Day 7 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramoudah, 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 Seventh Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Departure of the Righteous Joachim, the Lord Christ Grandfather
On this day the righteous Joachim (Yonakhir - Zadok) departed. He was the father of St. Mary, the Theotokos, the mother of God incarnate. He was of the seed of David, and of the tribe of Judah, for he was the son of Jotham, the son of Lazarus, the son of Eldad who ascended up in genealogy to Solomon the king, the son of David whom God promised that his seed should reign over the children of Israel for ever. The wife of this righteous man, Hannah was barren, and both of them prayed and entreated God continually to give them a child. Having accepted their petition He gave them a good and sweet fruit, which satisfied all the men of the world, and removed from them the bitterness of servitude, and He made Joachim worthy to be called the father of the Lord Christ in regard of His marvelous and wondrous Incarnation. After God had pleased him with the birth of our Lady, his heart was rejoiced and he offered his offerings, and the shame had been removed from him, he departed in peace when the Virgin was three years old.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Macrobius
On this day also the saint Anba Macrobius, the son of the governor of the city of Kaw, departed in peace. When Anba Severus, Archbishop of Antioch, was wondering around the cities of Upper Egypt, he came to the city of Kaw and Macrobius ministered unto him. He accompanied Anba Severus in his visit to the monastery of Anba Moses, where he saw from the holiness of the monks, their asceticism and devoutness, made him ask Anba Moses to accept him as a monk. Anba Moses indicated to him the hardship of the monastic life and its difficulties especially he was raised in luxury and family wealth, and the one that slept on silk, could not take the rough life. When Anba Moses saw the insistence of Macrobius on the monastic life he asked him first to resign his job that he took after his father, and to relinquish all his money and possessions. He went to his city Kaw, appointed his brother in his place, returned and put on the monastic garb. When his brothers Paul, Ilias, and Joseph saw what their brother had done, they came to him and became monks by the hands of Anba Moses.
Anba Macrobius built many monasteries and many monks, about a thousand gathered around him, and he also built convents for about a thousand nuns. He used his money to build many places for those that did not desire the monastic life, and he supported those who sought his help. Then he sent to Anba Moses asking to send him brethren to prepare those gathered around him for the monastic life, they came and put on them the monastic garb. Christians from the cities of Assuit, Shatb, and neighboring cities came and gave him many gifts and much money to help him in building the churches and monasteries. He accepted it from them and blessed them. Anba Macrobius increased in virtues, asceticism and giving alms to the weak, needy, widows, orphans and the lonely, beside caring for his monasteries. His alms were from his own money not from that was offered. God granted St. Macrobius the gift of healing, they brought him the sick and he healed them with the power of God and the strength of their faith.
The father the Patriarch Anba Theodosius, heard about him and he wrote to him praising and encouraging him to be steadfast in virtue, asceticism and loving the strangers and asked him to come for the people of Alexandria to be blessed by him. When he came to the Patriarch, he rejoiced with him and called the people of Alexandria to receive the blessing from him, and he ordained him a priest. Macrobius returned to his monastery, the people of Assuit and Shatb received him with songs and hymns until they came to the monastery. Many miracles were performed through his hands, and when he finished his good strife, he departed in peace. Multitudes gathered from Assuit, Shatb, Abu-Sergah, Kaw and the neighboring cities, and his brother Anba Yousab, who was appointed as his successor in running the monasteries in the fear of God, prayed and buried him. The appearance of his body was on the seventh day of the blessed month of Tubah, seven hundred thirty three years after his departure by the hands of the deacon Los El-Talawy the servant of his monastery's church, during the days of Anba Yousab, bishop of Akhmeem and the notable Isaac the scribe of the prince Eiz-Eldeen El-Hamawy. Anba Yousab, bishop of Akhmeem, took the body out of its tomb in the mountain, down to the church of the monastery, where they buried him with hymns and praises.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Saints Agapius, Theodora, and Metruf
On this day also is the commemoration of the departure of Sts. Agapius and Theodora the martyrs, and the commemoration of St. Metruf the spiritual son of Anba Moses the Abbot of El-Baliana monastery.
May their intercession be with us and glory be to God forever. Amen.
