July 2024 Letter
Dear brethren,
This month we celebrate the martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul on July 12; the Apostles’ feast. Saint Paul (Saul of Tarsus) listened to the sermon of Saint Stephen which is written in the Book of Acts, chapter 7 and was also a witness to his stoning. At that time, St. Paul had not yet believed in Christ, yet he was influenced by this sermon to the extent that he later quoted from it in his sermons and writings.
Here are some examples:
| St. Stephen Sermon | St. Paul Quotations |
| + “the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:” (Acts 7: 49). | +“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” (Acts 17: 24). |
| +“who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it” (Acts 7: 53). | +“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator” (Gal 3: 19). |
| + “At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months” (Acts 7: 20) | +“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command” (Heb 11: 23). |
| +“This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers” (Acts 7: 38) | +“For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward” (Heb 2: 2). |
| +“Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: `Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?” (Acts 7: 42) | +“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves” (Rom 1: 24). |
| +“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen” (Acts 7: 44). | +“who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain” (Heb 8: 5). |
The blessing of St. Mary, the Holy Apostles & St. Mercurius and all the martyrs & saints be with us all
Belleville, July 1, 2024
رسالة شهر يوليو ٢٠٢٤
| كلام القديس استفانوس | اقتباس القديس بولس |
| + لَكِنَّ الْعَلِيَّ لاَ يَسْكُنُ فِي هَيَاكِلَ مَصْنُوعَةٍ بِالأَيَادِي كَمَا يَقُولُ النَّبِيُّ (أع7: 48). | + الإِلَهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْعَالَمَ وَكُلَّ مَا فِيهِ هَذَا إِذْ هُوَ رَبُّ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ لاَ يَسْكُنُ فِي هَيَاكِلَ مَصْنُوعَةٍ بِالأَيَادِي (أع17: 24) |
| + الَّذِينَ أَخَذْتُمُ النَّامُوسَ بِتَرْتِيبِ مَلاَئِكَةٍ وَلَمْ تَحْفَظُوهُ (أع7: 53) | + فَلِمَاذَا النَّامُوسُ؟ قَدْ زِيدَ بِسَبَبِ التَّعَدِّيَاتِ، إِلَى أَنْ يَأْتِيَ النَّسْلُ الَّذِي قَدْ وُعِدَ لَهُ، مُرَتَّبًا بِمَلاَئِكَةٍ فِي يَدِ وَسِيطٍ (غل3: 19) |
| + وَفِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ وُلِدَ مُوسَى وَكَانَ جَمِيلاً جِدّاً فَرُبِّيَ هَذَا ثَلاَثَةَ أَشْهُرٍ فِي بَيْتِ أَبِيهِ (أع7: 20) | + بِالإِيمَانِ مُوسَى، بَعْدَمَا وُلِدَ، أَخْفَاهُ أَبَوَاهُ ثَلاَثَةَ أَشْهُرٍ، لأَنَّهُمَا رَأَيَا الصَّبِيَّ جَمِيلاً، وَلَمْ يَخْشَيَا أَمْرَ الْمَلِكِ (عب11: 23) |
| + هَذَا هُوَ الَّذِي كَانَ فِي الْكَنِيسَةِ فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ مَعَ الْمَلاَكِ الَّذِي كَانَ يُكَلِّمُهُ فِي جَبَلِ سِينَاءَ وَمَعَ آبَائِنَا (أع7: 38) | + لأَنَّهُ إِنْ كَانَتِ الْكَلِمَةُ الَّتِي تَكَلَّمَ بِهَا مَلاَئِكَةٌ قَدْ صَارَتْ ثَابِتَةً، وَكُلُّ تَعَدٍّ وَمَعْصِيَةٍ نَالَ مُجَازَاةً عَادِلَةً (عب2: 2) |
| + فَرَجَعَ اللهُ وَأَسْلَمَهُمْ لِيَعْبُدُوا جُنْدَ السَّمَاءِ كَمَا هُوَ مَكْتُوبٌ فِي كِتَابِ الأَنْبِيَاءِ: هَلْ قَرَّبْتُمْ لِي ذَبَائِحَ وَقَرَابِينَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ يَا بَيْتَ إِسْرَائِيلَ؟ (أع7: 42) | + لِذَلِكَ أَسْلَمَهُمُ اللهُ أَيْضاً فِي شَهَوَاتِ قُلُوبِهِمْ إِلَى النَّجَاسَةِ لإِهَانَةِ أَجْسَادِهِمْ بَيْنَ ذَوَاتِهِمِ (رو1: 24) |
| + وَأَمَّا خَيْمَةُ الشَّهَادَةِ فَكَانَتْ مَعَ آبَائِنَا فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ كَمَا أَمَرَ الَّذِي كَلَّمَ مُوسَى أَنْ يَعْمَلَهَا عَلَى الْمِثَالِ الَّذِي كَانَ قَدْ رَآهُ (أع7: 44) | + الَّذِينَ يَخْدِمُونَ شِبْهَ السَّمَاوِيَّاتِ وَظِلَّهَا، كَمَا أُوحِيَ إِلَى مُوسَى وَهُوَ مُزْمِعٌ أَنْ يَصْنَعَ الْمَسْكَنَ. لأَنَّهُ قَالَ: «انْظُرْ أَنْ تَصْنَعَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ حَسَبَ الْمِثَالِ الَّذِي أُظْهِرَ لَكَ فِي الْجَبَلِ» (عب8: 5) |
بركة السيدة العذراء مريم والآباء الرسل الأطهار والشهيد العظيم مرقوريوس أبو سيفين وكل الشهداء والقديسين معنا كلنا دائمًا.
بلفيل في 1 يوليو 2024.