How many times have you said just the "wrong" thing? For me, it is more often than I would like to recall. Jesus words on this topic are indeed convicting to me: "Out of the abundance of the heart does the mouth speak." In other words, poor words and bad timing in our speech are more issues of our heart than issues of social skills and decorum. Let's ask God to purify, mend, and re-focus our heart on his will and passions.
Day 18 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tute, 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 Tute
Martyrdom of St.Bropharius
On this day we celebrate the martyrdom of St.Bropharius. He was a comedian and jester and non-Christian. When Constance, the son of Constantine departed, Julian the infidel reigned after him and was killed by St.Macarius. This infidel was the nephew of Constantine. On his birthday, he gathered jesters, comedians, and people of the circus; Bropharius was one of them. The infidel emperor ordered him to imitate the Christians. When he came to the ritual of the holy baptism and made the sign of the Cross over the water in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Lord enlightened his mind and he perceived a divine grace coming down on the water and light shone from it. He immersed into the water three times, then went up from it and put on his clothes. He confessed that he became Christian. The Emperor rebuked and threatened him. Then the emperor promised to give him many gifts. In spite of that, the Saint went on saying, "I am Christian. I am Christian." Finally, the emperor ordered his neck to be cut off and he earned the crown of martyrdom.
May his intercession be for us all. Amen.
Commemoration of Stephen the Priest and Niceta the Martyr
On this day also is the commemoration of Stephen the priest, and Niceta the martyr.
May their prayers and blessings be with us all, and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 99 : 9,5
Chapter 99
| 9 | Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the LORD our God is holy. |
| 5 | Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool--He is holy. |
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 John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
John 4 : 19 - 24
Chapter 4
| 19 | The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. |
| 20 | Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship." |
| 21 | Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. |
| 22 | You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. |
| 23 | But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. |
| 24 | God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." |
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 118 : 28,16
Chapter 118
| 28 | You are my God, and I will praise You; You are my God, I will exalt You. |
| 16 | The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. |
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 John the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
John 3 : 14 - 21
Chapter 3
| 14 | And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, |
| 15 | that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. |
| 16 | For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. |
| 17 | For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. |
| 18 | "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. |
| 19 | And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. |
| 20 | For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. |
| 21 | But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." |
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 6 : 11 - 18
Chapter 6
| 11 | See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! |
| 12 | As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. |
| 13 | For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. |
| 14 | But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. |
| 15 | For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. |
| 16 | And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. |
| 17 | From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. |
| 18 | Brethren, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. Peter .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
1 Peter 1 : 3 - 12
Chapter 1
| 3 | Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, |
| 4 | to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, |
| 5 | who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. |
| 6 | In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, |
| 7 | that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, |
| 8 | whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, |
| 9 | receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. |
| 10 | Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, |
| 11 | searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. |
| 12 | To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven--things which angels desire to look into. |
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 - 18
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." |
| 13 | Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. |
| 14 | And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. |
| 15 | But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, |
| 16 | saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. |
| 17 | But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name." |
| 18 | So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Synaxarium
Day 18 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tute, 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 Tute
Martyrdom of St.Bropharius
On this day we celebrate the martyrdom of St.Bropharius. He was a comedian and jester and non-Christian. When Constance, the son of Constantine departed, Julian the infidel reigned after him and was killed by St.Macarius. This infidel was the nephew of Constantine. On his birthday, he gathered jesters, comedians, and people of the circus; Bropharius was one of them. The infidel emperor ordered him to imitate the Christians. When he came to the ritual of the holy baptism and made the sign of the Cross over the water in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Lord enlightened his mind and he perceived a divine grace coming down on the water and light shone from it. He immersed into the water three times, then went up from it and put on his clothes. He confessed that he became Christian. The Emperor rebuked and threatened him. Then the emperor promised to give him many gifts. In spite of that, the Saint went on saying, "I am Christian. I am Christian." Finally, the emperor ordered his neck to be cut off and he earned the crown of martyrdom.
May his intercession be for us all. Amen.
Commemoration of Stephen the Priest and Niceta the Martyr
On this day also is the commemoration of Stephen the priest, and Niceta the martyr.
May their prayers 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 145 : 1 - 2
Chapter 145
| 1 | I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. |
| 2 | Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. |
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 6 : 35 - 46
Chapter 6
| 35 | And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. |
| 36 | But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. |
| 37 | All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. |
| 38 | For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. |
| 39 | This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. |
| 40 | And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day." |
| 41 | The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." |
| 42 | And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, "I have come down from heaven'?" |
| 43 | Jesus therefore answered and said to them, "Do not murmur among yourselves. |
| 44 | No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. |
| 45 | It is written in the prophets, "And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me. |
| 46 | Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. |
And Glory be to God forever.
كل الخيرات التي تحيط بالإنسان هي عطية من النعمة, لذلك فإن الذي يحيا في رغد من العيش, يقول عنه عامة الناس فلان عايش في نعمة.
إنها النعمة التي تعطي البركة في كل ما يملكه الإنسان, فيزيد جدا ويتسع, كما قال الرب في وعوده لمن يطيع وصاياه:
مباركة تكون سلتك ومعجنك (تث 8:5).
مباركة تكون ثمرة بطنك وثمرة أرضك وثمرة بهائمك نتاج بقرك وإناث غنمك (تث 28:4), يأمر لك الرب بالبركة في خزائنك وفي كل ما تمتد إليه يدك يفتح لك الرب كنزه الصالح… ليعطي مطر أرضك في حينه.. (تث28:8 ـ 12).