Readings for Monday of sixth week of Great Lent
Matins
Proverbs 8 : 1 - 11 Isaiah 43 : 10 - 28 Job 32 : 6 - 16
Proverbs 8 : 1 - 11
Chapter 8
| 1 | Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice? |
| 2 | She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, Beside the way, where the paths meet. |
| 3 | She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: |
| 4 | "To you, O men, I call, And my voice is to the sons of men. |
| 5 | O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart. |
| 6 | Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; |
| 7 | For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips. |
| 8 | All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them. |
| 9 | They are all plain to him who understands, And right to those who find knowledge. |
| 10 | Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold; |
| 11 | For wisdom is better than rubies, And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her. |
Isaiah 43 : 10 - 28
Chapter 43
| 10 | "You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. |
| 11 | I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior. |
| 12 | I have declared and saved, I have proclaimed, And there was no foreign god among you; Therefore you are My witnesses," Says the LORD, "that I am God. |
| 13 | Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?" |
| 14 | Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, The Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I will send to Babylon, And bring them all down as fugitives--The Chaldeans, who rejoice in their ships. |
| 15 | I am the LORD, your Holy One, The Creator of Israel, your King." |
| 16 | Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, |
| 17 | Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): |
| 18 | "Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. |
| 19 | Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. |
| 20 | The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. |
| 21 | This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. |
| 22 | "But you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; And you have been weary of Me, O Israel. |
| 23 | You have not brought Me the sheep for your burnt offerings, Nor have you honored Me with your sacrifices. I have not caused you to serve with grain offerings, Nor wearied you with incense. |
| 24 | You have bought Me no sweet cane with money, Nor have you satisfied Me with the fat of your sacrifices; But you have burdened Me with your sins, You have wearied Me with your iniquities. |
| 25 | "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; And I will not remember your sins. |
| 26 | Put Me in remembrance; Let us contend together; State your case, that you may be acquitted. |
| 27 | Your first father sinned, And your mediators have transgressed against Me. |
| 28 | Therefore I will profane the princes of the sanctuary; I will give Jacob to the curse, And Israel to reproaches. |
Job 32 : 6 - 16
Chapter 32
| 6 | So Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: "I am young in years, and you are very old; Therefore I was afraid, And dared not declare my opinion to you. |
| 7 | I said, "Age should speak, And multitude of years should teach wisdom.' |
| 8 | But there is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. |
| 9 | Great men are not always wise, Nor do the aged always understand justice. |
| 10 | "Therefore I say, "Listen to me, I also will declare my opinion.' |
| 11 | Indeed I waited for your words, I listened to your reasonings, while you searched out what to say. |
| 12 | I paid close attention to you; And surely not one of you convinced Job, Or answered his words-- |
| 13 | Lest you say, "We have found wisdom'; God will vanquish him, not man. |
| 14 | Now he has not directed his words against me; So I will not answer him with your words. |
| 15 | "They are dismayed and answer no more; Words escape them. |
| 16 | And I have waited, because they did not speak, Because they stood still and answered no more. |
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 38 : 9 - 9
Chapter 38
| 9 | Lord, all my desire is before You; And my sighing is not hidden from You. |
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 12 : 1 - 12
Chapter 12
| 1 | Then He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. |
| 2 | Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. |
| 3 | And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. |
| 4 | Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. |
| 5 | And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. |
| 6 | Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, "They will respect my son.' |
| 7 | But those vinedressers said among themselves, "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' |
| 8 | So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. |
| 9 | "Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. |
| 10 | Have you not even read this Scripture: "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. |
| 11 | This was the LORD's doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?" |
| 12 | And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away. |
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 Thessalonians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
1 Thessalonians 4 : 1 - 18
Chapter 4
| 1 | Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; |
| 2 | for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. |
| 3 | For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; |
| 4 | that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, |
| 5 | not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; |
| 6 | that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. |
| 7 | For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. |
| 8 | Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. |
| 9 | But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; |
| 10 | and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; |
| 11 | that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, |
| 12 | that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing. |
| 13 | But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. |
| 14 | For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. |
| 15 | For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. |
| 16 | For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. |
| 17 | Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. |
| 18 | Therefore comfort one another with these words. |
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 4 : 7 - 12
Chapter 4
| 7 | Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. |
| 8 | Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. |
| 9 | Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. |
| 10 | Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. |
| 11 | Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. |
| 12 | There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? |
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 18 : 9 - 18
Chapter 18
| 9 | Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; |
| 10 | for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city." |
| 11 | And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. |
| 12 | When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, |
| 13 | saying, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." |
| 14 | And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. |
| 15 | But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters." |
| 16 | And he drove them from the judgment seat. |
| 17 | Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things. |
| 18 | So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow. |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Synaxarium
Day 7 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baramoudah, 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 Seventh Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Departure of the Righteous Joachim, the Lord Christ Grandfather
On this day the righteous Joachim (Yonakhir - Zadok) departed. He was the father of St. Mary, the Theotokos, the mother of God incarnate. He was of the seed of David, and of the tribe of Judah, for he was the son of Jotham, the son of Lazarus, the son of Eldad who ascended up in genealogy to Solomon the king, the son of David whom God promised that his seed should reign over the children of Israel for ever. The wife of this righteous man, Hannah was barren, and both of them prayed and entreated God continually to give them a child. Having accepted their petition He gave them a good and sweet fruit, which satisfied all the men of the world, and removed from them the bitterness of servitude, and He made Joachim worthy to be called the father of the Lord Christ in regard of His marvelous and wondrous Incarnation. After God had pleased him with the birth of our Lady, his heart was rejoiced and he offered his offerings, and the shame had been removed from him, he departed in peace when the Virgin was three years old.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Macrobius
On this day also the saint Anba Macrobius, the son of the governor of the city of Kaw, departed in peace. When Anba Severus, Archbishop of Antioch, was wondering around the cities of Upper Egypt, he came to the city of Kaw and Macrobius ministered unto him. He accompanied Anba Severus in his visit to the monastery of Anba Moses, where he saw from the holiness of the monks, their asceticism and devoutness, made him ask Anba Moses to accept him as a monk. Anba Moses indicated to him the hardship of the monastic life and its difficulties especially he was raised in luxury and family wealth, and the one that slept on silk, could not take the rough life. When Anba Moses saw the insistence of Macrobius on the monastic life he asked him first to resign his job that he took after his father, and to relinquish all his money and possessions. He went to his city Kaw, appointed his brother in his place, returned and put on the monastic garb. When his brothers Paul, Ilias, and Joseph saw what their brother had done, they came to him and became monks by the hands of Anba Moses.
