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Daily Readings
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Friday, 21st July 2017 --- 14 Abib 1733
Readings for Friday, 21st July 2017 --- 14 Abib 1733
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 112 : 1 - 2
Chapter 112
| 1 | Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights greatly in His commandments.
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| 2 | His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed.
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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 Matthew the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Matthew 25 : 14 - 23
Chapter 25
| 14 | "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
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| 15 | And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
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| 16 | Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
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| 17 | And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
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| 18 | But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
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| 19 | After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
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| 20 | "So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, "Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'
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| 21 | His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
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| 22 | He also who had received two talents came and said, "Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'
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| 23 | His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 132 : 1,2,9,10
Chapter 132
| 1 | LORD, remember David And all his afflictions;
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| 2 | How he swore to the LORD, And vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
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| 9 | Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy.
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| 10 | For Your servant David's sake, Do not turn away the face of Your Anointed.
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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 Luke the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Luke 6 : 17 - 23
Chapter 6
| 17 | And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases,
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| 18 | as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed.
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| 19 | And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.
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| 20 | Then He lifted up His eyes toward His disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, For yours is the kingdom of God.
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| 21 | Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.
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| 22 | Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake.
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| 23 | Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.
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And Glory be to God forever.
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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 - 31
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,
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| 18 | of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called,"
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| 19 | concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.
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| 20 | By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.
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| 21 | By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.
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| 22 | By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.
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| 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.
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| 24 | By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
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| 25 | choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
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| 26 | esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
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| 27 | By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.
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| 28 | By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.
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| 29 | By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.
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| 30 | By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days.
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| 31 | By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.
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The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
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Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. James .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
James 1 : 12 - 21
Chapter 1
| 12 | Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
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| 13 | Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
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| 14 | But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
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| 15 | Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
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| 16 | Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
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| 17 | Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
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| 18 | Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
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| 19 | So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
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| 20 | for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
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| 21 | Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
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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.
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Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us.
Acts 19 : 11 - 20
Chapter 19
| 11 | Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
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| 12 | so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
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| 13 | Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."
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| 14 | Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
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| 15 | And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
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| 16 | Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
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| 17 | This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
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| 18 | And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
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| 19 | Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
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| 20 | So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
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The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
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Synaxarium
Day 14 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Abib, 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 Fourteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Abib
Martyrdom of St.Procopius (Proconius)
of Jerusalem
On this day, of the year
303 A.D. (July 8th), St. Procopius (Proconius), was martyred. He was born
in the city of Jerusalem, his father was a Christian whose name was Christophorus,
which means "Bearer of Christ." His mother's name was Theodosia, and she
was a worshipper of idols. When his father died, Theodosia took her son,
and went to Antioch. She presented much money and expensive gifts to the
Emperor Diocletian, and asked him to make her son a governor for one of
the cities. He accepted her gift, answered her request, and appointed her
son the governor of the city of Alexandria. He commanded that Procopius
torture the Christians. When the Saint had gone a little way from the City
of Antioch, he heard a voice from heaven calling him by his name, and censured
his deed. The voice also threatened him by death because he dared and accepted
to do what was against the command of God. Procopius asked, "Who are you,
O my Lord? I beseech you to show me yourself." A cross of light appeared
to him, and he heard a voice which said to him, "I am Jesus , the Son of
the Living God, Who was crucified in Jerusalem." He was afraid and trembled,
and he turned to the city of Bit-Shaan (Bisan). He made for himself a cross
of gold like the cross that appeared to him.
On his way to Alexandria,
some of the bedouins attacked him to plunder whatever he had. But he overcame
them by the cross that he had. His mother told him, "You must offer sacrifices
to the gods who delivered you from your enemies." The Saint replied, "Rather,
I will offer the sacrifice to Jesus Christ, Who helped me by the power
of His cross." When his mother heard his words, she became angry, and sent
to Diocletian to inform him about that. The Emperor sent to the Governor
of Caesarea, Palestine, to investigate the matter, and to handle his torture.
When the Governor brought him, Procopius confessed his faith in the Lord
Christ. The governor beat him so severely that he was close to death, then
he cast him in prison. The Lord Christ appeared to him, surrounded by His
angels, released him from his bonds, and healed his wounds. The next morning,
the Governor asked about the Saint, and they told him that they found him
free and sound. He had him brought to the temple of the idols, where the
Governor was going to pray. When the Saint came, and the people saw him
whole, they all marvelled, and they all cried out in the name of Christ
saying, "We are Christians, and we believe in the God of Procopius." Among
them were two prefects, twelve women, and St. Theodosia, mother of St.
Proconius. They cut off their heads, and they received the crown of martyrdom.
That was on the sixth day of the month of Abib.
The Governor ordered the
return of the Saint to prison, until he could determine what to do with
him. He brought him back three days later and told him, "Behold, I have
waited three days for you to return to your mind, to have mercy on yourself,
and to offer sacrifice for the gods." The Saint replied, "The Lord Christ
is the only true God. As for these statues, which are made of stone and
wood, they are not gods and can neither harm nor help." The Governor became
angry and ordered the soldiers to cut his sides with swords. A swordsman,
whose name was Archelaus, stretched out his hand to cut the sides of the
Saint, whereupon his hand dried up, and fell down dead. The Governor ordered
to stab him with knives and pour vinegar in his wounds. Then they dragged
him by his feet to the prison, where he stayed for three days. The Governor
was wondering what he should do with him. Then he threw him into a pit
filled with fire, but the Lord delivered him and no harm came upon him.
Finally, the Governor ordered to cut off his head and he received the crown
of martyrdom.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Peter the Fifth, the
83rd Patriarch of Alexandria
On this day also, of the year 1064 A.M. (July 8th,
1348 A.D.), Pope Peter the Fifth, 83rd Patriarch of Alexandria, departed.
He was known as Peter (Boutros) Ebn-dawoud. He was from St. Macarius monastery,
and was a priest in El-Shahraan monastery. He was enthroned on the 6th
of Tubah, 1056 A.M. (January 2nd, 1340 A.D.). All the days of his papacy
were peaceful and tranquil. He departed after staying in his Chair for
eight years, six months, and six days, and was buried in Old Cairo.
May his prayers be with us, and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
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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 1 : 1
Chapter 1
| 1 | Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
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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 4 : 23 - 5 : 16
Chapter 4
| 23 | And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
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| 24 | Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.
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| 25 | Great multitudes followed Him--from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.
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Chapter 5
| 1 | And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.
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| 2 | Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:
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| 3 | "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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| 4 | Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
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| 5 | Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
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| 6 | Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
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| 7 | Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
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| 8 | Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
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| 9 | Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.
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| 10 | Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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| 11 | "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.
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| 12 | Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
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| 13 | "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
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| 14 | "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
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| 15 | Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
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| 16 | Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Acknowledgement
Opening page