April 2020 Letter

Dear brethren,

In view of the current situation and the pandemic that has stopped us from praying in church during lent, we take it as an opportunity to raise our hearts to God in prayer and supplication.  The Bible is full of many beautiful prayers which were offered by holy men of God, in addition to the Psalms which our church uses in the Agpeya prayers:

  • “Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name” (Dan 9: 17-19).

  • “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses” (Nah 1: 5-7).

  • “Look down from heaven, And see from Your habitation, holy and glorious. Where are Your zeal and Your strength, The yearning of Your heart and Your mercies toward me? Are they restrained? Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name” (Isa 63: 15-16).

  • “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand. Do not be furious, O Lord, Nor remember iniquity forever; Indeed, please look–we all are Your people!” (Isa 64: 8-9).

  • “Have You utterly rejected Judah? Has Your soul loathed Zion? Why have You stricken us so that there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, but there was no good; And for the time of healing, and there was trouble. We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness And the iniquity of our fathers, For we have sinned against You. Do not abhor us, for Your name’s sake; Do not disgrace the throne of Your glory. Remember, do not break Your covenant with us” (Jer 14: 19-21).

  • “And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (2 Cro 14: 11).

  • “Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven … Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction. My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption, Till the Lord from heaven Looks down and sees” (Lam 3: 40-50).

  • “O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy” (Hab 3: 2).

May the Lord have pity on His people and church, and grant us all to enjoy the presence of being in His house always, and protect His people and church from every evil. Through the blessings of St. Mary & St. Mercurius & the Great Lent.

Belleville, April 1, 2020.

رسالة شهر ابريل ٢٠٢٠

إخوتنا الأحباء

في ظل الظروف الحادثة الآن وانتشار الوباء الذي حرمنا من الصلاة في الكنيسة أيام الصوم المقدس، نأخذها فرصة لرفع قلوبنا لله بالصلاة والتضرع. ونجد في الكتاب المقدس كثير من صلوات رجال الله القديسين – بالإضافة إلى المزامير التي تستخدمها الكنيسة في صلوات الأجبية – الذين قدموا صلوات جميلة نتعلمها ونستخدمها في صلواتنا الخاصة:

  • “فَاسْمَعِ الآنَ يَا إِلَهَنَا صَلاَةَ عَبْدِكَ وَتَضَرُّعَاتِهِ وَأَضِئْ بِوَجْهِكَ عَلَى مَقْدِسِكَ الْخَرِبِ مِنْ أَجْلِ السَّيِّدِ. أَمِلْ أُذُنَكَ يَا إِلَهِي وَاسْمَعْ. افْتَحْ عَيْنَيْكَ وَانْظُرْ خِرَبَنَا وَالْمَدِينَةَ الَّتِي دُعِيَ اسْمُكَ عَلَيْهَا لأَنَّهُ لاَ لأَجْلِ بِرِّنَا نَطْرَحُ تَضَرُّعَاتِنَا أَمَامَ وَجْهِكَ بَلْ لأَجْلِ مَرَاحِمِكَ الْعَظِيمَةِ. يَا سَيِّدُ اسْمَعْ. يَا سَيِّدُ اغْفِرْ. يَا سَيِّدُ أَصْغِ وَاصْنَعْ. لاَ تُؤَخِّرْ مِنْ أَجْلِ نَفْسِكَ يَا إِلَهِي لأَنَّ اسْمَكَ دُعِيَ عَلَى مَدِينَتِكَ وَعَلَى شَعْبِكَ” (دا9: 17-19).

  • “أَيُّهَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ السَّمَاءِ الإِلَهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْمَخُوفُ الْحَافِظُ الْعَهْدَ وَالرَّحْمَةَ لِمُحِبِّيهِ وَحَافِظِي وَصَايَاهُ. لِتَكُنْ أُذْنُكَ مُصْغِيَةً وَعَيْنَاكَ مَفْتُوحَتَيْنِ لِتَسْمَعَ صَلاَةَ عَبْدِكَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي إِلَيْكَ الآنَ نَهَاراً وَلَيْلاً لأَجْلِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَبِيدِكَ وَيَعْتَرِفُ بِخَطَايَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الَّتِي أَخْطَأْنَا بِهَا إِلَيْكَ. فَإِنِّي أَنَا وَبَيْتُ أَبِي قَدْ أَخْطَأْنَا. لَقَدْ أَفْسَدْنَا أَمَامَكَ وَلَمْ نَحْفَظِ الْوَصَايَا وَالْفَرَائِضَ وَالأَحْكَامَ الَّتِي أَمَرْتَ بِهَا مُوسَى عَبْدَكَ” (نح1: 5-7).