Anba Macrobius built many monasteries and many monks, about a thousand gathered around him, and he also built convents for about a thousand nuns. He used his money to build many places for those that did not desire the monastic life, and he supported those who sought his help. Then he sent to Anba Moses asking to send him brethren to prepare those gathered around him for the monastic life, they came and put on them the monastic garb. Christians from the cities of Assuit, Shatb, and neighboring cities came and gave him many gifts and much money to help him in building the churches and monasteries. He accepted it from them and blessed them. Anba Macrobius increased in virtues, asceticism and giving alms to the weak, needy, widows, orphans and the lonely, beside caring for his monasteries. His alms were from his own money not from that was offered. God granted St. Macrobius the gift of healing, they brought him the sick and he healed them with the power of God and the strength of their faith.
The father the Patriarch Anba Theodosius, heard about him and he wrote to him praising and encouraging him to be steadfast in virtue, asceticism and loving the strangers and asked him to come for the people of Alexandria to be blessed by him. When he came to the Patriarch, he rejoiced with him and called the people of Alexandria to receive the blessing from him, and he ordained him a priest. Macrobius returned to his monastery, the people of Assuit and Shatb received him with songs and hymns until they came to the monastery. Many miracles were performed through his hands, and when he finished his good strife, he departed in peace. Multitudes gathered from Assuit, Shatb, Abu-Sergah, Kaw and the neighboring cities, and his brother Anba Yousab, who was appointed as his successor in running the monasteries in the fear of God, prayed and buried him. The appearance of his body was on the seventh day of the blessed month of Tubah, seven hundred thirty three years after his departure by the hands of the deacon Los El-Talawy the servant of his monastery's church, during the days of Anba Yousab, bishop of Akhmeem and the notable Isaac the scribe of the prince Eiz-Eldeen El-Hamawy. Anba Yousab, bishop of Akhmeem, took the body out of its tomb in the mountain, down to the church of the monastery, where they buried him with hymns and praises.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Saints Agapius, Theodora, and Metruf
On this day also is the commemoration of the departure of Sts. Agapius and Theodora the martyrs, and the commemoration of St. Metruf the spiritual son of Anba Moses the Abbot of El-Baliana monastery.
May their intercession be with us and glory be to God forever. 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 35 : 1 - 2
Chapter 35
| 1 | Plead my cause, O LORD, with those who strive with me; Fight against those who fight against me. |
| 2 | Take hold of shield and buckler, And stand up for my help. |
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 13 : 1 - 5
Chapter 13
| 1 | There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. |
| 2 | And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? |
| 3 | I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. |
| 4 | Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? |
| 5 | I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." |
And Glory be to God forever.
St. John Chrysostom
The Cross, Work of Unspeakable Love Towards Man
The Cross is for our sakes, being the work of unspeakable Love towards man, the sign of His great concern for us. ...
“For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived....” And so let us at least convince you that He is thoughtful for our salvation. ... He then that has shown so much anxiety about our becoming His, as to take the form of a servant, and to die, will He despise us after we have become so? This cannot be so, assuredly it cannot! Nor would He choose to waste so much pains, “For to this end (he says) he also died,” as if any one were to say: Such an one will not have the heart to despise his servant. For he minded his own purse. For indeed we are not so much in love with money, as is He with our salvation. Wherefore it was not money, but His own Blood that He gave as bail for us. And for this cause He would not have the heart to give them up, for whom He had laid down so great a price.
On Romans, Hom II & XXV.