Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name.
Joy! Rejoicing! When we think about the glory of God and the grace that he has shared with us to make us righteous, how can we not rejoice? God is gloriously holy and majestic. He is eternal and just. We, on the other hand, are flawed, mortal, limited, and sinful. Yet in his rich mercy, he has made us righteous by the sacrifice of Jesus so that we could share an eternal home with him. Our response must be praise!
Day 8 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Hatour, 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 Eighth Day of the Blessed Month of Hatour
Commemoration of the Four Incorporeal Beasts
On this day is the commemoration of the four Incorporeal Beasts who carry the throne of God. As it is mentioned by St. John who witnessed this in his Revelation saying, "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardine stone in appearance: and there was a rainbow around the throne in appearance like an emerald: ... and in the midst of the throne and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying, 'Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty who was, and is, and is to come.'" (Revelation 4:2-8)
Isaiah the Prophet said: "I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim: each one had six wings; with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said, 'Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory.'" (Isaiah 6:1-3) Ezekiel the Prophet said: "Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the North, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself, and brightness was all around it, and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man... and each one had four wings. Their legs were straight; and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calve's feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze..." (Ezekiel 1:4-7)
St. John the Evangelist said: "After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, belong to the Lord our God,' ... and the four living creatures fell down and worshipped God who sat on the throne, saying, 'Amen, Alleluia... for the Lord God Omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give Him glory......'" (Revelation 19:1-7) The Lord set them near His throne in order for them to make supplications on behalf of all the creation. The beast with the man's face makes supplications on behalf of the human race, the one with the lion's face makes supplications on behalf of the beasts, the one with the bull's face makes supplications on behalf of the cattle, and the one with the eagle's face makes supplications on behalf of the birds. The teachers of the church built churches in their names and commemorated them on this day.
May Their intercession be for us and Glory be to our God, forever. Amen.
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 68 : 17
Chapter 68
| 17 | The chariots of God are twenty thousand, Even thousands of thousands; The Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the Holy Place. |
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 8 : 34 - 9 : 1
Chapter 8
| 34 | When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. |
| 35 | For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. |
| 36 | For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? |
| 37 | Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? |
| 38 | For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." |
Chapter 9
| 1 | And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power." |
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 33 : 6,9
Chapter 33
| 6 | By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. |
| 9 | For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast. |
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 John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
John 12 : 26 - 36
Chapter 12
| 26 | If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. |
| 27 | "Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? "Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. |
| 28 | Father, glorify Your name." Then a voice came from heaven, saying, "I have both glorified it and will glorify it again." |
| 29 | Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to Him." |
| 30 | Jesus answered and said, "This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. |
| 31 | Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. |
| 32 | And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." |
| 33 | This He said, signifying by what death He would die. |
| 34 | The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can You say, "The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this Son of Man?" |
| 35 | Then Jesus said to them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. |
| 36 | While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. |
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 12 : 21 - 13 : 2
Chapter 12
| 21 | And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, "I am exceedingly afraid and trembling." ) |
| 22 | But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, |
| 23 | to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, |
| 24 | to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel. |
| 25 | See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven, |
| 26 | whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." |
| 27 | Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain. |
| 28 | Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. |
| 29 | For our God is a consuming fire. |
Chapter 13
| 1 | Let brotherly love continue. |
| 2 | Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. |
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 : 15 - 22
Chapter 3
| 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; |
| 16 | having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. |
| 17 | For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. |
| 18 | For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, |
| 19 | by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, |
| 20 | who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. |
| 21 | There is also an antitype which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, |
| 22 | who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. |
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 11 : 2 - 14
Chapter 11
| 2 | And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, |
| 3 | saying, "You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!" |
| 4 | But Peter explained it to them in order from the beginning, saying: |
| 5 | "I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object descending like a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came to me. |
| 6 | When I observed it intently and considered, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. |
| 7 | And I heard a voice saying to me, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat.' |
| 8 | But I said, "Not so, Lord! For nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth.' |
| 9 | But the voice answered me again from heaven, "What God has cleansed you must not call common.' |
| 10 | Now this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven. |
| 11 | At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. |
| 12 | Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man's house. |
| 13 | And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, "Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter, |
| 14 | who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.' |
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 80 : 1 - 3
Chapter 80
| 1 | Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth! |
| 2 | Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, Stir up Your strength, And come and save us! |
| 3 | Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! |
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 1 : 43 - 51
Chapter 1
| 43 | The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, "Follow Me." |
| 44 | Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. |
| 45 | Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." |
| 46 | And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." |
| 47 | Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" |
| 48 | Nathanael said to Him, "How do You know me?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." |
| 49 | Nathanael answered and said to Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" |
| 50 | Jesus answered and said to him, "Because I said to you, "I saw you under the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these." |
| 51 | And He said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." |
And Glory be to God forever.
It is not so now; when not only no good works, but many bad works precede, His mercy anticipates a man so that he is delivered from evils—as well from evils which he has done, as from those which he would have done if he were not controlled by the grace of God; and from those, too, which he would have suffered for ever if he were not plucked from the power of darkness, and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of God's love. Colossians 1:13Nevertheless, since even that life eternal itself, which, it is certain, is given as due to good works, is called by so great an apostle the grace of God, although grace is not rendered to works, but is given freely, it must be confessed without any doubt, that eternal life is called grace for the reason that it is rendered to those merits which grace has conferred upon man. Because that saying is rightly understood which in the gospel is read, grace for grace,
John 1:16 — that is, for those merits which grace has conferred.