Readings for Sunday 28 February 2027
21 Amshir 1743
Third Sunday of Amshir
Vespers Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 17 : 15,3
| 15 | As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness. |
| 3 | You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. |
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 5 : 39 - 47
| 39 | You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. |
| 40 | But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. |
| 41 | "I do not receive honor from men. |
| 42 | But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. |
| 43 | I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. |
| 44 | How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? |
| 45 | Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you--Moses, in whom you trust. |
| 46 | For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. |
| 47 | But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?" |
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 89 : 52,49
| 52 | Blessed be the LORD forevermore! Amen and Amen. |
| 49 | Lord, where are Your former lovingkindnesses, Which You swore to David in Your truth? |
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 12 : 44 - 50
| 44 | Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. |
| 45 | And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. |
| 46 | I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. |
| 47 | And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. |
| 48 | He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. |
| 49 | For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. |
| 50 | And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." |
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 Hebrews.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
Hebrews 3:1-19 Hebrews 4:1-2
| 1 | Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, |
| 2 | who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. |
| 3 | For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. |
| 4 | For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. |
| 5 | And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, |
| 6 | but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. |
| 7 | Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, |
| 8 | Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness, |
| 9 | Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years. |
| 10 | Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, "They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.' |
| 11 | So I swore in My wrath, "They shall not enter My rest."' |
| 12 | Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; |
| 13 | but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. |
| 14 | For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, |
| 15 | while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." |
| 16 | For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? |
| 17 | Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? |
| 18 | And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? |
| 19 | So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief. |
| 1 | Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. |
| 2 | For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
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Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. Jude . May his blessings be upon us. Amen.
Jude 1 : 14 - 25
| 14 | Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, |
| 15 | to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." |
| 16 | These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. |
| 17 | But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: |
| 18 | how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. |
| 19 | These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. |
| 20 | But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, |
| 21 | keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. |
| 22 | And on some have compassion, making a distinction; |
| 23 | but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. |
| 24 | Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, |
| 25 | To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. |
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 : 7 - 16
| 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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Synaxarium
Day 21 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Amshir.
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 Twenty-First Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir
Commemoration of the Virgin St.Mary
We celebrate on this day the commemoration
of the pure Lady St. Mary the Virgin, the Mother of God, the Word, through
whom was the salvation of Adam and his offspring.
May her intercession be for us all. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Onesimus, the Disciple
of St.Paul
On this day also St. Onesimus,
the disciple of St. Paul, was martyred. This saint was a slave for a man
from Rome called Philemon who believed at the hands of St.Paul, when he
heard his preaching in Rome. Philemon departed from Rome on a business
trip and took with him Onesimus among others of his servants. There the
devil enticed Onesimus, so he stole money from his master and fled to Rome.
According to the Divine Will, Onesimus attended the preaching of St. Paul,
which he kept in his heart. He believed at the hand of St. Paul and his
heart was filled with the grace and the fear of God. He remembered what
he stole from his master and from others and since he did not have anything
left from the stolen money to return to its rightful owners, he was sorrowful
and told St.Paul about that. St. Paul comforted him and wrote an epistle
to Onesimus' master, Philemon, informing him in it, that Onesimus became
a follower of Christ saying, "I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom
I have begotten while in my chains." St. Paul asked him to treat him gently
and not to mind what he did but to consider what he lost as owed by the
apostle. When Onesimus took the epistle to his master Philemon, he was
pleased by his faith and repentance and treated him as the apostle commanded.
Furthermore, he offered him more money but St. Onesimus refused saying,
"I am rich with Christ." Then he bid Philemon farewell and returned to
Rome. St. Onesimus continued to serve St. Paul until his martyrdom and
deserved to be ordained a priest. After the martyrdom of St. Paul, the
governor of Rome seized him and exiled him to one of the islands. He remained
there preaching and baptizing the people of the island. When the governor
came to the island, he found him guiding the people to the belief in the
Lord Christ. He was beaten severely and his legs were broken. He departed
in peace.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Gabriel, the Fifty-Seventh
Pope of Alexandria
On this day also of the
year 911 A.D., the great father St. Gabriel, 57th Pope of Alexandria, departed.
This saint became a monk at a young age, practicing many worships. He loved
solitary life and wept much while praying, asking the Lord to save him
from the snares of the devil. When Pope Mikhael, 56th Pope, departed, they
chose this father to be the Pope in his place. He was ordained in the year
900 A.D. against his will. He cared for the church affairs well, and the
duties of the patriarchate did not prevent him from his worship and asceticism.
He spent most of his days in the wilderness and whenever he had some affairs
to take care of in Cairo or Alexandria, he would leave and then return
back to the wilderness. He fought against the flesh and the devil by increasing
fasting, watching, prayers and humility. He used to wake up in the night,
put on a ragged garment, take a metal shovel and go around the bathrooms
of the monks' cells, washing and cleaning them. He did the same for many
years until the Lord looked upon his humility and humble heart, so He relieved
his pains and gave him the grace of victory over sin and the body. This
father was a worshipper, fighter and a preacher for 11 years, then he departed
in peace.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Zacharias, Bishop of
Sakha
On this day also St. Zacharias,
Bishop of Sakha, departed. He was the son of a scribe called John who left
his job and was chosen to be a priest. His son Zacharias was raised on
studying literary and religious subjects. When he grew up, El-Wazeer appointed
him as a scribe in his court. Afterward he agreed with a friend called
Ptolemy who was the prefect of the town of Sakha, to leave their work and
go to the wilderness to become monks. That coincided with the coming of
a monk from the monastery of St. John the Short, so they decided to go
with him to the monastery. When the ruler (El-Wazeer) knew about that,
he prevented them from going to the monastery. A few days later, they saw
a vision as if someone was asking them, "Why did you not fulfill your vow?"
Immediately, they left in secret, walking to the wilderness, without knowing
their way. They met on their way, by the will of God, a monk who took them
to the monastery of St. John the Short (Colobos). When their friends knew
about that, they took a letter from the Governor to bring them back, but
the Lord defeated their counsel. As for Zacharias and his friend, they
put on the garb of the monks and exerted themselves in many worships. That
was during the time of the saints Abba Gawargah and Abba Abraham who were
the best guides for them. When the Bishop of Sakha departed, the people
wrote to the father, the Patriarch, asking for Zacharias to be their bishop.
The Patriarch brought him and ordained him against his will. At the time
of the ordination, when the Pope was about to put his hands on Zacharias'
head, a light shined in the church and his face appeared as a bright star.
When he arrived to his diocese, the people rejoiced and went out to meet
him with great honor. The church was illumined with his teachings. St.
Zacharias was eloquent and filled with grace and he wrote many articles,
sermons and discourses. He stayed on his chair for 30 years, then departed
in peace.
May His prayers 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 89 : 1,6
| 1 | I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. |
| 6 | For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to 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 John the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
John 6 : 27 - 46
| 27 | Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him." |
| 28 | Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" |
| 29 | Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." |
| 30 | Therefore they said to Him, "What sign will You perform then, that we may see it and believe You? What work will You do? |
| 31 | Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, "He gave them bread from heaven to eat."' |
| 32 | Then Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. |
| 33 | For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." |
| 34 | Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." |
| 35 | And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. |
| 36 | But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. |
| 37 | All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. |
| 38 | For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. |
| 39 | This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. |
| 40 | And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." |
| 41 | The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." |
| 42 | And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, "I have come down from heaven'?" |
| 43 | Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. |
| 44 | No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. |
| 45 | It is written in the prophets, "And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. |
| 46 | Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. |
Glory be to God forever.
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