Baramhat 2, 1740 AM <-> March 11 2024 <->The Readings for today

Monday 11 March 2024
2 Baramhat 1740
Readings for Monday of of the Great Lent

Prophecy

From the Book of Exodus of Moses, may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen

Exodus 2 : 23 - 25

²³	Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.

²⁴	So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

²⁵	And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

From the Book of *Exodus of Moses, may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen

Exodus 3 : 1 - 5

¹	Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

²	And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

³	Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."

⁴	So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."

⁵	Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground."

From the Book of Isaiah , may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen

Isaiah 1 : 2 - 18

²	Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me;

³	The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider."

⁴	Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.

⁵	Why should you be stricken again? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faints.

⁶	From the sole of the foot even to the head, There is no soundness in it, But wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; They have not been closed or bound up, Or soothed with ointment.

⁷	Your country is desolate, Your cities are burned with fire; Strangers devour your land in your presence; And it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

⁸	So the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, As a hut in a garden of cucumbers, As a besieged city.

⁹	Unless the LORD of hosts Had left to us a very small remnant, We would have become like Sodom, We would have been made like Gomorrah.

¹⁰	Hear the word of the LORD, You rulers of Sodom; Give ear to the law of our God, You people of Gomorrah:

¹¹	"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?" Says the LORD. "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams And the fat of fed cattle. I do not delight in the blood of bulls, Or of lambs or goats.

¹²	"When you come to appear before Me, Who has required this from your hand, To trample My courts?

¹³	Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies--I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.

¹⁴	Your New Moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them.

¹⁵	When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; Even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood.

¹⁶	"Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil,

¹⁷	Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow.

¹⁸	"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.

Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.

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Matins Psalm & Gospel

From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.

Psalms 6 : 1 - 2

¹	O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

²	Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord. Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, unto Him be the glory forever, Amen.

Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to our teacher Saint Matthew the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.

Matthew 12 : 24 - 34

²⁴	Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons."

²⁵	But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.

²⁶	If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

²⁷	And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

²⁸	But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.

²⁹	Or how can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.

³⁰	He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

³¹	"Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.

³²	Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

³³	"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.

³⁴	Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Glory be to God forever.

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Divine Liturgy

Pauline 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 with us. Amen.

Romans 1 : 26 - 2 : 7

²⁶	For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.

²⁷	Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

²⁸	And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

²⁹	being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,

³⁰	backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

³¹	undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;

³²	who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

¹	Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

²	But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.

³	And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?

⁴	Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?

⁵	But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

⁶	who "will render to each one according to his deeds":

⁷	eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality;

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 blessings be upon us. Amen.

James 2 : 1 - 13

¹	My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality.

²	For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,

³	and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool,"

⁴	have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

⁵	Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

⁶	But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?

⁷	Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?

⁸	If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well;

⁹	but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

¹⁰	For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

¹¹	For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

¹²	So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.

¹³	For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

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. Amen.

Acts 14 : 19 - 28

¹⁹	Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

²⁰	However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

²¹	And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

²²	strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

²³	So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴	And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.

²⁵	Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶	From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed.

²⁷	Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

²⁸	So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

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 2 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramhat.
May God make it always received, year after year, with reassurance and tranquility, while our sins are forgiven by the tender mercies of our God my fathers and brothers. Amen.

The Second Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat

Martyrdom of St.Macrobius (Makrawy) the Bishop

On this day the blessed Saint Anba Makrawy (Macrobius) the bishop was martyred. This father was of the nobles of Ashmun Grais (Ashmun Kharirat) and he was ordained bishop for Nikiu (Nakiyos). When persecution against Christians started, Youfanyous, the Governor, sent for the Saint to appear before him. Before he went to the Governor, he went before the Holy Altar, lifted up his hands and prayed. He hid the Altar accessories (Utensils) and the service vestments in a place in the altar. He prayed again to the Lord Christ to guard His church. Then he went with the messengers to the Governor who asked him about his name and his hometown. When the Governor realized that he was the Bishop of the city, he ordered him to be beaten and humiliated. They mixed lime with vinegar and poured it down his throat. Nevertheless, God guarded him and he was unharmed. Later, the Governor sent him to Armenius, the Governor of Alexandria, who casted him into prison. The Lord made, through his hands, many signs. Eucharistos, the son of Julius EL-Akfahsi, the writers of the biography of the martyrs, was paralytic. St.Macrobius prayed over him and God healed him through his prayers. He celebrated the Divine Liturgy in Julius home, administered the Holy Mysteries to them, and asked Julius to care for his body and to write his biography.

When Armenius heard what this Saint was performing signs and wonders, he ordered him to be tortured with different kinds of tortures: to be squeezed with the wheel, to cut off his members, to cast him to ferocious lions, to throw him into the sea, and to cast him into hot fire. The Lord strengthened him and all these tortures did not harm him. This Saint had a virgin sister called Mariam who served the church and two brothers named Yoannis and Isaac. They came to him while he was in prison and wept before him saying: "You have been a father to us, after our father; so how can you depart and leave us orphans?" He comforted, encouraged, consoled, and asked them to leave in peace. Finally, not wanting to see the Saint tortured any more, Julius EL-Akfahsi advised the governor saying: "Write the decree of this old man and get rid of him" The Governor listened to him and ordered his head to be cut off. Julius took his body and swathed it in wrappings embroidered in gold. He placed a golden cross on his chest and sent the body with his men in a ship to his Episcopal seat in Nikiu. The ship sailed until it arrived to the city of Ashmun Grais (Ashmun Kharirat). It stopped as if it had been tied with chains and all attempts to move it failed. While they were trying to do that, a voice came out of the body saying: "This is the place wherein God is pleased that my body shall rest." When they told the people of the city, they came out to the ship carrying palm branches. They carried the body with great honor to their city. He lived for one-hundred thirty one years; thirty of them as a priest, thirty nine as a bishop, and he completed his good strife and received the crown of life.

May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.

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Divine Liturgy Psalm & Gospel

From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.

Psalms 22 : 26

²⁶	The poor shall eat and be satisfied; Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever!

Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord. Our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, unto Him be the glory forever, Amen.

Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to our teacher Saint Mark the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.

Mark 9 : 33 - 50

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--

⁴⁴	where "Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.'

⁴⁵	And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched--

⁴⁶	where "Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.'

⁴⁷	And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire--

⁴⁸	where "Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.'

⁴⁹	"For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt.

⁵⁰	Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

Glory be to God forever.

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