Saturday 29 March 2031
20 Baramhat 1747
Readings for Saturday of of the Great Lent
Matins Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 79 : 8 - 9
| 8 | Oh, do not remember former iniquities against us! Let Your tender mercies come speedily to meet us, For we have been brought very low. |
| 9 | Help us, O God of our salvation, For the glory of Your name; And deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, For Your name's sake! |
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 9 : 1 - 8
| 1 | So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. |
| 2 | Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." |
| 3 | And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" |
| 4 | But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? |
| 5 | For which is easier, to say, "Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, "Arise and walk'? |
| 6 | But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." |
| 7 | And he arose and departed to his house. |
| 8 | Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men. |
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 Ephesians.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
Ephesians 4 : 1 - 7
| 1 | I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, |
| 2 | with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, |
| 3 | endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. |
| 4 | There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; |
| 5 | one Lord, one faith, one baptism; |
| 6 | one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. |
| 7 | But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. |
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 : 13 - 21
| 13 | Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; |
| 14 | as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; |
| 15 | but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, |
| 16 | because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." |
| 17 | And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; |
| 18 | knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, |
| 19 | but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. |
| 20 | He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you |
| 21 | who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. |
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 27 : 9 - 26
| 9 | Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, |
| 10 | saying, "Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives." |
| 11 | Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul. |
| 12 | And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there. |
| 13 | When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete. |
| 14 | But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon. |
| 15 | So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive. |
| 16 | And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty. |
| 17 | When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven. |
| 18 | And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. |
| 19 | On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. |
| 20 | Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. |
| 21 | But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. |
| 22 | And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. |
| 23 | For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, |
| 24 | saying, "Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' |
| 25 | Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. |
| 26 | However, we must run aground on a certain island." |
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 20 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramhat.
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 Twentieth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
Departure of the Saint Anba Khail (Mikhail)
the Fifty Sixth Pope of the See of St.Mark
On this day of the year 623 A.M. (March 16th.,
907 A.D.) the holy father Anba Khail (Mikhail), the fifty six Pope of Alexandria,
departed. He was enthroned Patriarch on the 30th. of Baramouda 5296 A.M.
(April 25th., year 880 A.D.). This father had nobel qualities, nevertheless
a great sorrow came upon him. Pope Cosma the Second, built a church on
the name of St. Ebtelmaos in the city of Danousher which was under the
jurisdiction of the bishop of Sakha. The people of Danousher desired to
invite the father the Patriarch Anba Mikhail and some of the neighboring
bishops to consecrate this church but the Bishop of Sakha was not pleased
with this idea. When they did against his wish and the father the Patriarch
along with the bishops came, this bishop refused to stay and he left the
church pretending that he was going to check on their meal. When the Bishop
did not come back, and the time to start the service had passed, the bishops
and the elders asked the father the Patriarch to begin the service. Having
urged the Patriarch and pointed out that he was the father of them all
and having authority over them, with difficulty he rose up and prayed the
prayer of thanks giving and the offering of the Lamb. When the Bishop heard
of this, and for his wickedness and his love for the glory of the world,
he became enraged with the excuse that the Patriarch had violated the cannons
of the church and celebrated the divine Liturgy in a parish without the
permission of its bishop. He returned to the church in hast and Satan entered
his heart, he transgressed against the holy and pure altar and the offering
that was on it, then left the church full of wrath. The father the Patriarch
completed the Divine Liturgy with calmness and maturity. On the following
day the Patriarch held a council from the bishops who were with him, the
priests, and the scholars and they excommunicated this bishop and appointed
another in his stead. That Bishop became furious, Satan entered his heart
and he went to the Governor of Egypt Ahmad Ebn-Tolon and told him: "The
Patriarch is very wealthy, and his churches are filled with vessels, in
gold and silver."
This Governor was preparing to go to war and needed
funds to finance these preparations. He called the Patriarch and demanded
the church funds and its vessels, but the Patriarch refused. He shut him
up in prison with a deacon whose name was Ebn El-Monzer for a year during
which the Pope ate only bread, salt, and boiled beans. John and Moses,
two scribes of the Governor, agreed with the scribes of the Governor's
minister John and his son Macarius to free the father the Patriarch and
they asked for the minister's help who agreed to their request. He interceded
on their behalf before the Governor Ebn-Tolon who agreed on a condition
that the Patriarch pay him 20 thousand Dinar. The Patriarch wrote a promissory
note to pay the amount on two installments: the first after one month and
the second after four month and this way he was able to leave the prison.
When the time came to pay the first instalment those scribes paid two thousand
dinar, the minister contributed one thousand and Anba Michail paid seven
thousands, he collected from the bishops and the believers. The pope was
compelled to travel to collect the sum required for the second instalment.
When he was at the city of Belbays, a monk with ragged cloth passed by
the Pope's disciples and told them: "Go and tell your teacher that the
lord will relieve him from his fine after forty days." When the father
heard that he sent for that monk but they could not find him. Before that
period had passed Ebn-Tolon died and his son Khamarawaih, who forgave the
Patriarch of his debt, took his place year 875 A.M. He called the Patriarch,
comforted him and then tore up the promissory note as the monk had prophesied.
The wicked Bishop that caused all these troubles for the holy father Anba
Mikhail, the wrath of God came upon him in his life and his death to be
an example for others. This father spent twenty seven years on the chair
of St. Mark, then departed in peace.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Raising of Lazarus from the dead
On this day also the Lord
raised the righteous lazarus from the dead and many people believed because
of this great miracle.
Glory be to 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 32 : 1 - 2
| 1 | Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. |
| 2 | Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. |
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 10 : 46 - 52
| 46 | Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. |
| 47 | And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" |
| 48 | Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" |
| 49 | So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you." |
| 50 | And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. |
| 51 | So Jesus answered and said to him, "What do you want Me to do for you?" The blind man said to Him, "Rabboni, that I may receive my sight." |
| 52 | Then Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. |
Glory be to God forever.
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