Monday 18 March 2024
9 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 3 : 6 - 14
| 6 | Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. |
| 7 | And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. |
| 8 | So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. |
| 9 | Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. |
| 10 | Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." |
| 11 | But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" |
| 12 | So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." |
| 13 | Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, "What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" |
| 14 | And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."' |
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
From the Book of Isaiah , may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen
Isaiah 4 : 2 - 5 : 7
| 2 | In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. |
| 3 | And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy--everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. |
| 4 | When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, |
| 5 | then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. |
| 6 | And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain. |
| 1 | Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. |
| 2 | He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. |
| 3 | "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. |
| 4 | What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? |
| 5 | And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. |
| 6 | I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it." |
| 7 | For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help. |
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
↑ Top of Page ↑
Matins Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 40 : 11
| 11 | Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O LORD; Let Your lovingkindness and Your truth continually preserve me. |
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 : 25 - 29
| 25 | When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" |
| 26 | Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." |
| 27 | But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. |
| 28 | And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" |
| 29 | So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." |
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 Romans.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
Romans 1 : 18 - 25
| 18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, |
| 19 | because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. |
| 20 | For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, |
| 21 | because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. |
| 22 | Professing to be wise, they became fools, |
| 23 | and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. |
| 24 | Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, |
| 25 | who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
↑ Top of Page ↑
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. Jude . May his blessings be upon us. Amen.
Jude 1 : 1 - 8
| 1 | Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: |
| 2 | Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. |
| 3 | Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. |
| 4 | For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 5 | But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. |
| 6 | And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; |
| 7 | as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. |
| 8 | Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. |
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 4 : 36 - 5 : 11
| 36 | And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, |
| 37 | having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. |
| 1 | But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. |
| 2 | And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. |
| 3 | But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? |
| 4 | While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." |
| 5 | Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. |
| 6 | And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. |
| 7 | Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. |
| 8 | And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much." |
| 9 | Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." |
| 10 | Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. |
| 11 | So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. |
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 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 Ninth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
Departure of St.Konan
On this day the fighter St. Konan departed. This
Saint was from a city called Antanyos in the country of Syria during the
days when the Apostles were preaching the Name of the Lord Christ to Whome
is the glory. His father's name was Nestor, his mother's name was Theodora,
and they worshipped the stars. When this Saint grew and became a man, the
virtues of purity, chastity, piety, and mercy were manifested in his life.
His parents wished to wed him but he refused. They forced him to get married,
but he refused to have any relation with his wife and both remained virgins.
Often he prayed saying: " O God lead me to Your true Knowledge." Michael,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him and ordered him to go to one of the
apostles. Konan went to him, learned from him all the Laws of the Christian
Faith, was baptized and received the Divine Mysteries. He went on listening
to the teachings of the Apostles and he increased in purity, chastity,
ascetism, and praying. God granted him the gift of performing miracles
and the authority over the devil, and he attracted his parents to the faith
in the Lord Christ. Once, one of the unbelievers went to one of the temples
to offer a sacrifice to satan. St. Konan knew this man, and he cried out
against satan, rebuked him and commanded him to confess before the people
telling them whom he was. The devil confessed that he was satan and was
not a god.
All the people were present cried out saying: "One
is the God of St. Konan," and they believed and were baptized. When the
Governor, who had been appointed by Claudius Caesar, heard about this Saint,
he had him brought before him, and the saint confessed his faith in the
Lord Christ. The Governor commanded him to be bound and beaten very severely.
When the people of the city heard that, and because of their love to the
Saint, they wanted to kill the Governor but he fled from them. They released
the Saint from his fetters, washed the blood off him, and carried him to
their town. He lived for many years then departed to the Lord. The believers
made his house a church and laid his body in it, from which many signs
and wonders were manifested.
May His prayers be with us all. Amen.
Martyrdom of the Saints Abrianus, Amrata
his wife, Eusebius, Armanius, and the Forty Martyrs
On this day also was the
martyrdom of Sts. Abrianus, Amrata his wife, Eusebius, Armanius, and the
Forty Martyrs after they had been tortured severely in the Name of Our
Lord Jesus Christ.
May Their prayers be with us and Glory be to our 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 29 : 1 - 2
| 1 | Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. |
| 2 | Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. |
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 18 : 1 - 8
| 1 | Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, |
| 2 | saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. |
| 3 | Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, "Get justice for me from my adversary.' |
| 4 | And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man, |
| 5 | yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."' |
| 6 | Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. |
| 7 | And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? |
| 8 | I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" |
Glory be to God forever.
↑ Top of Page ↑