are sleeping, that fell among thorns are those with an explanation. Now the the devil comes and sows his who, when they have heard, go • The good ground, Lord is telling us that it is our weeds. And this is why the Lord out and are choked with cares, which brings forth good fruit, responsibility to be good soil so told us to be alert and watchful. riches, and pleasures of life, and is an honest and good heart, that His seed of divine love can If we are lazy in our spiritual life bring no fruit to maturity.” which happily receives God’s grow in us and so we can then and we do not bear spiritual instruction and commandments. produce fruits and continue with fruits, then the devil will come • To run after wealth and His service. quickly and sow his weeds of worldly things will take you away • It is an upright heart, a destruction. from God and attending church tender heart, and a heart that "A sower went out to sow his services. fears God, and having heard seed” • But if we are serious in the word, understands it (as is our spiritual life and practice • You will not have time to written in Matthew’s parable), The sower is our beloved Lord many spiritual exercises, then read the scriptures or follow in and receives it (as is written in Jesus Christ. He did not go out we will be able to remove all the the footsteps of your forefathers. Mark’s parable), and keeps it (as for any reason, but He “went out weeds. Therefore you will receive no is written in Luke’s parable). to sow” – meaning that He had a nourishment. plan and a vision of what He was “Some fell on rock; and as soon • If the word is kept in going to do. as it sprang up, it withered away • Even though you may good soil, then with patience, it because it lacked moisture” come to church in the body, your will bear fruit. Patience is a very “And as he sowed, some fell … “But the ones on the rock mind will be very far. Though you important virtue in our spiritual by the wayside; and it was are those who, when they may listen to the words of the life. trampled down, and the birds of hear, receive the word with joy; liturgy or the sermon with your the air devoured it” … “Those and these have no root, who ears, you will not listen with your • Work hard to always look by the wayside are the ones who believe for a while and in time of heart. Instead your heart is with after your soil. Throw out the hear; then the devil comes and temptation fall away.” and in the world. rocks and up-root the thorns. takes away the word out of their Do not have a hard heart or else hearts, lest they should believe What is meant by the rock? • To desire wealth will stop the Word of God will have no and be saved” • They are the people who you from doing good works and eff ect in your life. don’t give care to their faith, and charitable deeds. What is the wayside? do not care to understand the • You must have depth so • It is the world in which we divine mysteries. • Therefore, when you are that the root of divine love can are born and pass through. It is concerned about the lusts of the fi nd depth to enter and grow. a path and a journey for all those • When everything is easy, world, you will choke the seed who come from God and go to then they can say they are and you will not bring forth fruits. • Do not choke the good God. Christian, but when things get seed by giving attention to the diffi cult, they will leave their faith • If your heart is pure, you cares and lusts of the world. • When we look at the - they are not ready to struggle will see Him and He will sow in wayside, we see that it is hard for the Lord. you the good seed. By being good soil, the Lord will because it is open and it lies use us to continue His job of under everyone’s feet. Therefore, • A rock has 2 properties: • But this will only happen sowing in the world – in the same there is no depth for any seed it is strong and it is hard. if you take the time and care to way that He used His disciples. to enter it. But instead it lies on Therefore, we can say a person remove the weeds from your We can consider this example the hard surface and is ready to is a rock, depending on whether soul – these weeds are the in the form of an agriculture be taken away by any bird that he is strong in faith, or else he bad habits and sins, which can calendar. In agriculture, there comes by. has a very hard heart. be removed through prayer, are 3 seasons which correspond confession, taking the Holy to 3 steps in our spiritual life: 2 [email protected] 7th Hatour 1736 Copts’ News fertile fi eld… 1. the sowing: the Lord sows It is a continuous cycle in which • Because our beloved His seed in us. We must accept the good ground can work to • He sowed on the rocky Lord has sown His seed to all it with love, and share this seed sow the seeds of divine love, to ground in the hope that one day people everywhere, we are by sowing the seed to others those on the wayside, on rocky it might become a rich land… without excuse on the last day. through preaching and being a ground, and even among thorns. good example. • He sowed among thorns • The Lord spoke this But why did He also sow His in the hope that one day this parable in front of His disciples 2. the plowing: plowing is seed on the hard path and on plant will lose its thorns and the to make them aware that, even done to care and nourish the rocky ground and on thorns? seed will fi nd security… though they have a mission of seed, and we can do this through preaching to the people about prayer and the sacraments and Generally a sower would not • The Lord did all this the word of God, it is in fact God spiritual exercises.