St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Honolulu

03/31/2025

Lent Day 35~

During my times of trials.....

"For I trust (completely) in your word (and it's reliability). Never take the word of truth, from my mouth, For I put my trust in your laws" Psalm 119:43

Dependence on Faith

"Because I have trusted in Your word"
(Psalm 119:42)

Faith has no relation with feelings, influences, probabilities, or outward appearances. And if I want to combine these with faith, I am not relying on the Word of God; this is because faith does not need any of these aforementioned things.

God is pleased to test my faith, and that is for the special blessing of my soul, and also for the blessing of the believers among whom I live, as well as for the blessing of those who are outside. But, many times, I reject this test and fear it instead of welcoming it.

When trials come, I should say, "My Heavenly Father is placing this cup of trial in my hand so that afterward I may obtain something sweet."

There is nourishment for my faith in trials; I should entrust my soul into the hands of my Heavenly Father, who delights in doing good for me.

But trials and difficulties are not the only means of increasing faith. There is another means, reading the Word, that shows me how God as He has revealed Himself to me.

The more I realize the love of God in the middle of testing, the more it reaches the depth of my soul, the easier I surrender to Him and be willingly accept everything He does.

In such a state, when difficulty comes, I say, "I am waiting to see what goodness [I am certain] God will bring to me through this difficulty." AMEN

03/26/2025

Lent Day 29 ~

The skilled Black/goldsmith and the clock

“He {the Lord} will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and will purify... {me}...and will refine {me} like gold and silver, so that {I} may present the Lord offering in righteousness”
(Malachi 3:3)

The blacksmith explains that when he works with a piece of iron: he puts it in the fire to heat it up. Then, he hammers it to test if it's strong enough. If it's not ready, he puts it back in the fire, then cools it in water, and repeats this process many times. Finally, he polishes and smooths the metal so it becomes strong and useful.

If the blacksmith skipped this process and just hammered the metal without heating it, the metal would be weak and end up as scrap — cheap and useless.

In the same way, God sometimes allows me to go through hard times — like being in fire or cold water — to strengthen my character, teach me patience, and prepare me for bigger purposes.

The blacksmith’s prayer is meaningful:
"God, put me in the fire if you must, and in the water if needed — just please don't throw me away as useless scrap."

I should have deep trust in God’s process, believing that even painful experiences are shaping me for

“That the genuineness of {my} faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable even though it is tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in {my} praise, glory and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” ( 1 Peter 1:7 )

My life is like the face of a clock, and its hands resemble the hand of God. The small slow hourly pointer is God's refining hand, the faster minutes and seconds large pointer is His merciful hand.

While His refining, examining hand moves slowly and steadily, and the Lord speaks to me hourly, the large pointer—His merciful hand—swiftly runs, making sixty revolutions before one revolution of His refining hand in adversity and trial. Both hands are fixed on a fixed joint—the unchanging heart of God!

God’s love and wisdom guide everything, and just like gold is purified by fire, my faith grows stronger through challenges. AMEN

03/24/2025

In the Gospel of the Samaritan Woman we read in John Chapter 4, "But He needed to go through Samaria." The Greek word for 'need' here is δεῖ - referring to a necessity, something that is right and proper to do. It is the same word Christ used when He explained, "the Son of man *must* suffer many things" (Matthew 8:31).

For Jews travelling to Galilee from Judea at this time, it was certainly not the 'needed' route...They have would deliberately taken a detour to avoid dealing with Samaritan people - but Jesus "needed" to go through there.

He needed to be wearied by the journey. He needed to come to the Well. He needed to meet the Woman who would be going there in the heat of the day to avoid the judgmental eyes of her people.

He needed to speak with the Woman who had suffered through multiple relationships that could not satisfy her and that brought her shame. He needed to thirst for her salvation.

He needed her.

God will never wash His hands of us. We are never too far gone. He will travel far especially for the ones everyone else has written off and forgotten about.

He needed to meet her and heal the brokenness within. He needed to give her that Living Water, so she could leave the pots of her old life behind.

God is God, how could He 'need' us? But this is the Gospel: He loves us so much that He does need you and me.

🙏🏼💙

03/21/2025

On the Egyptian Mother’s Day, March 21st, the most beautiful words spoken by Saint Augustine, the son of tears, about his mother, Saint Monica:

⁜ My mother, in her appearance, was a woman… in her faith, a man… in her wisdom, an elder… in her tenderness, a mother… and in her piety, a Christian. After all this, is it too much for me to shed tears for an hour for the one who soaked her bed with tears every night for my repentance?

