Readings for Monday 23 December 2024
14 Kiyahk 1741
Vespers Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 4 : 6 - 8
| 6 | There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. |
| 7 | You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. |
| 8 | I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. |
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 16 : 24 - 28
| 24 | Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. |
| 25 | For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. |
| 26 | For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? |
| 27 | For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. |
| 28 | Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." |
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 5 : 11 - 12
| 11 | But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. |
| 12 | For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. |
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 10 : 34 - 42
| 34 | "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. |
| 35 | For I have come to "set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; |
| 36 | and "a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' |
| 37 | He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. |
| 38 | And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. |
| 39 | He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. |
| 40 | "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. |
| 41 | He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. |
| 42 | And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." |
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 8 : 18 - 30
| 18 | For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. |
| 19 | For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. |
| 20 | For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; |
| 21 | because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. |
| 22 | For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. |
| 23 | Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. |
| 24 | For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? |
| 25 | But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. |
| 26 | Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. |
| 27 | Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. |
| 28 | And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. |
| 29 | For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. |
| 30 | Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. |
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 3 : 8 - 15
| 8 | Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; |
| 9 | not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. |
| 10 | For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. |
| 11 | Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. |
| 12 | For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." |
| 13 | And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? |
| 14 | But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." |
| 15 | But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; |
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 19 : 23 - 41
| 23 | And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. |
| 24 | For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. |
| 25 | He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. |
| 26 | Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. |
| 27 | So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship." |
| 28 | Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" |
| 29 | So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions. |
| 30 | And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. |
| 31 | Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. |
| 32 | Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. |
| 33 | And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. |
| 34 | But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" |
| 35 | And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? |
| 36 | Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. |
| 37 | For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. |
| 38 | Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. |
| 39 | But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. |
| 40 | For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering." |
| 41 | And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. |
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 14 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Kiyahk.
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 Kiyahk
Martyrdom of Saints Behnam and Sarah,
His Sister
On this day, Saints Behnam and Sarah,
his sister, the children of Sennacherib, King of Persia, were martyred.
One day Behnam was out with 40 of his slaves hunting in the wilderness.
He saw a huge wild beast, so he went after it for a long distance, and
he was separated from his slaves. Night fell upon him and he had to sleep
in that place. During his sleep he saw someone who told him to go to St.
Matthew who dwelt in that mountain and he would pray for his sister so
that the Lord would heal her. His sister was afflicted with an incurable
disease, she was leprous. When St. Behnam woke up and was joined by his
slaves, they searched for St. Matthew until they found him in a cave. He
knelt between his hands, told him about the vision and they asked him to
accompany them to the city. Behnam went before him to the city and told
his mother about the vision and the presence of St. Matthew out of the
city. Because of her love and trust in Behnam she allowed his sister to
go with him in secret. When they arrived to where the saint was, he prayed
for her and the Lord healed her. St. Matthew preached and taught them the
way of life. He prayed also and a spring of water rushed forth and he baptized
them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the one God,
then he returned to his cave. When King Sennacherib knew that his daughter
was cured, he called her and asked her how she was cured. She told him,
"The Lord Jesus Christ granted me the healing at the hands of St.Matthew
and not through the stars that you worship." The king became angry and
threatened to punish them if they did not change their noble opinion.
During the night, St. Behnam and his
sister decided to go together to St. Matthew before their deaths. While
on their way secretly to the saint, surrounded by some of their friends,
their father became aware of what they were about to do, and he sent his
men after them. They found them on their way to the saint and they slew
them. St. Behnam, his sister and their companions received the crown of
life in the Kingdom of Heaven. When the men that killed St. Behnam and
his sister went back, they found the king possessed by an evil spirit,
which tormented him painfully. The queen sent for St. Matthew, begging
him to come. When he arrived, he prayed for the king and the Lord healed
him immediately. The saint preached to them, and the king and his wife,
along with all those in the city, believed. The king built a monastery
for St. Matthew and placed the bodies of St. Behnam, and his sister, his
children, in it. St. Matthew dwelt in it for a long while. The Lord worked
many signs of healing and wonders through the bodies of Sts. Behnam and
Sarah, his sister.
May Their prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Saint Christodoulos
On this day also was the
departure of St. Christodoulos the jeweler. He was from the city of Ayn-Shems.
