Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Isn't it funny that when we set off to find happiness or joy or significance or meaning, we seldom find it. Instead, when we offer to serve others and give ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord and his work, it is then that we find what we most need.
Day 29 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tubah, 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-Ninth Day of the Blessed Month of Tubah
Departure of St.Eskani (St.Xene)
On this day, St. Eksani (St. Xene) departed. She was the daughter of one of the noble and rich families of Rome. She was the only daughter of her parents. She was brought up at an early age accustomed to fasting and prayers, visiting the prisoners and helping the needy. She used to visit the convents in Rome to spend time in worship. She distributed what she brought with her among the poor and was satisfied with what the nuns ate. She read the biographies of the saints and prayed to God to grant her a share among them. It happened that one of the ministers of Rome asked for her hand in marriage for his son. Her father was delighted about that and he brought her the best of clothing and the most precious gems and furnishings. Shortly before her wedding, she asked her mother to allow her to go to the monastery to visit her friends the nuns before getting married, in order to bid them farewell, and her mother gave her permission. She took her precious ornaments and two of her maiden servants, and went quickly to the seashore. She found a ship going to Cyprus, which she embarked on. On her arrival, she went to St.Epiphanius and told him about her story. He advised her to go to the City of Alexandria.
She traveled to Alexandria, where she met Anba Theophilus, 23rd Pope of Alexandria. She informed him of her desire to live the monastic life. He agreed and he cut her hair and clothed her in the monastic garb. She sold all of her jewels and clothes that she brought with her, and built a church in the name of St. Stephen, the Archdeacon. She resided with a group of virgins and nuns that Pope Theophilus settled with her. She practiced asceticism and strived. She lived only on bread and some moistened vegetables. She did not eat any cooked food, and she slept on the ground. She struggled in that manner for more than 20 years. When she departed, God manifested a sign in heaven to reveal the heavenly blessings that she received. At midday, a cross of light, whose light exceeded that of the sun, appeared in heaven, and around it a circle of stars that shone like crowns. The cross remained shining until her body was buried with the other saintly virgins, then it disappeared. The people knew that the appearance of the cross was to manifest her virtue. Later on, the two maiden servants told the Pope her real story and how she had a covenant with them to conceal her story and to call her sister. The Pope marvelled, glorified God, and he wrote her biography.
May Her prayers be with us. Amen.
Commemoration of St.Seriakos (Syriacus) the Fighter
Today also is the commemoration of St. Seriakos (Syriacus), the fighter.
May His blessings be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 95 : 1 - 2
Chapter 95
| 1 | Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. |
| 2 | Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. |
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 13 : 1 - 5
Chapter 13
| 1 | There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. |
| 2 | And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? |
| 3 | I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. |
| 4 | Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? |
| 5 | I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." |
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.
Jonah 1 : 1 - 17
Chapter 1
| 1 | Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, |
| 2 | "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." |
| 3 | But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. |
| 4 | But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up. |
| 5 | Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. |
| 6 | So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish." |
| 7 | And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. |
| 8 | Then they said to him, "Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" |
| 9 | So he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." |
| 10 | Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. |
| 11 | Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?"--for the sea was growing more tempestuous. |
| 12 | And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me." |
| 13 | Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. |
| 14 | Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You." |
| 15 | So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. |
| 16 | Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows. |
| 17 | Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. |
Psalms 103 : 1,8
Chapter 103
| 1 | Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! |
| 8 | The LORD is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. |
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 Matthew the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Matthew 7 : 6 - 12
Chapter 7
| 6 | "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces. |
| 7 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. |
| 8 | For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. |
| 9 | Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? |
| 10 | Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? |
| 11 | If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! |
| 12 | Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. |
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 6 : 17 - 23
Chapter 6
| 17 | But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. |
| 18 | And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. |
| 19 | I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. |
| 20 | For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. |
| 21 | What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. |
| 22 | But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. |
| 23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. |
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 - 13
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. |
| 9 | Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!" |
| 10 | But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. |
| 11 | Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. |
| 12 | These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; |
| 13 | raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. |
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 2 : 38 - 47
Chapter 2
| 38 | Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. |
| 39 | For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." |
| 40 | And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, "Be saved from this perverse generation." |
| 41 | Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. |
| 42 | And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. |
| 43 | Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. |
| 44 | Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, |
| 45 | and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. |
| 46 | So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, |
| 47 | praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. |
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 130 : 3 - 4
Chapter 130
| 3 | If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? |
| 4 | But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. |
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.
Matthew 12 : 35 - 45
Chapter 12
| 35 | A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. |
| 36 | But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. |
| 37 | For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." |
| 38 | Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." |
| 39 | But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. |
| 40 | For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. |
| 41 | The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. |
| 42 | The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. |
| 43 | "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. |
| 44 | Then he says, "I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. |
| 45 | 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. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." |
And Glory be to God forever.
6. But as the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
the same Wisdom which was begotten of Godcondescended also to be created among men. There is a reference to this in the word, The Lord createdme in the beginning of His ways.
For the beginning of His ways is the Head of the Church, which is Christendued with human nature (homine indutus), by whom it was purposed that there should be given to us a pattern of living, that is, a sure way by which we might reach God. For by no other path was it possible for us to return but by humility, who fell by pride, according as it was said to our first creation, Taste, and you shall be as gods.
Of this humility, therefore, that is to say, of the way by which it was needful for us to return, our Restorer Himself has deemed it meet to exhibit an example in His own person, who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant;
in order that He might be created Man in the beginning of His ways, the Word by whom all things were made. Wherefore, in so far as He is the Only-begotten, He has no brethren; but in so far as He is the First-begotten, He has deemed it worthy of Him to give the name of brethren to all those who, subsequently to and by means of His pre-eminence, are born again into the grace of God through the adoption of sons, according to the truthcommended to us by apostolic teaching. Thus, then, the Son according to nature (naturalis filius) was born of the very substance of the Father, the only one so born, subsisting as that which the Father is, God of God, Light of Light. We, on the other hand, are not the light by nature, but are enlightened by that Light, so that we may be able to shine in wisdom. For, as one says, that was the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the world.
Therefore we add to the faith of things eternal likewise the temporal dispensation of our Lord, which He deemed it worthy of Him to bear for us and to minister in behalf of our salvation. For in so far as He is the only-begotten Son of God, it cannot be said of Him that He was and that He shall be, but only that He is; because, on the one hand, that which was, now is not; and, on the other, that which shall be, as yet is not. He, then, is unchangeable, independent of the condition of times and variation. And it is my opinion that this is the very consideration to which was due the circumstance that He introduced to the apprehension of His servant Moses the kind of name [which He then adopted]. For when he asked of Him by whom he should say that he was sent, in the event of the people to whom he was being sent despising him, he received his answer when He spoke in this wise: I Am that I Am .
Thereafter, too, He added this: Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel, He that is (Qui est) has sent me unto you.