You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them [those who deny that Jesus is from God and who have the spirit of the world], because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Day 24 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Amshir, may God make it always received, year after year, with reassurance and tranquility, while our sins after forgiven by the tender mercies of our God my fathers and brothers.
Amen.
The Twenty-Fourth Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir
Departure of St.Agapetus the Bishop
On this day St. Agapetus (Agapius), the bishop, departed. He was born of Christian parents during the time of the infidel emperors Diocletian and Maximianus. His parents brought him up in a Christian upbringing, and he was ordained a deacon. Then, he went to one of the monasteries and served the elders therein. He learned from them worship and asceticism and was accustomed to fasting and prayer. His food was legumes to break the fast. He grew in his ascetic life and in every virtue, and God wrought through him many miracles, among which were the following: He healed a girl from a debilitating sickness which had stricken her for a long time, and doctors had failed to cure her. He also prayed once and God destroyed a beast which was devouring people. By his prayers, God granted healing to many sick people. The news of his asceticism, righteousness and the power of his prayer spread everywhere. When Lucinus the governor heard about St. Agapius, he brought him by force and appointed him a soldier in his army. This did not prevent St. Agapius from continuing in his ascetic life and his worship and he rather increased in virtue. Shortly after, God perished Diocletian and the God-loving emperor Constantine took over the empire after him. St. Agapius desired to gain his freedom and to return to his monastery, and God answered him.
Emperor Constantine had a servant who was very dear to him for the good qualities he had. The servant was stricken with an evil spirit which tormented him. Some friends of the Emperor advised him to ask Agapius, the soldier, to pray for his servant to be healed. The Emperor was surprised to know that one among his soldiers had the gift of healing. The Emperor sent for St.Agapius who prayed upon the servant, made the sign of the holy cross over him, and God healed him. The Emperor rejoiced and wanted to reward him. St. Agapius refused to accept any reward except to be granted his release from military service to go back to the place of his worship. The Emperor granted him what he wanted. The saint returned to where he was before and he lived a solitary life. After a while, he was ordained a priest. After the departure of the bishop of his town, the people asked for this saint from the abbot of the monastery, and he gave him his permission to leave. St. Agapius was ordained bishop and shepherded the flock of Christ with the best of care. He was granted the gift of prophecy and performing miracles. He rebuked the sinners for what they had done in secret. He rebuked the priests for forsaking teaching and instructing their flocks. His biography @included more than one hundred miracles that he had performed, and he departed at a good old age.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Timothy and St.Matthias
On this day also is the commemoration of the martyrdom of St. Timothy of Gaza, and St.Matthias of the City of Koos (Quoce).
May Their prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Readings for Monday of second week of Great Lent
Matins
Exodus 3 : 6 - 14 Isaiah 4 : 2 - 5 : 7
Exodus 3 : 6 - 14
Chapter 3
| 6 | Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. |
| 7 | And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. |
| 8 | So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. |
| 9 | Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. |
| 10 | Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt." |
| 11 | But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" |
| 12 | So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain." |
| 13 | Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, "What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" |
| 14 | And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, "I AM has sent me to you."' |
Isaiah 4 : 2 - 5 : 7
Chapter 4
| 2 | In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped. |
| 3 | And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy--everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem. |
| 4 | When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning, |
| 5 | then the LORD will create above every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and above her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a covering. |
| 6 | And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain. |
Chapter 5
| 1 | Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. |
| 2 | He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes. |
| 3 | "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard. |
| 4 | What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes? |
| 5 | And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. |
| 6 | I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it." |
| 7 | For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help. |
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 38 : 11
Chapter 38
| 11 | My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, And my relatives stand afar off. |
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Matins Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 9 : 25 - 29
Chapter 9
| 25 | When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" |
| 26 | Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." |
| 27 | But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. |
| 28 | And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" |
| 29 | So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." |
And Glory be to God forever.
Liturgy Gospel
Paulines 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 upon us.
Amen.
Romans 1 : 18 - 25
Chapter 1
| 18 | For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, |
| 19 | because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. |
| 20 | For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, |
| 21 | because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. |
| 22 | Professing to be wise, they became fools, |
| 23 | and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. |
| 24 | Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, |
| 25 | who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. Jude .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
Jude 1 : 1 - 8
Chapter 1
| 1 | Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, To those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: |
| 2 | Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. |
| 3 | Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. |
| 4 | For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 5 | But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. |
| 6 | And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; |
| 7 | as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. |
| 8 | Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. |
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.
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us.
Acts 4 : 36 - 5 : 11
Chapter 4
| 36 | And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, |
| 37 | having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. |
Chapter 5
| 1 | But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. |
| 2 | And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. |
| 3 | But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? |
| 4 | While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." |
| 5 | Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. |
| 6 | And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. |
| 7 | Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. |
| 8 | And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much." |
| 9 | Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." |
| 10 | Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. |
| 11 | So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things. |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Synaxarium
Day 24 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Amshir, may God make it always received, year after year, with reassurance and tranquility, while our sins after forgiven by the tender mercies of our God my fathers and brothers.
