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The Syrian Monastery of the Virgin Mary El Sourian would like to extend its sincere and heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of the feast of our Lady the Virgin Mary - the Mother of God.  The life of the pure Virgin Mary is full of events that evoke our contemplation while God's wisdom and planning is very clear. She is known as the burning the bush, the rod of Aaron, and the censor of pure gold bearing the aroma, in the hands of Aaron the priest...Our Lady the Virgin Mary is known for her countless virtues, as well as the virtuous life which she led.  May God grant us the spirit of humility that adorns her, and may He sustain us, that we too may lead virtuous lives in Him, as we recite the prayer from the Prime hour:  " O Theotokos (Mother of God), the second heaven you are the honored Mother of the Light.  From sunrise to sunset the faithful offer you praise you are the bright and unchanging flower and the mother who remained a virgin for the Father chose you and the Holy Spirit overshadowed you and the Son deigned to take flesh from you.  Wherefore, ask the Lord to give salvation to the world which He created and to deliver it from all tribulations, let us praise the Lord and sing to Him a new song now and forever and from all ages to all ages. Amen"

Holy Mass & Praises Time

Holy Mass & Praises Time

 

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Quiet Time Schedule

Essential conditions to spend a spiritual retreat in the monastery

To carry a legal proof of personality.

To be not less than 16 years of age.

To carry a letter from the recognition father directed to the Abbot or the father responsible for the retreat house.

To be punctual to the timings of the prayers, work and retreats in the retreat house.

The retreat period does not exceed three days.

Between a retreat and another, there should be a minimum period of 2 months.

Not to visit the Abbot or the monks fathers except with a permission from the father responsible for the retreat house.

To be calm in order to maintain and respect the sanctity of the place.

 

The Journey of the Holy Family

 

panorama

 

Newly Released

explain monastery

CDS – DVD about the Monastery of the Syrians with a simplified explanation of the history of the Monastery of the Virgin Mary (the Syrians). Beheira (AL Asakeet Desert) in the Wadi Natrun area of Egypt’s Western Desert.

I: Video and photos of the history of the Monastery of the Syrians, past and present.

II: Sections of the Monastery such as the entrance, the walls, the fort and the churches including the wall frescos from the archaeological museum and the rest of the Monastery.

III: Midnight Prayers on Sunday with the Holy Fathers of the Monastery.

IIII: Video of the Gregorian Mass for the Fathers in the Monastery.

We hope that watching and listening to these CDs will bring spiritual benefit and be a blessing to all.

We also hope that you will learn more about the liturgically and historical legacy of Coptic monasteries through the intercession of Saint Mary

 

The way to Egypt

A Documentary Film about

The flight of the Holy Family to Egypt

This film has been translated into twenty languages and is available for purchase at the monastery’s bookstore

Presented by

Bishop Mettaous

Abbot of the prosperous Syrian Monastery

Production by

St.Mary’s Monastery EL Sourian

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Nasi 4, 1742 - September 9, 2026, Wednesday

Vespers

Psalms 68:35, 3

35 O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.

3 But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. [NKJV] Alleluia

Matthew 24:42-47

42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. 47 Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. [NKJV] Glory is due to our God to the age of all ages. Amen

Matins

Psalms 97:11-12

11 Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. [NKJV] Alleluia

Mark 13:33-37

33 Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. 34 It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 35 Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- 36 lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!. [NKJV] Glory is due to our God to the age of all ages. Amen

Liturgy

1 Corinthians 3:9-23

9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He catches the wise in their own craftiness; 20 and again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile. 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come--all are yours. 23 And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. [NKJV] The Grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen

1 Peter 5:1-12

5:1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 12 By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly. [NKJV] Do not love the world, nor the things which are in the world. The world shall pass away and all its desires; but he who does the will of God shall abide forever. Amen

Acts 18:24-19:6

24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; 28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

19:1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? So they said to him, We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit. 3 And he said to them, Into what then were you baptized? So they said, Into John's baptism. 4 Then Paul said, John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. [NKJV] The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty and be confirmed in the holy church of God. Amen

Psalms 116:15-16

15 Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints. 16 O Lord, truly I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant. [NKJV] Alleluia

Luke 16:1-12

16:1 He also said to His disciples: There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. 2 So he called him and said to him, `What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' 3 Then the steward said within himself, `What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 `I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' 5 So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, `How much do you owe my master?' 6 And he said, `A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, `Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, `And how much do you owe?' So he said, `A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, `Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. 9 And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. 10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?. [NKJV] Glory is due to our God to the age of all ages. Amen