We are comforted because we are heartbroken. We are comforted because we need a blessing. We are comforted because God loves us. We are comforted to comfort others. While each of the above statements is true, the last is the most crucial one. There is something about comfort that cannot be fully realized until it is shared with someone else. It is that final step in the healing process of grief, disappointment, hurt, and loss. Until we share the comfort we have received, until we pass it on to another, our comfort is weak and shallow and limited. Comfort — pass it on!
Departure of St.James the Patriarch of Antioch
On this day was the departure of the holy father Abba James, the patriarch of Antioch. Great tribulations befell him, and he was exiled for keeping the Orthodox faith. After he remained in exile for a period of time, the people of the city gathered and brought him back. Then the Arians went back and exiled him again and he stayed in exile for seven more years, then departed in peace.
May his prayers and blessings be with us all. Amen.
Departure of St.Pelagia
On this day also departed St.Pelagia. This righteous woman was born in the city of Antioch from pagan parents, and she had both a corrupt faith and a corrupt manner of life. She met a holy bishop whose name was Paul who preached to her. She believed in the Lord Christ through him, and confessed to him everything which she had done. He encouraged her and taught her not to despair but to repent with a true determination. Then he baptized her in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and she was illuminated by the grace of baptism. She led a penitent life with a firm heart and a pure determination, and she consumed her body with strenous worship. Then she dressed herself in the garb of men and went to Jerusalem and worshipped in its sanctuaries. She met Abba Alexandros the patriarch of Jerusalem who sent her to one of the convents outside Jerusalem. She dwelt there for forty years and departed in peace.
Readings for Second Sunday of Babah
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 66 : 3 - 4
Chapter 66
| 3 | Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. |
| 4 | All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name."Selah |
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 Matthew the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Matthew 17 : 24 - 27
Chapter 17
| 24 | When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, "Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?" |
| 25 | He said, "Yes." And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?" |
| 26 | Peter said to Him, "From strangers." Jesus said to him, "Then the sons are free. |
| 27 | Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you." |
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 62 : 6,3,4
Chapter 62
| 6 | He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. |
| 3 | How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, Like a leaning wall and a tottering fence. |
| 4 | They only consult to cast him down from his high position; They delight in lies; They bless with their mouth, But they curse inwardly.Selah |
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 Corinthians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
2 Corinthians 4 : 5 - 15
Chapter 4
| 5 | For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. |
| 6 | For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. |
| 7 | But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. |
| 8 | We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; |
| 9 | persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed-- |
| 10 | always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. |
| 11 | For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. |
| 12 | So then death is working in us, but life in you. |
| 13 | And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak, |
| 14 | knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. |
| 15 | For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God. |
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 3 : 13,4,6
Chapter 3
| 13 | Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. |
| 4 | Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. |
| 6 | And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. |
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 14 : 24 - 15 : 3
Chapter 14
| 24 | And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. |
| 25 | Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. |
| 26 | From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. |
| 27 | Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. |
| 28 | So they stayed there a long time with the disciples. |
Chapter 15
| 1 | And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." |
| 2 | Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. |
| 3 | So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Synaxarium
Day 12 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Babah, 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 Babah
Departure of Abba Demetrius the First, the Twelfth Pope of Alexandria
On this day of the year 224 A.D. departed the father, the pure virgin, the fighter of lusts, the vanquisher of anture, Abba Demetrius the First, the twelfth Pope of Alexandria. This saint was an illiterate farmer, and was married. He lived with his wife forty-seven years until he was chosen a patriarch. They did not know one another as married people, but remained throughout that period in their virginity and chastity, a fact which no one knew. When the departure of St.Yulianus, the eleventh Pope drew near, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a vision and told him about this saint and that he was to be a patriarch after him. He gave him a sign and told him, "Tomorrow a man shall come to you having a cluster of grapes, seize him and pray over him." Then he woke from his sleep. He told the bishops and the priests who were with him about this vision.
So it happened on the next day that St.Demetrius found a cluster of grapes out of season. He carried it to St.Yulianus, so that he might be blessed by him. The father, the patriarch, took him by the hand and told those present, "This is your patriarch who will be chosen after me." Then he prayed over him and they held him and kept him until the departure of Abba Yulianus, whereupon they finished the prayers over him and he was filled with heavenly grace. The Lord enlightened his mind and he learned how to read and write. He studied the church books and their interpretations. The words of grace flew from his mouth when he preached. It was he who established the reckoning of the Epacts, by which the dates of fasting were determined on a fixed basis. The Christians used to fast the holy forty days right after the Epiphany, as the Lord Christ fasted after his baptism. Then they fasted the Passion week separately. The Christians used to celebrate Easter on the fourteenth of Neesan (April) and that meant they celebrated with the Jews not recognizing that the Christian Passover was to be in memory of the Resuurrection of the Lord Christ which was after the Mosaic Passover. For that, Pope Demetrius took care to establish fixed bases for fasts and Christian holy days. He joined the Holy Fast to the Passion Week. He wrote in the respect to Agabius Bishop of Jerusalem, to Maximus the patriarch of Antioch, to the patriarch of Rome and to others, and all approved of it and continued to follow his rules up until the present, with the exception of the Church of Rome which deviated from that and followed, since the sixteenth century, the Gregorian Calendar. To the Popes of the Coptic Church was the prime credit in determining the Easter Day; and they thus sent their Easter messages all over the world, so that the Christians would celebrate Easter on the same day forming a universal joy.
