0xbw4 Ycy^rt 0yy^rwsd Myrp0 Yrmd 0td9 dyb 0ylrtsw0 - tryp Produced by St. Ephraim’s Syriac Orthodox Church  Perth ‐ Australia  Email addresses: [email protected]  URLs:  http://soca.cjb.net; http://noohro.cjb.net 

̄ ݂ ‫̄ ݂ ̄ܗ‬ ݈ Volume 17, Issue 30 

The LIGHT

͖‫ͻͣܗܪ‬

20 May 2012 

NOOHRO 

‫ܕ ܢ‬ Ascension of Our Lord ‘I am with you always, to the end of the world. Amen’ (Matthew 28:20). Following His resurrection, Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared, and on several occasions to His disciples. Indeed, during these appearances, Our Lord walked with them and talked to them confirming them in their faith explaining the prophecies that were all fulfilled…

‘He took them out as he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he parted from them and went up to heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.’ (Luke 24:50-52). Earlier, and prior to His ascension to heaven, He talked to His disciples commanding them saying: ‘Go, therefore, and convert all nations; and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’ (Matthew 28:19). Indeed, Our Lord Jesus Christ, is always with His disciples as He in the same manner as He is always with the Holy Church and for ever.

The disciples did not experience a single moment of doubt, and as they accepted the Holy Spirit, they directly moved to activate the commandment given to them by God the Almighty, thus they went to the world declaring the good news of salvation and the Word of Life. What took place with the disciples was totally different than the attitude of some of the prophets who were, and on several occasions, hesitant to accept the divine invitation. For example, Moses when he was called upon by God the Almighty to lead his people out of Egypt, we hear him saying: ‘Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? (Exodus 3:11). Following this question from Moses, God the Almighty responds saying: ‘Certainly I will be with thee’ (Exodus 3:12). Nonetheless, and despite this divine assurance, Moses would continue to talk to God the Almighty trying to explain the situation saying: ‘O my Lord, I am not eloquent, nei-

ther heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue’ (Exodus 4:16).

Then, we go through the passage and read what Our Lord responded to Moses saying: ‘Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.’ (Exodus 4:11,12). Despite all the divine assurances, we listen to the hesitant Prophet Moses still trying to negotiate the matter with Our Lord, addressing God the Almighty saying: ‘O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.’ (Exodus 4:13). Sensing Moses hesitation God the Almighty became angry with Moses, nonetheless, tried to explain to him the matter further until the latter was convinced to leave to Egypt and lead his people out from there. Other examples of hesitant prophets would be Jeremiah who also talks to God the Almighty in a manner very similar to that of Moses, yet God the Almighty would assure him saying: ‘I am with thee’. (Jeremiah 1:8). This what the Holy Church believes in, that God is always with us, and that is what strengthens us.

The LIGHT—2012

They Said… ‫̱ܘ‬

‫ܐ‬

‫ܗ‬

Worshiping Of God ‘And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’ (Joshua 24:15). This is what Joshua the son of Nun told the people of Israel while guiding them and directing them to the worship God the Almighty. He started to explain to them about the departure of their forefather Abraham from Mesopotamia with his family members and other relatives to the land of Canaan, then to the land of Egypt, and his return to the land of Canaan. Thereafter, he talked to them about Isaac, Jacob and what happened to the tribes in the land of Egypt, and how God the Almighty made it possible for them to leave there, displaying His power when He allowed them to go through the difficulties of being in the desert and reaching where they needed to settle. Angel of Lord Leads Israel On several occasions, the human being would forget the metaphysical issues that are done by God the Almighty to him/her. The human being should think about the way he/she was created, and how their lives were organized, if the human being stops for a minute and considers, this individual would definitely confirm that there is a great creator who is capable of creating such an individual equipping this individual with the personal freedom and the full knowledge to distinguish between good and evil. Indeed, the human being, sometimes displays a short memory regarding such an issue, and might refer to other gods. In the old days , the human being worshiped gods that he made by hand, with no strength whatsoever. To date, there would continue to be those individuals who usually forget their creator and would take refuge in worshiping themselves, seeking more income that they consider their first goal in this life. This obsession with generating higher income might take a dangerous turn and would lead them to thinking of these items as their gods that they would worship. On the other hand, there will be those who would exert every effort to obtain as many as they can of materialistic items and other vices thus they would have no space in themselves for divine or intellectual virtues. Let us not lose hope here, there continues to be those who act in a line similar to Joshua the son of Nun repeating with him his beautiful saying: ‘… but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.’. The LIGHT—2012

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY TO ALL

From The Sayings Of Joshua The Son Of Sirach The Freedom of the Human Kind Say not: It is through God that she is not with me; for do not thou the things that he hateth. Say not: he that caused me to err: for he hath no need of wicked men. The Lord hateth every abomination of error, and they that fear him shall not love it. God made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his own counsel. He added his commandments and precepts. If thou wilt keep the commandments and perform acceptable fidelity for ever, they shall preserve thee. He hath set water and fire before thee: streichforth thy hand to which thou wilt. Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall choose shall be given to him. For the wisdom of God is great, and he is strong in power, seeing all men without ceasing. The eyes of the Lord are towards them that fear him, and he knoweth all the work of man. He hath commanded no man to do wickedly, and he hath given no man license to sin: For he desireth not a multitude of faithless and unprofitable children. (Ecclesiasticus 15:11-22) The LIGHT—2012