وليس في هذا فقط في الخيرات المادية, بل يقول الكتاب:
كل عطية صالحة وكل موهبة تامة هي من فوق نازلة من عند أبي الأنوار (يع 1:17).
إن مباركة ما عندك, هي من النعمة التي تعطي, فلا يعوزك معها شيء (مز23:1). النعمة التي تعطي بركة للخمس خبزات والسمكتين, فتكفي لإطعام خمسة آلاف رجل ما عدا النساء والأطفال, ويفضل عنهم الكثير (مت 14: 17ـ21).
إنها النعمة المعطية التي تنزل المن والسلوي من السماء فتغطي الأرض (خر16:13).
وقال موسي النبي عن ذلك المن هو الخبز الذي أعطاكم الرب لتأكلوا (خر 16:15).
النعمة أيضا فجرت لهم ماء من الصخرة (مز 78:20). إنها النعمة التي تفتح كوي السموات. فتفيض بركة حتي لا توسع (ملا 3:10).
نعمة الرب تعطي بسخاء. وتبارك القليل فيصير كثيرا هي التي باركت كوز الدقيق وكوز الزيت في بيت أرملة صرفة صيدا. في عهد إيليا النبي. مالم يفرغ كوز الدقيق, ولم ينقص كوز الزيت طول فترة المجاعة (1مل 17:15,14).
إنها النعمة التي عاش بها تلاميذ السيد المسيح, فخرجوا إلي الخدمة بلا ذهب ولا فضة ولا نحاس في مناطقهم. ولا مزود للطريق (مت 10:10,9). ولم يعوزهم شيء (لو 22:35)… كانت نعمة الله هي التي ترعاهم في طريق خدمتهم, وتسد كل احتياجاتهم ولم تكتف النعمة بسد احتياجاتهم, بل أكثر من هذا يقول الرسول كفقراء, ونحن نغني كثيرين! كان لا شيء لنا, ونحن نملك كل شيء (2كو 6:10)… بل ما أجمل قول الرب للقديس بولس الرسول:
تكفيك نعمتي… (2كو 12:9).
إلي هذا الحد, تكون النعمة كافية, في المرض, في الضعف, وفي الفقر والعون, لا يحتاج الإنسان إلي شيء آخر. ما دامت النعمة تعمل فيه. وتعمل من أجله…
النعمة خرج بها أبونا إبراهيم من أرضه فقيرا, وعاش بعد ذلك كأغني أغنياء الأرض, وخرج بها موسي النبي هاربا من أرض مصر, وهو لا يملك أي شيء. ثم عاد ليعيد إلها لفرعون (خر 7:1) وخرج بها يوسف الصديق, وهو عبد للإسماعيليين ثم عبد لفوطيفار.. وتولته النعمة حتي صار أبا لفرعون , وسيدا لكل بيته, ومتسلطا علي كل أرض مصر (تك 45:8).
أعطت العناية الإلهية نعمة في أعين الكل.
أعطاه الرب نعمة في عيني فوطيفار, فوكله علي بيته, ودفع إلي يده كل ما كان له (تك 39:4). ولما ألقي في السجن بسط الله إليه لطفا, وجعل له نعمة في عيني رئيس السجن (تك 39:21) فدفع إليه جميع الأسري.. (تك 39:23). ثم أعطاه الرب نعمة في عيني فرعون, فجعله الثاني في المملكة. وخلع خاتمه من يده وجعله في يد يوسف وقال له. بدونك لا يرفع إنسان يده ولا رجله في كل أرض مصر (تك 41:42: 44).
نعمة الرب عملت أيضا مع يعقوب أبي الآباء.
فقال الرب ـ عرفانا بنعمته ـ صغير أنا عن جميع ألطافك وجميع الأمانة التي صنعت إلي عبدك. فإني بعصاي عبرت هذا الأردن. والآن قد صرت جيشين (خر 32:10). وأعطاه الرب نعمة في عيني أخيه عيسو ـ وهو خائف منه ـ فركض عيسو للقائه وعانقه, ووقع علي عنقه وقبله, وبكيا (تك 33 4, 0).
دائما ـ في لغة الكتاب المقدس ـ يعبر عن رضي شخص عن آخر بكلمة. وجد نعمة في عينيه.
كما قال الكتاب عن دانيال النبي وأعطي الله دانيال نعمة ورحمة عند رئيس الخصيان (دا 1:9). وكما قال أبونا يعقوب لعيسو أخيه إن وجدت نعمة في عينيك. تأخذ هديتي من يدي.. (تك 33 ـ10).
كما قال لابنه يوسف: إن كنت وجدت نعمة في عينيك.. اصنع معي معروفا وأمانة: لا تدفني في مصر, بل اضطجع مع آبائي (تك 47: 29ـ 30).
وكما قال جدعون لملاك الرب إن كنت قد وجدت نعمة في عينيك. فاصنع لي علامة (قض 6:17). وقيل عن الطلاق إن أخذ رجل امرأة وتزوج بها, فإن لم تجد نعمة في عينيه.. كتب لها كتاب طلاق.. (تث 34:1).
النعمة أيضا تعطي كلمة للمبشرين والوعاظ.
كما قيل في المزمور انسكبت النعمة علي شفتيك (مز 45:2).