Bashans 17, 1747 AM <-> May 25 2031 <->The Readings for today

Sunday 25 May 2031
17 Bashans 1747
Readings for Sunday of sixth 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 146 : 1,2,10

¹	Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!

²	While I live I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

¹⁰	The LORD shall reign forever--Your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

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 12 : 28 - 37

²⁸	Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"

²⁹	Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.

³⁰	And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.

³¹	And the second, like it, is this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

³²	So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.

³³	And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴	Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." But after that no one dared question Him.

³⁵	Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?

³⁶	For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: "The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."'

³⁷	Therefore David himself calls Him "Lord'; how is He then his Son?" And the common people heard Him gladly.

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 147 : 1 - 2

¹	Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.

²	The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

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 14 : 8 - 14

⁸	Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us."

⁹	Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, "Show us the Father'?

¹⁰	Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

¹¹	Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.

¹²	"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

¹³	And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

¹⁴	If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.

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 15 : 57 - 16 : 8

⁵⁷	But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸	Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

¹	Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also:

²	On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.

³	And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem.

⁴	But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.

⁵	Now I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia (for I am passing through Macedonia).

⁶	And it may be that I will remain, or even spend the winter with you, that you may send me on my journey, wherever I go.

⁷	For I do not wish to see you now on the way; but I hope to stay a while with you, if the Lord permits.

⁸	But I will tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost.

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 : 2 - 12

²	elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

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 20 : 1 - 16

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.

⁷	Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.

⁸	There were many lamps in the upper room where they were gathered together.

⁹	And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

¹⁰	But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, "Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him."

¹¹	Now when he had come up, had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till daybreak, he departed.

¹²	And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

¹³	Then we went ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, there intending to take Paul on board; for so he had given orders, intending himself to go on foot.

¹⁴	And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

¹⁵	We sailed from there, and the next day came opposite Chios. The following day we arrived at Samos and stayed at Trogyllium. The next day we came to Miletus.

¹⁶	For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost.

The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God. 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 147 : 12,18

¹²	Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!

¹⁸	He sends out His word and melts them; He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.

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 16 : 23 - 33

²³	"And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

²⁴	Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

²⁵	"These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father.

²⁶	In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you;

²⁷	for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God.

²⁸	I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."

²⁹	His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech!

³⁰	Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God."

³¹	Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe?

³²	Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

³³	These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

Glory be to God forever.

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Not to be read in the Church during this time of the year.

Synaxarium

Day 17 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 Seventeenth Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans

Departure of St.Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus

On this day, of the year 402 A.D., the great father St. Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, departed. He was born to Jewish parents, his father died, and left him with a sister and their mother brought them up well. His father left him an untrained donkey and his mother asked him to sell it. He met a Christian man called Philotheus who wanted to buy the donkey, but the donkey kicked Epiphanius in his thigh, and he fell down on the ground unconscious. Philotheus made the sign of the cross over the place of injury and Epiphanius was cured of his pain instantly. Then Philotheus cried out over that donkey asking God that the donkey would die God answered his prayer, and the donkey fell down and died. Epiphanius inquired about the secret of the donkey's death and Philotheus told him that it was the cross. He guided him to the crucified Christ, the Son of God, Whom the Jews crucified in Jerusalem by His own will for the Salvation of the world. This remained in the mind of Epiphanius. When one of the rich Jewish men died and had no one to inherit him, he left all his inheritance to Epiphanius. He used this inheritance to spend on the teachers of religion and Law. Once, when he was walking in the road, he saw a poor man asking for charity from one of the monks, and as the monk did not have any money to give, he took off his garment and gave it to him.

As the poor man took this garment, St. Epiphanius saw a white dress coming down from heaven upon the monk instead off the garment that he gave away. He was astonished and went to the monk and asked him: "Who are you and what is your faith?" The monk told him that he was Christian. He asked the monk to guide him to the facts of the Christian faith. The monk brought him to the bishop who taught him the law of the Christian faith and baptized him. Epiphanius desired to become a monk, and the bishop sent him to the monastery of St. Lucianus. He became a disciple to St. Hilarion, and the grace of God was with him. He excelled in the church subjects, monastic virtues, and its cannons. St. Hilarion prophesied that he would become a bishop and commanded him to go to Cyprus, and not to refuse the office of bishop if it was offered to him. When the bishop of Cyprus departed, it happened that Epiphanius entered the city to buy certain necessities, and he had two monks with him. A saintly bishop was inspired to go to the market place to choose the monk that had two clusters of grapes, whose name was Epiphanius, to ordain him a bishop for Cyprus. When the bishop went to the market, he found him with the other two monks, with two clusters of grapes in his hand. He asked him about his name and he knew that he was the chosen one by God. He took him to the church and ordained him deacon, priest, then bishop. He revealed to the people his vision about him and the prophecy of St. Helarion was fulfilled.

St. Epiphanius followed a right course of conduct in his diocese, which was well pleasing to God. He wrote many books and discourses and he always preached about mercy. It happened that John, bishop of Jerusalem, was not merciful, so St. Epiphanius borrowed from him some of his gold and silver table vessels, and sold them and gave its price to the poor and the needy. When Abba John asked him to return them, he struck him in his eyes and he became blind. John asked the Saint to pray to heal him, and he prayed, and God opened one of John's eyes. In the year 402 A.D., Empress Eudoxia called Epiphanius to help her to drive out St. John Chrysostom (Of the Golden Mouth) from Constantinople. However, he tried to reconcile them together, but he failed. She threatened him that she would open the temples of idols and close the churches if he did not work on his removal. But since he could not reconcile the differences between her and St. John, he returned to Cyprus and departed in the same year. (His body was relocated on the 28th. of Bashans).

May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.

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