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This is God's promise to his people after their Messiah comes with healing and power to bless them with the Lord's favor. In many ways, this is our promise as Christians. We do rejoice greatly because God has delivered us from law, sin, and death through the coming of our Savior and Lord. Because of Jesus' sacrifice, as God's children we are clothed with Christ (Gal. 3:26-27) and given garments of salvation and robes of his righteousness.
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Day 4 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baounah, 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 Baounah
Martyrdom of St.Shenousi (Sanusi)
On this day, St. Sanusi (Shenousi), who was from Balkim, was martyred. When he was a young man, he tended the sheep. He used to give his food to the young shepherds, and spend his day fasting. He visited the sick and those who were in prison. One night, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a vision and told him, "Rise up, and go before the governor and confess your God to receive the crown of martyrdom." When he woke up from his sleep, he told that to his mother. She was sorry and wept for she was unable to prevent him. He had heard about a righteous holy woman, in the city of Shoubra, whose name was Mariam. She received the poor and the sojourners and did many good deeds. He went to her, and both agreed on receiving the crown of martyrdom. They went to Arsanos, the governor, who was residing in a ship anchored on the bank of the river Nile. They cried out before him saying, "We are Christians." He ordered that they be tortured. While they were torturing them, St. Mariam delivered up her soul in the hand of the Lord. The Lord Christ comforted and strengthened St. Sanusi. When the Governor failed to change his conviction, he sent him with many others to the Governor of Ansena (Antinoe), who tortured him severely. Then, he brought a sorcerer from Akhmeem, who gave the Saint a drink mixed with poison. The Saint having made over it the sign of the Cross, drank it, and no harm came to him. When the governor was tired of torturing him, he ordered him put to death. They cut off his head with the sword. The sorcerer believed when he saw that, so they cut off his head also. Both received the crown of martyrdom.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of Saint Anba Amoun and the Righteous Sophia
On this day also, Saint Anba Amoun and St. Sophia were martyred.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of John of Herakleia
. This day also, marks the martyrdom of St. John of Herakleia.
May his prayer be with us. Amen.
Departure of Saint Aba-Hour
Today also, marks the departure of the Saint Aba-Hour in the mount of El-Amoud in the East.
May his prayer be with us. Amen.
Departure of Pope Yoannis the Eighth, the 80th Patriarch
On this day also, of the year 1036 A.M. (May 29th, 1320 A.D.) Pope Yoannis the Eighth (80th Patriarch), departed. He was from Meniat Bani-Khosaim, and was known as El Mo'ataman Ebn El-Kedees, and his name was Yohanna Ben-Ebsal. He became a monk in the monastery of El-Shahran, and was ordained Patriarch on the nineteenth of Amshir, 1016 A.M. (February 14th, 1300 A.D.). During his days severe tribulations befell the Christians. They forced them to tinge their turbans with the color blue. Churches were closed in old Cairo, Cairo, and then in different parts of the country except the monasteries in Alexandria, and some churches in other cities. An envoy from the king of Spain came to intercede on behalf of the Christians. Two churches were opened, one of them was the Coptic church of the Virgin Lady in Haret Zeewailah and the other was the Malachite church of St.Nicholas in Elhamzawe. He was a contemporary of the Saint Anba Barsouma known as El-Erian Ebn-Eltaban, who departed during his days. The Patriarch prayed over him on the 5th of El-Nasi 1021 A.M. This Patriarch was the last to reside in the church of Abu-Saifain in Cairo. He was the first to relocate the patriarchal chair to the church of the Virgin Lady in Haret Zeewailah. He was residing there in the year 1303 A.D. when a severe earthquake took place that destroyed a large part of Syria and Egypt. Ebn-kabre indicated that this Patriarch had made some changes in the Liturgy. He departed after remaining on the chair for twenty years, three months, and fifteen days and was buried in the monastery of El-Shahran.
May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Readings for Tuesday of sixth 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 47 : 4 - 5
Chapter 47
4 | He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves.Selah |
5 | God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet. |
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 9 : 14 - 29
Chapter 9
14 | And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. |
15 | Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. |
16 | And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" |
17 | Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. |
18 | And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." |
19 | He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." |
20 | Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. |
21 | So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. |
22 | And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." |
23 | Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." |
24 | Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" |
25 | When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" |
26 | Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." |
27 | But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. |
28 | And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" |
29 | So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." |
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 47 : 3 - 4
Chapter 47
3 | He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. |
4 | He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves.Selah |
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 Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 9 : 30 - 32
Chapter 9
30 | Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. |
31 | For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day." |
32 | But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask 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 Romans .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Romans 8 : 9 - 11
Chapter 8
9 | But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. |
10 | And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. |
11 | But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. |
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 5 : 9 - 12
Chapter 5
9 | If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. |
10 | He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. |
11 | And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. |
12 | He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. |
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 5 : 27 - 29
Chapter 5
27 | And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, |
28 | saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" |
29 | But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. |
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 116 : 1 - 2
Chapter 116
1 | I love the LORD, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. |
2 | Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. |
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.
