Friday 5 April 2024
27 Baramhat 1740
Readings for Friday of of the Great Lent
Prophecy
From the Book of Deuteronomy of Moses, may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen
Deuteronomy 10 : 12 - 22
| 12 | "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, |
| 13 | and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good? |
| 14 | Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it. |
| 15 | The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day. |
| 16 | Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer. |
| 17 | For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. |
| 18 | He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. |
| 19 | Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. |
| 20 | You shall fear the LORD your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name. |
| 21 | He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen. |
| 22 | Your fathers went down to Egypt with seventy persons, and now the LORD your God has made you as the stars of heaven in multitude. |
Deuteronomy 11 : 1 - 28
| 1 | "Therefore you shall love the LORD your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always. |
| 2 | Know today that I do not speak with your children, who have not known and who have not seen the chastening of the LORD your God, His greatness and His mighty hand and His outstretched arm-- |
| 3 | His signs and His acts which He did in the midst of Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to all his land; |
| 4 | what He did to the army of Egypt, to their horses and their chariots: how He made the waters of the Red Sea overflow them as they pursued you, and how the LORD has destroyed them to this day; |
| 5 | what He did for you in the wilderness until you came to this place; |
| 6 | and what He did to Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, their households, their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel-- |
| 7 | but your eyes have seen every great act of the LORD which He did. |
| 8 | "Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, |
| 9 | and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore to give your fathers, to them and their descendants, "a land flowing with milk and honey.' |
| 10 | For the land which you go to possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and watered it by foot, as a vegetable garden; |
| 11 | but the land which you cross over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water from the rain of heaven, |
| 12 | a land for which the LORD your God cares; the eyes of the LORD your God are always on it, from the beginning of the year to the very end of the year. |
| 13 | "And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I command you today, to love the LORD your God and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, |
| 14 | then I will give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your grain, your new wine, and your oil. |
| 15 | And I will send grass in your fields for your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.' |
| 16 | Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, |
| 17 | lest the LORD's anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the LORD is giving you. |
| 18 | "Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. |
| 19 | You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. |
| 20 | And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, |
| 21 | that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give them, like the days of the heavens above the earth. |
| 22 | "For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do--to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him-- |
| 23 | then the LORD will drive out all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess greater and mightier nations than yourselves. |
| 24 | Every place on which the sole of your foot treads shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even to the Western Sea, shall be your territory. |
| 25 | No man shall be able to stand against you; the LORD your God will put the dread of you and the fear of you upon all the land where you tread, just as He has said to you. |
| 26 | "Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: |
| 27 | the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today; |
| 28 | and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. |
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
From the Book of Isaiah , may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen
Isaiah 29 : 12 - 23
| 12 | Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, "Read this, please." And he says, "I am not literate." |
| 13 | Therefore the Lord said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, |
| 14 | Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden." |
| 15 | Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel far from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?" |
| 16 | Surely you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no understanding"? |
| 17 | Is it not yet a very little while Till Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, And the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest? |
| 18 | In that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, And the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness. |
| 19 | The humble also shall increase their joy in the LORD, And the poor among men shall rejoice In the Holy One of Israel. |
| 20 | For the terrible one is brought to nothing, The scornful one is consumed, And all who watch for iniquity are cut off-- |
| 21 | Who make a man an offender by a word, And lay a snare for him who reproves in the gate, And turn aside the just by empty words. |
| 22 | Therefore thus says the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall not now be ashamed, Nor shall his face now grow pale; |
| 23 | But when he sees his children, The work of My hands, in his midst, They will hallow My name, And hallow the Holy One of Jacob, And fear the God of Israel. |
