Saturday 17 April 2027
9 Baramudah 1743
Readings for Saturday of of the Great Lent
Matins Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 79 : 8 - 9
| 8 | Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, For we have been brought very low. |
| 9 | Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name's sake! |
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 9 : 1 - 8
| 1 | So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. |
| 2 | Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." |
| 3 | And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" |
| 4 | But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? |
| 5 | For which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, "Arise and walk'? |
| 6 | But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." |
| 7 | And he arose and departed to his house. |
| 8 | Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. |
Glory be to God forever.
↑ Top of Page ↑
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 Ephesians.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
Ephesians 4 : 1 - 7
| 1 | I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, |
| 2 | with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, |
| 3 | endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. |
| 4 | There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; |
| 5 | one Lord, one faith, one baptism; |
| 6 | one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. |
| 7 | But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
↑ Top of Page ↑
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. Peter . May his blessings be upon us. Amen.
1 Peter 1 : 13 - 21
| 13 | Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; |
| 14 | as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; |
| 15 | but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, |
| 16 | because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." |
| 17 | And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; |
| 18 | knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, |
| 19 | but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. |
| 20 | He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you |
| 21 | who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. |
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.
↑ Top of Page ↑
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us. Amen.
Acts 27 : 9 - 26
| 9 | Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, |
| 10 | saying, "Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives." |
| 11 | Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. |
| 12 | And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. |
| 13 | When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete. |
| 14 | But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon. |
| 15 | So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive. |
| 16 | And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty. |
| 17 | When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven. |
| 18 | And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. |
| 19 | On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. |
| 20 | Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. |
| 21 | But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. |
| 22 | And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. |
| 23 | For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, |
| 24 | saying, "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' |
| 25 | Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. |
| 26 | However, we must run aground on a certain island." |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God. Amen.
↑ Top of Page ↑
Synaxarium
Day 9 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramudah.
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 Ninth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramudah
Departure of St.Zosimus (Zocima)
On this day in the middle
of the fifth century the ascetic father and the struggling monk Abba Zocima
the priest, departed. This Saint was born about the middle of the fourth
century from Christian and holy parents, who were from Palestine. When
he was five years old they handed him to a righteous old monk, who raised
him in a Christian manner and taught him the doctrine of the church, and
shortly after they ordained him a deacon. He became a righteous monk and
grew in virtues. He was continually praising God and he read the Scriptures
day and night and during work also. When he had completed thirty five years
in the monastery they ordained him a priest. Then he increased his ascetic
labors and struggle. After spending thirteen years in this struggle the
enemy sowed in his mind the evil thought that he was superior to all his
contemporaries in virtues and righteousness. But the Lord willed to turn
him away from this thought. He sent an angel to him and commanded him to
go to the monastery which was near the river Jordan. He rose up and went
to the monastery and he found therein righteous old men who were more perfect
in their contending than him. He realized that he was far from what he
thought in himself and he stayed there with them.
The custom of those monks
during the Holy Lent, was that after they had fasted the first weak they
partook the Holy Communion, then they left the monastery singing the twenty
six psalm, and at the end of it, they prayed together. Then the abbot blessed
them and they bed farewell to each other. Then they dispersed in the desert
of Jordan and each of them carried out his spiritual fight by himself.
St. Zosimus used to go out with them each year wondering in the desert
asking God to show him who was more perfect than him. As he was wondering about he
met Mary the Egyptian (Coptic). He learned from her about her life history
and the reason for her wondering in the desert. She asked him to visit
her after one year to give her the Holy Mysteries. He came to her in the
next year and gave her the Holy Communion. In the year after he revisited
her again but he found her had departed and he buried her and told the
monks of the monastery concerning her strife. After he had lived ninety
nine years he departed in peace.
May His prayers be with us all. Amen.
Commemoration of the Wonder that took
place with Pope Sinuthius (Shenouda I) the Fifty-Fifth Patriarch
On this day also a great
sign was made manifest through our holy father Pope Sinuthius (Shenouda
I) the fifty fifth Pope of Alexandria. This Pope went to the desert of
Scetis in order to fast the Holy Lent with the fathers the monks. On Palm
Sunday many Arabs came to the desert of Scetis to plunder the monasteries.
They stood on the rock east of the church of St. Macarius. Their swords
were drawn in their hands ready to kill and steal. The bishops and the
monks gathered together and decided to leave the desert before the Holy
Feast of Resurrection (Easter) and they took counsel with Pope Shenouda
who told them; "As for me I will not leave the desert until I complete
the Pascal week. On Maundy Thursday the situation became worse. The Pope
took his staff that had the sign of the cross on it and he wanted to go
out to meet the Arabs saying: "It is better for me to die with the people
of God" but they prevented him from going out, but instead, he strengthened
and comforted them. Then he went forth to meet the Arabs with his staff
in his hand. When they saw him, they retreated and fled away as if they
were pursued by an army of soldiers and from this day onwards they never
came back to do any harm.
May The prayers of this father be with us and glory be to God forever.
Amen.
↑ Top of Page ↑
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 32 : 1 - 2
| 1 | Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. |
| 2 | Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. |
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 10 : 46 - 52
| 46 | Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. |
| 47 | And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" |
| 48 | Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" |
| 49 | So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." |
| 50 | And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. |
| 51 | So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." |
| 52 | Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. |
Glory be to God forever.
↑ Top of Page ↑