St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Tacloban

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

✨ The Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt ✨

When King Herod sought to kill the Child Jesus, an angel appeared to St. Joseph in a dream and said:

📖 “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word.”
— Matthew 2:13

In obedience to God, the Holy Family journeyed to Egypt, where they found refuge and blessed the land with their presence. Through this sacred visit, the prophecy was fulfilled:

📖 “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
— Matthew 2:15

The Coptic Orthodox Church joyfully celebrates the Entry of the Holy Family into Egypt, remembering how God chose Egypt as a place of protection, blessing, and divine presence.

📖 “Blessed is Egypt My people.”
— Isaiah 19:25

May the blessings of the Holy Family be with us all. 🙏❤️

01/06/2026

As we begin the Apostles’ Fast, let us follow the example of the apostles who were transformed by the Holy Spirit and became witnesses of Christ to the world.
🙏 A season of prayer. 📖 A season of growth. 🕊️ A season of renewal.
"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:4)

31/05/2026

Today we gathered together for our Sunday Prayer, followed by a meaningful sermon by Dr. Usama about the blessings of the Holy Spirit.
✨ We learned how the Holy Spirit:
Makes us children of God through sonship
Dwells within us
Teaches and guides us
Protects us
Gives us gifts and strength to serve
🍽️ After sharing a blessed meal together in fellowship, we continued with our Catechumens Class led by Dr. Usama, where we reviewed the first part of the Creed and deepened our understanding of our Orthodox faith.
📖 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit… He will teach you all things.” — John 14:26
🙏 May the Holy Spirit continue to guide, strengthen, and dwell in us always.

31/05/2026

👧📖 Yesterday and today, we were blessed to hold our Sunday School classes and share meals with the children after the lessons. It was a joyful time of learning, fellowship, and growing together in Christ.
Our lesson focused on Pentecost (Acts 2:1–42), where the children learned how the Holy Spirit transformed the disciples from fearful people into courageous witnesses of God.
✨ The main message of the lesson was that the Holy Spirit changes people into heroes for Christ—but we must seek Him, listen to Him, and allow Him to work in our lives.
🍽️ We are also thankful for the opportunity to share meals with the kids and show them God’s love not only through teaching, but also through care and fellowship.

"And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Galatians 4:6

🙏 May the Holy Spirit continue to guide and strengthen these children as they grow in faith.

24/05/2026

Today we were blessed to participate in the Holy Liturgy with Abouna Mina Attia, where he shared a sermon about the difference between pleasure, happiness, and true joy — reminding us that lasting joy comes only from Jesus Christ.
🎶 After the Mass, we learned a hymn with Dr. Usama, strengthening both our worship and understanding of the Church hymns.
📖 Abouna then gave another sermon about the Holy Trinity, helping us reflect on the mystery and unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
📚 Lastly, during our Catechumens Lesson, we learned the importance of having a spiritual canon and explained how to build our spiritual life through a spiritual canon:
📅 Daily
• Prayer
• Reading the Bible
• Quiet time with God through repentance, thanksgiving, and obedience
📅 Weekly
• Holy Mass and Holy Communion
• Wednesday and Friday fasting
• Attending spiritual meetings
📅 Monthly
• Confession
• Giving tithes and offering our talents to God
• Fighting recurring one sin through prayer and repentance
📖 “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” — Philippians 4:4
🙏 May God help us continue growing in faith, discipline, and true joy in Christ.

24/05/2026

Yesterday was filled with worship, learning, and fellowship as we gathered together in Christ.

We began with the Holy Liturgy, where Abouna Mina Attia shared a sermon about the four virtues we can learn from the saints: obedience, humility, steadfastness against Satan, and faith. These virtues remind us to remain strong and faithful in our walk with God.

📚 We also conducted our Sunday School in GMA and St. Francis and in the center today, where the lesson focused on the Ascension of Jesus Christ and the importance of remembering our true goal — the Kingdom of Heaven. As Servants of Christ, we are reminded that this world is temporary and that our hearts should always be lifted toward God.

👨‍👩‍👧 Lastly, we held our Parents Meeting with the lesson “Earthly Desires vs. Heavenly Desires”, reflecting on the difference between temporary worldly pleasures and the eternal joy found in Christ.

📖 *“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”* — Matthew 6:21

🙏 May we continue to seek heavenly things, grow in virtue, and keep our eyes fixed on Christ.

24/05/2026