Readings for Thursday 7 November 2024
28 Babah 1741


Vespers Psalm & Gospel

From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.

Psalms 18 : 34,39

34He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
39For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.

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 8 : 5 - 13

5Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him,
6saying, "Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented."
7And Jesus said to him, "I will come and heal him."
8The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
9For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, "Go,' and he goes; and to another, "Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, "Do this,' and he does it."
10When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!
11And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you." And his servant was healed that same hour.

Glory be to God forever.

↑ Top of Page ↑


Matins Psalm & Gospel

From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.

Psalms 68 : 35,3

35O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!
3But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly.

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 12 : 4 - 12

4"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!
6"Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
7But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
8"Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God.
9But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God.
10"And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
11"Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.
12For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."

Glory be to God forever.

↑ Top of Page ↑


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.

2 Corinthians 10 : 1 - 18

1Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ--who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
2But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
7Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ's, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ's, even so we are Christ's.
8For even if I should boast somewhat more about our authority, which the Lord gave us for edification and not for your destruction, I shall not be ashamed--
9lest I seem to terrify you by letters.
10"For his letters," they say, "are weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible."
11Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such we will also be in deed when we are present.
12For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
13We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us--a sphere which especially includes you.
14For we are not overextending ourselves (as though our authority did not extend to you), for it was to you that we came with the gospel of Christ;
15not boasting of things beyond measure, that is, in other men's labors, but having hope, that as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our sphere,
16to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's sphere of accomplishment.
17But "he who glories, let him glory in the LORD."
18For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.

↑ Top of Page ↑


Catholic Epistle

A Reading from Epistle of St. Peter . May his blessings be upon us. Amen.

1 Peter 4 : 1 - 11

1Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
3For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
4In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.
5They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
6For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
7But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
8And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins."
9Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
10As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
11If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. 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.

↑ Top of Page ↑


Acts of the Apostles

The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us. Amen.

Acts 12:25 Acts 13:1-12

25And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.
1Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
3Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.
4So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.
6Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus,
7who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.
8But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.
9Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him
10and said, "O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?
11And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time." And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God. Amen.

↑ Top of Page ↑


Synaxarium

Day 28 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Babah.
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-Eighth Day of the Blessed Month of Babah

Martyrdom of the Saints Marcianus and Mercurius

      On this day of the year 351 A.D., the great saints Marcianus and Mercurius became martyrs. They were disciples of St. Paul the Martyr, Patriarch of Constantinople. When Emperor Constantine II, the son of Constantine the Great, adopted the belief of Arius, Abba Paul the Patriarch opposed him - so he exiled him to Armenia, where he was killed by strangulation. These two saints cried over St. Paul on the day he was exiled. They characterized the Emperor, saying that he was a follower of the belief of Arius the Infidel. A certain Arian man made an accusation against them to the Emperor when he was on one of the plantations. He had them brought to him and ordered them slain with the sword. They were killed and buried, and their bodies remained there until the time of St. John Chrysostom (of the Golden Mouth). When he heard their history, he sent and brought their honorable bodies to the city of Constantinople. He built a church for them and transferred their bodies to it and celebrated a feast for them.

May their prayers and blessings be with us all, and Glory be to God forever. Amen.

↑ Top of Page ↑


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 : 3 - 4

3Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, With Your glory and Your majesty.
4And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.

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 12 : 9 - 23

9Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue.
10And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"--that they might accuse Him.
11Then He said to them, "What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?
12Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."
13Then He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.
14Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him.
15But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.
16Yet He warned them not to make Him known,
17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
18"Behold! My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased! I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He will declare justice to the Gentiles.
19He will not quarrel nor cry out, Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench, Till He sends forth justice to victory;
21And in His name Gentiles will trust."
22Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw.
23And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

Glory be to God forever.

↑ Top of Page ↑


Return to previous page.
Reference
echo "";