It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Day 25 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramhat, 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-Fifth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
Departure of St.Onesiphorous (Friska), One of the Seventy Apostles
On this day the great St. Friska or Onesiphorus, one of the seventy apostles departed. This apostle was an Israelite of the tribe of Benjamin. His parents kept the Law of Moses and were of those who followed the Savior, listened to His teachings, and witnessed His wonders and miracles. When Our Lord raised the son of the widow of the city of Nain, this saint was present. He went without delay to the Lord Christ at once forsaking the light of the lamp of the Jewish Law, to be enlightened by the Sun of righteousness. He believed on Him heartily, was baptized, became one of the seventy apostles, and was present with the disciples in the upper room of Zion at the time of the coming of the Holy Spirit. He preached the Gospel in many countries. He was ordained bishop for Khoranias, where he preached it's people and enlightened them with his teachings and sermons then baptized them. And having finished his holy strife he departed in peace. He received the crown of heavenly glory and he was seventy years old, twenty nine years of it as Jewish and forty one years as Christian. St. Paul mentioned him in his Second Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 4:19).
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Pope Mattheos, the One Hundredth Pope of Alexandria
On this day also of the year 1362 A.M. (March 31st. 1646 A.D.) on Lazarus' Saturday Pope Mattheos III, the one hundredth Patriarch departed. He was known by the name Matthew El-Toukhy, a son of Christian parents from the city of Toukh El-Nasarah, El-Monofiah province. They feared God, caring for the strangers and charitable to the poor and the needy. God granted them a son, they called him Tadros, and they raised him well. They disciplined him with every spiritual discipline, and taught him the holy church books. The grace of God filled this blessed son, so he devoted himself to study and teach Christian education. The grace of God moved him to the angelic and ascetic life, so he went forth from his town, left his family and kinfolks and followed the commandments of the Lord Christ and went to the wilderness of Sheahat. He became a monk in the monastery of the great St. Macarius, and he fought a great fight in asceticism and worship. They ordained him a priest so he increased in asceticism and grew in virtues then they promoted him archpriest and head for the monastery.
Shortly after, Pope Yoannis XV, the ninety-ninth Patriarch departed, the fathers the bishops, the priests and the notables gathered to choose who would fit to be elevated to the Chair of St. Mark. They continued on praying asking the Lord Christ, to Him is the glory, to chose for them a good shepherd to guard His flock from the ravenous wolves. With the Will of the Lord Christ, the Shepherd of the shepherds, everyone agreed on choosing father Tadros the hegumen of St.Macarius monastery. They went to the monastery and forcibly seized him and enthroned him a Patriarch by the name Mattheos on the 4th. of El-Nasi (The intercalary days) year 1347 A.M. (September 7th. 1631 A.D.) and Anba Yoanis, the metropolitan of the Syrian monastery, headed the enthronement service. When this Pope sat on the Apostolic Chair, he cared for Christ's flock with the best of care, and at the beginning of his days, there was peace and tranquility for the believers. The churches rested from the tribulations that they were under. Satan the enemy of the good envied him, he moved some evil doers against the Pope, so they went to the Governor in Cairo and told him that whomever sat on the Patriarchal Chair paid much money to the Governor. The Governor listened to their accusations and called the Patriarch to collect the dues. The notables went to meet the Governor who did not ask about the absence of the Patriarch but rather discussed the dues that the Patriarch pay. He forced them to bring four thousands Dinars. They left him with sadness and grief because of the heavy fine.
But God, to Him is the glory, who does not wish anyone to parish had put mercy in the heart of a Jewish man who paid the required fine to the Governor. The notables promised that man to pay him back, they divided the fine among them and allocated a small portion of this heavy fine for the Pope to pay. He went to Upper Egypt to collect the sum of money required from him, and because of his faith and his strong belief in God's help, the people with compassionate heart and willingly gave him what he asked them. Shortly after, he came to Lower Egypt to visit his flock, he went to the city of Berma, and the people of the city of Toukh his home town came to him and invited him to come to visit the city so they be blessed by him, and he fulfilled their request. During the days of this Patriarch a great famine befell all the land of Egypt, nothing like it happened before, the people suffered much and many died. King of Ethiopia sent to the Patriarch asking for a Metropolitan. Pope Mattheos ordained for them a Metropolitan from the people of the city of Assiut and sent him to them. Much tribulations and sorrows befell this Metropolitan while he was there, until they removed him and ordained another one instead of him. After the Pope had finished his pastoral visit to the people of Lower Egypt and his acceptance to the invitation of the people of Toukh to visit their city, he left Berma with them on their way to Toukh El-Nasarah. When he drew near from the city, the priests and the Christian mass received him with reverence, veneration, and spiritual hymns to befit his honor. He entered the church with honor and glory and stayed with them one year preaching and teaching the people. On the blessed Saturday, the commemoration of the day in which the Lord raised Lazarus from the dead, he met the priests and the people after the liturgy, ate with them, and he bade them farewell saying, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, that his tomb will be in the church of this city and that he will not depart Toukh. He dismissed the people and went to rest in the house of one of the deacons. When the deacon returned home, he knocked on the door of the Pope's room, when he did not get any answer he entered the room and found the Patriarch laying on his bed, looking toward the east, his hand over his chest as the Holy Cross and his spirit had departed in the Hands of the Lord. The priests and the people came in haste and found him departed and his look did not change, but his face was shining as the sun. They took his blessed body to the church, and prayed over him as worthy of the fathers the Patriarchs, and buried him in the church in the city of Toukh his home town. He stayed on the Apostolic Chair for fourteen years, six month and 23 days did not eat meat or drink wine in it, and departed in a good old age.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Readings for Thursday of sixth week of Great Lent
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 144 : 5,7
Chapter 144
| 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, Savior, and King of us all, Jesus Christ, the Living Son of God to whom be glory forever.
Amen.
Vespers Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Luke the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Luke 7 : 36 - 50
Chapter 7
| 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." |
And Glory be to God forever.
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 72 : 6 - 7
Chapter 72
| 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, 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 Luke the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Luke 11 : 20 - 28
Chapter 11
| 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!" |
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 3 : 1 - 31
Chapter 3
| 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.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 John 1 : 1 - end
Chapter 1
| 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 John 2 : 1 - 6
Chapter 2
| 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.
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us.
Acts 7 : 23 - 34
Chapter 7
| 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.
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 45 : 10 - 11
Chapter 45
| 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. |
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 1 : 26 - 38
Chapter 1
| 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. |
And Glory be to God forever.
But inasmuch as this same soulis also made pure, and receives the stability of its own nature, under the dominance of the spirit, which is the head for it, which head of the said soul has again its own head in Christ, we ought not to despair of the restoration of the body also to its own proper nature. But this certainly will not be effected so speedily as is the case with the soul; just as the soul too, is not restored so speedily as the spirit.