Readings for Sunday 18 February 2024
10 Amshir 1740
Second Sunday of Amshir
Vespers Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 15 : 1 - 2
| 1 | LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? |
| 2 | He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; |
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 4 : 46 - 53
| 46 | So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. |
| 47 | When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. |
| 48 | Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." |
| 49 | The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" |
| 50 | Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. |
| 51 | And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" |
| 52 | Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." |
| 53 | So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. |
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 24 : 3 - 4
| 3 | Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? |
| 4 | He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. |
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 3 : 17 - 21
| 17 | For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. |
| 18 | "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. |
| 19 | And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. |
| 20 | For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. |
| 21 | But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." |
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 Hebrews.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
Hebrews 7 : 1 - 17
| 1 | For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, |
| 2 | to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated "king of righteousness," and then also king of Salem, meaning "king of peace," |
| 3 | without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually. |
| 4 | Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. |
| 5 | And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; |
| 6 | but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. |
| 7 | Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. |
| 8 | Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. |
| 9 | Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, |
| 10 | for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. |
| 11 | Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? |
| 12 | For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. |
| 13 | For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. |
| 14 | For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. |
| 15 | And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest |
| 16 | who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. |
| 17 | For He testifies: "You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek." |
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
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Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. John . May his blessings be upon us. Amen.
2 John 1 : 1 - 13
| 1 | The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, |
| 2 | because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: |
| 3 | Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. |
| 4 | I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. |
| 5 | And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. |
| 6 | This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. |
| 7 | For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. |
| 8 | Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. |
| 9 | Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. |
| 10 | If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; |
| 11 | for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. |
| 12 | Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. |
| 13 | The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen. |
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 18 : 9 - 12
| 9 | Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; |
| 10 | for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." |
| 11 | And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. |
| 12 | When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, |
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 10 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 Tenth Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir
Martyrdom of St.James the Apostle, the
Son of Alphaeus
On this day, St. James the Apostle,
son of Alphaeus, was martyred. After he had preached the Gospel in many
cities, he returned to Jerusalem and entered the temple of the Jews. He
preached the gospel publicly and proclaimed the faith of the Lord Christ
and His resurrection. The Jews abducted him and brought him to Claudius,
the deputy of the Roman emperor, and told him that he was preaching another
king instead of Caesar. Claudius ordered him to be stoned to death, until
he departed in peace. The faithful took his body and buried him beside
the temple.
May His prayers be with us all. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Justus, the Son of Emperor
Numerian
On this day also, St. Justus, son of
Emperor Numerian, was martyred. When he returned from war, he found that
Emperor Diocletian had married his sister and had become the new emperor.
Emperor Diocletian had apostatized the faith in the Lord Christ, and St.
Justus was greatly sorrowful for what happened. When the nobles of the
empire met together to enthrone him in place of his father, he did not
accept, for he preferred the heavenly kingdom over the earthly. He came
before Diocletian and declared his faith in the Lord Christ. The Emperor
sent St. Justus with his son Abali and his wife Theoclea to the Governor
of Alexandria, and commanded him to persuade them first and to behead them
if they did not obey. When they arrived in Alexandria, the Governor received
them and treated them well to persuade them. As he could not change their
deep conviction in their faith in the Lord Christ, to Whom is the Glory,
he sent St. Justus to Antinoe (Ansena), Abali, his son, to Basta (near
Zagazig, Sharkia), and Theoclea to Sa (Salhagar, Gharbia). Each of them
took a servant with him so when they completed their strife, the servant
would take care of the body. They tortured them, beheaded them, and they
received the crown of martyrdom.
May Their prayers be with us all. Amen.
Departure of St.Isidore of Pelusium
On this day also, the ascetic, scholar
and holy man, Anba Isidore of Pelusium (El-Pharma), departed. His parents
were among the rich and noble people of Egypt. He was related to Pope Cyril
and Pope Theophilus, patriarchs of Alexandria. He was the only child of
his parents, who cared about his education. They taught him the books of
the church, and the Greek language in which he excelled and surpassed many.
He was also ascetic and humble. When he knew that the people of Alexandria
and the bishops wanted to make him the Patriarch of Alexandria, he took
flight by night to Pelusium and became a monk in a monastery there. Then
he went to a small cave where he lived alone for several years. During
these years, he wrote many books about emperors and governors. He also
commented on many books of the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. His
epistles that he sent to bishops and patriarchs were counted as eighteen
thousand epistles. The gifts of the Holy Spirit poured upon him, and he
reached a good old age, then departed to the Lord in peace.
May His prayers be with us all. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Philo, the Bishop of
the Persians
Today also, the honorable St. Philo,
bishop of the Persians, was martyred by the hand of the Persian emperor.
When he did not accept worshipping fire and the sun, they tortured him
with different kinds of tortures, and then they beheaded him with the sword.
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 96 : 7 - 8
| 7 | Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. |
| 8 | Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. |
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 6 : 5 - 14
| 5 | Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" |
| 6 | But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do. |
| 7 | Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little." |
| 8 | One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him, |
| 9 | "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?" |
| 10 | Then Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. |
| 11 | And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. |
| 12 | So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." |
| 13 | Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. |
| 14 | Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." |
Glory be to God forever.
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