Readings for Thursday 15 February 2024
7 Amshir 1740
Vespers Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 110 : 4,7
| 4 | The LORD has sworn And will not relent, "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." |
| 7 | He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head. |
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 16 : 13 - 19
| 13 | When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" |
| 14 | So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." |
| 15 | He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" |
| 16 | Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." |
| 17 | Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. |
| 18 | And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. |
| 19 | And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." |
Glory be to God forever.
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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 73:23,24,28 Psalms 9:14
| 23 | Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. |
| 24 | You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. |
| 28 | But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works. |
| 14 | That I may tell of all Your praise In the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation. |
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 John the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
John 15 : 17 - 25
| 17 | These things I command you, that you love one another. |
| 18 | "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. |
| 19 | If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. |
| 20 | Remember the word that I said to you, "A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. |
| 21 | But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. |
| 22 | If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. |
| 23 | He who hates Me hates My Father also. |
| 24 | If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. |
| 25 | But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, "They hated Me without a cause.' |
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 Corinthians.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
2 Corinthians 4:5-18 2 Corinthians 5:1-11
| 5 | For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. |
| 6 | For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. |
| 7 | But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. |
| 8 | We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; |
| 9 | persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- |
| 10 | always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. |
| 11 | For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. |
| 12 | So then death is working in us, but life in you. |
| 13 | And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, |
| 14 | knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. |
| 15 | For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. |
| 16 | Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. |
| 17 | For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, |
| 18 | while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. |
| 1 | For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. |
| 2 | For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, |
| 3 | if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. |
| 4 | For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. |
| 5 | Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. |
| 6 | So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. |
| 7 | For we walk by faith, not by sight. |
| 8 | We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. |
| 9 | Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. |
| 10 | For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. |
| 11 | Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
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Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. Peter . May his blessings be upon us. Amen.
1 Peter 2:18-25 1 Peter 3:1-7
| 18 | Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. |
| 19 | For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. |
| 20 | For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. |
| 21 | For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: |
| 22 | "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; |
| 23 | who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; |
| 24 | who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. |
| 25 | For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. |
| 1 | Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, |
| 2 | when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. |
| 3 | Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- |
| 4 | rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. |
| 5 | For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, |
| 6 | as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. |
| 7 | Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. |
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 20 : 17 - 38
| 17 | From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. |
| 18 | And when they had come to him, he said to them: "You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, |
| 19 | serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; |
| 20 | how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, |
| 21 | testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 22 | And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, |
| 23 | except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. |
| 24 | But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. |
| 25 | "And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. |
| 26 | Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. |
| 27 | For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. |
| 28 | Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. |
| 29 | For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. |
| 30 | Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. |
| 31 | Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. |
| 32 | "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. |
| 33 | I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. |
| 34 | Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. |
| 35 | I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."' |
| 36 | And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. |
| 37 | Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, |
| 38 | sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship. |
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 7 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Amshir.
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 Seventh Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir
Departure of St.Alexandros the Second,
the Forty-Third Pope of Alexandria
On this day of the year 715 A.D., the
Holy Father Abba Alexandros the Second, the Forty-Third Pope of Alexandria,
departed. He was from the City of Bana. He became a monk in the monastery
of Pateron (Barbarun) or the monastery of the fathers, which was also known
as El-Zugag monastery, which was west of Alexandria. Because of his righteousness
and his knowledge, he was chosen to the throne of St. Mark. During his
papacy, he suffered many hardships. He was contemporary to the Caliph El-Walid
Ibn Abd-Elmalek. When the latter took the caliphate, he appointed his brother
Abdallah a governor of Egypt in the year 698 A.D. He mistreated the Christians
of Egypt, and confiscated the monasteries of the wilderness of Shiheet
(Scetis). His evil nature went to the extreme. One day he entered
a monastery in Upper Egypt, and saw an icon of the Virgin Mary, the Mother
of God, and inquired about it. He was told that it was the Virgin Mary,
the Mother of Christ, the Savior of the world, he spat on the icon and
said, "If I live, I shall destroy all the Christians." He then blasphemed
against the Lord Christ also. At night, he saw a vision during his sleep
which disturbed him, and filled his heart with fear. He wrote to his brother
saying, "that he suffered the day before as he saw a Man sitting on a great
throne, and His face shone more than the sun, and around Him were thousands
carrying arms. We were bound behind Him. When I asked who He was, I was
told that He was Christ Jesus, the King of the Christians, Whom I mocked
and despised the day before. One of the armed men came and pierced my side
with a spear."
