St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church Sydney

06/09/2026

On behalf of St Marks Church, we wish all our blessed fathers a Happy Father’s Day!!

May God continue to bless you all 🙏

03/09/2026

01/09/2026

“And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken.”
Acts 4:31

Come join us to pray and worship our Lord Jesus Christ

Wednesday praise and prayer meeting
7pm - 8:30pm in the Arabic church!

25/08/2026

“I love my master, I will not go out free.”
Exodus 21:5

Come join us to pray and worship our Lord Jesus Christ

Wednesday praise and prayer meeting
7pm - 8:30pm in the Arabic church!

21/08/2026

Trusting in God - Fr Elijah

As we celebrate feast of Saint Mary, it is a good time to reflect on her trust in God.

When the Angel Gabriel appeared to her, “she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.” (Luke 1:29 NKJV)

Nevertheless, despite being troubled and not knowing what lay ahead, she trusted the Lord and said: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38 NKJV)

It is natural for us at times to be troubled, especially if we are unsure what lies ahead. But in those moments, we must remember that our Lord is worthy of our trust. Trusting God does not mean that we will have a life free of troubles. St Mary herself faced many difficulties: an unexplained pregnancy before marriage, giving birth in a manger, fleeing with her infant Son from the murderous Herod, and ultimately standing at the Cross and seeing her Son crucified.

Yet through all these difficulties, she never allowed her circumstances to shake her trust in God. And God did not let her down.

May we learn from our Mother St Mary to trust God not only when we understand His plan, but also when we do not. When things are going smoothly and when they are not. He is faithful and worthy of our complete trust.

Happy and blessed feast of Saint Mary.

18/08/2026

A Prayer to St Mary:

O Blessed Saint Mary, holy Theotokos, Queen of Heaven, and our heavenly Mother, we
thank our Lord Jesus Christ who, in His love upon the cross, gave you to us as His final gift
when He said, “Behold your mother.” You are the chosen vessel who carried the Word made flesh, honoured above all women and filled with grace by the Holy Spirit.

As you cared for our Lord with tenderness and faithfulness, care also for us, your children.
We desire to carry the Lord within our hearts as you carried Him in your womb and bore
Him into the world. Comfort us in sorrow, guide us in weakness, protect us in temptation, and inspire us, as you did so beautifully, to live with humility, purity, obedience, and love for God.

The thought of you warms our hearts, for we know you are close to us in prayer before your
Son. We trust that you are caring for us with a mother’s love, gentle and constant, guiding
us toward Christ in all things.

O compassionate Mother, we have confidence in your intercessions before the throne of
your Son. Pray for us, that our hearts may be strengthened in faith and drawn ever closer
to Christ. Teach us to trust in God’s will as you did, and remember us also at the time of our
death, that we may depart this life in repentance, peace, and hope.

Through your holy intercessions, may we receive mercy, peace, and salvation from your
beloved Son, our Lord, God, and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom belongs all glory, honour, and worship, with His Good Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever.

Amen.

11/08/2026

Tune in as Fr Jonathon talks about why we fast St Mary’s Fast!

Join us as we explore the meaning behind this beautiful fast

May her intercessions be with us all 🙏

God bless you all. ❤️

10/08/2026

Be a Living Bible (St. Fr. Mikhail Ibrahim) - Fr Jonathon

In 2025, the Holy Synod of the Coptic Church canonised Fr Mikhail Ibrahim, who departed
26 March 1975. Not too many people know about him. Let me shed some light on why the
church calls him the ‘Living Bible’.

The Burnt Suit
Before he entered the priesthood, he gave his suit to a laundry to be cleaned. When he
went to pick it up, he found out the whole shop had burnt down. In response, he asked
whether or not his suit had been cleaned before the fire and insisted on paying the cleaning fee.
“For the labourer is worthy of his wages” Luke 10:7

His Son’s Car Accident
While he was praying the mass, some people came to inform him that his son has been hit
by a car and he is in a critical condition. He shed a tear and said ‘but I have to finish
praying the mass first, please’.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart….This is the first and great
commandment” Mat 22:37.

The Angry Husband
His daughter in confession came to him, crying that she’d done something wrong and her husband was so angry, he wanted a divorce. He went with her to knock on the door of her house for 20 minutes, humbly begging the husband to accept him and the repented wife. The Lord moved the heart of the husband, and he reconciled with his wife.
“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many” Mat 20:28

In the world we live in today, teachings and behaviours are so dynamic, they are changing
every day. I believe the church shouldn’t suffer carrying the burden of working out how to cope with these changes to protect the spirituality of its members and attract others to the faith. Only one thing is needed: the church (and of course, its congregation) should always be a ‘Living Bible’.

12/05/2026

“But I have trusted in Your mercy.”

Psalm 13:5

Come join us to pray and worship our Lord Jesus Christ

Wednesday praise and prayer meeting
7pm - 8:30pm in the Arabic church!

10/05/2026