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Daily Readings |
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Monday, 18th May 2020 --- 10 Bashans 1736
Readings for Monday of fifth 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 42 : 5
Chapter 42
| 5 | Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. |
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 Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 9 : 21 - 43
Chapter 9
| 21 | So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. |
| 22 | And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." |
| 23 | Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." |
| 24 | Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" |
| 25 | When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" |
| 26 | Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." |
| 27 | But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. |
| 28 | And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" |
| 29 | So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." |
| 30 | Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. |
| 31 | For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day." |
| 32 | But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. |
| 33 | Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" |
| 34 | But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. |
| 35 | And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." |
| 36 | Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, |
| 37 | "Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me." |
| 38 | Now John answered Him, saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us." |
| 39 | But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. |
| 40 | For he who is not against us is on our side. |
| 41 | For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. |
| 42 | "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. |
| 43 | If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched-- |
And Glory be to God forever.
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 118 : 16 - 17
Chapter 118
| 16 | The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. |
| 17 | I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. |
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 Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 4 : 30 - 34
Chapter 4
| 30 | Then He said, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? |
| 31 | It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; |
| 32 | but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade." |
| 33 | And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. |
| 34 | But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. |
And Glory be to God forever.
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 Romans .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Romans 4 : 4 - 9
Chapter 4
| 4 | Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. |
| 5 | But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, |
| 6 | just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: |
| 7 | "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; |
| 8 | Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." |
| 9 | Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 John 3 : 21 - 24
Chapter 3
| 21 | Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. |
| 22 | And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. |
| 23 | And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. |
| 24 | Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. |
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.
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us.
Acts 7 : 37 - 41
Chapter 7
| 37 | "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.' |
| 38 | "This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, |
| 39 | whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, |
| 40 | saying to Aaron, "Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' |
| 41 | And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
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 70 : 5 - 5
Chapter 70
| 5 | But I am poor and needy; Make haste to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay. |
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 3 : 25 - 30
Chapter 3
| 25 | Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. |
| 26 | And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified--behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" |
| 27 | John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. |
| 28 | You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, "I am not the Christ,' but, "I have been sent before Him.' |
| 29 | He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. |
| 30 | He must increase, but I must decrease. |
And Glory be to God forever.
Not to be read in the Church during this time of the year.
Synaxarium
Day 10 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 Tenth Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans
Departure of the Three Hebrew Young Men : Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael
On this day is the commemoration
of the departure of the three young men the Saints: Hananiah (Ananias),
Azariah (Azarias) and Mishael (Misael). These Saints were the sons of Jehoiakim
king of Judah. They were exiled by Nebuchadnezzar to Babylon. When Nebuchadnezzar
chose some of the exiled young men to be in his service. These young men
and Daniel, their cousin, among those who were chosen. Ashpenaz the master
of the eunuchs gave them other names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar,
to Hananiah : Shadrach; to Mishael : Meshach; and to Azariah : Abed-Nego.
These young men purposed in their heart that they would not defile themselves
with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank;
therefore they requested of the chief of the eunuchs that they might not
defile themselves. The chief of the eunuchs said to them, "I fear my lord
the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see
your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you
would endanger my head before the king." They said to the steward whom
the chief of the eunuchs had set over them: "Please test your servants
for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
Then let our countenances be examined before you, and the countenances
of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you
see fit, so deal with your servants." So he consented with them in this
matter, and tested them ten days. And at the end of ten days their countenance
appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the
portion of the king's delicacies. As for these four young men, God gave
them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding
in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days, when the king had
said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them
in before Nebuchadnezzar. When the king interviewed them, and among them
all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore
they served before the king. And in all matters of wisdom and understanding
about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than
all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm, and he appointed them governors on all the provinces of Babylon.
(Daniel 1:8-20)
When the king made an image
of gold, and the three Hebrew young men did not worship it, those envious
of them, accused them before the king that they did not worship the image.
The king brought them and asked them about that and they confessed that
they only worship the true God. He commanded them to be casted in a burning
fiery furnace. The Lord sent His angel, who protected them and made the
fire as a cool dew although it burnt the men that threw them in the fiery
furnace. When the king saw that, he believed in their God and promoted
them in the province of Babylon. On the tenth day of Bashans, while they
were praying, and kneeling down, they gave up the spirit at the hand of
the Lord. A great earthquake occurred. The king was terrified, and inquired
from Daniel about what had happened, who told him that the three Hebrew
young men had died. The king came to the place and mourned them. He ordered
that three beds made of ebony be made, and their bodies be wrapped in silk,
and then placed on the beds. He also ordered a bed made of gold for himself,
so that when he died, they would place him on it among them. Pope Theophilos,
the 23rd. Patriarch, built a church after their names and wanted to relocate
their bodies to it. He delegated St. John the short and sent him to Babylon.
When he arrived to the place where they were buried, he heard a voice saying:
"The Lord has ordained that our bodies remain in this place, but because
of your labor of love, when you return, say to the Patriarch to fill the
oil lamps with oil on the night of the consecration of the church, and
the power of God will be revealed." When he returned, and told the Pope,
he did as he was commanded, and the oil lamps (Kandeels) lighted up. They
glorified God, and completed the consecration after the names of these
Saints.
May their prayers be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.