17 Baramudah 1743
Readings for Palm Sunday
Vespers of Palm Sunday
Psalms 118:26-27Matins of Palm Sunday
Psalms 104:4-138:1-2Liturgy of Palm Sunday
Hebrews 9:11-28General Funeral Prayers
Ezekiel 37:1-14Ninth hour of the day of Palm Sunday
Lamentations 1:1-4Eleventh hour of the day of Palm Sunday
Isaiah 48:12-22First hour of the eve of Holy Monday
Zephaniah 1:2-12Third hour of the eve of Holy Monday
Zephaniah 1:14-2:2Sixth hour of the eve of Holy Monday
Joel 1:5-15Ninth hour of the eve of Holy Monday
Micah 2:3-10Eleventh hour of the eve of Holy Monday
Micah 3:1-4Not to be read in the Church during this time of the year.
Synaxarium
Day 17 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramudah.
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 Seventeenth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramudah
Martyrdom of St.James the Apostle, the Brother of St.John the Apostle
On this day, St. James the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, and the brother of St. John, the Apostle, was martyred. After he had preached the Gospel in Judea and Samaria, he went to Spain. He preached the Gospel there, and its people believed in the Lord Christ. He returned to Jerusalem and pursued his ministry. He always advised his flock to give alms to the poor, the needy, and the weak. They accused him before Herod who called him and asked him: "Are you the one that instigating the people not to give the taxes to Caesar but to give it to the poor and the churches?" Then he smote him with the sword, cutting off his head, and St. James received the crown of martyrdom. Clement of Alexandria, from the fathers of the second century, said: "The soldier that seized the Saint, when he saw his courage, he realized that there must be a better life and asked the Saint for his forgiveness. Then the soldier confessed Christianity and received the crown of martyrdom (Acts 12:1-2) along with the Apostle in the year 44 A.D." Because Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. So when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. (Acts 12:3-4) So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. (Acts 12:21-23) As of the body of St. James, the believers took it, shrouded it, and buried it by the Temple. It was said that the body of St. James was translated to Spain, where James the elder considered to be its Apostle.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.