.‫ܘܐܪ ܬܟ‬ ‫ـ ܟ ܘܕ ـ‬ ‫ـܟ ܘ ـ‬

‫ܕ‬

̈

‫ـ‬ ‫ـ‬ ‫ ܘ‬.‫ـ ܶܬ‬ ‫ܐ܀‬ ‫ܥ‬

‫ܨ ̈ ܬܐ ܕܬ ܬܐ‬ ‫ܐ‬ : ‫ܕ ܐ‬ . ‫ܕ ܐ ܕܕ ̈ܐ ܬܪ ܪ‬ ‫ ـ ܤ‬. ‫ـ ܐܐ‬ ‫ܐ‬ ‫ܘܐ ܘ ܕ‬ ‫ـ‬ ‫ܪ ـ ܘ‬ . ‫ܕ‬ ‫ ܘܢ ܐܬܪ ܐ ܘ ܩ‬. ‫ܐܬ‬

Translation From the Repentance Prayers O You the judge of judges Do not humiliate me on the judgment day because of my sins that angered you. If I am undeserving of repentance, please have mercy on me, as I hold within me Your body and blood that are actually concealed in me. You I loved, and to Your cross I knelt. With Your blood and body I was cleansed. With these precious (Your blood and Your body) Oh You Jesus Christ, Oh You who is full of mercies.

P a g e

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V o l u m e

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I s s ue

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P a g e

̈ ͔ͨ͘

News Thursday 10th May 2012 back in Perth from Sydney V. Rev. Fr. Boutros Touma Issa, Afodyakno Dr Touma Issa, and Afodyakno Theodore Issa, following their participation in the order for the burial of the late Aziz Izgi the father of Rev. Deacon Sawmi, Mr. Ibrahim, Mr. Nouri, Mrs. Roumi, Mrs. Majeedah, Mrs. Faheema, and Mrs. Atiyeh. H.E. Mor Malatiyous Malki Malki the Patriarchal Vicar of Australia and New Zealand, led the service assisted by the Rev. Fathers and Deacons. Towards the end of the service H.E. conveyed a speech about the meaning of death as explained by St. Paul in his Epistles. This was followed by the family speech conveyed by the late’s granddaughter Ms. Christina Izgi. On Wednesday 9th May 2012 evening, and at St. Ephraim church’s hall in Sydney, where the lamentation was held for the late Aziz, V. Rev. Fr. Issa conveyed a spiritual talk expressing sympathy to the faithful spirits of those attending especially expressing his sympathies to the late’s family and friends.

‫ــܐ‬

‫ ܘ ـ ܡ ܬܪ ـ‬.‫ܪܐ ــܐ‬

‫ܐܘ‬

‫ـ‬

‫ـ‬ .

̄ .‫̄ܗ‬.̄‫ܙ‬ ݈

‫ـ ܨܘ ـܐ ܕ ـ‬ ‫ܐ‬ ‫ܐ‬ .‫ܐ‬ ̄ ̄ . ݈ .‫ ܗ‬.‫ܐ ̄ܝ‬ ‫ܐ‬ ‫ܡ‬ ‫ ܘܐܬ‬. ‫̈ܐܘ ̈ ܐ ܕ ܐ‬ ‫ܐ‬ ‫ܐ‬ ‫ܗܪ‬ ‫ܐ ܨܘ ܐ ܘܐ ܗܡ ܘ ـ ܪܝ ܘܪܘ ـܐ‬ ‫ܘܢ‬ ‫ܕܐ‬ ‫̈ ـ ܗܢ‬ ‫̈ـ‬ ‫ــܐ ـ‬ ‫ـ ܘ‬ ‫ـܗ ܘ‬ ‫ـ ܕ ـ‬ ‫ܐ‬ ‫ܐ‬ ‫ܐ‬ .‫ܘܢ‬ ‫ܐ‬ ‫ܐ‬ . ‫ܗܪ ܕ ܨܘ‬ ‫̇ ܘ ܐܬܪ ܕ‬ ‫ـܐ‬ ‫ـܐ ـ‬ ‫ـܐ ܘ‬ ‫ܐ ܘܐ‬ . .‫ܕ ܐ‬

‫ܐ‬ ‫ܘ‬ ‫ܘ‬ ‫ܘ‬ ‫ܕ‬

Sunday 13th May 2012 and during the Holy Mass, V. Rev. Fr. Boutros Touma Issa talked about the Feast of the Virgin Mary for blessing of the Crops, thereafter he continued his weekly explanation about the meaning of the parts of the Holy Mass, concluding by congratulating Mothers on their day seeking from God to bless them and allow them to take Our Lady Virgin Mary as their idol. Happy Mother’s Day.

Sunday 13th May 2012, and following the Holy Mass, the faithful headed to the adjacent hall, where V. Rev. Fr. Boutros Touma Issa presented Mothers with beautiful white Mother’s day flower with its pink ribbon wishing them a Happy Mother’s Day. In addition, V. Rev. Fr. Issa joined the ladies in cutting the special cake baked by Bathqyomo Marine Khoury-Issa for this occasion, which the faithful enjoyed with some drinks and other sweets. Thanks to Mrs. Wadi’ah AbboudRaphael, Mrs. Susan Raphael-Pano (May God rest the soul of late Antonios Badie’ Raphael), Mrs. Arlete Massoud-Hannoush, Mrs. Rita Behnam-Massoud, Mrs. Mary KisAfrim-Issa and Mrs. Basima Akkrawi. Also thanks to Dr. Ammar Elia and his son Master Yousef Elia and Mr. Samer Akkrawi, may God bless you all. Sunday 13th May 2012, and during the Holy Mass, we prayed for the rest of the soul of late Antonios Badie’ Raphael on the occasion of the passing of seven years on his departure from this earthly life. May God the Almighty continue to rest his soul.

©2012– Syriac Orthodox Church

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