Life has been called “way” because everything that has been created is on the way to its end. When people are on a sea voyage, they can sleep

while they are being transported without any effort of their own to their port of call. The ship brings them closer to their goal without their even knowing it. So we can be transported nearer to the end of our life without our noticing it, as time flows by unceasingly. Time passes while you are asleep. While you are awake

time passes although you may not notice.All of us have a race to run towards our appointed

end. So we are all “on the way.”This is how you should think of the “way.” You are a

traveler in this life. Everything goes past you and is left behind. You notice a flower on the way, or some grass, or a stream, or something worth looking at. You enjoy it for a moment, and then pass on. Maybe you come on stones or rocks or crags or cliffs or fences, or perhaps

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Issue 3,4 March / April 2012

I am The Resurrection

and The Life(John 11:25)

Life’s Journey

Life’s Journey

you meet wild beasts or reptiles or thorn bushes or some other obstacles. You suffer briefly then escape. That is what life is like.

Pleasures do not last and pain is not permanent either.

The “way” does not belong to you nor is the present under your control. But as step succeeds step, enjoy each moment as it comes and then continue on your “way.”

I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust the sails to reach my destination.

By Fr. Anthony Coniaris

It was said of the Lord Jesus Christ;

“A bruised reed shall He not break, and a smoking flax shall He not quench”. (Matt 12:20). He saw hope in the feeble reed that was likely to break and potential in the smoking flax to light again so He did what

He was able to in order to restore them. Be so with all those who need that hope.

During the Passion week we can see that Judas committed suicide when he lost hope after he betrayed Jesus, while the thief hanging on His right had enough hope to ask the Lord to remember him when He comes into His kingdom, and the Lord said to him “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in paradise. ” (Luke 23:43) and thus he was saved.

Christ’s Resurrection is the rebirth of hope for every hopeless person. “For God according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again unto a LIVING HOPE through the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,” (1 Peter 1:3)

An Insight Resurrection ... a source of LIVING HOPEResurrection

H. H. Pope Shenouda III

November 14th, 1971 - March 17th, 2012

117th Pope of Alexandria and Patriarck of the See of St. Mark

It was a day mourned by all, but the heavens rejoiced to receive

our beloved Pope. May the Lord repose his soul and count him

among His Saints and Angeles.We have faith that the Lord will choose the right shepherd who

will continue to guide His people with purity and righteousness.

CondolenCes

Reposed in the Lord❖ Mrs. Fawzya Fawzy wife of Mr. Mark Fawzy and mother of Mrs. Nevin Michael, Suzy Abalia, Tracy and Nancy Fawzy.❖Mr. Adel S. Barsoum, Husband of Mrs. Mervat Grace,

Father of Evit , Amir, Abanoub and Angy, and brother of Mrs. Nermeen Boctor. ❖ Mr. Nagi Abu-Elkhair, brother of Mrs. Nabila Abu-

Elkhair, and cousin of Dr. Makram E. Abu-Elkhair,❖ Mrs. Nadia Benyamin, wife of Mr. Michell Farid, mother

of Dr. George, and sister of Mr. Samir Benyamin.❖ Mrs. Yasmin Yowakim, wife of Mr. Wadee Yowakim, mother

of Dr. Jehan and Mrs. Hanan, and sister of Mr. Sabry Elmasry.❖ Mrs. Nadia Milad Girgis, wife of the late Dr. Shoukry

William, and mother of Mr. Ramy Shoukry, and aunt of Mrs. Mariam Makram.❖ Mr. Yousif Mehany, brother of Mr. Joseph Yousisf.May the Lord repose the souls of the deceased and console their grieving families.

❖Nader & Rebecca Sami, for the baptism of their son Moses Sami.❖Ramzy Aziz & Gorgina Kamel, for the baptism of their son Luke Aziz.❖Magid & Treza Shahid, for the baptism of their son Matthew.❖Geoffrey & Phoebe Rapp, for the baptism of their son Rykler.❖Drs. Peter & Sherry Youssef, for the birth of their daughter

Emily Mona Youssef.❖Amir & Nermeen Adib, for the birth of their twins Maria

and Hannah.❖Charlie & Mariann Schenoda, for the birth of their

daughter Christina.❖Sami & Dr. Laura Abdel Malek, for the birth of their son Evan.

