“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16)
Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate – The Church of Alexandria

St. Mary & St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church
Reaching out to Somerset and Hunterdon Counties in NJ

Resources on Annual Weekly Gospel Contemplations (Page 2)

1st Week of El-Nasi

Signs of the End of Age Today is the last Sunday of the Coptic Year, the short month of El-Nasi, and we read from Matthew 24:3-35. During this passage, similar to what was read last Sunday in (Mark 13:3-37), we read Jesus’ description of the end times to His disciples. First, He describes signs of…

4th Week of Mesore

Signs of the End of the Age On the Fourth Sunday of the blessed month of Mesore, the Church reads Mark 13:3-37. In this reading, Christ provides information about the signs of the end of times, such as the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem (v. 2), the appearance of false Christ’s (v. 3-6), many…

3rd Week of Mesore

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit On this Sunday, the third Sunday of Mesore, the Church reads from Mark 3:22-35. This reading unfolds shortly after Christ had performed remarkable signs and wonders. While performing miracles, the Scribes and Pharisees level various accusations against Him, including the claim that He was possessed by Beelzebub. Hilary of Poitiers…

2nd Sunday of Mesore

The Call of The Sinners On this Sunday, the Second Sunday of the blessed month of Mesore, the Church reads Luke 5:27-39. In this reading, Christ calls Levi (the tax collector) to follow Him. This Gospel does not account for any miracle in nature, but it is an account of the wonders of His grace.…

1st Sunday of Mesore

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants There are two Coptic months left before Nairouz; Mesore and El-Nasi (The Little Month) totaling five more Sundays. As we approach the end of the Coptic calendar year, and through the Sunday’s readings of those months our Church will remind us of the end of times and the Second…

4th Sunday of Epep

Jesus Raises Lazarus On this Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Epep, the Church reads from John 11:1-45. This account of Christ resurrecting Lazarus contains powerful, theologically, and spiritually rich messages. However, let’s focus on the recurring theme of faith in all the readings the church prepares for us today. In the gospel passage from Vesper’s…

3rd Sunday of Epep

The Lord Feeds the 5 Thousands Today is the Third Sunday of the Blessed month of Epep, and on this blessed day the Church reads ​​Luke 9:10-17. In these verses the apostles returned from their mission (Luke 9:1-6) to tell Him all they had done. Jesus sought to spend time with them in private (v.…

2nd Sunday of Epep

The Greatest in the Kingdom On this blessed 2nd Sunday of Epep, the Church reads from the Holy Gospel of St. Matthew 18:1-9. In this passage, we see the disciples experiencing some human weakness. They were stung by jealousy when the Lord honored Peter more than all others in Matthew 16:18, “And I tell you, you…

1st Sunday of Epep

Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two On the First Sunday of the blessed month of Epep and the final Sunday of the Apostles Fast, the Church reads Luke 10:1-20. In this reading, Christ provides instructions to the seventy apostles on how to preach to the Gentiles (those not of the Jewish faith). Christ describes how service…