Day 14 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 Fourteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Abib
Martyrdom of St.Procopius (Proconius) of Jerusalem
On this day, of the year 303 A.D. (July 8th), St. Procopius (Proconius), was martyred. He was born in the city of Jerusalem, his father was a Christian whose name was Christophorus, which means "Bearer of Christ." His mother's name was Theodosia, and she was a worshipper of idols. When his father died, Theodosia took her son, and went to Antioch. She presented much money and expensive gifts to the Emperor Diocletian, and asked him to make her son a governor for one of the cities. He accepted her gift, answered her request, and appointed her son the governor of the city of Alexandria. He commanded that Procopius torture the Christians. When the Saint had gone a little way from the City of Antioch, he heard a voice from heaven calling him by his name, and censured his deed. The voice also threatened him by death because he dared and accepted to do what was against the command of God. Procopius asked, "Who are you, O my Lord? I beseech you to show me yourself." A cross of light appeared to him, and he heard a voice which said to him, "I am Jesus , the Son of the Living God, Who was crucified in Jerusalem." He was afraid and trembled, and he turned to the city of Bit-Shaan (Bisan). He made for himself a cross of gold like the cross that appeared to him.
On his way to Alexandria, some of the bedouins attacked him to plunder whatever he had. But he overcame them by the cross that he had. His mother told him, "You must offer sacrifices to the gods who delivered you from your enemies." The Saint replied, "Rather, I will offer the sacrifice to Jesus Christ, Who helped me by the power of His cross." When his mother heard his words, she became angry, and sent to Diocletian to inform him about that. The Emperor sent to the Governor of Caesarea, Palestine, to investigate the matter, and to handle his torture. When the Governor brought him, Procopius confessed his faith in the Lord Christ. The governor beat him so severely that he was close to death, then he cast him in prison. The Lord Christ appeared to him, surrounded by His angels, released him from his bonds, and healed his wounds. The next morning, the Governor asked about the Saint, and they told him that they found him free and sound. He had him brought to the temple of the idols, where the Governor was going to pray. When the Saint came, and the people saw him whole, they all marvelled, and they all cried out in the name of Christ saying, "We are Christians, and we believe in the God of Procopius." Among them were two prefects, twelve women, and St. Theodosia, mother of St. Proconius. They cut off their heads, and they received the crown of martyrdom. That was on the sixth day of the month of Abib.
The Governor ordered the return of the Saint to prison, until he could determine what to do with him. He brought him back three days later and told him, "Behold, I have waited three days for you to return to your mind, to have mercy on yourself, and to offer sacrifice for the gods." The Saint replied, "The Lord Christ is the only true God. As for these statues, which are made of stone and wood, they are not gods and can neither harm nor help." The Governor became angry and ordered the soldiers to cut his sides with swords. A swordsman, whose name was Archelaus, stretched out his hand to cut the sides of the Saint, whereupon his hand dried up, and fell down dead. The Governor ordered to stab him with knives and pour vinegar in his wounds. Then they dragged him by his feet to the prison, where he stayed for three days. The Governor was wondering what he should do with him. Then he threw him into a pit filled with fire, but the Lord delivered him and no harm came upon him. Finally, the Governor ordered to cut off his head and he received the crown of martyrdom.
May his prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Peter the Fifth, the 83rd Patriarch of Alexandria
On this day also, of the year 1064 A.M. (July 8th, 1348 A.D.), Pope Peter the Fifth, 83rd Patriarch of Alexandria, departed. He was known as Peter (Boutros) Ebn-dawoud. He was from St. Macarius monastery, and was a priest in El-Shahraan monastery. He was enthroned on the 6th of Tubah, 1056 A.M. (January 2nd, 1340 A.D.). All the days of his papacy were peaceful and tranquil. He departed after staying in his Chair for eight years, six months, and six days, and was buried in Old Cairo.
May his prayers be with us, and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Readings for Second Sunday of Abib
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 128 : 1 - 5
Chapter 128
| 1 | Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, Who walks in His ways. |
| 2 | When you eat the labor of your hands, You shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. |
| 3 | Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine In the very heart of your house, Your children like olive plants All around your table. |
| 4 | Behold, thus shall the man be blessed Who fears the LORD. |
| 5 | The LORD bless you out of Zion, And may you see the good of Jerusalem All the days of your life. |
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 16 : 1 - 18
Chapter 16
| 1 | He also said to His disciples: "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. |
| 2 | So he called him and said to him, "What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.' |
| 3 | "Then the steward said within himself, "What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. |
| 4 | I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.' |
| 5 | "So he called every one of his master's debtors to him, and said to the first, "How much do you owe my master?' |
| 6 | And he said, "A hundred measures of oil.' So he said to him, "Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' |
| 7 | Then he said to another, "And how much do you owe?' So he said, "A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said to him, "Take your bill, and write eighty.' |
| 8 | So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. |
| 9 | "And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. |
| 10 | He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. |
| 11 | Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? |
| 12 | And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own? |
| 13 | "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." |
| 14 | Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. |
| 15 | And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. |
| 16 | "The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. |
| 17 | And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail. |
| 18 | "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery. |
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 41 : 1 - 2
Chapter 41
| 1 | Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. |
| 2 | The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies. |
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 Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 16 : 2 - 8
Chapter 16
| 2 | Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. |
| 3 | And they said among themselves, "Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?" |
| 4 | But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away--for it was very large. |
| 5 | And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. |
| 6 | But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. |
| 7 | But go, tell His disciples--and Peter--that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you." |
| 8 | So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. |
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 1 : 1 - 24
Chapter 1
| 1 | Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), |
| 2 | and all the brethren who are with me, To the churches of Galatia: |
| 3 | Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, |
| 4 | who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, |
| 5 | to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. |
| 6 | I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, |
| 7 | which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. |
| 8 | But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. |
| 9 | As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. |
| 10 | For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. |
| 11 | But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. |
| 12 | For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. |
| 13 | For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. |
| 14 | And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. |
| 15 | But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, |
| 16 | to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, |
| 17 | nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. |
| 18 | Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. |
| 19 | But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. |
| 20 | (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) |
| 21 | Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. |
| 22 | And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea which were in Christ. |
| 23 | But they were hearing only, "He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy." |
| 24 | And they glorified God in me. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle of St. Jude .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
Jude 1 : 14 - 25
Chapter 1
| 14 | Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, |
| 15 | to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." |
| 16 | These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. |
| 17 | But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: |
| 18 | how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. |
| 19 | These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. |
| 20 | But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, |
| 21 | keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. |
| 22 | And on some have compassion, making a distinction; |
| 23 | but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. |
| 24 | Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, |
| 25 | To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen. |
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 5 : 19 - 23
Chapter 5
| 19 | But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, |
| 20 | "Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life." |
| 21 | And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. |
| 22 | But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, |
| 23 | saying, "Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!" |
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 119 : 1 - 2
Chapter 119
| 1 | Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD! |
| 2 | Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! |
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 18 : 1 - 9
Chapter 18
| 1 | At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" |
| 2 | Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, |
| 3 | and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. |
| 4 | Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. |
| 5 | Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. |
| 6 | "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. |
| 7 | Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! |
| 8 | "If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. |
| 9 | And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire. |
And Glory be to God forever.