Think of all the great gifts you've been given. Next to Jesus, God's gracious sacrifice for our salvation, the greatest gift we can receive is God's abiding presence in the Holy Spirit! He is ours if we ask. In fact, when we ask God for anything, the Spirit is already in God's presence interceding for us!
Day 4 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tute, 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 Tute
Departure of St.Macarius the Sixty-Ninth Pope of Alexandria
On this day the Church commemorates the departure of Abba Macarius, the sixty-ninth pope of the great city of Alexandria, in the year 1122 A.D. This father was an ascetic who practiced strenous self-denial from his earliest years, and he cared for the garb of monasticism. He went up to the desert of Scete and became a monk in the monastery of St.Macarius. He trained his soul by reading the Holy Scriptures and their explanations and by contemplating their significance. He excelled in righteousness and so was ordained a priest. When Abba Mikhail the sixty-eight Pope departed and his place became vacant, a group of bishops and priests went to the monastery of St.Macarius and assembled in the church with the senior monks of Scete. They sat there with them for many days, discussing who would best fill the position. They agreed unanimously to choose Abba Macarius because of his righteousness and devotion to ascetic life. They took him and bound him against his will, and he cried out and begged them to release him saying, "I am not qualified to be raised to the dignity of the Papacy." Then they brought him bound to the city of Alexandria and ordained him Patriarch. The deed of his appointment was read in the Church of Mu'allakah (The Church of the holy Virgin) in the greek, Coptic, and Arabic languages. During the whole time in which he sat, he added to his works of righteousness and he daily taught the people and admonished them in fear of God. He gave alms and did works of mercy for the poor and needy. He never took anything from the Church, but rather, he used to give a large portion of the contributions which were paid to him to be spent on different righteous deeds. He sat as a Pope for twenty-seven years and departed in peace.
May his prayers and blessings be with us all, and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 105 : 14 - 15
Chapter 105
| 14 | He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, |
| 15 | Saying, "Do not touch My anointed ones, And do My prophets no harm." |
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 11 : 37 - 51
Chapter 11
| 37 | And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. |
| 38 | When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. |
| 39 | Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. |
| 40 | Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? |
| 41 | But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. |
| 42 | "But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. |
| 43 | Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. |
| 44 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them." |
| 45 | Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, "Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also." |
| 46 | And He said, "Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. |
| 47 | Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. |
| 48 | In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. |
| 49 | Therefore the wisdom of God also said, "I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' |
| 50 | that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, |
| 51 | from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. |
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 105 : 26,27,45
Chapter 105
| 26 | He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron whom He had chosen. |
| 27 | They performed His signs among them, And wonders in the land of Ham. |
| 45 | That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. Praise 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.
Matins Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel.
A reading from the Gospel according to our teacher Saint Matthew the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Matthew 17 : 1 - 9
Chapter 17
| 1 | Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; |
| 2 | and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. |
| 3 | And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. |
| 4 | Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." |
| 5 | While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" |
| 6 | And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. |
| 7 | But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." |
| 8 | When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. |
| 9 | Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." |
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 Hebrews .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Hebrews 11 : 17 - 27
Chapter 11
| 17 | By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, |
| 18 | of whom it was said, "In Isaac your seed shall be called," |
| 19 | concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. |
| 20 | By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. |
| 21 | By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff. |
| 22 | By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones. |
| 23 | By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command. |
| 24 | By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, |
| 25 | choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, |
| 26 | esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. |
| 27 | By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 2 of St. Peter .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
2 Peter 1 : 19 - 2 : 8
Chapter 1
| 19 | And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; |
| 20 | knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, |
| 21 | for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. |
Chapter 2
| 1 | But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. |
| 2 | And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. |
| 3 | By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. |
| 4 | For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; |
| 5 | and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; |
| 6 | and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; |
| 7 | and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked |
| 8 | (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)-- |
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 15 : 21 - 29
Chapter 15
| 21 | For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." |
| 22 | Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren. |
| 23 | They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. |
| 24 | Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, "You must be circumcised and keep the law"--to whom we gave no such commandment-- |
| 25 | it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, |
| 26 | men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 27 | We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. |
| 28 | For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: |
| 29 | that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell. |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Synaxarium
Day 4 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tute, 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 Tute
Departure of St.Macarius the Sixty-Ninth Pope of Alexandria
On this day the Church commemorates the departure of Abba Macarius, the sixty-ninth pope of the great city of Alexandria, in the year 1122 A.D. This father was an ascetic who practiced strenous self-denial from his earliest years, and he cared for the garb of monasticism. He went up to the desert of Scete and became a monk in the monastery of St.Macarius. He trained his soul by reading the Holy Scriptures and their explanations and by contemplating their significance. He excelled in righteousness and so was ordained a priest. When Abba Mikhail the sixty-eight Pope departed and his place became vacant, a group of bishops and priests went to the monastery of St.Macarius and assembled in the church with the senior monks of Scete. They sat there with them for many days, discussing who would best fill the position. They agreed unanimously to choose Abba Macarius because of his righteousness and devotion to ascetic life. They took him and bound him against his will, and he cried out and begged them to release him saying, "I am not qualified to be raised to the dignity of the Papacy." Then they brought him bound to the city of Alexandria and ordained him Patriarch. The deed of his appointment was read in the Church of Mu'allakah (The Church of the holy Virgin) in the greek, Coptic, and Arabic languages. During the whole time in which he sat, he added to his works of righteousness and he daily taught the people and admonished them in fear of God. He gave alms and did works of mercy for the poor and needy. He never took anything from the Church, but rather, he used to give a large portion of the contributions which were paid to him to be spent on different righteous deeds. He sat as a Pope for twenty-seven years and departed in peace.
May his prayers and blessings be with us all, 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 99 : 6 - 7
Chapter 99
| 6 | Moses and Aaron were among His priests, And Samuel was among those who called upon His name; They called upon the LORD, and He answered them. |
| 7 | He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar; They kept His testimonies and the ordinance He gave them. |
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 23 : 13 - 36
Chapter 23
| 13 | "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. |
| 14 | Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. |
| 15 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. |
| 16 | "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, "Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.' |
| 17 | Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? |
| 18 | And, "Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.' |
| 19 | Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? |
| 20 | Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. |
| 21 | He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. |
| 22 | And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. |
| 23 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. |
| 24 | Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! |
| 25 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. |
| 26 | Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. |
| 27 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. |
| 28 | Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. |
| 29 | "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, |
| 30 | and say, "If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' |
| 31 | "Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. |
| 32 | Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. |
| 33 | Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? |
| 34 | Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, |
| 35 | that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. |
| 36 | Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. |
And Glory be to God forever.
Chapter 28.— The First Man Himself Also Might Have Stood by His Free Will.
Thus also He made man with free will; and although ignorant of his future fall, yet therefore happy, because he thought it was in his own power both not to die and not to become miserable. And if he had willed by his own free will to continue in this state of uprightness and freedom from sin, assuredly without any experience of death and of unhappiness he would have received by the merit of that continuance the fullness of blessing with which the holy angels also are blessed; that is, the impossibility of falling any more, and the knowledge of this with absolute certainty.