Baramhat 11, 1740 AM <-> March 20 2024 <->The Readings for today

Wednesday 20 March 2024
11 Baramhat 1740
Readings for Wednesday of of the Great Lent

Prophecy

From the Book of Exodus of Moses, may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen

Exodus 2 : 11 - 20

¹¹	Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

¹²	So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

¹³	And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, "Why are you striking your companion?"

¹⁴	Then he said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" So Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known!"

¹⁵	When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

¹⁶	Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

¹⁷	Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

¹⁸	When they came to Reuel their father, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?"

¹⁹	And they said, "An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock."

²⁰	So he said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."

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 5 : 17 - 25

¹⁷	Then the lambs shall feed in their pasture, And in the waste places of the fat ones strangers shall eat.

¹⁸	Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, And sin as if with a cart rope;

¹⁹	That say, "Let Him make speed and hasten His work, That we may see it; And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, That we may know it."

²⁰	Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

²¹	Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!

²²	Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink,

²³	Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!

²⁴	Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

²⁵	Therefore the anger of the LORD is aroused against His people; He has stretched out His hand against them And stricken them, And the hills trembled. Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.

Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.

From the Book of Malachi , may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen

Malachi 1 : 6 - 14

⁶	"A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, "In what way have we despised Your name?'

⁷	"You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, "In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, "The table of the LORD is contemptible.'

⁸	And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts.

⁹	"But now entreat God's favor, That He may be gracious to us. While this is being done by your hands, Will He accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts.

¹⁰	"Who is there even among you who would shut the doors, So that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you," Says the LORD of hosts, "Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.

¹¹	For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations," Says the LORD of hosts.

¹²	"But you profane it, In that you say, "The table of the LORD is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.'

¹³	You also say, "Oh, what a weariness!' And you sneer at it," Says the LORD of hosts. "And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?" Says the LORD.

¹⁴	"But cursed be the deceiver Who has in his flock a male, And takes a vow, But sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished--For I am a great King," Says the LORD of hosts, "And My name is to be feared among the nations.

Malachi 3 : 1 - 18

¹	"Behold, I send My messenger, And he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, Will suddenly come to His temple, Even the Messenger of the covenant, In whom you delight. Behold, He is coming," Says the LORD of hosts.

²	"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner's fire And like launderers' soap.

³	He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the LORD An offering in righteousness.

⁴	"Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem Will be pleasant to the LORD, As in the days of old, As in former years.

⁵	And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness Against sorcerers, Against adulterers, Against perjurers, Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, And against those who turn away an alien--Because they do not fear Me," Says the LORD of hosts.

⁶	"For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

⁷	Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, "In what way shall we return?'

⁸	"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, "In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.

⁹	You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.

¹⁰	Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

¹¹	"And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts;

¹²	And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.

¹³	"Your words have been harsh against Me," Says the LORD, "Yet you say, "What have we spoken against You?'

¹⁴	You have said, "It is useless to serve God; What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, And that we have walked as mourners Before the LORD of hosts?

¹⁵	So now we call the proud blessed, For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and go free."'

¹⁶	Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name.

¹⁷	"They shall be Mine," says the LORD of hosts, "On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them As a man spares his own son who serves him."

¹⁸	Then you shall again discern Between the righteous and the wicked, Between one who serves God And one who does not serve Him.

Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.

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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 18 : 17 - 18

¹⁷	He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me.

¹⁸	They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support.

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 5 : 17 - 24

¹⁷	"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

¹⁸	For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

¹⁹	Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰	For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

²¹	"You have heard that it was said to those of old, "You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'

²²	But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, "Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, "You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.

²³	Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

²⁴	leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

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 Romans.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.

Romans 3 : 1 - 17

¹	What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision?

²	Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.

³	For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?

⁴	Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged."

⁵	But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)

⁶	Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?

⁷	For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner?

⁸	And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"?--as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

⁹	What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.

¹⁰	As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;

¹¹	There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God.

¹²	They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one."

¹³	"Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips";

¹⁴	"Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."

¹⁵	"Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶	Destruction and misery are in their ways;

¹⁷	And the way of peace they have not known."

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 : 8 - 13

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 5 : 3 - 11

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.

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Synaxarium

Day 11 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 Eleventh Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat

Martyrdom of St.Basil (Basilaos) The Bishop

On this day St. Basil (Basilaos) the bishop was martyred. In the year 298 A.D., Abba Armon, Patriarch of Jerusalem, ordained this holy man among others to be bishops without stated Sees. He sent them to preach the Kingdom of Heaven in pagan cities. This Saint preached in many cities where they beat him and drove him out. When he entered the city of Sharsunah, in Syria, he preached the Gospel, some of its people believed but the others became angry and drove him out. He went outside the city and dwelt in a cave where he gave himself to perpetual prayers and supplications to God that the people of the city might believe in Christ. The son of the Governor of that city died, he was his only child, and he grieved on him exceedingly. On the day that the Governor buried his son, he saw him in a vision at night, standing before him saying: "Call St. Basilaos and ask him to pray to the Lord Christ on my behalf because I am in great darkness." The Governor woke up from his dream and took the nobles of the city, went to the cave of St. Basilaos and asked him to enter the city to pray for his son. The Saint agreed to their request and went with them to where the Governor's son was buried. He prayed to God with fervent supplication and the son rose up alive with the power of God. The Governor, his household, and many of the people of the city believed, and were baptized by the hands of this Saint. There were in the city a congregation of Jews who were envious of the Saint. They joined with the men of the city who did not believe, and rose up against the Saint and beat him and dragged him until he yielded up his soul 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 18 : 1 - 2

¹	I will love You, O LORD, my strength.

²	The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

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 15 : 32 - 38

³²	Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."

³³	Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"

³⁴	Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."

³⁵	So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

³⁶	And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude.

³⁷	So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.

³⁸	Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

Glory be to God forever.

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