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Daily Readings
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Wednesday, 25th January 2017 --- 17 Tubah 1733
Readings for Wednesday, 25th January 2017 --- 17 Tubah 1733
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 112 : 6,7,9
Chapter 112
| 6 | Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
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| 7 | He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
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| 9 | He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.
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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 24 : 42 - 47
Chapter 24
| 42 | Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.
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| 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.
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| 44 | Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
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| 45 | "Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season?
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| 46 | Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing.
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| 47 | Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods.
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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 92 : 10,14,15
Chapter 92
| 10 | But my horn You have exalted like a wild ox; I have been anointed with fresh oil.
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| 14 | They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
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| 15 | To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
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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 19 : 11 - 19
Chapter 19
| 11 | Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
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| 12 | Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
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| 13 | So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, "Do business till I come.'
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| 14 | But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, "We will not have this man to reign over us.'
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| 15 | "And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
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| 16 | Then came the first, saying, "Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'
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| 17 | And he said to him, "Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'
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| 18 | And the second came, saying, "Master, your mina has earned five minas.'
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| 19 | Likewise he said to him, "You also be over five cities.'
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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 : 32 - 12 : 2
Chapter 11
| 32 | And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:
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| 33 | who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,
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| 34 | quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
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| 35 | Women received their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
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| 36 | Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
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| 37 | They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented--
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| 38 | of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
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| 39 | And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise,
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| 40 | God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
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Chapter 12
| 1 | Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
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| 2 | looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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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 5 : 9 - 20
Chapter 5
| 9 | Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
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| 10 | My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.
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| 11 | Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
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| 12 | But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No,No," lest you fall into judgment.
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| 13 | Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
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| 14 | Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
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| 15 | And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
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| 16 | Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
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| 17 | Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
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| 18 | And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
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| 19 | Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
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| 20 | let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
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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 18 : 24 - 19 : 6
Chapter 18
| 24 | Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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;
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| 28 | for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
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Chapter 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
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| 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."
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| 3 | And he said to them, "Into what then were you baptized?" So they said, "Into John's baptism."
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| 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."
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| 5 | When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
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| 6 | And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
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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 17 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tubah, 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 Seventeenth Day of the Blessed Month of Tubah
Departure of St.Maximus and St.Domatius
On this day is the commemoration of
the two honored saints Maximus and his brother Domatius . Their father's
name was Walendianus, he was one of the Roman emperors who feared God and
was Orthodox in faith. God gave him these two sons who were angelic in
their purity and holiness since their young age, always praying and reading
the holy books. When they realized the vanity of this world and all its
glory, they decided to leave it and live a monastic life. They asked their
father to allow them to go to the City of Nicea, to pray in the place where
the first Universal Council was held in 325 A.D. Their father rejoiced,
and he sent an entourage of soldiers and servants with them, as was the
custom for the children of kings. When they arrived, they asked the soldiers
to go back to their father and tell him that they wanted to stay there
for some time. Then they revealed their thoughts to a saintly monk, that
they desired to put on the holy garb of the monks. The monk did not agree
with them because he feared their father, but he advised them to go to
Syria where St. Agabius abided. They went to St. Agabius and stayed with
him until his departure. Before he departed, he put on them the monastic
garb, and told them that he saw St. Macarius in a night vision saying,
"Command your two sons to come to me after your departure, so that they
may become my children." Then St. Agabius told them, "I desired to see
St. Macarius in the flesh, but I have seen him in the spirit. After my
departure, you should go to him in peace." God granted them the gift of
healing the sick. Their report was heard in all the countries, especially
among the sea merchants and the travellers. They learned the trade of making
ships' sails, and they were able to support themselves with money earned
from selling them, and they gave the rest to the poor and the needy.
One day, one of their father's stewards
saw a ship with the names "Maximus and Domatius" on its sail. He inquired
of the owner of the ship about these names. The owner told the steward,
"These are the names of two monk brothers, which I have written on my ship
as a blessing, so that God with their prayers may prosper my business."
He described the brothers to him, as one with a full beard, and the other
without a beard. The steward recognized them and he took the man and brought him before the Emperor. When the Emperor made certain about
what he had heard, he sent their mother and the princess, their sister,
to meet them. When the women met with the two saints and recognized them,
they wept. Their mother wanted them to return with her, but the Saints
refused, and they comforted the hearts of their mother and sister. After
a while, the Patriarch of Rome departed, and they remembered Maximus, whom
they wanted to ordain in his place. His father rejoiced when he heard this.
When the news arrived to St. Maximus and his brother, they remembered the
command of their father Anba Agabius. They disguised themselves, and took
the road along the Mediterranean sea shore, and when they were thirsty,
God transformed for them the salty water into sweet water. They became
very tired of walking, and their feet were bleeding. They slept on a hill
because of their exhaustion and God sent them a certain power that carried
them to the wilderness of Scetis where St. Macarius was residing. They
told St. Macarius that they wanted to live under his guidance. When St.
Macarius saw that they were of rich background, he thought that they would
not be able to live in the desert because of its harsh living conditions.
