Praise is integrally connected with our character. So for us to worship God, the intent of our hearts and the effort of our lives must show the determined desire to know and live his will. While we will never do this perfectly, grace covers us as we seek to live for his glory. But that grace must never be used as a pretense to excuse spiritual laziness or intentional weakness.
Day 11 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Abib, 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 Eleventh Day of the Blessed Month of Abib
Martyrdom of Saints John and Simon, his cousin
On this day, Sts. John and Simon, his cousin, who were from the city of Shoubramalas (Ziftah-Gharbiah), were martyred. The mother of St. John was barren, and his father prayed ceaselessly to the Lord to give him a son, whom he would vow to the Lord. He saw in a vision St. John the Baptist, who told him that the Lord would give him a son. When this Saint was born, his father called him John, and he built a church in the name of St. John the Baptist. When the boy grew and was twelve years old, his father put him in charge of tending the sheep. John gave his food to the shepherds, and he fasted until the evening daily. When his father heard this, he went to him to verify that. When the boy saw him, he was afraid that his father might beat him, and he wanted to flee. His father calmed him and asked him about his food. John replied, "It is inside the hut." When the father went inside, he found the basket full of hot bread. He returned and told his mother what had happened and both rejoiced for the grace that was bestowed upon their son. They prevented their son from tending the sheep, and handed him to one who taught him the church books. When John became eighteen years old, they ordained him a priest. Simon, his cousin, who was also tending to the sheep of his father, left that and became a disciple of this Saint. God wrought many signs by the hands of St. John. When Diocletian denied Christ and worshipped idols, Sts. John and Simon went to Alexandria. They confessed the Lord Christ before its Governor, who tortured them much. Finally, he cut off their heads, and they received the crown of martyrdom.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Isaiah, the Hermit
On this day also, the great saint, Anba Isaiah, who was a hermit in the wilderness of Shiheet (Scetis), departed.
May his prayers be with us, 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 4 : 6 - 8
Chapter 4
| 6 | There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. |
| 7 | You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. |
| 8 | I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. |
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 Matthew the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Matthew 16 : 24 - 28
Chapter 16
| 24 | Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. |
| 25 | For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. |
| 26 | For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? |
| 27 | For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. |
| 28 | Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." |
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 5 : 11 - 12
Chapter 5
| 11 | But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. |
| 12 | For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield. |
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 10 : 34 - 42
Chapter 10
| 34 | "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. |
| 35 | For I have come to "set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; |
| 36 | and "a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' |
| 37 | He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. |
| 38 | And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. |
| 39 | He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. |
| 40 | "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. |
| 41 | He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. |
| 42 | And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." |
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 : 18 - 30
Chapter 8
| 18 | For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. |
| 19 | For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. |
| 20 | For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; |
| 21 | because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. |
| 22 | For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. |
| 23 | Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. |
| 24 | For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? |
| 25 | But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. |
| 26 | Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. |
| 27 | Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. |
| 28 | And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. |
| 29 | For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. |
| 30 | Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. |
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 : 8 - 15
Chapter 3
| 8 | Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; |
| 9 | not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. |
| 10 | For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. |
| 11 | Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. |
| 12 | For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil." |
| 13 | And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? |
| 14 | But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." |
| 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; |
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 19 : 23 - 41
Chapter 19
| 23 | And about that time there arose a great commotion about the Way. |
| 24 | For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Diana, brought no small profit to the craftsmen. |
| 25 | He called them together with the workers of similar occupation, and said: "Men, you know that we have our prosperity by this trade. |
| 26 | Moreover you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but throughout almost all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands. |
| 27 | So not only is this trade of ours in danger of falling into disrepute, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her magnificence destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worship." |
| 28 | Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" |
| 29 | So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions. |
| 30 | And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. |
| 31 | Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. |
| 32 | Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. |
| 33 | And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people. |
| 34 | But when they found out that he was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!" |
| 35 | And when the city clerk had quieted the crowd, he said: "Men of Ephesus, what man is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple guardian of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Zeus? |
| 36 | Therefore, since these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly. |
| 37 | For you have brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples nor blasphemers of your goddess. |
| 38 | Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. |
| 39 | But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly. |
| 40 | For we are in danger of being called in question for today's uproar, there being no reason which we may give to account for this disorderly gathering." |
| 41 | And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly. |
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 68 : 35,3
Chapter 68
| 35 | O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God! |
| 3 | But let the righteous be glad; Let them rejoice before God; Yes, let them rejoice exceedingly. |
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 12 : 4 - 12
Chapter 12
| 4 | "And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. |
| 5 | But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! |
| 6 | "Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. |
| 7 | But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. |
| 8 | "Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. |
| 9 | But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. |
| 10 | "And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. |
| 11 | "Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. |
| 12 | For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say." |
And Glory be to God forever.
Spiritual director and author Carl McColman explores the etymology of the word “mystic” and the difference between a saint and a mystic. Carl is a wise and holy man still among us.
The Greek root for mystic and mysticism is mueo, which means to shut or to close, as in shutting one’s mouth or closing one’s eyes. It comes from the pagan mystery religions. . . . The “shutting” or “closing” quality of mueo implied keeping the secrets or mysteries hidden, locked away in the heart or mind.
The writers of the New Testament adapted this language for Christian purposes. . . . Among Christians, the idea of mystery referred not so much to what is secret as to what is hidden. And topping the list of hidden things is God . . . : as the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Truly, you are a God who hides” (Isaiah 45:15). Meanwhile, Jesus, the Son of God, represented the hidden things of God made manifest—and not only in Christ himself, but also in his followers, who were said to be part of his “body.” So, mystery in Christianity involves the hidden things of God made manifest, or revealed, in the hearts and minds and spirituality of those who love God and follow Christ.
In every generation, in every century of the Christian era, men and women have existed who have exemplified this spirituality of manifesting the presence of God, the wisdom and power of God, the love and mercy of God, in their own lives, in their hearts and minds. . . . [1]
While the idea of sainthood came to be associated with almost supernatural levels of goodness, mystics encountered and embodied the presence of God in profound and life-changing ways. And the mystics (at least the ones we know about) shared their encounters with God through poetry, confessional or autobiographical writing, philosophy, theology, and spiritual teaching. The language of the mystics is often deeply beautiful, expressing love of God, communion with God, even union with God (which sometimes got some mystics in trouble with the less spiritually inclined authorities in the Church).
Of course, many mystics have also been recognized as saints, and some authors suggest that it is impossible to be a saint without also being a mystic. But the two words have distinct meanings, at least in popular usage: a saint is someone who is good and holy, while a mystic is someone who knows God, and whose life has been transfigured by this divine presence. Put even more briefly, saints embody goodness while mystics embody love.
There’s plenty of overlap here. But this is one way to understand the distinction.
What makes someone a mystic is less about a top-down kind of approval and more about an organic, broad-based recognition on the part of the people whose lives have been touched. In other words . . . , mystics teach us how to find God, and a great mystic is someone who has been recognized as doing this particularly well. [I, Richard, would suggest that saints are supposedly perfect people, whereas mystics are visibly imperfect people who have been convicted by moments of very real divine union. If we knew the full story, most “saints” are really mystics!]
References:
[1] See some examples of mystics over the centuries: CAC Timeline of Non-Dual Thinkers and Mystics (Updated 2019).
Carl McColman, Christian Mystics: 108 Seers, Saints, and Sages (Hampton Roads Publishing Company: 2016), xv-xvii. Learn more about Carl at https://www.carlmccolman.com/about/.