What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his very soul?
Day 12 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tute, 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 Tute
Assembly of the Third General Council at Ephesus for Trying Nestor, Archbishop of Constantinople
On this day of the year 431 A.D. assembled the Holy Council at Ephesus which was attended by two hundred bishops. It was the third of the Ecumenical Councils. This was in the twentieth year of the reign of Theodosius the Small, the Son of Arcadius, the son of Theodosius the Great.
They assembled because of the heresy of Nestor who was Archbishop of Constantinople. He believed that St.Mary did not give birth to the incarnated God, but only to a man, and that afterwards the Son of God dwelt in him, not the dwelling of unity but just the dwelling of desire and will, and therefore, Christ had two Natures and two Wills.
So these fathers convened and they debated that with him, and they showed him the He, was born of the Virgin, was the incarnated God, as the angel said, "God be with thee; He who shall be born of thee is Holy and shall be called the Son of the Highest." (Luke 1:28-32) And according to the saying of Isaiah, "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel," (Isaiah 7:14) and also, "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father." (Isaiah 9:6) St.Cyril discussed this with him saying, "Natures cannot be separated after they have become one by their unity, and we believe that the Word of God which became man has One Nature only." But Nestor would not turn from his teaching nor change his mind. St.Cyril with the whole Council rebuked him and threatened that they would excommunicate him. He would not accept the words of the Council, and they therefore excommunicated him and exiled him from his chair.
They confirmed that the Virgin St.Mary had given birth to the Incarnated God thw Word. They drew up the Canon and laid down the Laws. These are the laws of the faithful till this day. If it is said that the Nestorians do not say that today, we reply saying because they have mingled with the Christians of the East, and that some of them have turned from their erroneous opinion.
We beseech our God and our Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ to guide us in the way of salvation - to whom be praise and glory and worship now and ever. Amen.
Transfer of Relics of St.Aklimos and His Companions
On this day also we celebrate the transfer of the relics of St.Aklimos the amrtyr and his companions to the city of Alexandria.
May their prayers and blessings be with us all, and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Vespers
Psalm
From the psalms of our teacher David the prophet, may his blessings be with us Amen.
Psalm 7:10,11
My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
Gospel
Lk 4:38-41
Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"
And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.
Matins
Psalm
From the psalms of our teacher David the prophet, may his blessings be with us Amen.
Psalm 8:1 & Psalm 8:4
O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
Gospel
Mk 1:35-39
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."
But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."
And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.
Liturgy
Pauline Epistle
From the epistle of teacher St. Paul the apostle to the (...), may his blessings be with us Amen.
2Tim 1:12— & 2Tim 2:1-10
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
Catholic Epistle
The catholic epistle from the epistle of our teacher St. (...), may his blessings be with us Amen. My beloved.
Jas 2:5-13
Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Do not love the world nor 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 holy blessings be with us all. Amen.
Acts 11:19-26
Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed in the holy Church of God. Amen.
Synaxarium
Stand up in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel. A chapter according to St. (...) may his blessing be with us all amen.
Psalm
From the psalms of our teacher David the prophet, may his blessings be with us Amen.
Psalm 21:1-2
The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
You have given him his heart's desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips.Selah
Gospel
Lk 10:21-28
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"
So he answered and said, ""You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and "your neighbor as yourself."'
And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."
And although He rose again on the third day, never to die any more, He yet bore death for men and gave life to the dead, so that redeemed by His blood, having received so great and such a pledge, they could say, If God be for us, who is against us? He who spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how has He not with Him also given to us all things?
Romans 8:31-32 Godtherefore took upon Him our nature— that is, the rational soul and flesh of the man Christ— by an undertaking singularly marvellous, or marvellously singular; so that with no preceding merits of His own righteousness He might in such wise be the Son of God from the beginning, in which He had begun to be man, that He, and the Word which is without beginning, might be one person.