How do you view God? Is he someone looking for a way to condemn you? Is he an out of touch old man who doesn't really know what it's like in our modern world? Is he too holy to soil himself with the concerns of mere mortals and has left it up to us to work everything out for ourselves? No. NO. NO! God chose to enter our world and experience it from the side of mortality. God chose to enter our world, not to condemn us, or it, but to redeem it and each of us. Jesus is the great reminder that God longs to save us, not condemn us. Thank God for God! Thank God for Jesus who was and is God with us.
Day 18 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Bashans, 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 Bashans
Departure of St.George (Ga'orgi), the Friend of St.Abraam
On this day, St. George (Ga'orgi), the companion of St. Abraam, departed. He was born to saintly Christian parents, and he shepherded the sheep of his father. He desired to become a monk, so he left the tending of the sheep, and he was fourteen years old. He went to the wilderness of St. Macarius. While he was walking on the road, the devil appeared to him in the form of an old man, and said to him: "Your father thought that a wild beast has killed you, and he rent his garment, grieving over you. It is meet that you should return to your father to comfort his heart first then return to the wilderness". The Saint was astonished for that, and thought in himself saying: "The Holy Bible says: 'He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.'" (Matthew 10:37) When he said that, the devil became like smoke and fled from him. Immediately, the angel of the Lord in the form of a monk appeared to him, and guided him to the monastery of Abba Orion (Arion). He remained there under the guidance of a holy monk for ten years, during which he never ate any cooked food or fruit and never drank wine. He then desired to live alone in the inner wilderness and went to the monastery of the Roman Saints Maximus and Domadius in Scetis. At the same time, St. Abraam arrived to the monastery. They went together to the monastery of St. Macarius and met St. Yoannis, the archpriest of Sheahat. He gave them a cell close by him to live in, which was known as the cell of Bageeg, where St. Abraam departed, and after him St. George departed also, and he was seventy-two years old.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Commemoration of the feast of Pentecost
This day also marks the commemoration of the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon the holy disciples in the upper room of Zion. They spoke with different tongues and it is called the feast of Pentecost.
Readings for Tuesday of seventh 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 48 : 1
Chapter 48
| 1 | Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. |
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 9 : 14 - 29
Chapter 9
| 14 | And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. |
| 15 | Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. |
| 16 | And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" |
| 17 | Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. |
| 18 | And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." |
| 19 | He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." |
| 20 | Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. |
| 21 | So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. |
| 22 | And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." |
| 23 | Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." |
| 24 | Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" |
| 25 | When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" |
| 26 | Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." |
| 27 | But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. |
| 28 | And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" |
| 29 | So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." |
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 138 : 1
Chapter 138
| 1 | I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. |
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 Luke the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Luke 6 : 12 - 16
Chapter 6
| 12 | Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. |
| 13 | And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: |
| 14 | Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; |
| 15 | Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; |
| 16 | Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor. |
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 8 : 22 - 27
Chapter 8
| 22 | For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. |
| 23 | Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. |
| 24 | For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? |
| 25 | But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. |
| 26 | Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. |
| 27 | Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 2 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
2 John 1 : 8 - 13
Chapter 1
| 8 | Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. |
| 9 | Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. |
| 10 | If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; |
| 11 | for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. |
| 12 | Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. |
| 13 | The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen. |
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 : 20 - 23
Chapter 14
| 20 | However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. |
| 21 | And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, |
| 22 | strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God." |
| 23 | So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. |
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 13 : 6,5
Chapter 13
| 6 | I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me. |
| 5 | But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. |
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 15 : 9 - 15
Chapter 15
| 9 | "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. |
| 10 | If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. |
| 11 | "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. |
| 12 | This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. |
| 13 | Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. |
| 14 | You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. |
| 15 | No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. |
And Glory be to God forever.
Not to be read in the Church during this time of the year.
Synaxarium
Day 26 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Bashans, 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 Twenty-Sixth Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans
Martyrdom of St.Thomas, the Apostle
On this day St. Thomas the apostle was martyred. He was born in Galilee, and the Lord chose him among the twelve disciples (Mathew 10:3). When the Lord wanted to go to raise Lazarus from the dead, Thomas said to the other disciples: " (John 11:16). He also asked the Lord at the supper: " (John 14:5-6). When the Lord Christ appeared to the disciples after the resurrection, and said to them "Receive the Holy Spirit", Thomas was absent. On his return, the disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." He said to them: " (John 20:19-29). After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in the Upper room in Zion, the apostles dispersed everywhere to preach the Gospel, Thomas went to India. He worked there as a slave at one of the friends of the king, whose name was Lukios, who brought him to the king who inquired about his profession. Thomas said: "I am builder, carpenter and a physician. He preached in his master's palace, and Lukios' wife believed and all his household. The king asked him about his achievements, and he said: "The palaces that I built were the souls that have become the temples of the King of Glory; the carpentry that I did was the Gospel that removes the thorns of sin; and the medicines I practiced are the Holy Mysteries which heal the poison of the evil one. The king became angry and tortured him, and bound him among four poles, cut off his skin and rubbed his wounds with salt and lime. The apostle Thomas endured the pains. Lukios' wife saw him suffering, and she fell from the window and died. Lukios came to him and said: "If you raise my wife from the dead, I believe in your God." Thomas went to the room where the dead body was, and said: "Arsabona (Arsonia), rise up in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ." She rose instantly and bowed to the Saint. When her husband saw that, he believed and many more with him from the people of the city, and Thomas baptized them. Once the sea drove a huge tree to the shore that no one could lift it up. St. Thomas asked the king for permission to lift it up and to use its wood in building a church. He got the permission, he made the sign of the cross, and he raised it and later he built the church, to which he ordained a bishop and priests.
St. Thomas left and went to a city called "Kantoura" (Kontaria), where he found an old man weeping bitterly because the king killed his six children. The Saint prayed over them, and the Lord raised them up. The idol priests were angry, and wanted to stone him. The first raised a stone to throw it at him, and his hand was paralyzed. The Saint prayed over his hand, he was healed instantly, and all the idol priests believed in the Lord Christ. Then St. Thomas went to the city of "Parkenas" and other cities, where he preached in the Name of Jesus Christ. The king heard about him, and he put him in prison. When he found out that he was teaching the prisoners the way of God, he tortured him, and at last he cut his head off, and he received the crown of martyrdom. He was buried in "Melibar", then his body was relocated to El-Raha.
May His prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Chapter 2.— The Catholic Faith Concerning Law, Grace, and Free Will.
Now the Lord Himself not only shows us what evil we should shun, and what good we should do, which is all that the letter of the law is able to effect; but He moreover helps us that we may shun evil and do good, which none can do without the Spirit of grace; and if this be wanting, the law comes in merely to make us guilty and to slay us.