Readings for Wednesday, 31st October 2012 --- 21 Babah 1729

Readings for Wednesday, 31st October 2012 --- 21 Babah 1729

Vespers

Vespers Psalm

From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.

May his blessings be with us all.

Psalms 105 : 14 - 15

Chapter 105

14	He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes,

15	Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm."

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.

Amen. 

Vespers Gospel

Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.

A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Luke the Evangelist.

May His Blessings be with us all.

Luke 11 : 37 - 51

Chapter 11

37	And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat.

38	When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

39	Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness.

40	Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?

41	But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you.

42	"But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

43	Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces.

44	Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them."

45	Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also."

46	And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers.

47	Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

48	In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs.

49	Therefore the wisdom of God also said, "I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,'

50	that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation,

51	from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.

And Glory be to God forever. 

Matins

Matins Psalm

From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.

May his blessings be with us all.

Psalms 105 : 26,27,45

Chapter 105

26	He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron whom He had chosen.

27	They performed His signs among them, And wonders in the land of Ham.

45	That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. Praise the LORD!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.

Amen. 

Matins Gospel

Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.

A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Matthew the Evangelist.

May His Blessings be with us all.

Matthew 17 : 1 - 9

Chapter 17

1	Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;

2	and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

3	And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

4	Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

5	While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"

6	And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.

7	But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."

8	When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9	Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."

And Glory be to God forever. 

Liturgy Gospel

Paulines Epistle

Paul, the servant of our Lord Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, appointed to the Gospel of God.

A reading from the Epistle of our teacher Paul to the Hebrews .

May his blessings be upon us.

Amen.

Hebrews 11 : 17 - 27

Chapter 11

17	By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

18	of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"

19	concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

20	By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

21	By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

22	By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

23	By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command.

24	By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,

25	choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,

26	esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

27	By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

The grace of God the Father be with you all.

Amen. 

Catholic Epistle

A Reading from Epistle 2 of St. Peter .

May his blessing be upon us.

Amen.

2 Peter 1 : 19 - 2 : 8

Chapter 1

19	And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;

20	knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

21	for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 2

1	But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

2	And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

3	By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

4	For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

5	and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

6	and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly;

7	and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked

8	(for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)--

Do not love the world or the things in the world.

The world passes away, and its desires; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Amen. 

Acts of the Apostles

The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us.

Acts 15 : 21 - 29

Chapter 15

21	For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

22	Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.

23	They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

24	Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law"--to whom we gave no such commandment--

25	it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26	men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27	We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.

28	For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

29	that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.

Amen. 

Synaxarium

Day 21 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Babah, may God make it always received, year after year, with reassurance and tranquility, while our sins after forgiven by the tender mercies of our God my fathers and brothers.

Amen.

The Twenty-First Day of the Blessed Month of Babah

Commemoration of the Mother of God

      On this day we celebrate the commemoration of our holy lady, the Mother of Light, the Virgin St. Mary. Salutation to you 0 Mary, the Mother of God, the eternal Word, because through you was the salvation of the human race.

May her intercession be for us all. Amen.

Commemoration of the Relocation of the Body of Lazarus

       On this day also we celebrate the commemoration of the relocation of the body of Lazarus, whom our Lord raised from the dead. It was relocated by one of the Christian Emperors to Constantinople. When he heard that the body was on the island of Cyprus, he sent some of the trusted bishops to the island where they found the holy body laid in a sarcophagus buried under ground. The inscription on the coffin read, "This is the body of Lazarus, the friend of the Lord Christ, whom He raised from the dead, after he had been buried for four days." They rejoiced at it and carried it to the city of Constantinople. The priests went out and received the body with great honor and veneration, and with prayers and incense. They laid it in a sanctuary until they built a church for it and then relocated the body to the church where they celebrated a holy day for him.

May his intercession be for us. Amen.

Departure of Joel the Prophet

        On this day also, the great Prophet Joel, the son of Pe-thu-el, from the tribe of Reuben, departed. He prophesied in the days of Abya the son of Jeroboam the son of Solomon the King. He taught the people and admonished them and prophesied concerning the dwelling of God in Zion, His passion, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, the comforter upon the holy Apostles on the day of Pentecost. He prophesied that their sons and daughters will prophesy and their young men will see visions and their old men will dream dreams. This prophet prophesied also concerning the going forth of the law of the Gospel from Zion when he said, "A fountain shall flow from the house of the Lord and water the valley of Shittim." (Joel 3:18) And he revealed that wars will break out on the earth after the advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke also concerning the day of Resurrection more than a thousand years before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He said, "The sun and the moon will grow dark and the stars will diminish their brightness." (Joel 3:15) He pleased God and departed in eace.

May his prayers be with us. Amen.

Departure of St.Freig

        On this day also in the year 1405 A.D. (1121 of martyrs) St. Freig, who is known as Abba Roweiss, departed. This saint was from a village called Miniet-Yamin (about 130 kilometers north of Cairo). His father's name was Isaac and his mother's name was Sarah. When he was born, they called him Freig. He worked with his father in farming and he had a small camel on which he carried salt and sold it. He called the camel "Roweiss" (i.e. small head). The camel used to put his head against his cheek as if he was kissing him. Because of his humility, he called himself after his camel. Persecutions befell the Christians, so he came to Cairo and not having a house or shelter, he went from one place to another. He spent most of his nights in prayers and wailing. He did not own a coat or any clothes or a cover for his head. He was naked except for that with which he covered his loins, and his head was uncovered. He looked like the hermits of the desert; his eyes were red because of much weeping and he never cut the hair of his head. He was a man of few words -once an evil man smote him severely but he did not open his mouth. St. Marcus El-Antoni was present at that time and he rebuked the evil man. During the later part of his life, he used to say, "O Virgin, take me because my burden is heavy." He meant the burden of carrying the sin of the people for which he often rebuked them though they did not listen to him. He lived in the days of the holy father Pope Mattheos, 87th Patriarch, and St. Marcus El-Antoni, in the days of the Sultan El-Zaher Barkuk. He shut himself up in a small storeroom at the place of his disciple Michael the builder, in Meniet Syreg. He stayed in that place for 9 years until his departure on the twenty-first of Babah of the year 1121 of the martyrs. He was buried in the church of the Virgin, in Deir El-Khandaq. He performed many wonders such as healing the sick, prophesying and saving many from their troubles.

May his prayers and blessings be with us all,  and Glory be to God, forever. Amen.

Divine Psalm

Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.

A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist.

May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.

From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet, and the Good King.

May his blessings be with us all.

Psalms 99 : 6 - 7

Chapter 99

6	Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the LORD, and He answered them.

7	He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them.

Hallelujah. 

Divine Gospel

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.

Amen.

Matthew 23 : 13 - 36

Chapter 23

13	"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

14	Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

15	"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

16	"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, "Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.'

17	Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?

18	And, "Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'

19	Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

20	Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.

21	He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.

22	And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.

23	"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.

24	Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

25	"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.

26	Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

27	"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.

28	Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29	"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

30	and say, "If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'

31	"Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.

32	Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.

33	Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

34	Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,

35	that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

36	Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

And Glory be to God forever.