Only Christians win at life. That's because none of us who is human has the power to hold back our greatest enemy, death. But when we have persevered, we are given the ultimate victory: LIFE that will not end because our lives are in the hands of the one who defeated death!
Day 4 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramhat, 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 Baramhat
Assembly of the Holy Council on the island of Bani-Omar
On this day a Holy Council convened on the island of Bani-Omar against those people called the Fourteenthians. The Fourteenthians celebrated the feast of the Holy Easter with the Jews on the fourteenth of the crescent of Neesan (April) which was on any day of the week. The Bishop of the island excommunicated them, and sent to Serapion Patriarch of Antioch, Democratus Bishop of Rome, Demetrius Patriarch of Alexandria, and Symmachus Bishop of Jerusalem to inform them of the heresy of these people. Each one of them sent an epistle indicating in it that Easter was only to be celebrated on the Sunday that follows the feast of the Jews and ordered to excommunicate everyone that contradict and disobey that. A council of eighteen bishops convened and these holy epistles were read to them. They brought those heretics and read before them these epistles, some of them returned from their wrong opinion and the others insisted on their error. They prevented and excommunicated them from the Holy Church. Also, they decided to celebrate Easter as the order of the Holy Apostles saying: "Any one that celebrate Easter on any other day than Sunday, had shared the Jews in their feasts and separated from the Christians."
The dispute on the feast of the Christian Passover (Easter) started between Asia Minor and Rome. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, publicly announced the need of keeping the 14th of Neesan to commemorate the Crucifixion and the 16th of Neesan to commemorate the Resurrection (These were the original dates that the Crucifixion and Resurrection fall on regardless what day of the week they fell on) and the Christians of Mesopotamia, Cilicia, and Syria followed his opinion. Victor, Bishop of Rome, publicly announced the importance of putting into consideration that the Crucifixion be on a Friday and the Resurrection be on a Sunday, (since Friday is the day of the Crucifixion and Sunday is the day of the Resurrection). The Christians of Egypt, Greece, Pontus and Arabia agreed with him in that. The dispute between the two bishops intensified, nevertheless their friendship remained unchanged. Alexandria intervened in this subject, and its Patriarch Anba Demetrius the vine dresser (El-Karram), tried to mediate between these two opinions (By making the commemoration of the Crucifixion on Friday and the Resurrection on Sunday), and to be linked to the day 14th of Neesan (The Jewish Passover).
Pope Demetrius gathered the Alexandrian astronomers, among them was Ptolemy the astronomer which was from Farma, and with their help the Patriarch established the reckoning of the Epacts, which is known by the reckoning of El-Karmah. The reckoning of the Epacts was able to determine the day of the Jewish Passover (The slaughter of the Lamb) in any Egyptian Coptic year, and fix the Sunday after to be the Feast of Resurrection. This way he fulfilled what the Apostles commend that the Jewish Passover and the christian one not to be on the same day. The first Universal council that convened in Nicea, 325 A.D. approved that view and asked the Alexandrian Pope to issue a message on the feast and its date every year.
May the Lord Guard us against the enticement of Satan, with the blessing of the prayers of the saints. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Haboulyous (Hanulius) the Prince
On this day also St. Haboulyous (Hanulius) the prince of the city of Perga in Pamphylia was martyred. The love of this prince for Christ made him publicly confess his faith. Barnabakhas the Governor arrested him at Diocletian's command. He confessed the Lord Christ before him giving the Lord the honor with glorious hymns then he cursed the idols. The Prince became raged and ordered him to be crucified. The Saint praised Christ that made him worthy to be martyred in His Name. Then he delivered his soul in the hand of the Lord and received the crown of martyrdom.
May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God for ever. Amen.
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 51 : 1,9
Chapter 51
| 1 | Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. |
| 9 | Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. |
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 : 12 - 15
Chapter 1
| 12 | Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. |
| 13 | And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. |
| 14 | Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, |
| 15 | and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel." |
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 57 : 1 - 1
Chapter 57
| 1 | Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, Until these calamities have passed by. |
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 4 : 1 - 13
Chapter 4
| 1 | Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, |
| 2 | being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. |
| 3 | And the devil said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread." |
| 4 | But Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."' |
| 5 | Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. |
| 6 | And the devil said to Him, "All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. |
| 7 | Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours." |
| 8 | And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve."' |
| 9 | Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. |
| 10 | For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,' |
| 11 | and, "In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone."' |
| 12 | And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, "You shall not tempt the LORD your God."' |
| 13 | Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. |
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 14 : 19 - 15 : 7
Chapter 14
| 19 | Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. |
| 20 | Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. |
| 21 | It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. |
| 22 | Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. |
| 23 | But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. |
Chapter 15
| 1 | We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. |
| 2 | Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. |
| 3 | For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me." |
| 4 | For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. |
| 5 | Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, |
| 6 | that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 7 | Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. |
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 2 : 1 - 13
Chapter 2
| 1 | My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. |
| 2 | For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, |
| 3 | and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," |
| 4 | have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? |
| 5 | Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? |
| 6 | But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? |
| 7 | Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? |
| 8 | If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; |
| 9 | but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. |
| 10 | For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. |
| 11 | For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. |
| 12 | So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. |
| 13 | For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. |
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 23 : 1 - 11
Chapter 23
| 1 | Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day." |
| 2 | And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. |
| 3 | Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?" |
| 4 | And those who stood by said, "Do you revile God's high priest?" |
| 5 | Then Paul said, "I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, "You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people."' |
| 6 | But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, "Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!" |
| 7 | And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided. |
| 8 | For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection--and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. |
| 9 | Then there arose a loud outcry. And the scribes of the Pharisees' party arose and protested, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God." |
| 10 | Now when there arose a great dissension, the commander, fearing lest Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks. |
| 11 | But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome." |
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 27 : 8 - 10
Chapter 27
| 8 | When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." |
| 9 | Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. |
| 10 | When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. |
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 4 : 1 - 11
Chapter 4
| 1 | Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. |
| 2 | And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. |
| 3 | Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." |
| 4 | But He answered and said, "It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."' |
| 5 | Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, |
| 6 | and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: "He shall give His angels charge over you,' and, "In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone."' |
| 7 | Jesus said to him, "It is written again, "You shall not tempt the LORD your God."' |
| 8 | Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. |
| 9 | And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me." |
| 10 | Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! For it is written, "You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve."' |
| 11 | Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. |
And Glory be to God forever.