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Daily Readings
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Saturday, 29th February 2020 --- 21 Amshir 1736
Readings for Saturday of first week of Great Lent
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 119 : 57 - 58
Chapter 119
| 57 | You are my portion, O LORD; I have said that I would keep Your words.
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| 58 | I entreated Your favor with my whole heart; Be merciful to me according to Your word.
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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 Matthew the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Matthew 5 : 25 - 37
Chapter 5
| 25 | Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
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| 26 | Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
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| 27 | "You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not commit adultery.'
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| 28 | But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
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| 29 | If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
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| 30 | And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
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| 31 | "Furthermore it has been said, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.'
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| 32 | But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
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| 33 | "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.'
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| 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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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 Romans .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Romans 12 : 1 - 21
Chapter 12
| 1 | I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
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| 2 | And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
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| 3 | For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
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| 4 | For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,
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| 5 | so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
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| 6 | Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
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| 7 | or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
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| 8 | he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
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| 9 | Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
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| 10 | Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
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| 11 | not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
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| 12 | rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
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| 13 | distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
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| 14 | Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
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| 15 | Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
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| 16 | Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
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| 17 | Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
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| 18 | If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
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| 19 | Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
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| 20 | Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
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| 21 | Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
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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 1 : 1 - 12
Chapter 1
| 1 | James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.
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| 2 | My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
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| 3 | knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
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| 4 | But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
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| 5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
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| 6 | But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
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| 7 | For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
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| 8 | he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
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| 9 | Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
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| 10 | but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
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| 11 | For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
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| 12 | Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love 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 21 : 27 - 39
Chapter 21
| 27 | Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him,
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| 28 | crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place."
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| 29 | (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
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| 30 | And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.
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| 31 | Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
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| 32 | He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
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| 33 | Then the commander came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two chains; and he asked who he was and what he had done.
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| 34 | And some among the multitude cried one thing and some another. So when he could not ascertain the truth because of the tumult, he commanded him to be taken into the barracks.
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| 35 | When he reached the stairs, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob.
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| 36 | For the multitude of the people followed after, crying out, "Away with him!"
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| 37 | Then as Paul was about to be led into the barracks, he said to the commander, "May I speak to you?" He replied, "Can you speak Greek?
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| 38 | Are you not the Egyptian who some time ago stirred up a rebellion and led the four thousand assassins out into the wilderness?"
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| 39 | But Paul said, "I am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I implore you, permit me to speak to the people."
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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 21 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Amshir, 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 Twenty-First Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir
Commemoration of the Virgin St.Mary
We celebrate on this day the commemoration
of the pure Lady St. Mary the Virgin, the Mother of God, the Word, through
whom was the salvation of Adam and his offspring.
May her intercession be for us all. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Onesimus, the Disciple
of St.Paul
On this day also St. Onesimus,
the disciple of St. Paul, was martyred. This saint was a slave for a man
from Rome called Philemon who believed at the hands of St.Paul, when he
heard his preaching in Rome. Philemon departed from Rome on a business
trip and took with him Onesimus among others of his servants. There the
devil enticed Onesimus, so he stole money from his master and fled to Rome.
According to the Divine Will, Onesimus attended the preaching of St. Paul,
which he kept in his heart. He believed at the hand of St. Paul and his
heart was filled with the grace and the fear of God. He remembered what
he stole from his master and from others and since he did not have anything
left from the stolen money to return to its rightful owners, he was sorrowful
and told St.Paul about that. St. Paul comforted him and wrote an epistle
to Onesimus' master, Philemon, informing him in it, that Onesimus became
a follower of Christ saying, "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom
I have begotten while in my chains." St. Paul asked him to treat him gently
and not to mind what he did but to consider what he lost as owed by the
apostle. When Onesimus took the epistle to his master Philemon, he was
pleased by his faith and repentance and treated him as the apostle commanded.
Furthermore, he offered him more money but St. Onesimus refused saying,
"I am rich with Christ." Then he bid Philemon farewell and returned to
Rome. St. Onesimus continued to serve St. Paul until his martyrdom and
deserved to be ordained a priest. After the martyrdom of St. Paul, the
governor of Rome seized him and exiled him to one of the islands. He remained
there preaching and baptizing the people of the island. When the governor
came to the island, he found him guiding the people to the belief in the
Lord Christ. He was beaten severely and his legs were broken. He departed
in peace.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Gabriel, the Fifty-Seventh
Pope of Alexandria
On this day also of the
year 911 A.D., the great father St. Gabriel, 57th Pope of Alexandria, departed.
This saint became a monk at a young age, practicing many worships. He loved
solitary life and wept much while praying, asking the Lord to save him
from the snares of the devil. When Pope Mikhael, 56th Pope, departed, they
chose this father to be the Pope in his place. He was ordained in the year
900 A.D. against his will. He cared for the church affairs well, and the
duties of the patriarchate did not prevent him from his worship and asceticism.
He spent most of his days in the wilderness and whenever he had some affairs
to take care of in Cairo or Alexandria, he would leave and then return
back to the wilderness. He fought against the flesh and the devil by increasing
fasting, watching, prayers and humility. He used to wake up in the night,
put on a ragged garment, take a metal shovel and go around the bathrooms
of the monks' cells, washing and cleaning them. He did the same for many
years until the Lord looked upon his humility and humble heart, so He relieved
his pains and gave him the grace of victory over sin and the body. This
father was a worshipper, fighter and a preacher for 11 years, then he departed
in peace.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Zacharias, Bishop of
Sakha
On this day also St. Zacharias,
Bishop of Sakha, departed. He was the son of a scribe called John who left
his job and was chosen to be a priest. His son Zacharias was raised on
studying literary and religious subjects. When he grew up, El-Wazeer appointed
him as a scribe in his court. Afterward he agreed with a friend called
Ptolemy who was the prefect of the town of Sakha, to leave their work and
go to the wilderness to become monks. That coincided with the coming of
a monk from the monastery of St. John the Short, so they decided to go
with him to the monastery. When the ruler (El-Wazeer) knew about that,
he prevented them from going to the monastery. A few days later, they saw
a vision as if someone was asking them, "Why did you not fulfill your vow?"
Immediately, they left in secret, walking to the wilderness, without knowing
their way. They met on their way, by the will of God, a monk who took them
to the monastery of St. John the Short (Colobos). When their friends knew
about that, they took a letter from the Governor to bring them back, but
the Lord defeated their counsel. As for Zacharias and his friend, they
put on the garb of the monks and exerted themselves in many worships. That
was during the time of the saints Abba Gawargah and Abba Abraham who were
the best guides for them. When the Bishop of Sakha departed, the people
wrote to the father, the Patriarch, asking for Zacharias to be their bishop.
The Patriarch brought him and ordained him against his will. At the time
of the ordination, when the Pope was about to put his hands on Zacharias'
head, a light shined in the church and his face appeared as a bright star.
When he arrived to his diocese, the people rejoiced and went out to meet
him with great honor. The church was illumined with his teachings. St.
Zacharias was eloquent and filled with grace and he wrote many articles,
sermons and discourses. He stayed on his chair for 30 years, then departed
in peace.
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 5 : 1 - 2
Chapter 5
| 1 | Give ear to my words, O LORD, Consider my meditation.
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| 2 | Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray.
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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 5 : 38 - 48
Chapter 5
| 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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Acknowledgement
Opening page