[As the prophet has written:] "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel."
Day 16 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Kiahk, 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 Sixteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Kiahk
Departure of The Righteous Gideon, One of the Judges of Israel
On this day, of the year 1349 B.C., the righteous Gideon, one of the Judges of Israel, departed. He was from the tribe of Manasseh and his father's name was "Joash". The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor." (Judges 6:13) Gideon said to him, "O my Lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of Midianites." Then the Lord turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?" So he said to Him, "O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh and I am the least in my Father's house." The Lord said to him, "Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man." Then Gideon said to Him, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, then show me a sign that it is You Who talk with me. Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You." He said, "I will wait until you come back." Then Gideon went in and prepared his offerings and brought them out to Him and presented them. And they were accepted. (Judges 6:11-21) The Lord then commanded him to destroy the idols and their altars and to build an altar for the Lord and to offer the sacrifices and burn them with the wood, of which the idols were made. He did so as the Lord commanded him. (Judges 6:25-31) When God commanded him to fight the Midianites, he asked Him to show him a sign to encourage him and said, "Look, I shall put a fleece of wool on the threshing floor; if there is dew on the fleece only, and it is dry on all the ground, then I shall know that You will save Israel by my hand as You have said." And it was so. Then Gideon said to God, "Do not be angry with me, but let me speak just once more; Let me test, I pray, just once more with the fleece. Let it now be dry only on the fleece, but on all the ground let there be dew." And God did so that night. (Judges 6:33-40)
Then Gideon and all the people who were with him rose up early and encamped opposite the camp of the Midianites. The Lord said to Gideon, "The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me saying, 'My own hand has saved me.' Now therefore, proclaim in the hearing of the people saying, 'Whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn and depart at once from Mount Gilead.'" Twenty-two thousand of the people returned and ten thousand remained. But the Lord said to Gideon, "The people are still too many. Bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Then it will be, that of whom I say to you, 'This one shall go with you,' the same shall go with you; and of whomever I say to you, 'This one shall not go with you,' the same shall not go." So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, "Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink." The number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men, but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water. Then the Lord said to Gideon, "By the three hundred men who lapped, I will save you and deliver the Midianites into your hand." (Judges 7:1-7) With this number of people Gideon overcame the Midianites and the people with him captured the loots and gave them to Gideon and they put him in charge of them. The Lord God was with Gideon in all that he did. He departed and was buried in the tomb of his father.
May His prayers be with us all. Amen.
Martyrdom of Saints Harouadj, Ananias, and Khouzi
On this days also, St. Harouadj, St. Ananias and St. Khouzi, who were from El-Fayyoum (in other texts, Akhmim), were martyred.
May Their prayers be with us all. Amen.
Consecration of the Church of St.James, the Persian
Also, on this day is the commemoration of the consecration of the church of St. James the Persian, known as the mangled.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 46 : 1,9
Chapter 46
| 1 | God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. |
| 9 | He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. |
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 Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 1 : 16 - 22
Chapter 1
| 16 | And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. |
| 17 | Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." |
| 18 | They immediately left their nets and followed Him. |
| 19 | When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. |
| 20 | And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. |
| 21 | Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. |
| 22 | And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. |
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 146 : 1,5
Chapter 146
| 1 | Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul! |
| 5 | Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the LORD his God, |
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 4 : 18 - 22
Chapter 4
| 18 | And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. |
| 19 | Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." |
| 21 | Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, |
| 22 | and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. |
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 - 19
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. |
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 1 : 1 - 12
Chapter 1
| 1 | James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings. |
| 2 | My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, |
| 3 | knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. |
| 4 | But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. |
| 5 | If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. |
| 6 | But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. |
| 7 | For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; |
| 8 | he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. |
| 9 | Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, |
| 10 | but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. |
| 11 | For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. |
| 12 | Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. |
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 15 : 13 - 21
Chapter 15
| 13 | And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me: |
| 14 | Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. |
| 15 | And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: |
| 16 | 'After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; |
| 17 | So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD. Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the LORD who does all these things.' |
| 18 | "Known to God from eternity are all His works. |
| 19 | Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, |
| 20 | but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. |
| 21 | For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath." |
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 78 : 5
Chapter 78
| 5 | For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; |
Psalms 135 : 5
Chapter 135
| 5 | For I know that the LORD is great, And our Lord is above all gods. |
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.
Mark 10 : 35 - 45
Chapter 10
| 35 | Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask." |
| 36 | And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?" |
| 37 | They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." |
| 38 | But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" |
| 39 | They said to Him, "We are able." So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; |
| 40 | but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared." |
| 41 | And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. |
| 42 | But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. |
| 43 | Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. |
| 44 | And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. |
| 45 | For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." |
And Glory be to God forever.