At one time or another, most of us raised an angry fist to fate and cursed the darkness. Each of these actions is about as equally effective. But to deny there is a God is something else altogether. To rob heaven of God is to rob ourselves of grace, hope, and future. How foolish indeed to forget that behind a Creation of wonder, order, variety, beauty, power, and pattern is the Creator. He is far greater than his handiwork and we dare not ignore, deny, or dismiss him.
Day 12 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 Twelfth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramhat
The Commemoration of the Honorable Angel Michael.
On this day the church celebrates the commemoration of the head of the heavenly hosts the honorable Archangel Michael, the intercessor for the human race.
May his intercession be for us all. Amen.
The Commemoration of the revealing of the virginity of St. Demetrius the Twelfth Pope of Alexandria.
On this day also the church celebrates the commemoration of the revealing of the virginity of St. Demetrius the Twelfth Pope of Alexandria. The angel of the Lord appeared to St. Julian, the Eleventh Pope, before his departure and said: "You are going to the Lord Christ, the one who will bring you tomorrow a cluster of grapes, is the one fit to be a Patriarch after you." On the morrow, this saint came with a cluster of grapes, Abba Julian held him and told the people: "This is your Patriarch after me," and told them what the angel told him. After the departure of Abba Julian they took him and ordained him Patriarch on the 9th day of Baramhat (March 4th., 188 A.D.) and he was married. Since no married Patriarch ever before this father been enthroned over the See of Alexandria, satan entered the hearts of the laity and made them talk and grumble against the Patriarch and the one who recommended him. The angel of God appeared to St. Demetrius and told him about that and ordered him to remove the doubt from their hearts by revealing to them his relation with his wife. When St. Demetrius refused, the angel told him: "It is not meet that you save your self alone and let others be perished because of you. But because you are a shepherd you should fight to save your people also". On the next day, after he had finished celebrating the Divine Liturgy, he asked the people not to leave the church. He brought flamed charcoal, and brought his wife from the place of the women and the congregation wondered at his action, not knowing what he was going to do. He prayed and walked on the blazing fire, he took a piece of the blazing fire and put it in his shawl, then he took another piece and put it in his wife's shawl. He prayed again for a long time and both shawls did not burn. The congregation marvelled and asked him to tell them why he did that. He told them of his strife with his wife, and how his father and her father married them against their will, and they have lived together as a brother and sister since they were married forty-eight years ago, the angel of the Lord each night covered them with his wings, and no one knew that before that time until the angel of the Lord ordered him to reveal his secret. The congregation marvelled for what they had seen and heard, they praised and glorified God asking the Saint to pardon them for what they had done or said and to forgive them. He accepted their apology, forgave them, blessed them, and sent them to their homes glorifying the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit talking about what they saw of wonders from this Saint.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
The Martyrdom of St. Malachias of Palestine.
On this day also the righteous St. Malachias was martyred in the land of Palestine.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
The Martyrdom of St. Glathinos in Damascus.
On this day the church also celebrates the commemoration of the martyrdom of St. Glathinos (Glazinos) who was in the early part of the reign of Emperor Constantine the great. This Saint was from the city of Marmeen, near Damascus. He was acting with a group of people who were from the city of Heleopolis, Lebanon, and dedicated themselves to worship idols. One day they gathered in the theater, and the actors poured cold water in a large brass basin, and started mocking those who go to the holy Christian baptism. They dipped one of those actors in the water, to act his baptism, when he came out of the water they put on him white cloth. This actor after he had come out of the water, refused to go on acting, and made it known that he prefered to die Christian on the Name of the Lord Christ, and he added to that saying: "While you were mocking during my renewal with the Holy Baptism, I have witnessed a wondrous miracle." Those who were present became offended, and extremely furious for they were pagans. They seized the Saint, stoned him, and St. Glathinos delivered up his soul and received the crown of martyrdom, and was counted among the holy martyrs. His family and many of the Christians came, took his body, and buried him in the city where they built a church after his name.
