While we can't speak for everyone in our family, we can commit to what everyone in our family should desire: We will serve the Lord! But more than commit, let's set the example and lead the way. "I will serve the Lord, TODAY!" Then we can ask them to join us.
Day 29 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Babah, 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 Babah
Martyrdom of St.Demetrius the Thessalonican
On this day, the great St. Demetrius, was martyred, in the days of Maximianus the Emperor. He was a pious Christian young man from the city of Thessalonica. He learned various subjects, and most of all, those of the Orthodox Church. He taught and preached diligently in the Name of the Lord Christ. He converted many to the faith. Some made accusations against him to Emperor Maximianus who ordered that he be brought to him. It happened that when he came before the Emperor, a wrestler whose body was strong and huge, and who surpassed the people of his time in strength, was present. The Emperor loved this man and was proud of him to the point that he specified a large sum of money for whoever could vanquish him. A Christian man whose name was Nostor came from among the people who were present at that time and asked St. Demetrius to pray for him and to make the sign of the Cross with his holy hand over his body. The saint prayed and made over him the sign of the Holy Cross which makes those who believed therein invincible. Nostor went and asked to fight that fighter about whom the Emperor was boasting. Nostor fought him and vanquished him. The Emperor was very sorry and ashamed. The Emperor wondered how Nostor conquered him. He asked the soldiers for the secret behind that. They told him that a man called Demetrius prayed over him and made the sign of the Cross over his face. The Emperor became angry with the saint and ordered that he be beaten until he offered incense to his idols and worshipped them. When St. Demetrius disobeyed them the Emperor ordered his men to thrust spears at him until his body would be torn to pieces and he would die. They told the saint that to frighten him and make him turn away from his faith in the Lord Christ and worship the idols. He told them, "Do whatever you please, for I will neither worship nor offer incense except to my Lord Christ the True God." The soldiers drove the spears into him until he delivered his pure soul.
When they threw away his holy body, some Christians took it and laid it in a coffin made out of marbles. The body remained hidden until the end of the days of persecution, when the one who had hidden it revealed it. A great church was built for him in Thessalonica, and they laid his body therein. Many great signs were made by his name. Each day, sweet oil was distilled from his body which cured those who used it with faith, especially on the day of his feast. On his feast day, the oil flowed in a larger quantity than on any other day, and it dripped from the walls of the church and the pillars. Though the gathering was huge, they all received their share, from what they took off the walls and put in their containers. Those of the righteous priests who had seen this told and testified to that.
May his prayers and blessings be with us all, 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 46 : 1,9
Chapter 46
| 1 | God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. |
| 9 | He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. |
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 Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 1 : 16 - 22
Chapter 1
| 16 | And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. |
| 17 | Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." |
| 18 | They immediately left their nets and followed Him. |
| 19 | When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. |
| 20 | And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. |
| 21 | Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. |
| 22 | And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. |
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 146 : 1,5
Chapter 146
| 1 | Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! |
| 5 | Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, |
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 4 : 18 - 22
Chapter 4
| 18 | And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. |
| 19 | Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." |
| 21 | Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, |
| 22 | and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed 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 Galatians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Galatians 1 : 1 - 19
Chapter 1
| 1 | Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), |
| 2 | and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: |
| 3 | Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, |
| 4 | who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, |
| 5 | to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. |
| 6 | I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, |
| 7 | which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. |
| 8 | But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. |
| 9 | As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. |
| 10 | For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. |
| 11 | But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. |
| 12 | For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. |
| 13 | For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. |
| 14 | And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. |
| 15 | But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, |
| 16 | to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, |
| 17 | nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. |
| 18 | Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. |
| 19 | But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. James .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
James 1 : 1 - 12
Chapter 1
| 1 | James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. |
| 2 | My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, |
| 3 | knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. |
| 4 | But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. |
| 5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. |
| 6 | But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. |
| 7 | For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; |
| 8 | he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. |
| 9 | Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, |
| 10 | but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. |
| 11 | For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. |
| 12 | Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. |
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 : 13 - 21
Chapter 15
| 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. |
| 21 | For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." |
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 78 : 5
Chapter 78
| 5 | For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; |
Psalms 135 : 5
Chapter 135
| 5 | For I know that the LORD is great, And our Lord is above all gods. |
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.
Mark 10 : 35 - 45
Chapter 10
| 35 | Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." |
| 36 | And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" |
| 37 | They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." |
| 38 | But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" |
| 39 | They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; |
| 40 | but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared." |
| 41 | And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. |
| 42 | But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. |
| 43 | Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. |
| 44 | And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. |
| 45 | For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." |
And Glory be to God forever.
(المزمور 13/1): الى متى يارب تنسانى كل النسيان؟
ياترى قائل هذا المزمور هل هو داود النبى – ام انه يوسف الصديق؟
نقول ان داود قال هذا المزمور لكن يوسف الصديق عاشه .. وقال لاخوته ليس انتم بعتمونى بل الله هو الذى ارسلنى .. ورغممراره الالم الذى عاشه يوسف لكن حينما يسلم الانسان ذاته فى يدى الله يدرك تماما ان كل الامور – كل الامور — تعمل معا للخيرللذين يحبون الله .
فان كان الله محبة فواجبنا ان نحب الله وندرك ان محبته لنا كبشر تفوق محبتنا نحن لانفسنا .. فان كانت الام تحب ابنها اكثر مننفسها خصوصا عندما يكون فى احتياج لها – ندرك كم هو عمق محبة الله لنا نحن صورته ومثاله.
لذلك واجبنا ان ندرك عمق محبه الله لنا – اتخيل يوسف الصديق ومهما كان ابوه يعقوب غنيا – ما كان يحلم ان يكون سيداًً لكلمصر لولا انه ارتضى ان يباع كعبد ثم يتهم بجريمه تتعلق بالشرف من سيده لا تعرف الشرف لكن الله سمح له بهذا الاختبارليكون عبره للاجيال كلها ولم يكن ندرى ان باب قصر فرعون من داخل السجن ..
كل هذه الامور كانت مخفاه عن عين يوسف ..