Day 1 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 First Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir
Commemoration of the Universal Ecclesiastical Council in Constantinople
On this day of the year 381 A.D., one hundred and fifty fathers assembled upon the order of Emperor Theodosius the Great, in the city of Constantinople. They assembled to judge Macedonius, Patriarch of Constantinople, and Sabellius and Apollinaris, for their blasphemy against God the Word and the Holy Spirit. When this blasphemy became widespread, the fathers of the church were concerned about the peace of the church, and made these heresies known to Emperor Theodosius. He ordered that a council be assembled, and invited Abba Timothy, 22nd Pope of Alexandria; Abba Damasus, Pope of Rome; Abba Petros (Peter), Patriarch of Antioch; and Abba Cyril (Kyrillos), Patriarch of Jerusalem. They came to the council with their bishops, except the Pope of Rome, who delegated others to attend on his behalf. When the holy council convened in Constantinople, they called upon Macedonius. Abba Timothy, Pope of Alexandria, who was presiding over the council, asked him, "What is your belief?" Macedonius answered that the Holy Spirit was created like any other creature. Abba Timothy said, "The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. If we say as you claim that the Spirit of God is created, we are saying, in essence, that His Life is created, and therefore, He is 'lifeless' without it." He advised Macedonius to renounce his erroneous belief. When he refused, Macedonius was excommunicated, anathematized and striped of his rank.
Then Abba Timothy asked Sabellius, "And you, what is your belief?" He answered, "The Trinity is one being and one person." Abba Timothy said, "If the Trinity is as you claim, then the mentioning of the Trinity is groundless, and your baptism is futile, because it is in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and the Trinity would have suffered pain and died, and the saying of the gospel would be invalid, when it is said that the Son was in the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the likeness of a dove, and the Father called upon Him from heaven." Then Abba Timothy advised him to renounce his belief. When Sabellius did not accept, Abba Timothy excommunicated, anathematized and striped him of his rank. Then Abba Timothy asked Apollinaris, "And you, what is your belief?" Apollinaris said, "The Incarnation of the Son was by His union with the human flesh without the rational being, for His divinity replaced the soul and the mind of the human being." Abba Timothy replied, "God the Word united with our nature to save us, therefore if He only united with the animal body, then He did not save mankind but the animals. Humans will rise on the day of Resurrection with the rational and speaking soul with which there will be the communication and the judgement, and with it they will be granted the blessing or the condemnation. Accordingly, the Incarnation would be in vain. If that was the case, why did He call Himself a man if He did not unite with the rational speaking soul?" Then Abba Timothy advised him to turn away from his erroneous belief, but he also refused. He excommunicated Apollinaris as he did the other two friends.
Ultimately, the council excommunicated these three and all those who agreed with them. Then they completed the creed that was established by the fathers at the Council of Nicea until its saying, "Of Whose Kingdom shall be no end." The fathers of the Council of Constantinople added, "Truly we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, Giver of Life... to the end." They put down many canons that are still in the hands of the believers today.
May The prayers of these holy fathers be with us. Amen.
Commemoration of the Consecration of the First Church that was Built after the Name of St.Peter, the Seal of the Martyrs
On this day also, we celebrate the commemoration of the consecration of the Church of St. Peter, 17th Pope of Alexandria and the Seal of Martyrs. He was martyred in Alexandria during the last days of the reign of Diocletian the Infidel. When Emperor Constantine the Great reigned, and all the idol temples were destroyed, churches were built. So the believers built this church west of Alexandria in the name of St. Peter, the Seal of Martyrs. The church existed till shortly after the reign of the Arabs over Egypt, when it was destroyed.
