Wednesday 22 May 2030
14 Bashans 1746
Readings for Wednesday of fourth of of the Holy Fifty Days
Vespers Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 119 : 49,50
| 49 | Remember the word to Your servant, Upon which You have caused me to hope. |
| 50 | This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life. |
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 6 : 47 - 52
| 47 | Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. |
| 48 | Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. |
| 49 | And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; |
| 50 | for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." |
| 51 | Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. |
| 52 | For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. |
Glory be to God forever.
↑ 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 119 : 33 - 34
| 33 | Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. |
| 34 | Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole 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 Mark the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
Mark 3 : 31 - 35
| 31 | Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. |
| 32 | And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You." |
| 33 | But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" |
| 34 | And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! |
| 35 | For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother." |
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 Ephesians.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
Ephesians 2 : 13 - 18
| 13 | But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. |
| 14 | For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, |
| 15 | having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, |
| 16 | and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. |
| 17 | And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. |
| 18 | For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
↑ Top of Page ↑
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. Peter . May his blessings be upon us. Amen.
1 Peter 4 : 8 - 13
| 8 | And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." |
| 9 | Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. |
| 10 | As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. |
| 11 | If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. |
| 12 | Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; |
| 13 | but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. |
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 20 : 1 - 6
| 1 | After the uproar had ceased, Paul called the disciples to himself, embraced them, and departed to go to Macedonia. |
| 2 | Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece |
| 3 | and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. |
| 4 | And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia--also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. |
| 5 | These men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. |
| 6 | But we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days joined them at Troas, where we stayed seven days. |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God. 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 74 : 12,13,22,23
| 12 | For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth. |
| 13 | You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. |
| 22 | Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. |
| 23 | Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually. |
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 7 : 14 - 29
| 14 | Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. |
| 15 | And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?" |
| 16 | Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. |
| 17 | If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. |
| 18 | He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him. |
| 19 | Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill Me?" |
| 20 | The people answered and said, "You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?" |
| 21 | Jesus answered and said to them, "I did one work, and you all marvel. |
| 22 | Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. |
| 23 | If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? |
| 24 | Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment." |
| 25 | Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill? |
| 26 | But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ? |
| 27 | However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from." |
| 28 | Then Jesus cried out, as He taught in the temple, saying, "You both know Me, and you know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know. |
| 29 | But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me." |
Glory be to God forever.
↑ Top of Page ↑
Not to be read in the Church during this time of the year.
Synaxarium
Day 14 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Bashans.
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 Fourteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans
Departure of St.Pachomius (Pakhom), the
Father of the Spiritual Communal Monastic Life (Cenobitic Life)
On this day, of the year 64 A.M. (348 A.D.),
Abba Pachomius, the father of the spiritual communal life (Cenobitic life),
departed. He was born in Thebes (Luxor) from pagan parents, who forced
him to worship idols. He rejected and mocked this worship, then became
a monk with St.Balamon (Palaemon). He lived in submission to him for many
years, and he mastered well the ways of the monastic life. Then the angel
of the Lord appeared to him and commanded him to establish a communal and
holy monastic life. Many monks gathered together to him, and he built for
them many monasteries and established for them a system of manual labor,
the times of prayers, and eating. He was the father of them all, with an
Abbot in every monastery. He visited all the monasteries, from Aswan to
Edfu to Donasa to the end of Upper Egypt to the north. He did not permit
any one of his sons to become a priest for the sake of the vainglory of
this world, and not to overlook the purpose of their monastic life of worship
by being away from the world. He invited a priest from outside for each
monastery to officiate the Divine Liturgy. When Pope Athanasius wanted
to ordain him a priest, he fled from him. St. Athanasius asked his disciples
to tell him that he who built his house on the rock that can not be shaken,
and fled from the vainglory of the world, is blessed, and his disciples
are also blessed. He desired once to see Hades, and he saw in a night vision
the habitation of the sinners and places of torment. He remained the father
of the Cenobites for forty years. When the time of his departure drew near,
he called the monks, strengthened their faith, and appointed someone to
take over his place after him, then departed in peace.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Epimachus (Ephimachus)
of Pelusium
On this day also, St. Epimachus was martyred. He
was born in Pelusium (Farma). He was a weaver along with his two companions:
Theodore and Callinicos. When he heard that "Youlamis" the governor of
Egypt, had come to torture the Christians, he preached his friends explaining
the vainglory of this world, then he bade them farewell and went to El-Bakroug,
which was near Demera. He came to the Governor who was torturing a woman,
and then threw her in a furnace. The fiery furnace became like cool dew
to her. The Governor then took her out of the furnace and cut off her head.
When Epimachus saw that, he came before the Governor, and confessed the
Lord Christ, to Him is the glory. The Governor tortured him severely. He
was twenty-seven years old. Then he ordered him to be squeezed on the wheel,
and a drop of his blood splashed on the eyes of a blind maiden, and right
away she was able to see. Her family believed in the Lord Christ. They
were all martyred and received the crown of martyrdom. The Governor became
angry and ordered him to be crucified, and then his head to be cut off.
The executioner drew his sword but his strength failed and was unable to
raise his sword. The same thing happened when another executioner tried
and so with fourteen other executioners. When they failed to cut off his
head, they tied a rope around his neck and dragged him until he delivered
his soul into the hand of the Lord and received the crown of martyrdom.
One of the soldiers, who was deaf and dumb, carried the body to cast it
away. When he touched the body, instantly he heard and spoke. Some of the
believers from the city of Edku came and took the body and many signs and
wonders took place from it. When the people from Demera came to console
his family and saw the signs and wonders which were revealed through him,
they believed and were baptized. They numbered one thousand, seven-hundred
and fifty, men, women, and children. His kinsfolk carried him to El-Barmoun
with great honor. The Governor of El-Barmoun shrouded him with expensive
shrouds from his own money and they built a church after his name.
May his prayers be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.
↑ Top of Page ↑