Issue 58 August 2026

Fast

Vespers and icons this Saturday

Celebrating St Mary at St John's. This Saturday, St John's Coptic Orthodox Church will come together for a special afternoon celebrating our beloved mother, St Mary, during the annual St Mary's Fast.

In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, St Mary's Fast is a special period of prayer and fasting dedicated to honouring the Mother of God, leading up to the Feast of her Assumption. In 2026, the fast runs from 7 to 21 August.

Join us from 4pm for a special Vespers service. Vespers is a beautiful opportunity to pause from the busyness of life, gather together in prayer and praise, and prepare our hearts to enter more deeply into the spiritual blessings of the fast. Vespers is a regular part of Saturday worship in Coptic Orthodox churches.

Following Vespers, children will be invited to take part in a special icon-making activity, creating their own icon of St Mary to take home and place in their room: a beautiful reminder of her faith, humility and love for Christ.

Join us this Saturday from 4pm.

From the pulpit

The Fruit of the Vineyard

Evan Kardaras

In today's reading, we hear the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. A landowner plants a vineyard, carefully entrusts it to vine dressers and then travels to a far country. When the time comes to receive its fruit, he sends his servants, but they are beaten, mistreated and rejected. Finally, he sends his beloved son, saying, "They will respect my son." Yet the tenants reject and kill him, believing they can claim the vineyard for themselves.

The Lord uses this parable to speak about the people of Israel and their leaders. God had entrusted His people to those who were called to shepherd and nurture them. Again and again, He sent prophets to call them back to Himself, but they repeatedly rejected them. Finally, in His infinite love and mercy, God sent His only-begotten Son. He too was rejected and crucified, yet through His death and resurrection, salvation was opened to the whole world.

But the Scriptures have many layers, and this parable also speaks directly to us.

Christ tells us, "I am the vine, you are the branches." We, as the Church, are now called to bear fruit. So we must ask ourselves: If the Lord were to visit His vineyard here at St John's, what fruit would He find?

The writings of the Church Fathers tell us that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are manifested above all in love and humility. Would the Lord find in us a deep love for one another? Would He find genuine care for our brothers and sisters and a sincere desire for their salvation? Would He find repentance and humility, a humility that seeks to raise others up rather than ourselves?

Would He find within us a burning desire for the salvation of those around us?

These are the fruits the Lord desires.

It is possible, however, that we can be part of the Church for the wrong reasons. Perhaps we are here primarily for our families, to ensure our children grow up knowing God. Perhaps we are here because we desire our own salvation. These are good and necessary desires, but Christianity is about more than what is best for me. Christianity is about the other. We see this perfectly in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He did not cling to His heavenly throne, surrounded by angels, archangels, cherubim and seraphim. He humbled Himself, entered into our brokenness and came among us to save us. His love demonstrates that Christianity is not simply about seeking the salvation of my own soul, but desiring the salvation of all.

And then we must take the question even deeper. If the Lord were to visit the vineyard of my heart, what would He find?

Would He find a desire for Him greater than every other desire? Or would He find that my heart has become consumed by the things of this world: a beautiful home, a nice car, financial success, sporting achievements, entertainment or the pleasures of this life?

None of these things are necessarily wrong. They become dangerous when they occupy the place in our hearts that belongs to God.

The Lord asks us to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. So we must continually ask: Does God have first place in my life? Do I thirst for Him? Do I desire Him above everything else?

When we genuinely seek the Lord, one of the first things we discover is our own spiritual poverty. We discover that despite our prayers, our fasting, our confession and our efforts to follow God, we remain weak and sinful. And this realisation is not something to fear. It is precious.

When we recognise our spiritual poverty, we can finally approach God with humility and repentance. We no longer come before Him believing that we are doing well. We come saying, "Lord, I am broken. I am weak. I fall short of Your glory. Have mercy on me."

This is where the grace of God meets us.