May the Lord bless the newborn to grow in grace and stature before God and men.

Congratulations To:

CHURCH NEWSCHURCH NEWS

April 7 Lazarus Saturday

8:30 A.M. - 11:00 A.M. Divine Liturgy

April 8 Palm Sunday8:30 A.M. - 1:30P.M. Divine Liturgy1:30 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. General Funeral Prayer4:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. Pascha prayers

April 9, 10, & 11 (Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday)9:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Pascha prayers6:00 P.M. - 9:30 P.M. Pascha prayers

April 12 Holy Thursday8:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. Divine Liturgy4:00 P.M. - 8:00 P.M. Pascha prayers

April 13 Good Friday

8:00 A.M. -6:00 P.M.

April 13 & 14 Pokalapsis Night Friday April 13, 11:00 P.M. through the early hours of Saturday April 14.

Saturday April 14, 4:15 A.M.- 6:00 A.M. Divine Liturgy

April 14 (Saturday)

7:00 P.M. - 11:30 P.M. Divine Liturgy

Service Schedule of the

Holy Pascha Week

April 6 Last Friday of Lent8:30 A.M. - 1:30 P.M. Martins Prayer Holy Unction - Divine Liturgy

April 15, 2012Happy Resurrection Feast

❖On Wednesday Feb. 15, 2012, Fr. Pola Hanna priest of the Markusia church, Mallawi, Egypt visited our Church. He participated in the Divine Liturgy service, and conducted the Bible study session about the life and service of St. Paul the apostle.

❖ On Friday, March 2nd, Fr. Pishoy Salama priest of St. Maurice & St. Verena church, Toronto, Canada , visited our Church. He gave the lesson in the Bible study meeting from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

❖With the grace of God, and the approval of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, a new Church called St. Paul Coptic Orthodox Mission Church, in Downtown Chicago, started its service. 

•The church’s website is: www.stpaulchicago.com.  •P.O. Box 101079 Chicago, IL 60610-1079.

The inaugural liturgy was held on Saturday,  Januray 28th, 2012. The service is now held every Saturday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., followed by fellowship meeting.

New Coptic Church - DowntownLake Geneva Trip

❖The Junior High youth spent a 3 day retreat in Covenant Harbor, Lake Geneva, WI, from January 27 to 29, 2012. On Saturday, Fr. Isaac held a Divine Liturgy Service for them from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. The theme of the retreat was “Self esteem from our Lord’s perspective” They participated in several discussions, and were assured that their intrinsic qualities come from God who created them on His image and likeness, and not from the World.

The search for the purpose of life

has puzzled people for thousands of years. Brilliant philosophers have discussed and speculated about the meaning of life, but when it comes to determining the purpose of life, even the wisest of them are just guessing.

Dr. Hugh Moorhead, a philosophy professor at Northeastern Illinois University once wrote to 250 of the best-known philosophers, scientists, writers and intellectuals in the World asking them; “What is the meaning of life?!” Some offered their best guesses, some admitted that they just made up a purpose for life, while others were honest enough to say they were clueless. A number of famous

intellectuals asked Professor Moorhead to write back and tell them if he discovered the purpose of life!

In fact, unless you believe in God, the question of Life’s purpose is meaningless. It is only in God that we discover our origin, our meaning and our purpose. Every other path leads to a dead end. We can turn to what God has revealed about life in His Word.

God has not left us in the dark to wonder and guess. He has clearly revealed his purpose for our lives through the Bible when he said “We are His workmanship created in Christ for good works, which God prepared before hand that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:10)

Without God life makes no sense…the purpose of life is really fulfilled by LIVING with GOD and for GOD.

A Journey with Purpose