  • “تَطَلَّعْ مِنَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَانْظُرْ مِنْ مَسْكَنِ قُدْسِكَ وَمَجْدِكَ. أَيْنَ غَيْرَتُكَ وَجَبَرُوتُكَ؟ زَفِيرُ أَحْشَائِكَ وَمَرَاحِمُكَ نَحْوِي امْتَنَعَتْ. فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ أَبُونَا وَإِنْ لَمْ يَعْرِفْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَدْرِنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ. أَنْتَ يَا رَبُّ أَبُونَا وَلِيُّنَا مُنْذُ الأَبَدِ اسْمُكَ” (أش63: 15-16).

  • “وَالآنَ يَا رَبُّ أَنْتَ أَبُونَا. نَحْنُ الطِّينُ وَأَنْتَ جَابِلُنَا وَكُلُّنَا عَمَلُ يَدَيْكَ. لاَ تَسْخَطْ كُلَّ السَّخَطِ يَا رَبُّ وَلاَ تَذْكُرِ الإِثْمَ إِلَى الأَبَدِ. هَا انْظُرْ. شَعْبُكَ كُلُّنَا” (أش64: 8-9).

  • “هَلْ رَفَضْتَ يَهُوذَا رَفْضاً أَوْ كَرِهَتْ نَفْسُكَ صِهْيَوْنَ؟ لِمَاذَا ضَرَبْتَنَا وَلاَ شِفَاءَ لَنَا؟ انْتَظَرْنَا السَّلاَمَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ خَيْرٌ وَزَمَانَ الشِّفَاءِ فَإِذَا رُعْبٌ. قَدْ عَرَفْنَا يَا رَبُّ شَرَّنَا إِثْمَ آبَائِنَا لأَنَّنَا قَدْ أَخْطَأْنَا إِلَيْكَ. لاَ تَرْفُضْ لأَجْلِ اسْمِكَ. لاَ تَهِنْ كُرْسِيَّ مَجْدِكَ. اذْكُرْ. لاَ تَنْقُضْ عَهْدَكَ مَعَنَا” (إر14: 19-21).

  • “وَدَعَا آسَا الرَّبَّ إِلَهَهُ: «أَيُّهَا الرَّبُّ لَيْسَ فَرْقاً عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تُسَاعِدَ الْكَثِيرِينَ وَمَنْ لَيْسَ لَهُمْ قُوَّةٌ. فَسَاعِدْنَا أَيُّهَا الرَّبُّ إِلَهُنَا لأَنَّنَا عَلَيْكَ اتَّكَلْنَا وَبِاسْمِكَ قَدُمْنَا عَلَى هَذَا الْجَيْشِ. أَيُّهَا الرَّبُّ أَنْتَ إِلَهُنَا. لاَ يَقْوَ عَلَيْكَ إِنْسَانٌ»” (2أخ14: 11).

  • “لِنَفْحَصْ طُرُقَنَا وَنَمْتَحِنْهَا وَنَرْجِعْ إِلَى الرَّبِّ. لِنَرْفَعْ قُلُوبَنَا وَأَيْدِينَا إِلَى اللَّهِ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ … صَارَ عَلَيْنَا خَوْفٌ وَرُعْبٌ هَلاَكٌ وَسَحْقٌ. سَكَبَتْ عَيْنَايَ يَنَابِيعَ مَاءٍ عَلَى سَحْقِ بِنْتِ شَعْبِي. عَيْنِي تَسْكُبُ وَلاَ تَكُفُّ بِلاَ انْقِطَاعٍ. حَتَّى يُشْرِفَ وَيَنْظُرَ الرَّبُّ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ” (مرا3: 40-50).

  • “يَا رَبُّ عَمَلَكَ فِي وَسَطِ السِّنِينَ أَحْيِهِ. فِي وَسَطِ السِّنِينَ عَرِّفْ. فِي الْغَضَبِ اذْكُرِ الرَّحْمَةَ” (حب3: 2).

الله يتحنن على شعبه وكنيسته ويعطينا أن نتمتع بالوجود في بيته دائمًا ويحفظ شعبه وكنيسته من كل شر. ببركة السيدة العذراء والشهيد العظيم أبي سيفين، وبركة الصوم الأربعيني المقدس.

نيوجرسي في 1 أبريل 2020.