Readings for Sunday 24 December 2023
14 Kiyahk 1740
Second Sunday of Kiyank - Abstinence
Vespers Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 132 : 13 - 15
| 13 | For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: |
| 14 | "This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. |
| 15 | I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. |
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 1 : 23 - 31
| 23 | Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, |
| 24 | saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" |
| 25 | But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" |
| 26 | And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. |
| 27 | Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." |
| 28 | And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. |
| 29 | Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. |
| 30 | But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. |
| 31 | So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them. |
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 85 : 7 - 8
| 7 | Show us Your mercy, LORD, And grant us Your salvation. |
| 8 | I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly. |
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 : 21 - 31
| 21 | Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. |
| 22 | And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." |
| 23 | But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." |
| 24 | But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." |
| 25 | Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" |
| 26 | But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." |
| 27 | And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." |
| 28 | Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. |
| 29 | Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. |
| 30 | Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. |
| 31 | So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. |
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 4 : 4 - 24
| 4 | Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. |
| 5 | But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, |
| 6 | just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: |
| 7 | "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; |
| 8 | Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." |
| 9 | Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. |
| 10 | How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. |
| 11 | And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, |
| 12 | and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. |
| 13 | For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. |
| 14 | For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, |
| 15 | because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. |
| 16 | Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all |
| 17 | (as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations" ) in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; |
| 18 | who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." |
| 19 | And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. |
| 20 | He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, |
| 21 | and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. |
| 22 | And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." |
| 23 | Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, |
| 24 | but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, |
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.
1 John 2 : 7 - 17
| 7 | Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. |
| 8 | Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. |
| 9 | He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. |
| 10 | He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. |
| 11 | But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. |
| 12 | I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. |
| 13 | I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. |
| 14 | I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. |
| 15 | Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. |
| 16 | For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. |
| 17 | And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. |
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 7 : 35 - 50
| 35 | "This Moses whom they rejected, saying, "Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. |
| 36 | He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. |
| 37 | "This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.' |
| 38 | "This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, |
| 39 | whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, |
| 40 | saying to Aaron, "Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' |
| 41 | And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. |
| 42 | Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: "Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? |
| 43 | You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.' |
| 44 | "Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, |
| 45 | which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, |
| 46 | who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. |
| 47 | But Solomon built Him a house. |
| 48 | "However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: |
| 49 | "Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest? |
| 50 | Has My hand not made all 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 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 85 : 10 - 11
| 10 | Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed. |
| 11 | Truth shall spring out of the earth, And righteousness shall look down from heaven. |
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 1 : 39 - 56
| 39 | Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, |
| 40 | and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. |
| 41 | And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. |
| 42 | Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! |
| 43 | But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? |
| 44 | For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. |
| 45 | Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." |
| 46 | And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, |
| 47 | And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. |
| 48 | For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. |
| 49 | For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. |
| 50 | And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. |
| 51 | He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. |
| 52 | He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. |
| 53 | He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. |
| 54 | He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, |
| 55 | As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever." |
| 56 | And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. |
Glory be to God forever.
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