Today’s Gospel from Saint Matthew chapter12 about the miracle of healing a man who is insane, blind and mute.

It was said about Satan that He was a murderer from the beginning. That is his job. His characteristic is ruthless, so if someone falls into his hand, he will not be merciful.

The one who was presented to the LORD JESUS in the Gospel today, it was said about him “Mat 12:22 possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb” If someone loses his mind then he will be doing any unbelievable acts, and if he is blind things are even worse and if he is dumb, then what else is left for him.

The first Sunday of the Coptic Year talks to us about the personality of St John the Baptist, why St John the Baptist?

He is a prophet who lived between the two periods of the Old Testament and the New Testament, and now we are in the beginning of a New Year.

The Feast of Nowruz is the feast of martyrs, and St John the Baptist is the last martyr of the Old Testament.

Saint John the Baptist testified that the LORD JESUS CHRIST was greater than a prophet and the greatest of women born. Why? Because no one called for repentance, as St John the Baptist called for until all Jerusalem went out to him.

Repentance in GOD’s eyes is the greatest work that a person can do. So this is our topic on the First Sunday of the New Year; Repentance.

We are now in the last week of the of this year according to the Coptic calendar and GOD willing we will be celebrating the New Year on Friday 11th of September for the year 1737 Martyrs calendar.  We in the Coptic Church have our own calendar and it is called the Martyrs calendar and this started on the year 284 AD This was the year in which Emperor Diocletian took over the rule of the Roman Emperor and the most severe persecution began against the Coptic Church to the point that the Church took that year as a beginning to its calendar and called it the Martyrs Calendar.

At the end of each Martyrs (Coptic) year the Church reminds us about what will happen at the end of days, so that we prepared at the time for the Second Coming, for this the Gospel of this Sunday and the following Sunday talks to us about the Second Coming of the LORD JESUS. Today’s Gospel is from the Gospel according to St Mark chapter 13. The second coming of the LORD JESUS CHRIST was mentioned in the 3 Gospels of St Matthew, Mark and Luke, as for Saint John, he was unique alone in the Book of Revelation with the events of the Second Coming. The Second Coming needs us to listen to the advice said by the LOTD JESUS (Mar 13:37) “ And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.” Staying awake and watching is important because the time when the LORD JESUS will come is unknown. HE shall be coming suddenly, suddenly, as a thief. And the word “watch,” which the LORD JESUS CHRIST demands of us, meaning to be prepared, means that you should be ready for the Second Coming. “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”

1. The Virgin Mary is painted in the icon, sitting on the right-hand side of our Lord. ( The Queen is seated at the right-hand side of the king).
2. The Virgin Mary is the mother of God ( The Theotokos). This is why the icon is often drawn with Virgin Mary holding our Lord Jesus.