May his blessings be with us and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Readings for Saturday of fifth week of Great Lent
Matins
Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 65 : 2 - 3
Chapter 65
| 2 | O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come. |
| 3 | Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them. |
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 15 : 3 - 10
Chapter 15
| 3 | So He spoke this parable to them, saying: |
| 4 | "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? |
| 5 | And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. |
| 6 | And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, "Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' |
| 7 | I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. |
| 8 | "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? |
| 9 | And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' |
| 10 | Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." |
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 Galatians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Galatians 5 : 16 - end
Chapter 5
| 16 | I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. |
| 17 | For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. |
| 18 | But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. |
| 19 | Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, |
| 20 | idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, |
| 21 | envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. |
| 22 | But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, |
| 23 | gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. |
| 24 | And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. |
| 25 | If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. |
| 26 | Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. |
Galatians 6 : 1 - 2
Chapter 6
| 1 | Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. |
| 2 | Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. |
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 5 : 7 - 11
Chapter 5
| 7 | Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. |
| 8 | You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. |
| 9 | Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! |
| 10 | My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. |
| 11 | Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. |
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 26 : 1 - 18
Chapter 26
| 1 | Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are permitted to speak for yourself." So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: |
| 2 | "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, |
| 3 | especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. |
| 4 | "My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. |
| 5 | They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. |
| 6 | And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. |
| 7 | To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. |
| 8 | Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead? |
| 9 | "Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. |
| 10 | This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. |
| 11 | And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. |
| 12 | "While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, |
| 13 | at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. |
| 14 | And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' |
| 15 | So I said, "Who are You, Lord?' And He said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. |
| 16 | But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. |
| 17 | I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, |
| 18 | to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.' |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Synaxarium
Day 5 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 Fifth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Commemoration of the Great Prophet Ezekiel, the son of Buzi
On this day the great prophet Ezekiel the son of Buzi departed. This righteous man was a priest, and Nebuchadnezzar exiled him with king Jehoiachin to Babylon. There in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar, the spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he prophesied about wondrous things for twenty two years. He spoke concerning the birth of the Lord Christ by the Lady the Virgin St. Mary and how after she had borne Him, she would remain a virgin: "Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. And the LORD said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut" (Ezekiel 44:1-2). He prophesied concerning the baptism that sanctify the soul of the man and his body, soften his stony heart, and make him a son of God by the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him. He admonished the priests for their forsaken the teaching of the people, warning them that God will ask for their souls from them if they neglect teaching them. He prophesied concerning the common resurrection and the rising of the bodies with their souls, and about their rewards for whatever they deserve. He said many useful sayings which are of benefit to those who read them, and God manifested through him many signs and great wonders. When the children of Israel worshipped idols in Babylon, he rebuked them and their leaders rose up and killed him. They buried him in the tomb of Shem and Arphaxad.
May His prayers be with us. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Hepatius, Bishop of Gangra
On this day also St. Hepatius, Bishop of Gangra, in the province of Paphlognia (Pavlagonia), was martyred. He was in the early part of the fourth century, and he attended the first Universal Council at Nicea, year 325 A.D. He was one of the great fathers that defended the Divinity of the Word of God and His equality with His Father in essence, and refuted the error of the heresies of Arius, Appolonius, Novatius and others. God had honored him with the gift of performing wonders, and was called the wonder worker. One of his wonders, during the days of Emperor Constans the son of Constantine the great: A beast entered the royal barns. The Emperor sent to the Saint asking him to go to the barns and kill that beast. The holy shepherd went there and after he prayed, he asked the servants to collect firewood in the yard of the city and put it on fire and they did. The Saint took his staff and put it in the beast's mouth and led it to the fire and it was burnt. As a commemoration of this miracle the Emperor ordered to hang the saint's picture over the doors of the barns. On his way back, from Nicea after attending the first Universal Council, to Gangra, a group of heretics were waiting for him by the road, attacked him, stoned him and he was martyred (On the 31st. day of March) then threw his body in a hay barn. When the people of the city of Gangra knew of the departure of their good shepherd, they went in hast to the place where he was martyred and took the holy remains with great honor and buried him in the city.
May his blessings 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 143 : 1 - 2
Chapter 143
| 1 | Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. |
| 2 | Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous. |
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 : 14 - 39
Chapter 23
| 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. |
| 37 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! |
| 38 | See! Your house is left to you desolate; |
| 39 | for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"' |
And Glory be to God forever.
But men like these should make their heart pure, so far as they can, in order that they may have power to see that in the substance of God there is not anything of such a nature as would imply that therein substance is one thing, and that which is accident to substance (aliud quod accidat subsantiœ) another thing, and not substance; whereas whatsoever can be taken to be therein is substance.