❈ A tribute to every mother who has labored for the salvation of her children, teaching them and strengthening them in the true faith.

03/18/2025

Lent ~ Day 22

Jesus' perfect compassion and perfect grace

“You [to the disciples] give them something to eat [to the five thousands people]” ( Mark 6:37 )
“[Jesus|Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost” ( John 6:12 )

In the miracle of feeding the five thousands with five loaves of bread and two fish.The Lord Jesus teaches me a useful lesson.

*** If Jesus can feed such a crowd with such meager means, certainly He feeds the crowd without them.
Christ teaches me not to despise God's creations, but to use the little means I have and the Lord will bless and multiply them What is important is that I use what I have.

*** The same is true in the matter of gathering the fragments. My foolish mind says: What need do I have of gathering the fragments scattered? Because someone who performs such a great miracle has no need of those simple fragments.
This is true, but Christ teaches me not to waste God's blessings in vain; If by using the bread and fish He teaches us not to despise God's creation, then by gathering the fragments He teaches us not to waste them in vain.

What a divine perfection, unparalleled among humans!

Sometimes I display stinginess and misery, and sometimes I display extravagance and wastefulness.
But Christ is not like this. He was generous without being wasteful, and frugal without being stingy. He is the perfect heavenly man.
What perfect grace and perfect wisdom! I should meditate on them, learn from them, and rejoice because the blessed One who revealed them to me.

Practical Christianity is the manifestation of His life. It is not living according to logical rules and regulations, but rather the dwelling of Christ in the heart through faith; Christ is the source of perfect compassion and perfect grace.
LORD:

Teach me to trust You with what I have — no matter how small or insufficient it may seem.
Help me not to hold back out of fear or doubt, but to offer my time, resources, and efforts to You in faith.

I believe that in Your hands, what I give can become more than enough. At the same time, guard my heart against wastefulness.
Teach me to be mindful, grateful, and responsible with what You provide. Above all, Lord, may my life reflect Your perfect balance — generous yet wise, humble yet strong. Dwell in my heart, that my actions may reveal Your life within me. I surrender my thoughts, habits, and resources to You, trusting that You will shape me into someone who walks in Your compassion and grace. Amen

03/29/2024

🌺 Aloha, dates are getting booked up fast! So be sure to book your next mission trip in Hawaii ✈️ 🌈 🏝️

Any questions feel free to email:
[email protected]

🌺A Hui Hou 🌺

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03/23/2024

Aloha!

We are praying you all are having a blessed Great Lent.

Our Church is needing your prayers and financial support in covering our monthly expenses. If you are able to donate, we would greatly appreciate it.

Please visit our gofundme specifically for covering the Church's monthly expenses.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/cover-the-monthly-bills-to-maintain-service?utm_medium=email&utm_source=product&utm_campaign=p_email%2B2300-co-team-welcome

God bless you, mahalo!

02/27/2024

Aloha!

If you are visiting the island of Maui, please visit Saint Mena Coptic Orthodox Church of Maui

Contact the Church by email to know the schedule of services: [email protected]

02/23/2024

Aloha, everyone!

Many of you might have heard Paul Hanna's music: 3Youth. Paul is a member of our beloved St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Honolulu.

Please visit his page and listen to his music!

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

10/02/2023

Please, reserve a date before it gets taken!

More information: stmarkhi.org/trips

Contact: [email protected]

09/09/2023

Aloha Beloved Faithful!

St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church of Honolulu is helping Lahaina, Maui. Due to the wildfires, our Church has contributed donations to the people that are in need. These people and families have lost their family, homes, and businesses. Some of these families are families that we know personally.

Additionally, as a Church and community, we are helping our faithful on the island of O’ahu. Whether it’s the homeless, our community, or our congregation, we are ready to help.

If you are interested in helping Saint Mark Church in Honolulu and Saint Mena Church in Maui, please consider donating.

With your prayers first and foremost, any donated amount will go a long way.

“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’” 1 Peter 4:8

To donate, please visit: stmarkhi.org/donate

Mahalo and God bless you all!

08/16/2023

Vespers and Veneration | St. Mary's Fast | Mesra 10, 1739 | Tuesday, August 15, 2023