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
From the Book of Job , may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen
Job 21 : 1 - 34
| 1 | Then Job answered and said: |
| 2 | "Listen carefully to my speech, And let this be your consolation. |
| 3 | Bear with me that I may speak, And after I have spoken, keep mocking. |
| 4 | "As for me, is my complaint against man? And if it were, why should I not be impatient? |
| 5 | Look at me and be astonished; Put your hand over your mouth. |
| 6 | Even when I remember I am terrified, And trembling takes hold of my flesh. |
| 7 | Why do the wicked live and become old, Yes, become mighty in power? |
| 8 | Their descendants are established with them in their sight, And their offspring before their eyes. |
| 9 | Their houses are safe from fear, Neither is the rod of God upon them. |
| 10 | Their bull breeds without failure; Their cow calves without miscarriage. |
| 11 | They send forth their little ones like a flock, And their children dance. |
| 12 | They sing to the tambourine and harp, And rejoice to the sound of the flute. |
| 13 | They spend their days in wealth, And in a moment go down to the grave. |
| 14 | Yet they say to God, "Depart from us, For we do not desire the knowledge of Your ways. |
| 15 | Who is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit do we have if we pray to Him?' |
| 16 | Indeed their prosperity is not in their hand; The counsel of the wicked is far from me. |
| 17 | "How often is the lamp of the wicked put out? How often does their destruction come upon them, The sorrows God distributes in His anger? |
| 18 | They are like straw before the wind, And like chaff that a storm carries away. |
| 19 | They say, "God lays up one's iniquity for his children'; Let Him recompense him, that he may know it. |
| 20 | Let his eyes see his destruction, And let him drink of the wrath of the Almighty. |
| 21 | For what does he care about his household after him, When the number of his months is cut in half? |
| 22 | "Can anyone teach God knowledge, Since He judges those on high? |
| 23 | One dies in his full strength, Being wholly at ease and secure; |
| 24 | His pails are full of milk, And the marrow of his bones is moist. |
| 25 | Another man dies in the bitterness of his soul, Never having eaten with pleasure. |
| 26 | They lie down alike in the dust, And worms cover them. |
| 27 | "Look, I know your thoughts, And the schemes with which you would wrong me. |
| 28 | For you say, "Where is the house of the prince? And where is the tent, The dwelling place of the wicked?' |
| 29 | Have you not asked those who travel the road? And do you not know their signs? |
| 30 | For the wicked are reserved for the day of doom; They shall be brought out on the day of wrath. |
| 31 | Who condemns his way to his face? And who repays him for what he has done? |
| 32 | Yet he shall be brought to the grave, And a vigil kept over the tomb. |
| 33 | The clods of the valley shall be sweet to him; Everyone shall follow him, As countless have gone before him. |
| 34 | How then can you comfort me with empty words, Since falsehood remains in your answers?" |
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
From the Book of Daniel , may his holy blessings be with us all. Amen
Daniel 14 : 2 - 42
| 2 | Daniel was a companion of the king, and was the most honored of all his Friends.
3 Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel, and every day they provided for it twelve bushels of choice flour and forty sheep and six measures[a] of wine. 4 The king revered it and went every day to worship it. But Daniel worshiped his own God.
So the king said to him, “Why do you not worship Bel?” 5 He answered, “Because I do not revere idols made with hands, but the living God, who created heaven and earth and has dominion over all living creatures.”
6 The king said to him, “Do you not think that Bel is a living god? Do you not see how much he eats and drinks every day?” 7 And Daniel laughed, and said, “Do not be deceived, O king, for this thing is only clay inside and bronze outside, and it never ate or drank anything.”
8 Then the king was angry and called the priests of Bel[b] and said to them, “If you do not tell me who is eating these provisions, you shall die. 9 But if you prove that Bel is eating them, Daniel shall die, because he has spoken blasphemy against Bel.” Daniel said to the king, “Let it be done as you have said.”
10 Now there were seventy priests of Bel, besides their wives and children. So the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel. 11 The priests of Bel said, “See, we are now going outside; you yourself, O king, set out the food and prepare the wine, and shut the door and seal it with your signet. 12 When you return in the morning, if you do not find that Bel has eaten it all, we will die; otherwise Daniel will, who is telling lies about us.” 13 They were unconcerned, for beneath the table they had made a hidden entrance, through which they used to go in regularly and consume the provisions. 14 After they had gone out, the king set out the food for Bel. Then Daniel ordered his servants to bring ashes, and they scattered them throughout the whole temple in the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, shut the door and sealed it with the king’s signet, and departed. 15 During the night the priests came as usual, with their wives and children, and they ate and drank everything.
16 Early in the morning the king rose and came, and Daniel with him. 17 The king said, “Are the seals unbroken, Daniel?” He answered, “They are unbroken, O king.” 18 As soon as the doors were opened, the king looked at the table, and shouted in a loud voice, “You are great, O Bel, and in you there is no deceit at all!”
19 But Daniel laughed and restrained the king from going in. “Look at the floor,” he said, “and notice whose footprints these are.” 20 The king said, “I see the footprints of men and women and children.”