God was with this father because of his purity of heart. He was given the gift that after he finished the liturgy and the people came forward to partake of the Holy Mysteries, he used to see the Lord Christ pushing forward with His Hand those of them who were worthy. But if one came forward who did not deserve the Holy Communion, he would see his sins and would not allow him to partake of it until he confessed his sins and the father admonished him for them and said to him, "Turn away from your sin and repent, after that come and partake of the Holy Mysteries." His flocks were straightened during his time. Because he rebuked the sinners much, and urged them to repent to lead a chaste life, some of them murmured and said, "This man is married, how can he rebuke us?" The Lord Almighty wished to show them his virtues, so the angel of the Lord came to him at night and told him, "Demetrius, do not seek your salvation and let others be destroyed with their doubt." The father asked him to clarify this statement and the angel told him, "You must reveal the mystery which is between yourself and your wife to the people that you might remove the doubt from them." On the following morning, after he had celebrated the divine liturgy, he ordered the people not to leave the church. He took red-hot coal and placed it in his wife's veil and his garment, then they went around in the church and their clothes did not burn. The people were amazed at this miracle. He told them that he and his wife did not know each other as married people till that day. the doubt was removed from the people and they realized the purity of this father and his virginity. During his time, some opposing men appeared whose name were Aklemos, Origen, and Orianus and others who wrote forbidden books and so he excommunicated them. During the days of his papacy, he did not stop teaching and confirming the believers in the Orthodox Faith. When he had grown old and became weak, they carried him on a litter to the church to teach the people. He was one hundred and five years old, having spent fifteen years unmarried, forty-seven years until he became partriarch and forty-three in office, then he departed in peace.
May his prayers and blessings be with us all. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Matthew the Evangelist
On this day also was the martyrdom of St.Matthew the Evangelist. He was one of the twelve disciples and his name was Levi. He was the one sitting at the receipt of custom outside the city of Capernaum, when the Lord Christ said unto him, "Follow me." He left all, rose up, and followed Him. He made for the Lord Christ a great feast in his own house. That made the Pharisees murmur against him saying to His desciples, "Why does your teacher eat and drink with publicans and sinners ?" Jesus answering said unto them, "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Luke 5:27-32)He had preached in the land of Palastine and Tyre and Sidon. Then he went Ethiopia and entered the city of priest adn converted them to the knowledge of God. That was when he wished to enter the city, but met a young man who told ihm, "You will not be able to go in unless you shave off the hair of your head and carry palm branches in your hand." He did as the young man told him. And, as he was thinking about that, the Lord Christ appeared to him in the form of the young man who had met him earlier, and He encouraged and comforted him, then disappeared. He realized that this young man was the Lord of Glory Himself. Then he entered the city like one of the priests. He went to the temple of Apollo and found the high priest, and talked with him concerning the idols that they are worshipping. He made clear to him how those idols did not hear or sense anything and how the True Mighty Lord is He who created the Heaven and the earth. The Lord made through him a wonder: a table came down to them from heaven and a great light shone around them. When Hermes the priest saw this wonder, he asked him, "What is the name of your God?" The apostle replied, "My God is the Lord Christ." Hermes, the priest, believed in him and many people followed him. When the governor of the city knew that, he ordered to burn them. It happened at the same time that the son of the governor died. St.Matthew the apostle prayed and made supplications to God to raise the son and the Lord answered him and raised the child from death. When the governor saw that, he and the rest of the people of the city believed. St.Matthew baptized them and ordered a bishop and priests for them and built a church.
After he had preached in other countries, he went back to Jerusalem. Some of the Jews which had been preached to, and had believed and been baptized by him, gathered with him and asked him to write down what he had preached to them. He wrote the beginning of the Gospel attributed to him in the Hebrew language but he did not complete it. It was said that he finished his preaching in India, in the first year of the reign of Claudius and the ninth year from the Ascension. His martyrdom was effected by stoning by the hands of Justus the governor, and his body was buried in a holy place in Carthage of Caesarea with certain believing men.
May his prayers and blessings be with us all. Amen.
Commemorative Feast of Michael the Archangel
On the twelfth of each month we celebrate commemorating the honorable Michael the Archangel, the head of the Heavenly Hosts, who stands at all times before the throne of the Divine Majesty on behalf of the human race.
May his intercessions and blessings be with us all, 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 65 : 1,3
Chapter 65
| 1 | Praise is awaiting You, O God, in Zion; And to You the vow shall be performed. |
| 3 | Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them. |
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 5 : 1 - 11
Chapter 5
| 1 | So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, |
| 2 | and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. |
| 3 | Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. |
| 4 | When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." |
| 5 | But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." |
| 6 | And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. |
| 7 | So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. |
| 8 | When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" |
| 9 | For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; |
| 10 | and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men." |
| 11 | So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. |
And Glory be to God forever.
Chapter 36.— God Not Only Foreknows that Men Will Be Good, But Himself Makes Them So.
It is He Himself, therefore, that makes those men good, to do good works. For He did not promise them to Abraham because He foreknew that of themselves they would be good. For if this were the case, what He promised was not His, but theirs. But it was not thus that Abraham believed, but he was not weak in faith, giving glory to God;
and most fully believing that what He has promised He is able also to perform.
Romans 4:19 He does not say, What He foreknew, He is able to promise;
nor What He foretold, He is able to manifest;
nor What He promised, He is able to foreknow:
but What He promised, He is able also to do.