But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."1st Corinthians 14: 20"
Day 17 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 Seventeenth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Martyrdom of St.James the Apostle, the Brother of St.John the Apostle
On this day, St. James the Apostle, the son of Zebedee, and the brother of St. John, the Apostle, was martyred. After he had preached the Gospel in Judea and Samaria, he went to Spain. He preached the Gospel there, and its people believed in the Lord Christ. He returned to Jerusalem and pursued his ministry. He always advised his flock to give alms to the poor, the needy, and the weak. They accused him before Herod who called him and asked him: "Are you the one that instigating the people not to give the taxes to Caesar but to give it to the poor and the churches?" Then he smote him with the sword, cutting off his head, and St. James received the crown of martyrdom. Clement of Alexandria, from the fathers of the second century, said: "The soldier that seized the Saint, when he saw his courage, he realized that there must be a better life and asked the Saint for his forgiveness. Then the soldier confessed Christianity and received the crown of martyrdom (Acts 12:1-2) along with the Apostle in the year 44 A.D." Because Herod saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. So when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover. (Acts 12:3-4) So on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat on his throne and gave an oration to them. And the people kept shouting, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" Then immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and died. (Acts 12:21-23) As of the body of St. James, the believers took it, shrouded it, and buried it by the Temple. It was said that the body of St. James was translated to Spain, where James the elder considered to be its Apostle.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Readings for Tuesday of second week of fifty Joyous Days
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 9 : 19
Chapter 9
| 19 | Arise, O LORD, Do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged in Your sight. |
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 : 19 - 23
Chapter 17
| 19 | Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" |
| 20 | So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. |
| 21 | However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." |
| 22 | Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, |
| 23 | and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up." And they were exceedingly sorrowful. |
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 7 : 6,8
Chapter 7
| 6 | Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded! |
| 8 | The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me. |
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 Matthew the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Matthew 9 : 27 - 31
Chapter 9
| 27 | When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" |
| 28 | And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." |
| 29 | Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." |
| 30 | And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See that no one knows it." |
| 31 | But when they had departed, they spread the news about Him in all that country. |
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 Romans .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Romans 1 : 7 - 10
Chapter 1
| 7 | To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 8 | First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. |
| 9 | For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, |
| 10 | making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 John 1 : 6 - 10
Chapter 1
| 6 | If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. |
| 7 | But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. |
| 8 | If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. |
| 9 | If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. |
| 10 | If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. |
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 4 : 5 - 7
Chapter 4
| 5 | And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, |
| 6 | as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. |
| 7 | And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" |
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 7 : 6,8
Chapter 7
| 6 | Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies; Rise up for me to the judgment You have commanded! |
| 8 | The LORD shall judge the peoples; Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, And according to my integrity within me. |
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.
John 5 : 22 - 24
Chapter 5
| 22 | For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, |
| 23 | that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. |
| 24 | "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. |
And Glory be to God forever.
هذا هو اليوم الذي صنعه الرب. نبتهج ونفرح فيه (مز118:24). إن القيامة هي اليوم الذي أعده الله منذ الأزل من أجل فداء البشرية الساقطة التي صدر عليها حكم الموت الأبدي. إن الله لم يخلق البشر من أجل فنائهم! بل ليتمتع الإنسان بفيض محبته ولذة عشرته التي قال عنها: لذاتي مع بني آدم (أم8:31), فوهب له الحياة الأبدية والسعادة الدائمة, إلا أن الإنسان بكسره وصية الله قد جلب الموت إلي العالم من أجل ذلك كإنما بإنسان واحد دخلت الخطية إلي العالم, وبالخطية الموت, وهكذا اجتاز الموت إلي جميع الناس, إذ أخطأ الجميع (رو5:12).
وإزاء الموت, جاء وعد الله بإنقاذ البشرية وفدائها من الهلاك: …وأضع عداوة بينك وبين المرأة, وبين نسلك ونسلها. هو يسحق رأسك, وأنت تسحقين عقبه (تك3:15). وهكذا ظلت البشرية في انتظار المخلص الذي سيسحق الشيطان والموت, ويصالح الأرضيين مع السمائيين, فنجد الأنبياء يصلون لأجل الإسراع بإتمام الخلاص: ليت من صهيون خلاص إسرائيل عند رد الرب سبي شعبه, يهتف يعقوب, ويفرح إسرائيل (مز14:7), ويقول إشعياء النبي: ليتك تشق السماوات وتنزل! (إش64:1).
وفي ملء الزمان تجسد الابن الكلمة وجاء بيننا علي الأرض, جال يصنع خيرا ويعلم كل يوم, وأخيرا قدم ذاته ذبيحة فداء عن خطايانا نحن البشر فإنني سلمت إليكم في الأول ما قبلته أنا أيضا: أن المسيح مات من أجل خطايانا حسب الكتب, وأنه دفن, وأنه قام في اليوم الثالث حسب الكتب.. (1كو15:3-4). ثم قام بقوة لاهوته إذ هو الحياة ولا يمكن للموت أن يمسك به, وقد أعلن هذا حين قال: أنا هو القيامة والحياة. من آمن بي ولو مات فسيحيا.. (يو11:25), وبقيامته وهب الحياة لأولئك الذين رقدوا علي رجاء مواعيد الله بالخلاص, إذ نزل إلي الجحيم وكرز بالخلاص للأرواح التي في السجن, وأخرجها إلي الفردوس, ووهب رجاء الحياة الأبدية لكل من يؤمن به وبعمله الخلاصي. وبذلك صارت قيامة السيد المسيح عربونا لقيامتنا جميعا ولكن الآن قد قام المسيح من الأموات وصار باكورة الراقدين. فإنه إذ الموت بإنسان, بإنسان أيضا قيامة الأموات. لأنه كما في آدم يموت الجميع, هكذا في المسيح سيحيا الجميع (1كو15:20-22).