Readings for Wednesday 4 September 2024
29 Misra 1740
Vespers Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 144 : 5,7
| 5 | Bow down Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. |
| 7 | Stretch out Your hand from above; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, From the hand of foreigners, |
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 7 : 36 - 50
| 36 | Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. |
| 37 | And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, |
| 38 | and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. |
| 39 | Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." |
| 40 | And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." |
| 41 | "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. |
| 42 | And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" |
| 43 | Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." |
| 44 | Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. |
| 45 | You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. |
| 46 | You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. |
| 47 | Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." |
| 48 | Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." |
| 49 | And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" |
| 50 | Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." |
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 72 : 6 - 7
| 6 | He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth. |
| 7 | In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more. |
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 11 : 20 - 28
| 20 | But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. |
| 21 | When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. |
| 22 | But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. |
| 23 | He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. |
| 24 | "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, "I will return to my house from which I came.' |
| 25 | And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. |
| 26 | Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." |
| 27 | And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!" |
| 28 | But He said, "More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep 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 Romans.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
Romans 3 : 1 - 31
| 1 | What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? |
| 2 | Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. |
| 3 | For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? |
| 4 | Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, And may overcome when You are judged." |
| 5 | But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) |
| 6 | Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? |
| 7 | For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? |
| 8 | And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"?--as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just. |
| 9 | What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. |
| 10 | As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; |
| 11 | There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. |
| 12 | They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one." |
| 13 | "Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips"; |
| 14 | "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness." |
| 15 | "Their feet are swift to shed blood; |
| 16 | Destruction and misery are in their ways; |
| 17 | And the way of peace they have not known." |
| 18 | "There is no fear of God before their eyes." |
| 19 | Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. |
| 20 | Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. |
| 21 | But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, |
| 22 | even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; |
| 23 | for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, |
| 24 | being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, |
| 25 | whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, |
| 26 | to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. |
| 27 | Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. |
| 28 | Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. |
| 29 | Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, |
| 30 | since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. |
| 31 | Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. |
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 1:1-10 1 John 2:1-6
| 1 | That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life-- |
| 2 | the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us-- |
| 3 | that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. |
| 4 | And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. |
| 5 | This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. |
| 6 | If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. |
| 7 | But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. |
| 8 | If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. |
| 9 | If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. |
| 10 | If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. |
| 1 | My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. |
| 2 | And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. |
| 3 | Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. |
| 4 | He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. |
| 5 | But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. |
| 6 | He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. |
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 : 23 - 34
| 23 | "Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. |
| 24 | And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. |
| 25 | For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. |
| 26 | And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, "Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?' |
| 27 | But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, "Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? |
| 28 | Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?' |
| 29 | Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. |
| 30 | "And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. |
| 31 | When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, |
| 32 | saying, "I am the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses trembled and dared not look. |
| 33 | "Then the LORD said to him, "Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. |
| 34 | I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt."' |
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 29 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Misra.
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-Ninth Day of the Blessed Month of Misra
Martyrdom of Saints Athanasius, the Bishop,
Gerasimus (Jarasimus), and Theodotus
On this day, Sts. Athanasius, the Bishop, Gerasimus (Jarasimus),
and Theodotus, his two servants, were martyred. Certain men laid an accusation
against the bishop before Arianus, the governor, that he had baptized the
daughter of Antonios, the chancellor. Arianus brought St. Athanasius and
asked him to worship the idols. The bishop refused and declared his faith
in the Lord Christ. The governor tortured him with severely painful tortures,
and when he saw him getting firmer in his faith, he ordered to cut off
his neck and the necks of the two servants with him. Some believers took
their bodies, shrouded them, and laid them in coffins. God honored them
by manifesting many signs and wonders from their bodies.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Arrival of the Holy Relic of St.John,
the Short, to the Wilderness of Scetis
On this day also, in the year 515 A.D., the body
of the great saint Anba John, the Short, was relocated from Al-Qulzum (Red
Sea) to the wilderness of Scetis. When Pope John (Youhanna), 48th Pope
of Alexandria, was in the wilderness of Scetis, some of the monks expressed
their wish to relocate the relics of St. John, the Short, to his monastery.
The Grace of God moved the Pope, and he wrote a letter by the hand of the
Hegumen Kosman and Hegumen Boctor, from the elders, and sent them to Al-Qulzum.
They were not able to take the body because it was in the hands of the
followers of the Council of Chalcedon. So they returned empty handed. Shortly
after, a prince from the Arabs took charge of Al-Qulzum, and he was a friend
of Anba Michael, bishop of Epla'os. Once again the Patriarch wrote another
letter to the bishop expressing his wish to take the body of St. John and
to send it with the monks carrying his letter. The bishop rejoiced with
the letter, and informed the prince about the wish of the Patriarch. The
prince asked, "How could they reach the place?" His scribe answered him,
"Let the monks put Arab garments over their own apparel, and let them come
with us to the place." The monks came in, along with the Arabs, to the
place where the body was. The monks carried the body and walked all night
until they came to Misr, and then went to the wilderness. The monks of
the monastery of St. Macarius went out carrying crosses and censers and
met them with songs and hymns. They brought the body of St. John to where
the body of St.Macarius was. They poured many perfumes and fragrant oil
over him, then carried him to his monastery while they were chanting. The
monks of his monastery received him with joy and happiness. When Pope Mark
(Marcus), 49th Patriarch, was ordained, and went to the wilderness with
the bishops of Lower Egypt and some priests, he visited the monastery of
this saint. He uncovered the holy relic of the saint, and he was blessed
by it. He covered him with the sackcloth that was covering him, then wrapped
him in fine linens. The monks praised and thanked God, and sang many hymns
and songs for this holy father.
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 45 : 10 - 11
| 10 | Listen, O daughter, Consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father's house; |
| 11 | So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him. |
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 : 26 - 38
| 26 | Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, |
| 27 | to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. |
| 28 | And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" |
| 29 | But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. |
| 30 | Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. |
| 31 | And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. |
| 32 | He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. |
| 33 | And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." |
| 34 | Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?" |
| 35 | And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. |
| 36 | Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. |
| 37 | For with God nothing will be impossible." |
| 38 | Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her. |
Glory be to God forever.
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