Do you know a new Christian? Paul and Barnabas remind us that it is difficult becoming a Christian; there are hard times for new Christians! So let's make sure we don't JUST share the Gospel with them, but let’s ALSO stand by them, check on them, strengthen them, and encourage them.
Day 20 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Babah, 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 Twentieth Day of the Blessed Month of Babah
Departure of the Great Saint Abba John the Short
On this day was the departure of the great light and saint, the heguman Abba John (Yoannis) the Short. He was a native of Betsa in upper Egypt and he had one brother. His parents were righteous and God-fearing people, rich in faith and good deeds. When he was 8 years old, his heart turned away from the futility of this world, its lusts and its glory, and he desired the monastic life. The grace of God moved him to go to the desert of Scete and there he came upon a tried and holy man whose name was Abba Pemwah from El-Bahnasa. John asked Abba Pemwah to allow him to stay with him. The old man answered, trying him, "My son, you cannot stay with us for this is a very hard desert and those who dwell in it eat from the work of their hands, besides observing many fasts, prayers, and sleeping on the floor and many other forms of asceticism. Go back to the world and live in the fear of God." Abba John told him, "Do not send me away, for God's sake, because I came to be in your obedience and prayers. If you accept me, I believe that God will make your heart well-pleased with me." Abba Pemwah was in the habit of not doing anything hastily. He asked the Lord Christ to reveal to him the matter of this young man. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "Accept him, for he shall become a chosen vessel." Abba Pemwah brought him and he shaved the hair of his head. He laid out the garb of the monk, and he prayed over it for three days and three nights and when he put the garb on him, he saw an angel making the sign of the Cross over it. Saint John started his monastic life with great asceticism and splendid works. One day Abba Pemwah wanted to test him, so he expelled him from his cell saying, "I cannot live with you." Abba John stayed out by the door of his cell for seven days. Every day Abba Pemwah went out and smote him with a palm branch and Abba John bowed down before him saying, "I have sinned." On the seventh day, the old man went out to go to the church and he saw seven angels with seven crowns placing them on the head of Abba John. Since that day, he was held by him in honor and reverence.
One day Abba Pemwah found a piece of dry wood and gave it to Abba John and said to him, "Take this wood, plant and water it." St. John obeyed and went on watering it twice a day even though the water was about 12 miles from where they lived. After three years, that piece of wood sprouted and grew into a fruitful tree. Abba Pemwah took some of that fruit and went around to all the elder monks saying, "Take, eat from the fruit of obedience." This tree still exists in its place in his monastery. Abba Pemwah fell sick for 12 years and Abba John ministered unto him all this time during which he never heard from his teacher that he fell short in his service. Abba Pemwah was an experienced old man who had been tried much, and sickness had emaciated him until he became like a piece of dry wood, so that he would be a chosen offering. When Abba Pemwah was about to die, he gathered together the elder monks and he held the hand of Abba John and gave him to them saying, "Take him and keep him, for he is an angel, not a man." He commanded Abba John to stay in the place where he had planted the tree. After that Abba John's older brother came to the monastery and was ordained a monk with him. He also became an honorable monk. It happened when the father the Patriarch Abba Theophilus was ordaining Abba John hegumen and abbot over his church, and as he placed his hand over his head, a voice from heaven was heard by the people present saying, "Axios, Axios, Axios (That is to say he is worthy)." When this saint consecrated the offering, he was able to know those who were worthy to partake of it and those who were not worthy. Abba Theophilus the Patriarch built a church for the Three Young Men in Alexandria, and he wished to bring their bodies and place them in it. He brought Abba John and asked him to travel to Babylon, and to bring the holy bodies. After much forebearing, Abba John accepted to go on this mission. When he left the Patriarch, a cloud carried him away to Babylon. He entered the city and saw its monuments, rivers, and palaces and found the bodies of the saints. When he started moving them from their place, a voice came out from the holy bodies and said to him, "This is the Will of God that we do not leave this place until the day of the Resurrection. Nevertheless, because of the love of Abba Theophilus the Patriarch, and your labor, too, you should inform the Patriarch to gather the people in the church and to put oil in the lamps without lighting them and we will appear in the church and a sign will be made manifest to you." Then Abba John left and went back to Alexandria and told the Patriarch what the saints had said. It happened when the Patriarch and the people were in the church, the lamps were lit up suddenly and they all glorified the Lord.