They answered him saying, "If we are not able to live here, our father,
we will return to where we came from." Then he taught them how to plait
palm leaves, and he helped in building a cave (cell) for them. He also
told them about someone who would take the work of their hands to sell
and bring them back bread.
They lived in this manner for
three years, never communicating with anyone. They only went to church
to partake of the Divine Sacraments silently. St. Macarius marvelled, for
they did not go to him all these years. He prayed to God to reveal to him
their secret. He went to visit them in their cell where he stayed the night
with them. When he woke up at midnight, as was his custom, to pray, he
saw the two saints praying and a ray of light going from their mouths to
heaven, and the devils were all around them like flies, and the angel of
the Lord standing with a sword of fire to protect them. The next day, St.
Macarius put on them the holy Eskiem, and asked them to pray for him. They
bowed to the ground before him (made metanias) in silence. When they completed
their course, and the Lord wanted to take them away from the sorrows of
this temporal world, St. Maximus became sick. He sent word to St. Macarius,
asking him to come. When St. Macarius arrived, he found St. Maximus ill
with a fever, and he comforted him. St. Macarius saw a company of prophets
and saints, including St. John the Baptist and Emperor Constantine, gathered
around the Saint until he delivered his pure spirit in dignity and in honor.
St. Macarius wept and said, "Blessed are you, 0 Maximus." St. Domatius,
his brother, wept bitterly, and asked St. Macarius to pray on his behalf
to the Lord Christ to take him also to be with his brother. After three
days, he also became sick, and when St.Macarius knew by the spirit he went
to visit him. On his way, he saw the company of saints who carried St.
Maximus before carrying the soul of St.Domatius ascending up to heaven.
When he arrived at the cave, St. Macarius found that St. Domatius had passed
away. St. Macarius put St.Domatius' body with his brother's, whose departure
was on the 14th day of this month. St.Macarius ordered that the monastery
be called after their names, the monastery of "El-Baramus" as it is known
until today.
May Their prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Anba Yusab, Bishop of Girga, Known as
El-Abbah
On this day also, of the
year 1826 A.D., Anba Yusab, the great scholar and honorable father, departed.
He was the Bishop of Girga and Ekhmiem, and was known by the name "El-Abbah".
He was born in the town of Nekhila in Upper Egypt, to rich parents who
were compassionate to the poor and the needy. When Anba Yusab was 25 years
old, his parents wanted him to be wed, but he refused. Because of his inclination
towards the monastic life, he went to the estate of St.Anthony's monastery in the city of Boash. He stayed there for some
time, during which his humility and piety were evident. This convinced
the abbot to send him to the monastery. When he arrived, the monks received
him with joy, for they had heard of his virtues and his knowledge of the
Holy Scriptures. Shortly after, they clothed him in the monk's tunic. When
the reports of this father reached Pope John, 107th Patriarch, he called
Anba Yusab and kept him with him. After the Pope verified what he heard
of Anba Yusab' righteousness and knowledge, he counseled with the bishops
who agreed to ordain Anba Yusab a bishop over Ekhmiem and Girga. Anba Yusab
refrained from accepting this rank because of its responsibilities; however,
he was ordained against his will.
When he arrived at his diocese,
Anba Yusab found many heretics mingled with his people. He built a church,
and made a great effort to gather his flock, to teach them, to restore
those who were lost, and to guide many of the heretics to the faith. He
wrote several articles on the Incarnation of the Lord Christ and explained
several difficult issues and ambiguous verses in the Bible. He urged his
people to forsake all the bad customs that they were engaged in, both inside
and outside the church. He succeeded in putting an end to the quarrels
and divisions from those who were in opposition to the truth. He was merciful
to the poor, and never judged anyone by his appearance. He was fair in
judgement, never took sides, and did not accept bribes. He sent whatever
money he had left to his brethren, the monks, in their monasteries. He
did not own anything except the clothes that he wore and those things which
fulfilled his basic needs. He never uttered anything but the truth, and
was not afraid of the mighty rulers of the land. He shepherded his flock
with the best of care. When God wanted to take him away from this world,
Anba Yusab became ill for a short period of time. While he was sick, he
stayed some time in his diocese, and then in the cell of Pope Anba Peter,
109th Pope. Then he went to his monastery in the wilderness. The monks
rejoiced to see him, and his blessed life ended there, and he gave his
pure spirit into the hand of the Lord who
loved him. He lived 91 years, 25 years before his monastic life, 31
years in the monastery, and 35 years as bishop.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our 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 92 : 12 - 13
Chapter 92
| 12 | The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
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| 13 | Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
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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.
Luke 12 : 32 - 44
Chapter 12
| 32 | "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
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| 33 | Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
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| 34 | For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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| 35 | "Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
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| 36 | and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
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| 37 | Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
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| 38 | And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
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| 39 | 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.
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| 40 | Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
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| 41 | Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"
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| 42 | And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
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| 43 | Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
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| 44 | Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Acknowledgement
Opening page