The devil tells us, "Why bother praying? You still get angry. You are still impatient. You still struggle with the same sins. What is the point?"

But this is precisely the lie we must reject.

Our sins should not drive us away from God. They should drive us towards Him.

Our weakness should bring us to our knees and cause us to cry out, like the tax collector, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

In the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the tax collector went home justified, not because he was perfect, but because he acknowledged his poverty before God. He came with humility and repentance, and the grace of God met him there.

I encourage each of us to try this over the coming week.

Come before the Lord exactly as you are. Come with your anger, your impatience, your weaknesses and the sins you think you will never overcome. Do not wait until you are perfect before approaching God. Come in humility. Come in repentance. Come and say, "Lord, have mercy on me."

And see whether the Lord will not pour His grace upon you.

For where there is a broken and contrite heart, the Lord is present. Where there is repentance, there is mercy. The God we serve seeks the humble and repentant heart so that He can fill it with His goodness, heal it from sin and raise it to glory.

And imagine if each of us began seeking the Lord in this way every day. Imagine the power if an entire congregation sought God with all its heart. Imagine our families. Imagine our children. Imagine a church that was truly on fire for God because He was number one in every heart.

Then the surrounding community would begin to encounter Christ through the light shining from St John's.

This is not simply an ideal. It is the fruit of a congregation that seeks the Lord wholeheartedly.

One day, the Master will return to His vineyard. What will He find?

May He find abundant fruit: love, humility, repentance, mercy and hearts that have thirsted for Him above everything else.

And may He say to each of us:

May the Lord help us not to be captivated by the desires of this passing world, but to seek Him above all things. For everything else will pass away. What remains forever is the Kingdom of God.

May we thirst for Him, love Him with all our heart, and bear fruit worthy of His calling.

Nayrouz 2026

Photographers and videographers needed

Photographers, videographers and content creators are needed for the Coptic New Year (Nayrouz) Procession. Be part of history, together in faith: we need your help to make this historic event possible.

Feast

Coptic New Year Nayrouz Procession

Save the date: the Coptic New Year Nayrouz Procession, walking together in faith, departing from St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church, Arncliffe, and walking to St Mary and St Mina's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Bexley.

Parish life

Help write our history

We often hear beautiful stories about how St John's has touched people's lives. For many of us, it has become far more than a church building: it is a second home, a loving community, and a place where we have drawn closer to God. Because our parish is still relatively young, we have a special opportunity to capture these experiences while they are still fresh in our hearts, along with our hopes and prayers for the future.

By sharing your story, you will help us give thanks for God's work at St John's, preserve precious memories for future generations, and document the impact of our parish for future grant and council applications. These testimonies will also help share the story of St John's with the wider Church, including His Holiness Pope Tawadros, and may even inspire the establishment of other parishes around the world.

All responses will be compiled into a beautifully presented keepsake book that will be shared with our parish families, His Grace Bishop Daniel, and His Holiness Pope Tawadros. It will be a treasured record that we can one day show our children and grandchildren.

We invite every family to contribute: a testimony, a special memory, a moment where you saw God's hand at work, your hopes for the future, or even a drawing or short reflection from your children. Responses may be anonymous or include your name.

Please complete the form by 22 August (Feast of St Mary) at the online form.

Notices

Church noticeboard

Early Liturgy

Please join us for Early Liturgy, every Wednesday from 5 to 7am.

Thursday Liturgy

Join us for our weekly Thursday Liturgy: Matins at 8am, Liturgy at 8:30am.

Mums who Pray

Join us every second Thursday morning for our mothers' fellowship meeting at St John's. Coffee and breakfast are provided.

The Way

Learn more about your Coptic Orthodox faith over a coffee and a chat, on Sundays at St John's. Topics include Biblical studies, Theology 101, Church history, the spiritual life, Orthodox worship, and contemporary issues.

Women of St John's Retreat

Save the date: the Women of St John's Retreat, 11 to 12 September. Details to follow.