One day, a monk came into the cell of Abba John. He found him lying down with angels waving their wings over him. Later on, the Berbers attacked the desert of Scete and he left it. When he was asked why he left, he replied that he did not leave because he was afraid of death, but because he feared a Berber would slay him and go to hell, for though he is against his worship, he is his brother in form. Then he went to the mountain of Abba Anthony on the Red Sea. There he dwelt by the side of a village and God sent him a believer who served him. When the Lord wished to grant him rest and to end his strife in this world, He sent him His two righteous saints Abba Macarius and Abba Anthony to comfort him and to inform him about his departure. On the eve of Sunday, he fell sick and sent his attendant to bring him something from the village. The angels and the host of saints came and received his pure soul and took it up to heaven. At that time, his servant came back and saw the soul of the saint surrounded by the host of saints and angels singing before them. Before them all, there was one shining like the sun and singing. The servant marveled at this magnificent sight. An angel came to him and told him the name of each one of the saints. Then the servant asked the angel, "Who is this one in front of them all, who is shining like the sun?" The angel replied, "This is Abba Anthony, the father of all the monks." When the servant went into the cell, he found the body of the saint kneeling to the ground, as he had given up his soul while kneeling. The attendant wept sorrowfully over him and went in a hurry to the people of the village and told them what had happened. They came and carried his holy body with great honor. When they brought him into the village, great wonders and miracles were performed through his body.
May his 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 70 : 4 - 4
Chapter 70
| 4 | Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified!" |
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 4 : 35 - 41
Chapter 4
| 35 | On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, "Let us cross over to the other side." |
| 36 | Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. |
| 37 | And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. |
| 38 | But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" |
| 39 | Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. |
| 40 | But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" |
| 41 | And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" |
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 56 : 11 - 13
Chapter 56
| 11 | In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? |
| 12 | Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises to You, |
| 13 | For You have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, That I may walk before God In the light of the living? |
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 24 : 1 - 12
Chapter 24
| 1 | Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. |
| 2 | But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. |
| 3 | Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. |
| 4 | And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. |
| 5 | Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? |
| 6 | He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, |
| 7 | saying, "The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again."' |
| 8 | And they remembered His words. |
| 9 | Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. |
| 10 | It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. |
| 11 | And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. |
| 12 | But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened. |
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 Corinthians .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
1 Corinthians 16 : 12 - 24
Chapter 16
| 12 | Now concerning our brother Apollos, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brethren, but he was quite unwilling to come at this time; however, he will come when he has a convenient time. |
| 13 | Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. |
| 14 | Let all that you do be done with love. |
| 15 | I urge you, brethren--you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the ministry of the saints-- |
| 16 | that you also submit to such, and to everyone who works and labors with us. |
| 17 | I am glad about the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, for what was lacking on your part they supplied. |
| 18 | For they refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge such men. |
| 19 | The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Priscilla greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house. |
| 20 | All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. |
| 21 | The salutation with my own hand--Paul's. |
| 22 | If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed. O Lord, come! |
| 23 | The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. |
| 24 | My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. |
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 4 : 7 - 17
Chapter 4
| 7 | Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. |
| 8 | Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. |
| 9 | Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. |
| 10 | Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. |
| 11 | Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. |
| 12 | There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? |
| 13 | Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; |
| 14 | whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. |
| 15 | Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." |
| 16 | But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. |
| 17 | Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. |
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 : 4 - 12
Chapter 15
| 4 | And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. |
| 5 | But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses." |
| 6 | Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. |
| 7 | And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. |
| 8 | So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, |
| 9 | and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. |
| 10 | Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? |
| 11 | But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they." |
| 12 | Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. |
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 70 : 6 - 7
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.
Matthew 12 : 22 - 28
Chapter 12
| 22 | Then one was brought to Him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute; and He healed him, so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. |
| 23 | And all the multitudes were amazed and said, "Could this be the Son of David?" |
| 24 | Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, "This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons." |
| 25 | But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. |
| 26 | If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? |
| 27 | And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. |
| 28 | But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. |
And Glory be to God forever.