One day a beautiful woman brought him a broken vessel of gold and tried
to tempt him. She uncovered her hands and told him, "Make rings for these
fingers, bracelets for these arms, a cross for this chest and earrings
for these ears." He replied, "Today I am ill and as for tomorrow, may it
be the will of God." He closed his shop, went home and started rebuking
himself saying, "I am not any stronger than the saints Anthony the Great
or Macarius or Pachomius and the others that escaped from this world and
lived in the wilderness. 0 my soul escape from this world if you wish to
be saved." He recounted what happened to him to his mother and he asked
her with flowing tears to allow him to go to the wilderness. She said,
"If this was the case, as you indicated, take me first to a convent where
I can be a nun, and as for you, may the Lord be with you." He took her
to one of the convents and entrusted her to the head of the convent. He
gave her whatever money she needed, then he gave the rest to the poor and
went toward the mountain. After walking three days, he saw three men, each
one with a cross in his hand and a shining light brighter than the sun
shining from the crosses. He went to them, was blessed by them and then
he asked them to advise him as to what he should do to save himself. They
guided him to a valley which had fruitful trees and a spring of fresh water.
He remained there for many years in continuous prayers, and readings of
the psalms with many long fasts. He ate the fruits of the trees of that
valley.
When satan failed to overcome
him, he appeared to evil men, in the form of a barbarian, and told them,
"There is a great treasure in the valley. A man found it and is living
beside it. Come with me, I will show it to you." They followed him to the
mountain but they were not able to go down to the valley. The devil went
in a monk's attire to St. Christodoulos and told him, "On the top of the
mountain, there are some monks who lost their way; they are tired and will
die of thirst. Go to them and give them something to eat and drink so that
they may survive." The saint made the sign of the cross over his face as
was the custom of the monks and immediately the devil turned into smoke
and disappeared. In this way, St. Christodoulos was always able to overcome
the devil with the sign of the cross. He increased in his worship and he
lived until a good old age. When the day of his departure drew near, the
three hermits who guided him to the valley came and prayed together. After
they blessed each other they told him, "The Lord sent us to write down
your biography for the benefit of others." He told them all that had happened
to him. After a short illness he departed in peace. They prayed over him
and buried him.
May His prayers be with us. Amen
Martyrdom of Saints Simeon of Menouf,
Abba Hor and Abba Mina the Elder
Today also was the martyrdom
of St. Simeon of Menouf in the days of the Arabs and the commemoration
of the martyrdom of Saints Abba Hor and Abba Mina.
May Their intercession be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of Saint Ammonius, Bishop of
Esna
On this day also the great
father Abba Ammonius, Bishop of the city of Esna (Latopolis), was martyred.
He was extremely well mannered since a young age and his virtues were well
known. Anba Peter, Pope of Alexandria, ordained him a bishop over the city
of Esna. Because of his strong desire for a solitary life, he built a monastery
at the foot of the mountain beside a spring of water. He prepared a cave
for his stay all week and went down to church on Saturday. He served the
Holy liturgy on Sunday, met with his people, preached to them and settled
their disputes. He spent Monday with them also, then returned to his cave
to continue his worship and asceticism. During his days, many of his people
were martyred. When Arianus the Infidel went to upper Egypt, on his way
he persecuted Christians. He ordered them to worship idols and those who
refused were tortured and slain. He continued doing that until he reached
Esna, where he met four young men driving donkeys loaded with melons. One
of the governor's soldiers asked them about their belief. They answered,
"We are Christians," so they seized them. When their mother knew what happened,
she went in haste to encourage them saying to the soldiers, "We love Jesus
Christ and do not worship your despicable idols." The governor ordered
that she be cast into prison. In the middle of the night the Virgin, St.
Mary, appeared to this mother and told her, "Know that my Son the Savior
and the Lord has called you and your blessed sons Sarous, Herman, Banouf
and Bistay to the kingdom of heaven." St. Mary bid her peace then ascended
to heaven. The next morning the governor summoned them and asked them to
worship the idols but they refused courageously. As a result, he ordered
that their heads be cut off. That took place on the 6th day of the Coptic
month of Bashans. The believers took their bodies and hid them in their
homes. Many wonders and signs were manifested through their bodies.
