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Daily Readings
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Saturday, 28th May 2016 --- 20 Bashans 1732
Readings for Saturday of fourth week of fifty Joyous Days
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 129 : 1 - 2
Chapter 129
| 1 | "Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth," Let Israel now say--
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| 2 | "Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; Yet they have not prevailed against me.
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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 Luke the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Luke 11 : 17 - 23
Chapter 11
| 17 | But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls.
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| 18 | If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub.
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| 19 | And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges.
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| 20 | But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
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| 21 | When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace.
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| 22 | But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils.
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| 23 | He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
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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 146 : 10 - 10
Chapter 146
| 10 | The LORD shall reign forever--Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
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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 John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
John 7 : 31 - 36
Chapter 7
| 31 | And many of the people believed in Him, and said, "When the Christ comes, will He do more signs than these which this Man has done?"
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| 32 | The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.
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| 33 | Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.
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| 34 | You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."
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| 35 | Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?
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| 36 | What is this thing that He said, "You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"
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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 Ephesians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Ephesians 1 : 1 - 14
Chapter 1
| 1 | Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
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| 2 | Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
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| 3 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
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| 4 | just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
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| 5 | having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
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| 6 | to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
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| 7 | In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
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| 8 | which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
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| 9 | having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
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| 10 | that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth--in Him.
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| 11 | In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
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| 12 | that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.
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| 13 | In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
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| 14 | who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
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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 1 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 John 4 : 15 - 5 : 1
Chapter 4
| 15 | Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
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| 16 | And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
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| 17 | Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
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| 18 | There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
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| 19 | We love Him because He first loved us.
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| 20 | If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
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| 21 | And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
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Chapter 5
| 1 | Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
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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 9 : 36 - 43
Chapter 9
| 36 | At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did.
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| 37 | But it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
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| 38 | And since Lydda was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.
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| 39 | Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
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| 40 | But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.
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| 41 | Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
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| 42 | And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord.
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| 43 | So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
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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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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 15 : 4 - 4
Chapter 15
| 4 | In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
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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.
John 7 : 14 - 24
Chapter 7
| 14 | Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.
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| 15 | And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?"
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| 16 | Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.
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| 17 | If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.
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| 18 | He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.
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| 19 | Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?"
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| 20 | The people answered and said, "You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?"
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| 21 | Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel.
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| 22 | Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.
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| 23 | If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?
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| 24 | Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Not to be read in the Church during this time of the year.
Synaxarium
Day 20 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Bashans, 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 Twentieth Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans
Departure of St.Ammonius the Hermit
On this day, of the year 73 A.M. (357 A.D.), the holy
father Abba Ammonius departed. He was born in 294 A.D., in a village near
Mariot. He was, as St. Antony was, born to a righteous and rich Christian
family. He lost his parents while he was young and became under the guardianship
of his uncle. He longed for the life of purity, chastity, and holiness.
Nevertheless, his uncle forced him to be engaged to a rich girl against
his will. Since he could not disobey his uncle, he talked to his bride
to be, with a spiritual dialogue and through his holy life, he was able
to have a good influence on her. He made her long to the life of purity
and planted in her heart the desire to consecrate her self a bride for
the True Bridegroom Jesus Christ. Thus they decided to accept the marriage
but decided to live as a brother and sister. They remained like this for
seventeen years, keeping themselves pure and chaste, after which his wife
departed to the eternal bliss. The Saint saw in a vision St. Antonios calling
him to put on the monastic garb. When he woke from his sleep, he rose up
and went to St. Isidore, who put on him the holy Eskeem. He dwelt with
him for some time, after which he went to mount Tounah, where was St. Antonios.
St. Ammonius remained with St. Antonios for a while
and became his disciple, and studied on his hands the cannons of the holy
monasticism. He built for himself a cell in mount Tounah. He fervently
worshipped God there, and the devil envied him. He came to him in the form
of a nun and knocked his door. When he opened and asked the devil to pray
with him, the devil became like a flame of fire. Then the devil went and
dwelt in a woman and moved her to entice the Saint to fall in sin with
her. She wore the best of her clothing and came to him at dusk, and knocked
the door of his cell, saying: "I am a traveling woman, and I had lost my
way, and it is dark now. Please do not let me stay outside lest the wild
beasts kill me, and you become responsible for my blood." When he opened
the door and knew the snare of the devil who sent her, he started to preach
her and put the fear in her heart of the tortures of hell which is awaiting
the sinners, and indicated to her the delight and the bliss which is awaiting
the righteous. God opened her heart, and she understood what he said to
her. She knelt to his feet weeping and asked him to accept her and assist
her in saving her soul. She took off her apparel and he put on her a sackcloth
of hair. He cut off her hair and called her "The simple minded or the naive".
He taught her the way to righteousness and she excelled through many prayers
and fasting, and surpassed many saints by her fasting and perpetual prayers.
The devil tried to snare him again. This time in
the form of a monk who went around in the monasteries weeping and saying:
"Abba Ammonius the hermit had married and he kept the woman with him in
his cell. He had put the monks to shame and disgraced the monastic garb."
When Abba Apollo (Ebelo), who was like the angels, heard of that, he took
with him Abba Yousab and Abba Nohi (Bohi), and came to mount Tounah to
the cell of Abba Ammonius. They knocked on the door of the cell, and when
she opened to them they realized the matter. They entered and prayed together
as the custom and sat to talk about the greatness of God. At the end of
the day, Abba Ammonius told them, let us go to see the "Naive" for she
was baking some bread. When they went out to where she was, they saw her
standing in the midst of a great fire, and her hands were stretched out
towards heaven praying. They marvelled exceedingly and glorified God. After
they had eaten the bread, everyone went separately to sleep and the angel
of the Lord revealed the story of the "Naive" with St. Ammonius to Abba
Apollo, and that God brought them there to be present at the time of her
departure. About the third hour of the night, she became sick with fever.
She knelt down and delivered up her soul at the hand of the Lord. They
swathed her, and after praying over her, they buried her. Then Abba Ammonius
told them about her virtues, and that for the eighteen years that she stayed
with him, she never raised her face to look at him, and that her food was
bread and salt. After this, St. Antonios sent him to El-Natroun valley
to establish there new monasteries, and many believers followed him. He
organized for them their livelihood and directed them with excellence.
Soon after, this holy father departed in peace.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
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Acknowledgement
Opening page