21 Then the king was enraged, and he arrested the priests and their wives and children. They showed him the secret doors through which they used to enter to consume what was on the table. 22 Therefore the king put them to death, and gave Bel over to Daniel, who destroyed it and its temple.
Daniel Kills the Dragon
23 Now in that place[c] there was a great dragon, which the Babylonians revered. 24 The king said to Daniel, “You cannot deny that this is a living god; so worship him.” 25 Daniel said, “I worship the Lord my God, for he is the living God. 26 But give me permission, O king, and I will kill the dragon without sword or club.” The king said, “I give you permission.”
27 Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and boiled them together and made cakes, which he fed to the dragon. The dragon ate them, and burst open. Then Daniel said, “See what you have been worshiping!”
28 When the Babylonians heard about it, they were very indignant and conspired against the king, saying, “The king has become a Jew; he has destroyed Bel, and killed the dragon, and slaughtered the priests.” 29 Going to the king, they said, “Hand Daniel over to us, or else we will kill you and your household.” 30 The king saw that they were pressing him hard, and under compulsion he handed Daniel over to them.
31 They threw Daniel into the lions’ den, and he was there for six days. 32 There were seven lions in the den, and every day they had been given two human bodies and two sheep; but now they were given nothing, so that they would devour Daniel.
33 Now the prophet Habakkuk was in Judea; he had made a stew and had broken bread into a bowl, and was going into the field to take it to the reapers. 34 But the angel of the Lord said to Habakkuk, “Take the food that you have to Babylon, to Daniel, in the lions’ den.” 35 Habakkuk said, “Sir, I have never seen Babylon, and I know nothing about the den.” 36 Then the angel of the Lord took him by the crown of his head and carried him by his hair; with the speed of the wind[d] he set him down in Babylon, right over the den.
37 Then Habakkuk shouted, “Daniel, Daniel! Take the food that God has sent you.” 38 Daniel said, “You have remembered me, O God, and have not forsaken those who love you.” 39 So Daniel got up and ate. And the angel of God immediately returned Habakkuk to his own place.
40 On the seventh day the king came to mourn for Daniel. When he came to the den he looked in, and there sat Daniel! 41 The king shouted with a loud voice, “You are great, O Lord, the God of Daniel, and there is no other besides you!” 42 Then he pulled Daniel[e] out, and threw into the den those who had attempted his destruction, and they were instantly eaten before his eyes. |
Glory be to the Holy Trinity, our God, forever and unto the ages of all ages. Amen.
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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 28 : 6 - 7
| 6 | Blessed be the LORD, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications! |
| 7 | The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise 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 4 : 31 - 37
| 31 | Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. |
| 32 | And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. |
| 33 | Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, |
| 34 | saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" |
| 35 | But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. |
| 36 | Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." |
| 37 | And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region. |
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 13 : 7 - 16
| 7 | Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. |
| 8 | Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. |
| 9 | Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. |
| 10 | We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. |
| 11 | For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. |
| 12 | Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. |
| 13 | Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. |
| 14 | For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. |
| 15 | Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. |
| 16 | But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. |
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 4 : 7 - 16
| 7 | Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. |
| 8 | He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. |
| 9 | In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. |
| 10 | In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. |
| 11 | Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. |
| 12 | No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. |
| 13 | By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. |
| 14 | And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. |
| 15 | Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. |
| 16 | And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. |
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 22 : 7 - 24
| 7 | And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?' |
| 8 | So I answered, "Who are You, Lord?' And He said to me, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' |
| 9 | "And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. |
| 10 | So I said, "What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, "Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' |
| 11 | And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus. |
| 12 | "Then a certain Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who dwelt there, |
| 13 | came to me; and he stood and said to me, "Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And at that same hour I looked up at him. |
| 14 | Then he said, "The God of our fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just One, and hear the voice of His mouth. |
| 15 | For you will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. |
| 16 | And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.' |
| 17 | "Now it happened, when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I was in a trance |
| 18 | and saw Him saying to me, "Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me.' |
| 19 | So I said, "Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. |
| 20 | And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' |
| 21 | Then He said to me, "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles."' |
| 22 | And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!" |
| 23 | Then, as they cried out and tore off their clothes and threw dust into the air, |
| 24 | the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, and said that he should be examined under scourging, so that he might know why they shouted so against him. |
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 27 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 Twenty-Seventh Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
Commemoration of the Crucifixion of Our
Lord Jesus Christ
On this day is the commemoration of the Crucifixion of
Our Lord Jesus Christ Incarnate, to Him is the Glory, for the salvation
of the world. The Holy Bible mentioned that: "From the sixth hour until
the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land."
