Monday 22 March 2027
13 Baramhat 1743
Readings for Monday of of the Great Lent
Prophecy
From the Book of Proverbs , may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen
Proverbs 1 : 20 - 33
| 20 | Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares. |
| 21 | She cries out in the chief concourses, At the openings of the gates in the city She speaks her words: |
| 22 | "How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge. |
| 23 | Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. |
| 24 | Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, |
| 25 | Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke, |
| 26 | I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, |
| 27 | When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. |
| 28 | "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. |
| 29 | Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, |
| 30 | They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. |
| 31 | Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. |
| 32 | For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; |
| 33 | But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil." |
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 8 : 13 - 9 : 7
| 13 | The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. |
| 14 | He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. |
| 15 | And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken." |
| 16 | Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. |
| 17 | And I will wait on the LORD, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. |
| 18 | Here am I and the children whom the LORD has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the LORD of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion. |
| 19 | And when they say to you, "Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter," should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living? |
| 20 | To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. |
| 21 | They will pass through it hard-pressed and hungry; and it shall happen, when they are hungry, that they will be enraged and curse their king and their God, and look upward. |
| 22 | Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness. |
| 1 | Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, In Galilee of the Gentiles. |
| 2 | The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. |
| 3 | You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. |
| 4 | For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. |
| 5 | For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, And garments rolled in blood, Will be used for burning and fuel of fire. |
| 6 | For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. |
| 7 | Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. |
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 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 Luke the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
Luke 19 : 11 - 28
| 11 | Now 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. |
| 12 | Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. |
| 13 | So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, "Do business till I come.' |
| 14 | But 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. |
| 16 | Then came the first, saying, "Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' |
| 17 | And he said to him, "Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' |
| 18 | And the second came, saying, "Master, your mina has earned five minas.' |
| 19 | Likewise he said to him, "You also be over five cities.' |
| 20 | "Then another came, saying, "Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. |
| 21 | For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' |
| 22 | And he said to him, "Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. |
| 23 | Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' |
| 24 | "And he said to those who stood by, "Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' |
| 25 | (But they said to him, "Master, he has ten minas.') |
| 26 | "For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. |
| 27 | But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me."' |
| 28 | When He had said this, He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. |
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 Corinthians.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
1 Corinthians 5 : 9 - 6 : 5
| 9 | I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. |
| 10 | Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. |
| 11 | But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. |
| 12 | For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? |
| 13 | But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person." |
| 1 | Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? |
| 2 | Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? |
| 3 | Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? |
| 4 | If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? |
| 5 | I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? |
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
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Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. Peter . May his blessings be upon us. Amen.
1 Peter 1 : 3 - 12
| 3 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, |
| 4 | to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, |
| 5 | who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. |
| 6 | In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, |
| 7 | that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, |
| 8 | whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, |
| 9 | receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. |
| 10 | Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, |
| 11 | searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. |
| 12 | To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into. |
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 17 : 10 - 14
| 10 | Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. |
| 11 | These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. |
| 12 | Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. |
| 13 | But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the crowds. |
| 14 | Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to go to the sea; but both Silas and Timothy remained there. |
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 13 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 Thirteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
Departure of Abba Dionysius, the Fourteenth
Pope of Alexandria
On this day (March 8th, 264 A.D.) the
great father Abba Dionysius, the fourteenth Pope of Alexandria, departed.
His parents were stare worshippers of the Sun (Sabians) and they put emphasis
on teaching him all the knowledge of that sect. One day a Christian old
woman passed by him, who had with her some pages of a book containing an
Epistle of St. Paul the apostle and offered it to him to buy it. When he
read it he found in it strange sayings and unusual knowledge. He asked
her: "For how much will you sell it?" She said: "For one dinar of gold."
He gave her three dinars and asked her to find the rest of the pages of
the book and he was willing to pay her double. She went and brought him
more pages. Having read them through he found the book to be still incomplete,
he asked her to search for the rest of the book. She told him: "I found
these quires among my father's books. If you want to acquire the complete
book, go to the church and there you can find it." He went and asked one
of the priests to show him what is called the Epistles of Paul. He gave
it to him, read it, and memorized it. Then he went to St. Demetrius the
twelfth Pope, who taught and instructed him in the facts of the Christian
faith then baptized him. He became well rehearsed in the doctrine and knowledge
of the church, and Anba Demetrius appointed him a teacher for the people.
When Anba Demetrius departed and Anba Heraclas (Yaroklas) was enthroned,
he appointed him as a deputy to judge among the believers and entrusted
him to administer the affairs of the patriarchate.
