Vespers
Vespers Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all.
Psalms 132 : 13 - 15
Chapter 132
| 13 |
For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: |
| 14 |
"This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it. |
| 15 |
I will abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread. |
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 : 23 - 31
Chapter 1
| 23 |
Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, |
| 24 |
saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God!" |
| 25 |
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!" |
| 26 |
And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. |
| 27 |
Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." |
| 28 |
And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. |
| 29 |
Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. |
| 30 |
But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. |
| 31 |
So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them. |
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 84 : 7 - 8
Chapter 84
| 7 |
They go from strength to strength; Each one appears before God in Zion. |
| 8 |
O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob!Selah |
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 15 : 21 - 31
Chapter 15
| 21 |
Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. |
| 22 |
And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed." |
| 23 |
But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us." |
| 24 |
But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." |
| 25 |
Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" |
| 26 |
But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs." |
| 27 |
And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table." |
| 28 |
Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour. |
| 29 |
Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. |
| 30 |
Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. |
| 31 |
So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. |
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 4 : 4 - 28
Chapter 4
| 4 |
Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. |
| 5 |
But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, |
| 6 |
just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: |
| 7 |
"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; |
| 8 |
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." |
| 9 |
Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. |
| 10 |
How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. |
| 11 |
And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, |
| 12 |
and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. |
| 13 |
For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. |
| 14 |
For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, |
| 15 |
because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. |
| 16 |
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all |
| 17 |
(as it is written, "I have made you a father of many nations" ) in the presence of Him whom he believed--God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; |
| 18 |
who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be." |
| 19 |
And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. |
| 20 |
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, |
| 21 |
and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. |
| 22 |
And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness." |
| 23 |
Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, |
| 24 |
but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, |
| 25 |
who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification. |
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 : 7 - 17
Chapter 2
| 7 |
Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. |
| 8 |
Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. |
| 9 |
He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. |
| 10 |
He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. |
| 11 |
But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. |
| 12 |
I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. |
| 13 |
I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. |
| 14 |
I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. |
| 15 |
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. |
| 16 |
For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. |
| 17 |
And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. |
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 7 : 35 - 50
Chapter 7
| 35 |
"This Moses whom they rejected, saying, "Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. |
| 36 |
He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. |
| 37 |
"This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.' |
| 38 |
"This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, |
| 39 |
whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, |
| 40 |
saying to Aaron, "Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' |
| 41 |
And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. |
| 42 |
Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: "Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? |
| 43 |
You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.' |
| 44 |
"Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, |
| 45 |
which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, |
| 46 |
who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. |
| 47 |
But Solomon built Him a house. |
| 48 |
"However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: |
| 49 |
"Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the LORD, Or what is the place of My rest? |
| 50 |
Has My hand not made all these things?' |
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
Synaxarium
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.
