Bible Study: Acts Chapter 1

This is a Bible study given by His Grace Bishop Youssef on Acts chapter 1.

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1:06:45 Your Grace, My Father, please apologize me for commenting on this...and I would love to be corrected if I am mistaken. The way I learned in my Orthodox faith concerning Our Lady, Mother of Light, Theotokos Saint Virgin Mary (praise and peace be upon her) is that she is the One and Only Daughter of her saintly parents Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. Here I would like to highlight Her (Our Lady's) Genealogy. Her Great Great Great Great Great Grand Parents (pertaining of the 7th Generation) Petrka (Husband) and Tekta (Wife) were holy and and prosperous husband and wife who were living in Jerusalem. Though, they had no children. Since they were crying and praying wholeheartedly to the Almighty God to give them a child, The Creator heard their prayers and the wife Tekta dreamed about her delivering a white calf, and that calf delivering another white calf, and this repeated until the seventh white calf which delivered Moon and the Moon giving birth to the Sun. They were mesmerized with the dream and Petrka went early in the morning to the nearby priest who was living around there to translate her dream. The priest explained him by saying the calf was a girl giving birth to a girl this repeated until the seventh generation calf giving birth to another Girl who is tremendously gracious and who is greater than human beings and glorified more than the angels. But he said he did not understand the part where this very Moon Giving birth to Sun. Then at that month, Tekta conceived and after 9 months gave birth to a baby girl, Hemen. Then Hemen reached adolescence she was married and gave birth to a baby girl who was named Yirdi 8 days after her birth. The Meaning of Yirdi is "born from our father's side". Yirdi grew up and was married and gave birth to a baby girl, Tona (Tona means " We dreamed and got a child"). The same way Tona gave birth to Sikar (which means "born from our relatives"). Sikar likewise grew up and gave birth to baby girl Sethna (which means "beautiful, who is talented, and wise). Then Sethna gave birth to Hermela, who is the mother of Saint Anne. There were 67 men born from the lineage of Petrka and Tekta but since there was no prophecy about them to be included in the lineage of Our Lady Mother God Saint Virgin Mary they are not mentioned. St.Joachim and St. Anne were also living without child. Like their forefathers they were praying and crying to get a child. St. Joachim wished to have a baby boy while St. Anne wished to have a baby girl. After praying the whole day, and upon returning she saw a pigeon playing with her 5 squabs and immediately crying unto God, saying "You My Lord and God who gave squabs to this pigeon, why didn't you give me a child?". They went to the to the priest Zacharias and promised to offer their child if he is a baby boy to be a servant in the church and if she is a baby girl also to give her to church so that she will serve the priest by pouring water, sewing curtains for the church and also making little cases for the use in the church. The priest Zacharias blessed them and raised their offerings. The same day, both St. Joachim and St. Anne dreamed a dream. St Joachim dreamed about a white pigeon, coming through the seven skies which were opened like a curtain, descending from the seventh sky and sitting unto his head. The meaning of this dream is that the pigeon is Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ (praise be to Him) and the color white is the Purity of His Essence and descending from the seventh sky unto his head is telling him that he will take Joachim's human nature, and the seven skies are the seven characteristics of Our God and Savior like His Omnipresence, His Exactitude, His Sovereignty, His Authority, His Kingdom. St. Anne said she saw white pigeon landing on head entering her ears and sitting at her womb. The meaning is the pigeon is Our Lady Mother God Saint Virgin Mary (peace be upon Her) and the whiteness is Her Sanctity, Her Everlasting Virginity, and Her Immaculate Purity in Mind and in Flesh. The pigeon going through ears and sitting in her womb is to tell the fact that She will conceive Our Lord and God Jesus Christ through the Good News of the angel Saint Gabriel, the angel who stands in front of the Almighty God. This happened in July 30th. They said, if we both saw this kind of thing in our dreams, then it is better for us to separate our beds and wait for the miracle of Almighty God. They then separated their beds and spend 7 days without having intercourse. After the month August entered, on the Seventh day an angel said to St. Anne "since you will give birth to a baby girl who is greater than all mankind and glorified more than the angels, whose single hair weighs far more than the whole world if put under weight, Almighty God ordered you to have intercourse with your husband today". Our Lady Saint Virgin Mary was hence conceived with the Good Will of God and Good News of the angel on Sunday - (in the old testament there was tradition for the people to have intercourse on Sundays). After 9 months and 5 days, Mother of Light, Blessed and Holy Virgin Mary was born on May 1. Therefore Our Lady Blessed Virgin Mary (peace be unto Her) Mother of God is the One and Only daughter of St. Joachim and St. Anne. They did not give birth to no one before Her as well as after Her. James, Youssa, Judah and Simon are the sons of Saint Joseph who were born from his deceased wife. Since they grew up with Our Lord and God Jesus Christ, they are given huge privilege to be called "The Brothers of Our Lord and God Jesus Christ". Glory be to God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit One GOD now and forever and ever Amen. May the Intercession of Our Blessed Virgin Mary be forever and ever with us. Your Grace remember me in your prayers...Maranatha.