Amen.
The Twenty-Fourth Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir
Departure of St.Agapetus the Bishop
On this day St. Agapetus (Agapius), the bishop, departed. He was born of Christian parents during the time of the infidel emperors Diocletian and Maximianus. His parents brought him up in a Christian upbringing, and he was ordained a deacon. Then, he went to one of the monasteries and served the elders therein. He learned from them worship and asceticism and was accustomed to fasting and prayer. His food was legumes to break the fast. He grew in his ascetic life and in every virtue, and God wrought through him many miracles, among which were the following: He healed a girl from a debilitating sickness which had stricken her for a long time, and doctors had failed to cure her. He also prayed once and God destroyed a beast which was devouring people. By his prayers, God granted healing to many sick people. The news of his asceticism, righteousness and the power of his prayer spread everywhere. When Lucinus the governor heard about St. Agapius, he brought him by force and appointed him a soldier in his army. This did not prevent St. Agapius from continuing in his ascetic life and his worship and he rather increased in virtue. Shortly after, God perished Diocletian and the God-loving emperor Constantine took over the empire after him. St. Agapius desired to gain his freedom and to return to his monastery, and God answered him.
Emperor Constantine had a servant who was very dear to him for the good qualities he had. The servant was stricken with an evil spirit which tormented him. Some friends of the Emperor advised him to ask Agapius, the soldier, to pray for his servant to be healed. The Emperor was surprised to know that one among his soldiers had the gift of healing. The Emperor sent for St.Agapius who prayed upon the servant, made the sign of the holy cross over him, and God healed him. The Emperor rejoiced and wanted to reward him. St. Agapius refused to accept any reward except to be granted his release from military service to go back to the place of his worship. The Emperor granted him what he wanted. The saint returned to where he was before and he lived a solitary life. After a while, he was ordained a priest. After the departure of the bishop of his town, the people asked for this saint from the abbot of the monastery, and he gave him his permission to leave. St. Agapius was ordained bishop and shepherded the flock of Christ with the best of care. He was granted the gift of prophecy and performing miracles. He rebuked the sinners for what they had done in secret. He rebuked the priests for forsaking teaching and instructing their flocks. His biography @included more than one hundred miracles that he had performed, and he departed at a good old age.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Timothy and St.Matthias
On this day also is the commemoration of the martyrdom of St. Timothy of Gaza, and St.Matthias of the City of Koos (Quoce).
May Their prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Divine Psalm
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet, and the Good King.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 29 : 1 - 2
Chapter 29
| 1 | Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. |
| 2 | Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. |
Hallelujah.
Divine Gospel
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Our Lord God, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Luke 18 : 1 - 8
Chapter 18
| 1 | Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, |
| 2 | saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. |
| 3 | Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, "Get justice for me from my adversary.' |
| 4 | And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man, |
| 5 | yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me."' |
| 6 | Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. |
| 7 | And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? |
| 8 | I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" |
And Glory be to God forever.
طريق الاتضاع هو طريق العظمة الحقيقية كما يقول الرب “من أراد أن يصير فيكم عظيما يكون لكم خادما” (مر ٤٣:١٠ ).
ببساطة شديدة كلما اقترب الإنسان من قلب الملك زاد قدره و مكانته فلا شئ يقربنا إلى عشرة الله ملك الملوك قدر هذه الفضيلة. يستحيل أن يحيا انسان حياة مسيحية حقيقية بدونها، ربما يتظاهر بصورة الحياة الفاضلة فى اعين الناس يخدعهم بحلو الحديث أو برياء الأفعال فينجذبون إليه و لو إلى حين و لكن يستحيل على انسان أن يكون عشرة حلوة حقيقية مع شخص الرب بدونها.
إلهنا متواضع و لا يمكن أن يعاشر إلا المتواضعين “لأنه هكذا قال العلى المرتفع ساكن الأبد القدوس اسمه: فى الموضع المرتفع المقدس أسكن و مع المنسحق و المتواضع الروح” ( اش١٥:٥٧) .
إن كنا نحن البشر الترابيين نستثقل عشرة الانسان المتكبر و لا نرضاها على أنفسنا أفيرضى ملك الملوك و رب الأرباب العشرة مع المتكبرين؟!
وجود الكبرياء يعنى عداوة مباشرة لله، طبيعة الرب طبيعة وديعة بسيطة متواضعة”وديع و متواضع القلب” (مت٢٩:١١ ) و هو ساكن فى نور لا يدنى منه و مع هذا لم يستنكف أن ينزل إلينا و اتخذ من زريبة الحيوان منزلا له و افترش من التبن وسادة و من قلوب المتواضعين عرشا له و هو الجالس على العرش الذى يحمله الشاروبيم.
لذلك نرى القديسين يسعون بكل جهدهم إلى اقتناء تلك الفضيلة لأن الإنسان كلما اقترب أكثر من الاتضاع كلما وجد نفسه أقرب إلى الله الناظر إلى المتواضعين الذى قيل عنه “أما المتواضعون فيعطيهم نعمة” (١بط٥:٥ ).