Praise is the direct address of God that lets him know we recognize him for who he is, what he has done, and what he is doing. But more than informing God of his greatness, praise is rejoicing before him in his greatness and recognizing that not only is his grace without comparison, his majesty and might and holiness and faithfulness and righteousness and mercy and love and forgiveness and justice and... without comparison. God is God and praise is thankful celebration that he is God, and even more importantly, that he is our God.
Day 27 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Bashans, 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-Seventh Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans
Departure of Pope Youannis the Second, the 30th Patriarch of the See of St.Mark
On this day of the year 232 A.M. (May 22nd., 516 A.D.), the saint Pope Youannis the second, the 30th. Patriarch of Alexandria, departed. He was a monk since his youth, and lived a solitary life. His reputation, because of his godly life spread everywhere, and was chosen a patriarch of the great city of Alexandria on the third of Baounah, 221 A.M. (May 29th., 505 A.D.). He wrote the biographies of the saints and sermons. The church lived in peace and tranquility at the time of the Orthodox Emperor Anastasius. St. Sawirus was the patriarch of Antioch, and he wrote a message to Pope Youannis on the one nature of Christ saying: "Jesus Christ after the union with flesh has become of one nature with one Will without separation, and I believe in the same faith of Pope Cyril and Pope Dioscorus." When Pope Youannis received this message, he was pleased, and he replied with a message filled with faith that testified to the union of the essence of God, and the trinity of His characters, and by the incarnation of the eternal Son of God, the Divine and the human nature have become one and no longer two natures, without separation, mingling, or confusion. He anathematized those who separate the two natures, those who confuse them and those who said that the suffering crucified Christ was only a man, and those who say that His Divine nature also suffered and died. He said that the Orthodox faith was to profess that God the word suffered by the flesh that united with. When Abba Sawiris read his message, he received it with joy, and made it public in all Antioch. This Pope continued to take care about his people for 10 years, 10 months, and 23 days, and he departed.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Lazarus the beloved of the Lord
On this day also, St. Lazarus, the brother of mary and Martha, and the beloved of the Lord, departed after he had become the bishop of Cyprus. After he had been raised from the dead by Our Lord, he followed the disciples. After the pentecost, they ordained him a bishop over Cyprus. He lived for forty years, and departed in peace.
May his prayers be with us, and glory be to God forever. Amen.
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 118 : 1 - 2
Chapter 118
| 1 | Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. |
| 2 | Let Israel now say, "His mercy endures forever." |
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 John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
John 3 : 31 - 36
Chapter 3
| 31 | He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. |
| 32 | And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. |
| 33 | He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. |
| 34 | For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. |
| 35 | The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. |
| 36 | He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." |
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 118 : 18 - 19
Chapter 118
| 18 | The LORD has chastened me severely, But He has not given me over to death. |
| 19 | Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. |
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 4 : 35 - 41
Chapter 4
| 35 | On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." |
| 36 | Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. |
| 37 | And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. |
| 38 | But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" |
| 39 | Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. |
| 40 | But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" |
| 41 | And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" |
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 4 : 9 - 12
Chapter 4
| 9 | Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. |
| 10 | How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. |
| 11 | And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, |
| 12 | and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. |
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 4 : 11 - 17
Chapter 4
| 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. |
| 17 | Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. |
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 : 40 - 43
Chapter 7
| 40 | saying to Aaron, "Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' |
| 41 | And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. |
| 42 | Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: "Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? |
| 43 | You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.' |
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 34 : 5,8
Chapter 34
| 5 | They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. |
| 8 | Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in 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.
John 12 : 44 - 48
Chapter 12
| 44 | Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. |
| 45 | And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. |
| 46 | I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. |
| 47 | And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. |
| 48 | He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. |
And Glory be to God forever.
It is on this account that the apostle says, The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:6 He, then, who lawfully uses the law learns therein evil and good, and, not trusting in his own strength, flees to grace, by the help of which he may shun evil and do good. But who is there who flees to grace except when the steps of a man are ordered by the Lord, and He shall determine his way
?