(Matthew 27:45) The
sun had hidden its light when it saw its creator incarnated, hanging with
His own free will on the wood of the Cross, inclined His head, and yielded
up His spirit. The Holy Church teaches us that: " His Divinity parted not
from His Humanity for a single moment, nor a twinkle of an eye, and He
descended to the hades from the cross to save those in bondage therein."
St. Peter also said: "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just
for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the
flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to
the spirits in prison."
(1 Peter 3:18-19) In the heavens He was in His
might, and on earth He was a savior. Praise the Lord, the omnipotent God,
Who is in every place, He saved us by giving Himself up, and opened to
us the door of His kingdom.
To Him is the Glory, Power and Dominion forever. Amen.
Departure of St.Macarius the Great
On this day also, of the year 392 A.D. the blessed
father, the lamp of the wilderness and the father of all the monks the
great saint Anba Macarius, departed. This Saint was born in the village
of Shabsheer - Menuf, from good and righteous parents. His father's name
was Abraham and his mother's name was Sarah and they had no son. In a vision
at night he saw the angel of the Lord and told him that God was about to
give him a son, and his name will be known all over the earth, and he will
have a multitude of spiritual sons. Shortly after, this holy man had a
son and called him Macarius which means "Blessed." He was obedient to his
parents, and the grace of God was upon him since his young age. When he
grew up his father forced him to get married against his will, so he pretended
that he was sick for several days. Then he asked his father if he might
go to the wilderness to relax and that may make him recover from his illness
speedily. He went to the wilderness and prayed to the Lord Christ to direct
him to do what is pleasing to Him. While he was in the wilderness he saw
a vision, and it seemed that one of the Cherubim, with wings, took his
hands, and ascended up to the top of the mountain, and showed him all the
desert, east and west, and north and south. The Cherub told him: "God has
given this desert to you and your sons for an inheritance." When he returned
from the wilderness he found that his wife, who was still virgin, had died,
and Macarius thanked the Lord Christ. Shortly after, his parents departed,
and he gave all what they had left to the poor and the needy. When the
people of Shabsheer saw his chastity and purity, they took him to the bishop
of Ashmoun who ordained him a priest for them. They built a place for him
outside the city, and they went to him to confess and to partake from the
Holy Mysteries. They appointed a servant to take care of his needs and
to sell for him the work of his hands.
When Satan saw St. Macarius growth in virtues, he
brought on him a severe temptation. He inspired a girl that had defiled
herself with a man to claim that St. Macarius is the one who had defiled
her. When her family heard that, they went to him, insulted and beat him
severely, inflicting much pain on him, which he endured silently. Macarius
reproached himself saying "O Macarius now you have a wife and a child,
and it is meet for you to work day and night for your own food and for
that of your child and your wife." He worked continually at weaving mats
and baskets, and he gave them to the man who ministered unto him; and he
sold them and gave the money to the woman. When the day of her delivery
drew near her labor was exceedingly difficult, she continued to suffer
for four days and did not deliver until she confessed her false accusation
against the Saint and named the man that defiled her. When the family of
the girl heard that, they decided to go to ask for his forgiveness for
what happened from them. When St. Macarius heard that, he fled away from
them running from the vain glory of this world.
At that time he was 30 years old, and the angel
of the Lord appeared to him and walked with him for two days until they
came to Wadi El-Natroun and the Saint asked the angel: "Appoint for me
O master a place to live in." The angel replied: "I have not marked out
a place for you to live, lest you leave it in the future and transgress
the commandment of God. Behold all the wilderness is yours, so wheresoever
you wish, live there." St. Macarius dwelt in the Inner Desert, in the place
of the monastery of Sts. Maximus and Domadius which is known now by the
monastery of El-Baramous. He went to visit St. Antonios, who said about
St. Macarius when he saw him: "This is an Israelite in whom there is no
guile." St. Antonios put on him the Holy Eskeem, then St. Macarius returned
to his place. When the number of monks increased around him he built a
church for them. His fame was known all over the country and many kings
and Emperors heard about the miracles that God performed on his hands.
