Readings for Wednesday 18 December 2024
9 Kiyahk 1741


Vespers Psalm & Gospel

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

Psalms 32:11 Psalms 33:1 Psalms 32:6

11Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; And shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
1Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
6For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.

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 25 : 14 - 23

14"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
15And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
16Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
17And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
18But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money.
19After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20"So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, "Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.'
21His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'
22He also who had received two talents came and said, "Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.'
23His lord said to him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

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 33 : 1,12

1Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful.
12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

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 Luke the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.

Luke 19 : 11 - 19

11Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.
12Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
13So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, "Do business till I come.'
14But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, "We will not have this man to reign over us.'
15"And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16Then came the first, saying, "Master, your mina has earned ten minas.'
17And he said to him, "Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'
18And the second came, saying, "Master, your mina has earned five minas.'
19Likewise he said to him, "You also be over five cities.'

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 Philippians.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.

Philippians 3:20-21 Philippians 4:1-9

20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
1Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
2I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
3And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
5Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
9The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

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 5 : 9 - 20

9Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
10My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.
11Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
12But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your "Yes" be "Yes," and your "No,No," lest you fall into judgment.
13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
15And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
19Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back,
20let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.

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 11 : 19 - 26

19Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only.
20But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus.
21And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
22Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch.
23When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.
24For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
25Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul.
26And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

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 9 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Kiyahk.
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 Kiyahk

Departure of St.Poemen the Confessor

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On this day St. Poemen, the confessor, departed. He was from the village of Bani-Khaseeb, district of El-Ashmunein. He was the steward of a rich man, whose wife trusted him greatly. Because of his chastity and his righteousness, everybody loved him. Because of his disdain for the vanities of this world, he left his work and went to a monastery in this city wherein he became a monk. When the rich man, his employer, knew about it, he and his wife went to him and asked him to come back to his job, for they were sorrowful for his departure. When he did not go along with them, they returned sad. The saint went on with his worship and asceticism, but he was not satisfied with that, and longed to become a martyr by the shedding of his blood in the Name of the Lord Christ, to Whom is the glory. He went to Ansena and found many Christians were being tortured for the Name of Christ. He therefore went forward and confessed his faith. They tortured him severely by beating him, burning him, by dismemberment of his body parts, and by squeezing him on the Hinbazeen. During all these tortures, the Lord Christ strengthened him and raised him up whole. While he was suffering in this manner, the era of worshipping idols came to an end; for Constantine the Just became emperor and ordered all those in prison, because of their faith in the Lord Christ, to be set free.

      The Lord Christ appeared to this saint and commanded him to make known to all the saints in prison that the Lord, Whose Name be blessed, reckoned them among the martyrs and called them the confessors. Emperor Constantine sent for 72 of them in order to receive their blessings. They went to him along with St. Abanob, the confessor. St. Poemen lived after that in a monastery outside the city of El-Ashmunein. God granted him the gift of healing the sick and these reports spread in all the surrounding districts. The Empress of Rome became sick with a grievous illness which was difficult to treat. She visited many monasteries and churches but she was not healed of her sickness. Finally she came to the city of Ansena, and the governor of the city and his men accompanied her to the place where St. Poemen was. When they informed him of the Empress' presence and expressed to him her desire to see him, St.Poemen did not go out to meet her but said, "What have I to do with the kings of the earth." When the brethren, the monks, besought him to go out to meet her, he did so. When she saw him, she bowed down at his feet. The saint prayed over some oil and anointed her and she was instantly healed of her sickness. The Empress offered St. Poemen much money along with several expensive gifts but he did not accept them, except for a few sacred vessels for the altar, a paten, a chalice, and a cross of gold. The Empress returned to Rome glorifying God.

      There was a holy bishop close to St. Poemen while he was celebrating the feast of some martyrs with several believers in one of the monasteries. He knew that the Arian heretics took a false bishop and lead many people astray. The bishop went to St. Poemin and told him. St. Poemen took some monks and went where those heretics were. He debated with them, explaining to them their evil counsel, and the Lord dispersed them. The saint went back to his monastery, until he became an old man. When he became sick, he gathered the brethren and advised them, telling them that his time was drawing nigh to be with the Lord. The brethren were sorrowful because of his approaching separation from them. When he delivered up his soul, the brethren swathed him and prayed over him. Many healing signs were manifested through his body.

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 34:19 Psalms 68:3

19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
3But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

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 Luke the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.

Luke 12 : 32 - 44

32"Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
35"Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning;
36and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.
37Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them.
38And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.
40Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."
41Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?"
42And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season?
43Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
44Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has.

Glory be to God forever.

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