My Beloved Brethren,

Christ is Risen … Truly He is Risen

A few days ago we celebrated Easter, and now the fifty days after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, who stayed with His beloved disciples for forty days and then ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of His Father, and sent His Hoy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

Because our focus these fifty days is on Christ, the church does not read the Synaxarium in masses during these holy days, which is the commemoration of the saints. And since the month of May is is full of these commemorations, it would be suitable to remember the feasts of the saints that coincide during the Holy fifty days:

• May 1^st: martyrdom of St. George, the prince of martyrs.

• May 5^th: martyrdom of the honorable Saint Boctor (Victor) Ebn Romanus.

• May 8^th: martyrdom of St. Mark the apostle and evangelist of the land of Egypt.

• May 9^th: the birth of the pure Virgin St. Mary, the Mother of God (Theotokos).

• May 14^th: the departure of the blessed father St. Macarius of Alexandria, who is one of the “three saints Abba Makari” mentioned in the commemoration of saints during the holy liturgy.

• May 15^th: the departure of St. Athanasius the Apostolic the 20^th Pope of Alexandria, who defended the true faith against Arianism.

• May 17^th: departure of empress St. Helena, mother of emperor Constantine the Great.

• May 20^th: commemoration of the consecration of the church of St. Demiana, and the monthly commemoration of Archangel Michael.

• May 21^st: the departure of St. Arsanius the tutor of the emperor’s children.

• May 22^nd: the departure of St. Pachomius (Pakhom), the father of the spiritual communal monastic life (Cenobitic life).

• May 24^th: the commemoration of St. John the Evangelist.

Asking you to remember the church, its priest, servants and all its services always in your prayers, and may the blessings of St. Mary and St. Mercurius, and the blessings of the Fifty Holy days and the blessings of these martyrs and saints be with us always Amen.

Fr. Youssef Halim

Belleville, May 1, 2010

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