When St. Heraclas departed, all the
people agreed to appoint this father Patriarch. He was enthroned on the
first of Tubah (December 28th, 246 A.D.) during the reign of Emperor Philip
who was a lover of the Christians, and he shepherded his flock with the
best of care, nevertheless, he suffered much tribulations. When Decius
rose up against Philip and killed him, and reigned in his place, he incited
persecution against the Christians. Decius slew many of the patriarchs,
bishops, and believers. This father endured much suffering during that
time. Decius died and Gallus reigned after him, and persecution quieted
down during his reign. When Gallus died and Valerian reigned in his place,
he renewed the persecution severely against the Christians, and his men
seized Abba Dionysius and imprisoned him. They asked him to worship the
idols but he refused saying: "We worship God the Father, and His Son Jesus
Christ, and the Holy Spirit the One God." They threatened him, killed few
men in front of him to terrify him but he was not afraid. They banished
him and shortly after, they brought him back and told him: "We have been
informed that you consecrate the offering secretly by yourself." He replied:
"We do not forsake our prayers day or night" then he turned to the people
present around him and told them: "Go and pray and if I am away from you
in the body, I shall be with you in spirit." The governor became raged
and returned him to exile. When Sapor king of Persia overcame Emperor Valerian
and seized him, his son Gallienus, who was wise and gentle, took over the
empire. He released all the believers who were in prison and brought back
those who were in exile. He wrote to the Patriarch and the bishops a letter
to assure their safety in opening the churches. In the days of this father,
certain people arose in the Arabian countries saying: "That the soul dies
with the body, and on the day of Resurrection, it shall be raised up with
it." He gathered against them a council and anathematized them. When Paul
of Samosata denied the Son, a Council assembled against him in Antioch,
this Saint was not able to attend for his age. He wrote a letter to the
council, rich with wisdom, explained in it the corruptive opinion of this
heretic, and stated the true Orthodox belief. He finished his good strife,
and departed in a good old age on (March 8th, 264 A.D.), having sat on
the Apostolic Throne seventeen years, two month and ten days.
May His prayers be with us all. Amen.
Return of the Great Saints Anba Macarius
the Great and Anba Macarius of Alexandria from Exile
On this day also is the
commemoration of the return of the Great Sts. Anba Macarius the Great and
Anba Macarius of Alexandria, from exile on an island in Upper Egypt. Emperor
Valens the arian had exiled them to this island. The natives of this island
worshipped idols, and according to the orders of Valens the two Saints
were tortured severely for three years. It came to pass one day that satan
entered the daughter of the pagan priest of this island and tortured her.
St. Macarius the great came forward and prayed over her and the Lord healed
her and subsequently the priest and the people of the island believed on
the Lord Christ. The Saints taught them the facts of the Christian faith
and baptized them on the eve of the feast of Epiphany, 11th. of Tubah,
changed the temple into a church, and with a revelation from the Lord Christ
they ordained priests and deacons for them. When they wished to return
they did not know the way, so the angel of the Lord appeared to them, guided
them walking, until they reached Alexandria. From there they went to the
wilderness of Sheahat (Scetis). The monks of the wilderness came out to
meat them, and they were at that time about fifty thousand monks among
them were Anba John the short and Anba Bishoy, and they all rejoiced to
meat their fathers.
May The prayers of these Saints be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of the Forty Martyrs of Sebastia
On this day also the holy
forty martyrs of the city of Sebastia were martyred. Emperor Constantine
the great had appointed his friend Lecius ruler for the east and commanded
him to treat the Christians well. When he arrived to his headquarter, he
ordered his subordinate to worship the idols but they refused and cursed
his idols. That night some of the soldiers and their children, from the
city of Sebastia, made an agreement among themselves to go to the governor
confessing their faith. While they were sleeping the angel of the Lord
appeared to them, strengthened them and comforted their hearts. In the
morning they stood before the Governor and confessed their faith in the
Lord christ, he threatened them but they were not afraid. He commanded
his men to stone them, but the stones came back upon those who stoned them.
He ordered to throw them in a nearby lake, which was icy. Their organs
were severed because of the excessive cold. One of them whose strength
was weakened, went out of the icy water and entered the bath house nearby
the lake. The heat in the bath house melted the ice that was on him but
he died quickly, and lost his reward.
One of the guards saw angels
descending from the heaven and in their hands crowns, they placed them
over the heads of the thirty nine martyrs and remained one crown in the
hand of the angel. The guard went down into the lake shouting "I am christian...I
am christian." He took the crown that was in the hand of the angel and
was counted among the martyrs. Among the martyrs, were young men, whose
mothers encouraged and strengthened them. Because they remained in the
lake for a long time and they did not die, the Governor wished to break
their legs, but the Lord took their souls and reposed them. He ordered
to burn their bodies and to cast them after that into the sea. As they
were carrying them out of the lake, they found a young man alive, so they
left him. His mother took him and tried to threw him on the wagon with
his mates but they put him off the wagon again for he was still alive.
His mother took him and he died in her bosom so she put him back on the
wagon. They took them outside the city and cast them into the fire which
did not harm them, then they casted them into the river. On the third day
those holy martyrs appeared to the Bishop of Sebastia in a vision and told
him: "Go to the river and take our bodies." He went with the priests, deacons
and the people to the river and found the bodies. They carried the bodies
with great honor and placed them in a beautiful shrine, and their strife
was heard in all the countries.
May their prayers be with us and Glory be to 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 32 : 5 - 5
| 5 | I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.Selah |
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 11 : 33 - 36
| 33 | "No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. |
| 34 | The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. |
| 35 | Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. |
| 36 | If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light." |
Glory be to God forever.
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