Righteous people have a way of blessing others with their words. It may be their word of encouragement, their carefully chosen speech, their advice full of wisdom, their message of comfort, their truth in teaching, or their faithfulness to their promises. No matter what form, the words of righteous people are a blessing. But fools don't listen to the righteous. They plot their own course refusing truth, wisdom, and godliness only to find their lives lost to meaninglessness and folly.
Day 11 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 Eleventh Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
Martyrdom of St.Basil (Basilaos) The Bishop
On this day St. Basil (Basilaos) the bishop was martyred. In the year 298 A.D., Abba Armon, Patriarch of Jerusalem, ordained this holy man among others to be bishops without stated Sees. He sent them to preach the Kingdom of Heaven in pagan cities. This Saint preached in many cities where they beat him and drove him out. When he entered the city of Sharsunah, in Syria, he preached the Gospel, some of its people believed but the others became angry and drove him out. He went outside the city and dwelt in a cave where he gave himself to perpetual prayers and supplications to God that the people of the city might believe in Christ. The son of the Governor of that city died, he was his only child, and he grieved on him exceedingly. On the day that the Governor buried his son, he saw him in a vision at night, standing before him saying: "Call St. Basilaos and ask him to pray to the Lord Christ on my behalf because I am in great darkness." The Governor woke up from his dream and took the nobles of the city, went to the cave of St. Basilaos and asked him to enter the city to pray for his son. The Saint agreed to their request and went with them to where the Governor's son was buried. He prayed to God with fervent supplication and the son rose up alive with the power of God. The Governor, his household, and many of the people of the city believed, and were baptized by the hands of this Saint. There were in the city a congregation of Jews who were envious of the Saint. They joined with the men of the city who did not believe, and rose up against the Saint and beat him and dragged him until he yielded up his soul in peace.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
- Readings for Monday of fifth week of Great Lent
Matins
Proverbs 3 : 5 - 18 Isaiah 37 : 33 - end Isaiah 38 : 1 - 6 Job 22 : 1 - 30
Proverbs 3 : 5 - 18
Chapter 3
| 5 | Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; |
| 6 | In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. |
| 7 | Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. |
| 8 | It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. |
| 9 | Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; |
| 10 | So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. |
| 11 | My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; |
| 12 | For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. |
| 13 | Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; |
| 14 | For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. |
| 15 | She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. |
| 16 | Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. |
| 17 | Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. |
| 18 | She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. |
Isaiah 37 : 33 - end
Chapter 37
| 33 | "Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: "He shall not come into this city, Nor shoot an arrow there, Nor come before it with shield, Nor build a siege mound against it. |
| 34 | By the way that he came, By the same shall he return; And he shall not come into this city,' Says the LORD. |
| 35 | "For I will defend this city, to save it For My own sake and for My servant David's sake."' |
| 36 | Then the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses--all dead. |
| 37 | So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. |
| 38 | Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. Then Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place. |
Isaiah 38 : 1 - 6
Chapter 38
| 1 | In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: "Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live."' |
| 2 | Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, |
| 3 | and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly. |
| 4 | And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying, |
| 5 | "Go and tell Hezekiah, "Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will add to your days fifteen years. |
| 6 | I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city."' |
Job 22 : 1 - 30
Chapter 22
| 1 | Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said: |
| 2 | "Can a man be profitable to God, Though he who is wise may be profitable to himself? |
| 3 | Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that you are righteous? Or is it gain to Him that you make your ways blameless? |
| 4 | "Is it because of your fear of Him that He corrects you, And enters into judgment with you? |
| 5 | Is not your wickedness great, And your iniquity without end? |
| 6 | For you have taken pledges from your brother for no reason, And stripped the naked of their clothing. |
| 7 | You have not given the weary water to drink, And you have withheld bread from the hungry. |
| 8 | But the mighty man possessed the land, And the honorable man dwelt in it. |
| 9 | You have sent widows away empty, And the strength of the fatherless was crushed. |
| 10 | Therefore snares are all around you, And sudden fear troubles you, |
| 11 | Or darkness so that you cannot see; And an abundance of water covers you. |
| 12 | "Is not God in the height of heaven? And see the highest stars, how lofty they are! |
| 13 | And you say, "What does God know? Can He judge through the deep darkness? |
| 14 | Thick clouds cover Him, so that He cannot see, And He walks above the circle of heaven.' |
| 15 | Will you keep to the old way Which wicked men have trod, |
| 16 | Who were cut down before their time, Whose foundations were swept away by a flood? |
| 17 | They said to God, "Depart from us! What can the Almighty do to them?' |
| 18 | Yet He filled their houses with good things; But the counsel of the wicked is far from me. |
| 19 | "The righteous see it and are glad, And the innocent laugh at them: |
| 20 | "Surely our adversaries are cut down, And the fire consumes their remnant.' |
| 21 | "Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. |
| 22 | Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart. |
| 23 | If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up; You will remove iniquity far from your tents. |
| 24 | Then you will lay your gold in the dust, And the gold of Ophir among the stones of the brooks. |
| 25 | Yes, the Almighty will be your gold And your precious silver; |
| 26 | For then you will have your delight in the Almighty, And lift up your face to God. |
| 27 | You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you, And you will pay your vows. |
| 28 | You will also declare a thing, And it will be established for you; So light will shine on your ways. |
