Readings for Sunday 8 September 2024
3 Nasie 1740
Sunday of Nasie
Vespers Psalm & Gospel
From the Psalms of our father David the prophet and the king, may his blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 41 : 13,12
| 13 | Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen. |
| 12 | As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever. |
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 21 : 12 - 33
| 12 | But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake. |
| 13 | But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. |
| 14 | Therefore settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer; |
| 15 | for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. |
| 16 | You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. |
| 17 | And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. |
| 18 | But not a hair of your head shall be lost. |
| 19 | By your patience possess your souls. |
| 20 | "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. |
| 21 | Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her. |
| 22 | For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. |
| 23 | But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people. |
| 24 | And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. |
| 25 | "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; |
| 26 | men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. |
| 27 | Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. |
| 28 | Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." |
| 29 | Then He spoke to them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. |
| 30 | When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. |
| 31 | So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. |
| 32 | Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. |
| 33 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. |
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 102 : 12,24
| 12 | But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations. |
| 24 | I said, "O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations. |
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 13 : 32 - 37
| 32 | "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. |
| 33 | Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. |
| 34 | It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. |
| 35 | Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning-- |
| 36 | lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. |
| 37 | And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" |
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 Thessalonians.
May his blessings be with us. Amen.
2 Thessalonians 2 : 1 - 17
| 1 | Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, |
| 2 | not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come. |
| 3 | Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, |
| 4 | who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. |
| 5 | Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? |
| 6 | And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. |
| 7 | For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. |
| 8 | And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. |
| 9 | The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, |
| 10 | and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. |
| 11 | And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, |
| 12 | that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. |
| 13 | But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, |
| 14 | to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 15 | Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. |
| 16 | Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, |
| 17 | comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. |
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.
2 Peter 3 : 1 - 18
| 1 | Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), |
| 2 | that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, |
| 3 | knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, |
| 4 | and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." |
| 5 | For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, |
| 6 | by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. |
| 7 | But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. |
| 8 | But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. |
| 9 | The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. |
| 10 | But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. |
| 11 | Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, |
| 12 | looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? |
| 13 | Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. |
| 14 | Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; |
| 15 | and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, |
| 16 | as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. |
| 17 | You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; |
| 18 | but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory 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 2 : 14 - 21
| 14 | But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. |
| 15 | For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. |
| 16 | But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: |
| 17 | "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. |
| 18 | And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. |
| 19 | I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. |
| 20 | The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. |
| 21 | And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the LORD Shall be saved.' |
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 3 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Nasie.
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 Third Day of the Blessed Month of Nasie
Commemoration of the Angel Raphael, the
Archangel
On this day, the church celebrates the commemoration
of the honorable Angel Raphael, the third of the Archangels, and the dedication
of his church outside the city of Alexandria. During the time of Pope Theophilus,
the twenty-third Patriarch, a faithful woman came from Rome, with her children
and had with her a picture of the honorable Archangel Raphael. She had
inherited much money from her husband. She revealed to the Pope her desire
to build many churches. He showed her a large heap, which was in front
of the patriarchate, which she removed and built a church in its place.
Then she built another church in the name of the Angel Raphael, which was
consecrated on this day.
May The intercession of this honorable angel be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Andrianus
On this day also, St. Andrianus,
one of the commanders of the army of the emperor, was martyred. This saint,
whenever he saw a martyr he would ask him, "Why do you do that to yourself?"
They answered him, "In the hope of the eternal life, and the everlasting
kingdom." He went to the emperor and confessed the Lord Christ. The Emperor
tortured him much then imprisoned him with many martyrs. Anatolia, the
wife of this saint, cut off her hair, and dressed in a man's apparel. She
came to the prison and ministered to the martyrs. She strengthened her
husband, comforted and consoled him. When other women heard about what
she did, they did the same. Later on the emperor ordered the legs of the
prisoners broken until they die. This saint came and encouraged her husband
until he delivered his soul to the hand of the Lord. After all the martyrs
had delivered up their souls, the emperor ordered their bodies burned,
but God brought down dew which put out the fire. Some believers carried
the bodies to Pisidia. A prince asked to marry St. Anatolia, but she refused.
When she finished her strife, she departed in peace.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Yoannis XIV, the 96th
Pope of Alexandria
On this day also, of the
year 1302 A.M. (September 6, 1586 A.D.), and during the reign of the Ottoman
Sultan Mourad III, Pope Yoannis XIV, 96th Pope of Alexandria, departed.
He was from Manfalout, and he was known by Yoannis El-Manfalouty. He became
a monk at El-Baramous monastery, in Wadi El-Natroun. He was ordained Patriarch
during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Selim II, on the 22nd day of Baramudah,
1287 A.M. (April 17th, 1571 A.D.). During his Papacy the Christians were
forced to wear black turbans (head cover). He received a letter from the
Pope of Rome and he answered him back. Sultan Selim asked him to collect
head taxes from the Christians, and every one complied. He went to Alexandria,
and on his way back, he felt weak and ill at the city of El-Nahrawiah.
He departed there and was buried at the Church of St. George in Birma.
His body was relocated later on to El-Sourian monastery. He was on the
Chair for fifteen years, four months, and nineteen days.
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 102 : 24 - 26
| 24 | I said, "O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations. |
| 25 | Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. |
| 26 | They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed. |
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 24 : 3 - 35
| 3 | Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" |
| 4 | And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. |
| 5 | For many will come in My name, saying, "I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. |
| 6 | And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. |
| 7 | For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. |
| 8 | All these are the beginning of sorrows. |
| 9 | "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. |
| 10 | And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. |
| 11 | Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. |
| 12 | And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. |
| 13 | But he who endures to the end shall be saved. |
| 14 | And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. |
| 15 | "Therefore when you see the "abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place" (whoever reads, let him understand), |
| 16 | "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. |
| 17 | Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. |
| 18 | And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. |
| 19 | But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! |
| 20 | And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. |
| 21 | For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. |
| 22 | And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. |
| 23 | "Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!' or "There!' do not believe it. |
| 24 | For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. |
| 25 | See, I have told you beforehand. |
| 26 | "Therefore if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. |
| 27 | For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. |
| 28 | For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. |
| 29 | "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. |
| 30 | Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. |
| 31 | And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. |
| 32 | "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. |
| 33 | So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors! |
| 34 | Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. |
| 35 | Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. |
Glory be to God forever.
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