Love does not focus on myself, but on others. Each of these qualities of love is based upon an affectionate, compassionate, and forgiving attitude that regards others as being valuable and not just placing value on myself and my desires. No wonder the old saying goes "The middle of sIn is a big I!" When "I" become more important than others and what "I" want and that "I" win is more significant than what someone else truly needs, then "I" have lost my way and do not display the love of Christ.
Day 4 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 Fourth Day of the Blessed Month of Amshir
Martyrdom of St.Agabus, One of the Seventy Disciples
On this day, St. Agabus, one of the seventy disciples, was martyred. The seventy disciples were chosen by the Lord to go before Him to preach the gospel. St.Agabus was with the twelve disciples in the upper room on the day of Pentecost, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. He received the gift of prophecy, as the Acts of the Apostles tells us, "And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, 'Thus says the Holy Spirit, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" (Acts 21:10-11) This prophecy was fulfilled. (Acts 21:17-36) He also prophesied about a famine on all the earth, and this was fulfilled during the time of Claudius Caesar, the Roman Emperor. (Acts 11:27-28)
He preached the gospel together with the holy apostles. He went to many countries, teaching and converting many of the Jews and the Greeks to the knowledge of the Lord Christ. He sanctified them by the life-giving baptism. This moved the Jews of Jerusalem to arrest him, and they tortured him by beating him severely, and putting a rope around his neck, and they dragged him outside the city. They stoned him there until he gave up his pure spirit. At this moment, a light came down from heaven. Everyone saw it as a continuous column between his body and heaven. A Jewish woman saw it and said, "Truly this man was righteous." She shouted in a loud voice, "I am a Christian and I believe in the God of this saint." They stoned her also and she died and was buried with him in one tomb.
May Their prayers 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 105 : 1 - 3
Chapter 105
| 1 | Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! |
| 2 | Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! |
| 3 | Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek 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.
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 9 : 1 - 6
Chapter 9
| 1 | Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. |
| 2 | He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. |
| 3 | And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. |
| 4 | "Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. |
| 5 | And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them." |
| 6 | So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. |
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 68 : 24,26
Chapter 68
| 24 | They have seen Your procession, O God, The procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary. |
| 26 | Bless God in the congregations, The Lord, from the fountain of Israel. |
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 17 : 5 - 10
Chapter 17
| 5 | And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." |
| 6 | So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, "Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. |
| 7 | And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, "Come at once and sit down to eat'? |
| 8 | But will he not rather say to him, "Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink'? |
| 9 | Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. |
| 10 | So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, "We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do."' |
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 Colossians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Colossians 4 : 2 - 18
Chapter 4
| 2 | Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; |
| 3 | meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, |
| 4 | that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. |
| 5 | Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. |
| 6 | Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. |
| 7 | Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. |
| 8 | I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, |
| 9 | with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here. |
| 10 | Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), |
| 11 | and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me. |
| 12 | Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. |
| 13 | For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. |
| 14 | Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you. |
| 15 | Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house. |
| 16 | Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. |
| 17 | And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." |
| 18 | This salutation by my own hand--Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen. |
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 : 15 - 22
Chapter 3
| 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; |
| 16 | having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. |
| 17 | For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. |
| 18 | For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, |
| 19 | by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, |
| 20 | who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. |
| 21 | There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, |
| 22 | who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to 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 1 : 1 - 14
Chapter 1
| 1 | The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, |
| 2 | until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, |
| 3 | to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. |
| 4 | And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; |
| 5 | for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." |
| 6 | Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" |
| 7 | And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. |
| 8 | But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." |
| 9 | Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. |
| 10 | And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, |
| 11 | who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." |
| 12 | Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. |
| 13 | And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. |
| 14 | These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. |
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 96 : 2 - 3
Chapter 96
| 2 | Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. |
| 3 | Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. |
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 10 : 1 - 20
Chapter 10
| 1 | After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. |
| 2 | Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. |
| 3 | Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves. |
| 4 | Carry neither money bag, knapsack, nor sandals; and greet no one along the road. |
| 5 | But whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house.' |
| 6 | And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest on it; if not, it will return to you. |
| 7 | And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. |
| 8 | Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. |
| 9 | And heal the sick there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' |
| 10 | But whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, |
| 11 | "The very dust of your city which clings to us we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near you.' |
| 12 | But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city. |
| 13 | "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. |
| 14 | But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment than for you. |
| 15 | And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades. |
| 16 | He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." |
| 17 | Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name." |
| 18 | And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. |
| 19 | Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. |
| 20 | Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." |
And Glory be to God forever.
9. Moreover, those parties also are to be abhorred who deny that our Lord Jesus Christ had in Mary a mother upon earth; while that dispensation has honored both sexes, at once the male and the female, and has made it plain that not only that sex which He assumed pertains to God's care, but also that sex by which He did assume this other, in that He bore [the nature of] the man (virum gerendo), [and] in that He was born of the woman.