| 29 | When they cast you down, and you say, "Exaltation will come!' Then He will save the humble person. |
| 30 | He will even deliver one who is not innocent; Yes, he will be delivered by the purity of your hands." |
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 88 : 2 - 4
Chapter 88
| 2 | Let my prayer come before You; Incline Your ear to my cry. |
| 3 | For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draws near to the grave. |
| 4 | I am counted with those who go down to the pit; I am like a man who has no strength, |
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 12 : 16 - 21
Chapter 12
| 16 | Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. |
| 17 | And he thought within himself, saying, "What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' |
| 18 | So he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. |
| 19 | And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry."' |
| 20 | But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' |
| 21 | "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." |
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 Philippians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Philippians 2 : 1 - 16
Chapter 2
| 1 | Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, |
| 2 | fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. |
| 3 | Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. |
| 4 | Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. |
| 5 | Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, |
| 6 | who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, |
| 7 | but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. |
| 8 | And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. |
| 9 | Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, |
| 10 | that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, |
| 11 | and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. |
| 12 | Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; |
| 13 | for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. |
| 14 | Do all things without complaining and disputing, |
| 15 | that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, |
| 16 | holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. |
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 : 10 - 18
Chapter 3
| 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; |
| 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, |
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 10 : 25 - 35
Chapter 10
| 25 | As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. |
| 26 | But Peter lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself am also a man." |
| 27 | And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together. |
| 28 | Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. |
| 29 | Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?" |
| 30 | So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, |
| 31 | and said, "Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. |
| 32 | Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.' |
| 33 | So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God." |
| 34 | Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. |
| 35 | But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. |
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 86 : 3 - 4
Chapter 86
| 3 | Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long. |
| 4 | Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. |
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 9 : 12 - 17
Chapter 9
| 12 | When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted place here." |
| 13 | But He said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we go and buy food for all these people." |
| 14 | For there were about five thousand men. Then He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down in groups of fifty." |
| 15 | And they did so, and made them all sit down. |
| 16 | Then He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the multitude. |
| 17 | So they all ate and were filled, and twelve baskets of the leftover fragments were taken up by them. |
And Glory be to God forever.
In very real ways, soul, consciousness, love, and the Holy Spirit are one and the same. Each of these point to something that is larger than the individual, shared with God, ubiquitous, and even eternal—and then revealed through us! Holiness does not mean people are psychologically or morally perfect (a common confusion), but that they are capable of seeing and enjoying things in a much more “whole” and compassionate way, even if they sometimes fail at it themselves. [1]
Today I share again from the late Jesuit priest and professor Richard Hauser:
The goal of the spiritual life is to allow the Spirit of Christ to influence all our activity, prayer as well as service. Our role in this process is to provide conditions in our lives to enable us to live in tune with [Christ’s] Spirit. Our effort is not a self-conscious striving to fill ourselves with the important Christian virtues; it is more getting out of the way and allowing [Christ’s] Spirit to transform all our activities. Christ will do the rest. His Spirit has joined ours and will never abandon us.
Gradually we become more and more sensitive to the movements of Christ’s Spirit in our own hearts; simultaneously we grow in sensitivity to the movement of his Spirit in others. Subtly our vision of the world changes. We begin seeing everything in relationship to Christ and the Father, and so we carry on a continual dialog with them. Without really trying, we find ourselves fulfilling Paul’s injunction to the Ephesians to “pray always.” It becomes clearer and clearer what Paul was trying to express when he exclaimed to the Galatians that “I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Before his conversion, [Paul] had not known this power. Now the reality of the new life he had received through the Spirit of Christ so overwhelmed him that it seemed as though everything he treasured flowed from this life, as, indeed, it did. He can only pray for his people that they may receive this same life from the Spirit and so know Christ and his love. [2]
Read Paul’s beautiful prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21:
That is why I kneel before Abba God, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. And I pray that God, out of the riches of divine glory, will strengthen you inwardly with power through the working of the Spirit. May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, so that you, being rooted and grounded in love, will be able to grasp fully the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ’s love and, with all God’s holy ones, experience this love that surpasses all understanding, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. To God—whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine—to God be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, world without end! Amen.
References:
[1] Adapted from Richard Rohr, Just This (CAC Publishing: 2017), 47.
[2] Richard J. Hauser, In His Spirit: A Guide to Today’s Spirituality (Beacon Publishing: 2011), 133-134