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Daily Readings
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Sunday, 1st July 2012 --- 24 Baounah 1728
Readings for Fourth Sunday of Baounah
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 84 : 8,4
Chapter 84
| 8 | O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob!Selah
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| 4 | Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will still be praising You.Selah
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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 5 : 34 - 48
Chapter 5
| 34 | But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne;
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| 35 | nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
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| 36 | Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.
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| 37 | But let your "Yes' be "Yes,' and your "No,'"No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.
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| 38 | "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'
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| 39 | But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
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| 40 | If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
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| 41 | And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
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| 42 | Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
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| 43 | "You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
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| 44 | But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
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| 45 | that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
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| 46 | For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
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| 47 | And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
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| 48 | Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
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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 61 : 5 - 8
Chapter 61
| 5 | For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name.
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| 6 | You will prolong the king's life, His years as many generations.
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| 7 | He shall abide before God forever. Oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him!
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| 8 | So I will sing praise to Your name forever, That I may daily perform my vows.
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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 20 : 1 - 17
Chapter 20
| 1 | Now the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
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| 2 | Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him."
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| 3 | Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple, and were going to the tomb.
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| 4 | So they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came to the tomb first.
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| 5 | And he, stooping down and looking in, saw the linen cloths lying there; yet he did not go in.
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| 6 | Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there,
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| 7 | and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.
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| 8 | Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed.
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| 9 | For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.
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| 10 | Then the disciples went away again to their own homes.
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| 11 | But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb.
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| 12 | And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.
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| 13 | Then they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him."
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| 14 | Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
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| 15 | Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."
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| 16 | Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).
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| 17 | Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, "I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God."'
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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 Colossians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Colossians 4 : 2 - 18
Chapter 4
| 2 | Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
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| 3 | meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
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| 4 | that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
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| 5 | Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
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| 6 | Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
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| 7 | Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.
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| 8 | I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,
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| 9 | with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.
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| 10 | Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),
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| 11 | and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.
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| 12 | Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
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| 13 | For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.
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| 14 | Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.
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| 15 | Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.
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| 16 | Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
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| 17 | And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it."
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| 18 | This salutation by my own hand--Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.
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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 : 1 - 11
Chapter 18
| 1 | After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
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| 2 | And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.
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| 3 | So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.
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| 4 | And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
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| 5 | When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
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| 6 | But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
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| 7 | And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.
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| 8 | Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.
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| 9 | Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;
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| 10 | for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city."
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| 11 | And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
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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 24 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baounah, 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.
Twenty-Fourth Day of the Blessed Month of Baounah
Martyrdom of the Great Saint Anba Moses
the Black
On this day, St. Moses the Black, whose
life story is remarkable, was martyred. This saint took the Kingdom of
Heaven by force, exactly as our Lord Jesus Christ said: "The Kingdom of
Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."
(Matthew 11:12).
In his early life, St. Moses was a slave to people who worshiped the sun.
He was a mighty man who loved to eat and drink excessively. He killed,
robbed and committed all evil. No one could stand up before him, or challenge
him. On many occasions, he lifted up his eyes to look to the sun and to
talk to it saying, "O Sun!! if you are God, let me know it." Then he said,
"And you O God whom I do not know, let me know you." One day, he heard
someone saying to him, "The monks of Wadi El-Natroun know the real God.
Go to them and they will tell you." Instantly, he rose up, girded his sword
and went to the wilderness of Shiheat. He met St. Esidorous (Isidore) the
priest, who was frightened when he saw him, because of his appearance.
St. Moses comforted him by saying that he came to the monks so that they
might let him know the real God. St. Esidorous took him to St. Macarius
the Great, who preached to him, taught him the faith and baptized him.
He accepted St. Moses as a monk and taught him to live in the wilderness.
St. Moses dashed in many worships, and fought a spiritual fight which was
greater than that fought by many saints.
However, the devil fought him
intensively with his old habits of excessive eating, drinking, and fornication.
He informed St. Esidorous about everything which came upon him in his fight
with the Enemy. He comforted him and taught him how to overcome the snares
of the devil. It was told about him, that when the elders of the Monastery
slept, he used to go round to their cells and take their water pots and
fill them with water which he brought from a well at a far distance from
the monastery. After many years in spiritual struggle, the devil envied
him, and struck him with a sore on his foot which made him sick and bed-ridden.
When he knew that this was from the devil, he increased in his asceticism
and worship, until his body became as a burnt wood. God looked to his patience,
healed his illness, and removed all his pains. The blessing of the Lord
came upon him. After a while, he became the Father and the spiritual guide
of 500 brothers, who elected him to be ordained a priest. When he came
before the Patriarch to be ordained, the patriarch wanted to test him by
asking the elders, "Who brought this black here? Cast him out." He obeyed,
and left saying to himself, "It is good what they have done to you, O black
colored one." The Patriarch, however, called him back and ordained him
a priest, and said to him, "Moses, all of you now has become white."
One day, he went with some
elders to St. Macarius the Great, who said to them, "I see among you one
to whom belong the crown of martyrdom." St. Moses answered him, "Probably
it is me, for it is written: 'For all they that take with the sword, shall
perish with the sword.'"
(Matt. 26:25) After they returned to the monastery,
it did not take long until the Barbarians attacked the monastery. He told
the brethren, "Whoever wants to escape, let him escape." They asked him,
"And you O father, why do you not also escape?" He replied that he had
waited for this day for long time. The Barbarians entered the monastery
and killed him with seven other brothers. One of the brethren was hiding,
and saw the angel of the Lord, with a crown in his hand standing by and
waiting for him. He went out from his hiding place to the Barbarians and
he was also martyred. Beloved Ones, contemplate in the power of repentance,
and what it did. It transformed an infidel slave who was a murderer, adulterer
and robber into a great Father, teacher, comforter, and priest who wrote
rules for the monks, and saint whose name is mentioned on the altar in
our prayers.
His Body is located now in the Monastery of El-Baramouse.
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 69 : 32,33,30
Chapter 69
| 32 | The humble shall see this and be glad; And you who seek God, your hearts shall live.
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| 33 | For the LORD hears the poor, And does not despise His prisoners.
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| 30 | I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving.
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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 6 : 27 - 38
Chapter 6
| 27 | "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
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| 28 | bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
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| 29 | To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either.
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| 30 | Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back.
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| 31 | And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.
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| 32 | "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
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| 33 | And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
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| 34 | And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back.
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| 35 | But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
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| 36 | Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
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| 37 | "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
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| 38 | Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Acknowledgement
Opening page