His brother was extremely sad when he
heard about the vision. The same night, that man, Abdallah, caught a severe
fever and died. Forty days later, his brother El-Walid died also. In 701
A.D. another Governor replaced Abdallah, and he followed his predecessor's
policy. He mistreated the Christians, and arrested St.Alexandros and tortured
him until the believers collected for him three thousand Dinari. God perished
this Governor soon after that. The following Governor, was even more wicked
than the one before him. He ordered the arrest of the Pope, and asked him
for three thousand Dinari. The Pope excused himself saying that part of
the money that he paid to his predecessor was collected from some of the
believers and the rest was borrowed. The Governor did not accept his words,
and finally the Pope asked him for a grace period. The Pope went to Upper
Egypt to collect the money from the believers. During his travel, an ascetic
monk asked two of his disciples to dig out a cave. While they were digging,
they found five copper jars filled with gold. They kept one of them and
gave the rest to the hermit, which he sent to the Pope. The two disciples
took the gold and left the desert. They went out into the world, married,
and owned cattle, slaves and maidenservants. The Governor was informed
about these two men, and he called them to him. He threatened them if they
did not tell him the truth about their sudden wealth. They told him about
the five jars of gold, and that four jars were given to the Pope. He rushed
to the patriarchate and plundered all the church vessels. He seized the
Pope, insulted him and put him in prison. He demanded from the Pope the
jars and the three thousand Dinari. He did not release him until the Pope
gave it all to him.
Shortly after that, this Governor died,
and another even more evil came after him. He ordered the Christians to
tattoo on their wrists, instead of the sign of the honorable Cross, the
name of the "beast" that St. John the Theologian had prophesied about in
all the land. He also commanded the Pope to tattoo the sign of the beast
on his wrist, but the Pope refused. As the Governor insisted, the Pope
asked him for three days. The Pope went to his cell and prayed to the Lord
Jesus Christ not to forsake him so that he would not fail in this test.
The Lord answered his prayer, so he fell with a brief sickness. He went
to the Governor and asked his permission to go to Alexandria. The Governor
refused, thinking that the Pope was pretending to be sick just to escape
the tattooing. Afterwards, the Lord inspired him that he would depart from
this world after four days. He told this to his disciples, and asked them
to prepare a carriage to carry his body and to bury him beside the holy
fathers. He departed in peace, and was carried for his burial as he requested.
During the papacy of Abba Alexandros, the Melkites had a Patriarch in Egypt
by the name of Anastasius, who was hated by his own people because he loved
the Orthodox Copts and was peaceful with them. He left his own congregation
and went to Pope Alexandros, and confessed the Orthodox faith before him.
The Pope treated the Patriarch well, honored him and wanted to hand him
the affairs of the patriarchate so he could go and worship in seclusion
in one of the monasteries. Father Anastasius refused and said to him, "If
I had desired the patriarchal seat, I could have remained there, for I
was a patriarch, but now I want to be your disciple." He finally accepted,
however, to become a bishop in one of the bishoprics, and he shepherded
the flock entrusted to him well. Abba Alexandros remained on the seat of
St. Mark for 24 years and 9 months.
May His prayers be with us all. Amen.
Departure of St.Theodorus (Theodor),
the Forty-Fifth Pope of Alexandria
On this day also, of the
year 728 A.D., St. Theodorus (Theodore), 45th Pope of Alexandria, departed.
He was a monk in a monastery near Mariut, which was known as the monastery
of Tanboura, under the guidance of a virtuous elder called Yoannis (John).
Abba Yoannis was inspired by the Holy Spirit that his disciple Tadros one
day would become a Pope. He told those who were in authority. Tadros struggled
in his worship, and was perfect in his humility and meekness. He was chosen
by the will of God to become the Pope of Alexandria. He shepherd the flock
of the Lord Christ well. He continued to read and to preach to his people,
especially on Sundays and on feast days. He completed 12 years on the seat
of St. Mark and departed in peace.
May His prayers be with us, and Glory be to our 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 107 : 32,41,42
| 32 | Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders. |
| 41 | Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock. |
| 42 | The righteous see it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth. |
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 John the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
John 10 : 1 - 16
| 1 | "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. |
| 2 | But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. |
| 3 | To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. |
| 4 | And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. |
| 5 | Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." |
| 6 | Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. |
| 7 | Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. |
| 8 | All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. |
| 9 | I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. |
| 10 | The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. |
| 11 | "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. |
| 12 | But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. |
| 13 | The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. |
| 14 | I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. |
| 15 | As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. |
| 16 | And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. |
Glory be to God forever.
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