Sometimes the key to survival is simply "setting our jaw" and going on faithfully trusting that God is there helping us, despite the apparent and outward circumstances. Choosing joy through hope rather than despair, choosing patient endurance in times of affliction, and choosing faithfulness in prayer are all decisions of the will trusting that the God who raised Jesus from the dead can also change our circumstances because he hears our voice.
Day 1 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 First Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God
On this day the church celebrates the birth of the pure Virgin St. Mary, the Mother of God (Theotokos), through whom Salvation came to mankind. She was born in the city of Nazareth, where her parents lived. Her father was grieved in his heart for he could not offer an offering to God for he did not have any children. In the fullness of time according to the Divine Will, the angel of the Lord was sent to announce Joachim, her father, while he was on the mountain praying, and said to him: "The Lord will give you offspring through whom salvation comes to the world." Immediately he went down the mountain believing what the angel told him, and he told his wife Anna of what he saw and heard. She rejoiced, gave thanks to the Lord, and vowed that the child who was to be born to her would become a servant in the house of the Lord all the days of her/his life. She conceived, and gave birth to this Saint and called her Mary who had become the Queen of all women of the world, and through her we have received the grace.
May her intercession be with us, and glory be to God forever. Amen.
Readings for Thursday of first week of fifty Joyous Days
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 97 : 8 - 9
Chapter 97
| 8 | Zion hears and is glad, And the daughters of Judah rejoice Because of Your judgments, O LORD. |
| 9 | For You, LORD, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. |
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 2 : 3 - 13
Chapter 2
| 3 | Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. |
| 4 | And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. |
| 5 | When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you." |
| 6 | And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, |
| 7 | "Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" |
| 8 | But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, "Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? |
| 9 | Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, "Arise, take up your bed and walk'? |
| 10 | But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--He said to the paralytic, |
| 11 | "I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." |
| 12 | Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!" |
| 13 | Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. |
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 106 : 4 - 5
Chapter 106
| 4 | Remember me, O LORD, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh, visit me with Your salvation, |
| 5 | That I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, That I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, That I may glory with Your inheritance. |
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 9 : 28 - 36
Chapter 9
| 28 | Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. |
| 29 | As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. |
| 30 | And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, |
| 31 | who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. |
| 32 | But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him. |
| 33 | Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not knowing what he said. |
| 34 | While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud. |
| 35 | And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!" |
| 36 | When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. |
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 1 : 15 - 2 : 3
Chapter 1
| 15 | Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, |
| 16 | do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: |
| 17 | that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, |
| 18 | the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, |
| 19 | and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power |
| 20 | which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, |
| 21 | far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. |
| 22 | And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, |
| 23 | which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. |
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. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. Peter .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 Peter 3 : 8 - 15
Chapter 3
| 8 | Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; |
| 9 | not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. |
| 10 | For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. |
| 11 | Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. |
| 12 | For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." |
| 13 | And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? |
| 14 | But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." |
| 15 | But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; |
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 4 : 13 - 22
Chapter 4
| 13 | Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. |
| 14 | And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. |
| 15 | But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, |
| 16 | saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. |
| 17 | But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name." |
| 18 | So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. |
| 19 | But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. |
| 20 | For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." |
| 21 | So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. |
| 22 | For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. |
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 106 : 48 - 48
Chapter 106
| 48 | Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise the LORD! |
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 7 : 11 - 17
Chapter 7
| 11 | Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. |
| 12 | And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. |
| 13 | When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." |
| 14 | Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." |
| 15 | So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. |
| 16 | Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people." |
| 17 | And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region. |
And Glory be to God forever.
For no will can be seen by the eyes of the body. What? See you in your own mind this also which is going on in the mind of another? But if you see it not, how do you repay in turn the good will of your friend, if what you cannot see, you believe not?