John 16 : 23 - 33
Chapter 16
23 | "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. |
24 | Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. |
25 | "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. |
26 | In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; |
27 | for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. |
28 | I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father." |
29 | His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! |
30 | Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God." |
31 | Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? |
32 | Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. |
33 | These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." |
And Glory be to God forever.
Not to be read in the Church during this time of the year.
Synaxarium
Day 4 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baounah, 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 Baounah
Martyrdom of St.Shenousi (Sanusi)
On this day, St. Sanusi (Shenousi), who was from Balkim, was martyred. When he was a young man, he tended the sheep. He used to give his food to the young shepherds, and spend his day fasting. He visited the sick and those who were in prison. One night, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a vision and told him, "Rise up, and go before the governor and confess your God to receive the crown of martyrdom." When he woke up from his sleep, he told that to his mother. She was sorry and wept for she was unable to prevent him. He had heard about a righteous holy woman, in the city of Shoubra, whose name was Mariam. She received the poor and the sojourners and did many good deeds. He went to her, and both agreed on receiving the crown of martyrdom. They went to Arsanos, the governor, who was residing in a ship anchored on the bank of the river Nile. They cried out before him saying, "We are Christians." He ordered that they be tortured. While they were torturing them, St. Mariam delivered up her soul in the hand of the Lord. The Lord Christ comforted and strengthened St. Sanusi. When the Governor failed to change his conviction, he sent him with many others to the Governor of Ansena (Antinoe), who tortured him severely. Then, he brought a sorcerer from Akhmeem, who gave the Saint a drink mixed with poison. The Saint having made over it the sign of the Cross, drank it, and no harm came to him. When the governor was tired of torturing him, he ordered him put to death. They cut off his head with the sword. The sorcerer believed when he saw that, so they cut off his head also. Both received the crown of martyrdom.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of Saint Anba Amoun and the Righteous Sophia
On this day also, Saint Anba Amoun and St. Sophia were martyred.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of John of Herakleia
. This day also, marks the martyrdom of St. John of Herakleia.
May his prayer be with us. Amen.
Departure of Saint Aba-Hour
Today also, marks the departure of the Saint Aba-Hour in the mount of El-Amoud in the East.
May his prayer be with us. Amen.
Departure of Pope Yoannis the Eighth, the 80th Patriarch
On this day also, of the year 1036 A.M. (May 29th, 1320 A.D.) Pope Yoannis the Eighth (80th Patriarch), departed. He was from Meniat Bani-Khosaim, and was known as El Mo'ataman Ebn El-Kedees, and his name was Yohanna Ben-Ebsal. He became a monk in the monastery of El-Shahran, and was ordained Patriarch on the nineteenth of Amshir, 1016 A.M. (February 14th, 1300 A.D.). During his days severe tribulations befell the Christians. They forced them to tinge their turbans with the color blue. Churches were closed in old Cairo, Cairo, and then in different parts of the country except the monasteries in Alexandria, and some churches in other cities. An envoy from the king of Spain came to intercede on behalf of the Christians. Two churches were opened, one of them was the Coptic church of the Virgin Lady in Haret Zeewailah and the other was the Malachite church of St.Nicholas in Elhamzawe. He was a contemporary of the Saint Anba Barsouma known as El-Erian Ebn-Eltaban, who departed during his days. The Patriarch prayed over him on the 5th of El-Nasi 1021 A.M. This Patriarch was the last to reside in the church of Abu-Saifain in Cairo. He was the first to relocate the patriarchal chair to the church of the Virgin Lady in Haret Zeewailah. He was residing there in the year 1303 A.D. when a severe earthquake took place that destroyed a large part of Syria and Egypt. Ebn-kabre indicated that this Patriarch had made some changes in the Liturgy. He departed after remaining on the chair for twenty years, three months, and fifteen days and was buried in the monastery of El-Shahran.
May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
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But he knew that all these things which he was doing in the way of planting and watering openly were of no avail unless He who gives the increase in secret should give heed to his prayer on their behalf. Because, as the same teacher of the Gentiles says, Neither is he that plants anything, neither he that waters, but God that gives the increase.
1 Corinthians 3:7