May His blessings be with us and glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Matins
Jonah 3 : 1 - 4 : 11
Chapter 3
| 1 | Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, |
| 2 | "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you." |
| 3 | So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. |
| 4 | And Jonah began to enter the city on the first day's walk. Then he cried out and said, "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" |
| 5 | So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. |
| 6 | Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. |
| 7 | And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. |
| 8 | But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. |
| 9 | Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? |
| 10 | Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it. |
Chapter 4
| 1 | But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he became angry. |
| 2 | So he prayed to the LORD, and said, "Ah, LORD, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm. |
| 3 | Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live!" |
| 4 | Then the LORD said, "Is it right for you to be angry?" |
| 5 | So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. |
| 6 | And the LORD God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. |
| 7 | But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. |
| 8 | And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live." |
| 9 | Then God said to Jonah, "Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?" And he said, "It is right for me to be angry, even to death!" |
| 10 | But the LORD said, "You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. |
| 11 | And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left--and much livestock?" |
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 103 : 13,12
Chapter 103
| 13 | As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him. |
| 12 | As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. |
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 11 : 25 - 30
Chapter 11
| 25 | At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. |
| 26 | Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. |
| 27 | All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. |
| 28 | Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. |
| 29 | Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. |
| 30 | For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." |
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 Ephesians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Ephesians 2 : 1 - 22
Chapter 2
| 1 | And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, |
| 2 | in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, |
| 3 | among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. |
| 4 | But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, |
| 5 | even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), |
| 6 | and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, |
| 7 | that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. |
| 8 | For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, |
| 9 | not of works, lest anyone should boast. |
| 10 | For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. |
| 11 | Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands-- |
| 12 | that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. |
| 13 | But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. |
| 14 | For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, |
| 15 | having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, |
| 16 | and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. |
| 17 | And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. |
| 18 | For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. |
| 19 | Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, |
| 20 | having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, |
| 21 | in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, |
| 22 | in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. |
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 2 : 12 - 17
Chapter 2
| 12 | I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. |
| 13 | I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. |
| 14 | I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. |
| 15 | Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. |
| 16 | For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. |
| 17 | And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides 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 15 : 12 - 20
Chapter 15
| 12 | Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. |
| 13 | And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me: |
| 14 | Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. |
| 15 | And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: |
| 16 | 'After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; |
| 17 | So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD. Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.' |
| 18 | "Known to God from eternity are all His works. |
| 19 | Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, |
| 20 | but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. |
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 32 : 1,5
Chapter 32
| 1 | Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. |
| 5 | I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin.Selah |
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 15 : 32 - 16 : 4
Chapter 15
| 32 | Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." |
| 33 | Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?" |
| 34 | Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish." |
| 35 | So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. |
| 36 | And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. |
| 37 | So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. |
| 38 | Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. |
| 39 | And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala. |
Chapter 16
| 1 | Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. |
| 2 | He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, "It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; |
| 3 | and in the morning, "It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. |
| 4 | A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed. |
And Glory be to God forever.
Mysticism is not all ecstatic visions. People who have endured great suffering and let it open them to a new consciousness or perspective are often mystics. They discover that they are always sustained by Love’s presence. James Finley has a beautiful image for this unceasing support: Imagine, if at the count of three, God would stop loving you into your chair; at the count of three, your chair would be empty. Moment by moment you are loved, chosen, invited into being. So lived Sojourner Truth.
Sojourner Truth (1797–1883)—an abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights—was born “Isabella” to an enslaved couple in New York. When she was nine, Isabella was sold to another slave-holder that brutally beat her. Joy Bostic describes how Isabella’s mother taught her children strategies to survive “within the oppressive system of slavery. Mau-Mau Bett would sit with her children during the evening under the stars and teach them how to call upon God to help them in times of crisis.” [1]
Isabella gradually came to know God as what I might call “the eternal now,” beyond human comprehension. God is only known by loving and experiencing God. Sojourner Truth wrote of her own mystical encounters with God in the third person:
As soon as Isabella saw God as an all-powerful, all-pervading spirit, she became desirous of hearing all that had been written of him, and listened to the account of the creation of the world . . . with peculiar interest. For some time she received it all literally, though it appeared strange to her that ‘God worked by the day, got tired, and stopped to rest,’ . . . after a little time, she began to reason upon it, thus—‘Why, if God works by the day, and one day’s work tires him, and he is obliged to rest, either from weariness or on account of darkness, or if he waited for the “cool of the day to walk in the garden,” because he was inconvenienced by the heat of the sun, why then it seems that God cannot do as much as I can. . . . If I had been God, I would have made the night light enough for my own convenience, surely.’
But the moment she placed this idea of God by the side of the impression she had once so suddenly received of his inconceivable greatness and entire spirituality, that moment she exclaimed mentally, ‘No, God does not stop to rest, for he is a spirit, and cannot tire; he cannot want for light, for he hath all light in himself. And if “God is all in all,” and “worketh all in all,” as I have heard them read, then it is impossible he should rest at all; for if he did, every other thing would stop and rest too; the waters would not flow, and the fishes could not swim; and all motion must cease. God could have no pauses in his work, and he needed no Sabbaths of rest. Man might need them, and he should take them when he needed them. . . . As it regarded the worship of God, he was to be worshipped at all times and in all places; and one portion of time never seemed to her more holy than another.’
References:
[1] Joy Bostic, African American Female Mysticism: Nineteenth-Century Religious Activism (Palgrave Macmillan: 2013), 70.