And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus"
"Ephesians 2 : 6"
Day 18 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 Eighteenth Day of the Blessed Month of Baramoudah
Martyrdom of St.Arsenius, Slave of St.Sousnyous
On this day St. Arsenius, the slave of St. Sousnyous, was martyred. When Emperor Diocletian was torturing St. Sousnyous, St. Sousnyous father told the Emperor that Sousnyous had a slave, whose name is Arsenius and that he worshiped Christ and denounced the worship of the idols. The Emperor brought the slave and asked him about his belief. Arsenius confessed the Divinity of the Lord Christ, and also admonished the Emperor for deserting the worship of the true God and his insistence on worshiping the idols. The Emperor became furious and ordered him to beheaded him before his master, and thus he received the crown of martyrdom.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Readings for Martyrdom of St. Mark
Vespers
Vespers 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.
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 9 : 36 - 38
Chapter 9
| 36 | But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. |
| 37 | Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. |
| 38 | Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." |
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 63 : 1 - 2
Chapter 63
| 1 | O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. |
| 2 | So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. |
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 : 32 - 35
Chapter 9
| 32 | As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, mute and demon-possessed. |
| 33 | And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!" |
| 34 | But the Pharisees said, "He casts out demons by the ruler of the demons." |
| 35 | Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. |
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 : 11 - 13
Chapter 1
| 11 | For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established-- |
| 12 | that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me. |
| 13 | Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. |
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 2 : 1 - 6
Chapter 2
| 1 | My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. |
| 2 | And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. |
| 3 | Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. |
| 4 | He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. |
| 5 | But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. |
| 6 | He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. |
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 : 8 - 12
Chapter 4
| 8 | Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: |
| 9 | If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, |
| 10 | let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. |
| 11 | This is the "stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' |
| 12 | Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." |
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 9 : 1 - 2
Chapter 9
| 1 | I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. |
| 2 | I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. |
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 : 31 - 37
Chapter 5
| 31 | "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. |
| 32 | There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. |
| 33 | You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. |
| 34 | Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. |
| 35 | He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. |
| 36 | But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish--the very works that I do--bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. |
| 37 | And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. |
And Glory be to God forever.