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Daily Readings
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Saturday, 10th March 2018 --- 1 Baramhat 1734
Readings for Saturday of fourth week of Great Lent
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 142 : 5,7
Chapter 142
| 5 | I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.
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| 7 | Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with 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.
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 16 : 19 - 31
Chapter 16
| 19 | "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.
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| 20 | But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,
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| 21 | desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
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| 22 | So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.
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| 23 | And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
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| 24 | "Then he cried and said, "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'
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| 25 | But Abraham said, "Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.
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| 26 | And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'
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| 27 | "Then he said, "I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house,
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| 28 | for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'
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| 29 | Abraham said to him, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'
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| 30 | And he said, "No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'
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| 31 | But he said to him, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."'
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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 Philippians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Philippians 4 : 4 - 9
Chapter 4
| 4 | Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
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| 5 | Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
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| 6 | Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
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| 7 | and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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| 8 | Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
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| 9 | The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
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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 3 : 13 - end
Chapter 3
| 13 | Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
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| 14 | But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
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| 15 | This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
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| 16 | For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
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| 17 | But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
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| 18 | Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
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James 4 : 1 - 6
Chapter 4
| 1 | Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
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| 2 | You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.
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| 3 | You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
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| 4 | Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
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| 5 | Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"?
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| 6 | But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."
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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 24 : 24 - end
Chapter 24
| 24 | And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.
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| 25 | Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, "Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you."
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| 26 | Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.
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| 27 | But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.
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Acts 25 : 1 - 12
Chapter 25
| 1 | Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem.
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| 2 | Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him,
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| 3 | asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem--while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him.
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| 4 | But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly.
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| 5 | "Therefore," he said, "let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him."
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| 6 | And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.
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| 7 | When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,
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| 8 | while he answered for himself, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all."
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| 9 | But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?"
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| 10 | So Paul said, "I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know.
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| 11 | For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar."
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| 12 | Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!"
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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 1 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramhat, 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 First Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
Departure of St.Narcissus
On this day of the year,
222 A.D., departed the father St. Narcissus, Bishop of Jerusalem. This
father came to Jerusalem during the reign of Alexander Caesar, who loved
the Christians, in the year 190 A.D. This father was holy and unblemished
in all his conduct. He shepherded his people with the best of care. Later,
Alexander died and after him Maximianus Caesar reigned who incited persecution
against the Christians. He slew many of the bishops and the remaining fled
leaving their parishes. God granted this father the gift of performing
wonders. On the eve of the feast of Easter, the oil in the lamps ran out,
so he ordered the lamps to be filled with water and were lit. They all
illuminated that night also by the light of his teachings. The enemy of
the good did not stop but, moved some people against him. They accused
him of committing the sin of infidelity. God's punishment for those liars
was bitter. One of them burned to death, and the bowels of another poured
out and died, the body of the third wasted out from a long sickness, the
fourth was killed and the fifth repented with tears confessing his sins.
As for the saint, he went to the desert and disappeared there, lest his
stay be a stumble to others.
Since nothing was known
of St. Narcissus whereabouts, another man was chosen in his place whose
name was Dius. Dius remained for a short period of time; he then departed.
Upon Dius' departure they chose another called Ghordinus. When the time
of persecution was over, Abba Narcissus returned to Jerusalem where he
was greeted by his people with great joy. Ghordinus asked him to take over
his Chair but, he refused preferring the solitary life. Ghordinus insisted
that he stays with him in his cell. St. Narcissus stayed with him for one
year at the end of which Ghordinus departed and St. Narcissus acquired
his Chair. He had aged and was very week so, he asked his people to choose
another bishop, but they refused. Alexander, Bishop of Cappadocia, came
to Jerusalem to visit the Holy Land and pray. When he was about to return,
after the feast, the people heard a great voice in the church of the Resurrection
saying: "Go to the gate of the city, the first one to enter it, seize him,
make him stay to assist Narcissus." When, they went to the gate, they met
the Bishop Alexander, and pleaded with him to stay to assist Abba Narcissus.
After much resistant, Bishop Alexander decided to accept and stay until
the departure of St. Narcissus. This father remained on the Episcopal Chair
for thirty seven years, and all the years of his life were one hundred
and sixteen years.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Alexandrus
On this day also St. Alexandrus,
the soldier, was martyred during the reign of the infidel Emperor Maximianus.
When this saint refused to raise incense for the idols, the Emperor punished
him. The Emperor ordered him hung by his hands and a large heavy stone
tied to his feet. He ordered him to be beaten, his sides burned, and placed
lit torches against his face. When all these tortures did not dissuade
him, the Emperor ordered him beheaded and he received the crown of
martyrdom.
May his intercession be with us. Amen.
Commemoration of Anba Marcura
Today also is the commemoration
of Anba Marcura, the Bishop.
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 61 : 1,5
Chapter 61
| 1 | Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer.
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| 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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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 21 : 33 - 45
Chapter 21
| 33 | "Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.
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| 34 | Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.
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| 35 | And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
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| 36 | Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.
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| 37 | Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, "They will respect my son.'
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| 38 | But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'
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| 39 | So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
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| 40 | "Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"
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| 41 | They said to Him, "He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons."
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| 42 | Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?
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| 43 | "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
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| 44 | And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
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| 45 | Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.
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And Glory be to God forever.
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Acknowledgement
Opening page