He healed the daughter of the king of Antioch that was possessed by an
unclean spirit. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and took him to a
place and told him to make this place his abode, for many people will come
to him in that place. He built a cell for himself and a church. He thought
one day that the world had no more righteous people, so a voice came to
him from heaven saying: "In the city of Alexandria there are two women
who feared God." He took his staff, his provisions, and went to Alexandria
and he asked around until he reached their house. When he entered, they
welcomed him, washed his feet with warm water, and when he asked them about
their life, one of them told him: "There is no kinship between us and when
we married these two brothers we asked them to leave us to be nuns but
they refused. So we committed ourself to spent our life fasting till evening
with often prayers. When each of us had a son, whenever one of them cry,
any one of us would carry and nurse him even if he was not her own son.
We are in one living arrangement, the unity in opinion is our model, and
our husbands work is shepherding sheep, we are poor and only have our daily
bread and what is left over we give it to the poor and the needy." When
the Saint heard these words he cried saying: "Indeed God looks to the readiness
of the heart and grant the grace of His Holy Spirit for all those who wish
to worship him." He bade them farewell and left returning to the wilderness.
There was an erring monk who strayed many by his saying that there was
no resurrection of the dead. The bishop of the city of Osseem went to St.Macarius
and told him about that monk. Abba Macarius went to that monk and stayed
with him until the monk believed and returned from his error.
On the day of his departure, he saw Sts. Antonios
and Pachomius, and a company of the saints, and he delivered up his soul.
He was ninety-seven years old. St.Macarius had commanded his disciples
to hid his body, but some of the natives of the city of Shabsheer came
and stole his body, built a church for him and placed the body in it for
around one hundred and sixty years until the Arab conquest and the rebuilding
of his monastery, they returned the body to it. In a manuscript in Shebeen
El-Koum, was mentioned that St. Babnuda, his disciple, saw the soul of
St. Macarius ascending to heaven, and he heard the devils crying out and
calling after him, "You have conquered us O Macarius." The Saint replied
"I have not conquered you yet." When they came to the gates of heaven they
cried again saying "You have conquered us", and he replied as the first
time. When he entered the gate of heaven they cried "You have overcome
us O Macarius." He replied "Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ who has delivered
me from your hands."
May his blessing be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Domicos
On this day also St. Domicos was martyred during
the reign of the infidel Emperor Julian. Sapor (Shapur) Arsakis II king
of Persia was in peace with the Roman Empire, and he paid tribute to the
lover of God Emperor Constantine. A dispute took place between Emperor
Julian and Sapor king of Persia, and the later prepared an army to fight
the Romans. Julian offered the sacrifices to his idols in the city of Casius
which was about six miles from Antioch where was the idol Apollon. The
enemy of God went along with the magicians, sorcerers, and the army to
meet the Persians. On his way he passed by an isolated place, where he
saw a multitude of men, women, and children. When he asked about this multitudes
they told him: "A monk who live in a cave in this place, perform miracles
and heal the sick, and the multitudes that you see are the Christians that
came to get his blessing and be cured from their illnesses." Julian became
raged and sent a soldier to St.Domicos who talked to him in a threatening
way saying: "If you are living in this cave to please God so why you are
seeking the gratitude of men? and why don't you hide your self from them?"
The Saint replied saying: "I have given my soul and body to the hands of
God, the God of heaven and earth the Lord Jesus Christ, and spent many
years in seclusion in this cave, as for those who come to me with a strong
faith, I can not dismiss them." When the Emperor heard his answer, he ordered
his soldiers to seal the mouth of the cave with a wall and the Saint was
inside where he delivered his soul therein. Thus this Saint ended his pure
life and received the crown of martyrdom on the 27th. of Baramhat, year
78 A.M. (March 23rd., year 362 A.D.).
May his prayers be with us and 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 28 : 2 - 2
| 2 | Hear the voice of my supplications When I cry to You, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. |
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 15 : 21 - 31
| 21 | Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. |
| 22 | And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." |
| 23 | But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." |
| 24 | But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." |
| 25 | Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" |
| 26 | But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." |
| 27 | And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." |
| 28 | Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. |
| 29 | Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. |
| 30 | Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. |
| 31 | So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. |
Glory be to God forever.
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