There were also four notable
persons who worked as tax collectors in the city of Esna. While they were
going over the account of their work with Arianus, one of them mentioned
the Name of Christ. Arianus became enraged and ordered that they be tortured.
When he saw their endurance, he ordered that their heads be cut off, so
they received their martyrdom on the 6th day of the month of Baunah. Many
were martyred along with them, women, men and monks. When Arianus went
to Armunt, two women called Thecla and Martha who were from Esna went there
in hast and confessed Christ before him. Arianus addressed the people of
Armunt around him and said, "Why did you say that there were no Christians
in your city?" They investigated and found out that the two women were
from Esna. They went to Arianus and told him that they were strangers and
that they did not belong to their city which loved the emperors and the
gods (idols). Arianus ordered their heads to be cut off, and that was on
the 17th day of the month of Abib. As for St. Ammonius, the angel of the
Lord appeared to him when he was in the desert and told him, "Hail to you
Ammonius, the Lord accepted your prayers on behalf of your people and prepared
crowns for you. Arise, go down and preach to them and instruct them to
be steadfast in confessing the Lord Christ." The angel bid him peace and
departed. The saint arose and went down immediately to the city. He gathered
the people, preached to them and informed them of what the angel had told
him. They all cried out saying, "Our father, we are ready to withstand
any suffering in the Name of the Lord Christ, even unto death." That took
place on the feast of St. Isaac, so he took his people up to the Mount
of Katoun, which means the mount of good things, to celebrate the feast
there.
Arianus departed from Armunt
to a village called Helwan, west of Esna. All its citizens came out and
confessed the Name of Christ before him. He ordered them beheaded and they
received the crown of martyrdom. Then Arianus entered Esna and wandered
in its streets which were empty until he came to the southern gate which
is called the gate of thanksgiving, because Anba Armanius had prayed there
with his people, the prayers of Thanksgiving. There he found an infirm
old woman who was left behind because she could not go up the mountain
with them. He asked her about the whereabouts of the people of the city.
She replied, "The people heard that the infidel governor was coming to
slay the Christians; so they went up to the mountain to celebrate the feast
of St. Isaac before they faced martyrdom." He asked her which one of the
gods she worshipped. She replied, "I am a Christian," and she was immediately
beheaded. Arianus then went out of the city going towards Mount Katoun,
passing on the way through the village of El-Mabgalah where he found a
group of people who declared themselves Christians and those he promptly
beheaded. He continued through the villages of Harmajahat and Seroya where
he executed the Christians. He executed every Christian he met in his way
till he finally reached Mount Katoun where all the people greeted him with
one accord shouting, "We are Christians." Arianus threatened them and as
this had no effect, he ordered his soldiers to draw their swords and to
slay them all. Each one brought forth his daughter or his son to the swordsman
saying, "Go forward to the true bridegroom that does not die." They all
went to death saying, "We are going to the everlasting joy in the kingdom
of heaven." They fulfilled their martyrdom on the 19th day of the Coptic
month of Abib.
On their way back to Esna,
the soldiers met three men who were crying, "We are Christians." The soldiers
told them, "Our swords are dull from much use." So the men told the soldiers,
"Here are our axes." The soldiers took their axes and the men put their
heads on a stone beside the western gate of the city. The soldiers beheaded
them and the men received the crown of martyrdom. As for the bishop, Anba
Ammonius, they seized him and brought him before Arianus, and in rage he
ordered the saint to be tied behind the horses on their way to the boat
which was sailing to Aswan. Then they threw him in the stern of the ship.
Arianus brought him out every now and then and asked him to raise the incense
before the idols but the saint refused. Finally he ordered his men to burn
the saint who received the crown of martyrdom on the 14th day of the Coptic
month of Kiyahk. The believers took his body which was untouched and unharmed
by the fire. They shrouded it and hid it until the end of the era of persecution.
When the people of his diocese came to transfer the body to their city,
they heard a voice from the body saying, "This is the place that God chose
for me."
May The prayers of all these saints 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 68 : 35,3
| 35 | O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God! |
| 3 | But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. |
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 12 : 4 - 12
| 4 | "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. |
| 5 | But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! |
| 6 | "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. |
| 7 | But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. |
| 8 | "Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. |
| 9 | But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. |
| 10 | "And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. |
| 11 | "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. |
| 12 | For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." |
Glory be to God forever.
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