Day 21 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 Twenty-First Day of the Blessed Month of Kiahk
Commemoration of the Virgin St.Mary, the Mother of God
On this day the church celebrates the commemoration of the pure lady, the Virgin, St. Mary, the mother of Light, the mother of the Savior of the world.
May her intercession be for us all. Amen.
Martyrdom of St.Barnabas, One of the Seventy Apostles
On this day also, St. Barnabas, one of the seventy apostles, was martyred. He was from the tribe of Levi. His ancestors left Judea long before he was born and moved to the island of Cyprus. His name was Joses. Our Lord, to Whom is the glory, gave him the name "Barnabas", which means son of "encouragement" or "consolation", when He called him to become an apostle. He received the gift of the Holy Spirit in the upper room with the disciples. He preached the gospel with them and witnessed to the Name of Christ. He had a field which he sold and brought the price and placed it at the feet of the apostles. (Acts 4:36-37) The apostles honored him for his many virtues and for his honesty. When St. Paul believed in the Lord Christ, St. Barnabas presented him to the rest of the disciples in Jerusalem, three years after his conversion. St. Barnabas told the apostles how the Lord appeared to St. Paul near Damascus and attested to his zeal before them. The apostles accepted St. Paul in their fellowship. The Holy Spirit said to the disciples, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." (Acts 13:2) St. Paul and St. Barnabas travelled together to many countries preaching the Name of the Lord Christ. When they entered Lystra and St. Paul healed the man who was crippled from his mother's womb (Acts 14:8-18), the people of Lystra thought that they were gods, and they brought oxen and garlands to the gates intending to sacrifice them at the feet of the apostles. St. Paul and St.Barnabas forbade them and rejected the glory of men. They tore their clothes saying that they were men with the same nature as they. After they travelled together to many cities, they were separated from each other. St. Barnabas took with him St. Mark and went to Cyprus. They preached there and converted many people to the faith of the Lord Christ and baptized them. The Jews resented them. So they falsely accused them before the governor. They seized St. Barnabas and brutally beat him, then they stoned him and finally burnt his body with fire. Thus, his strife was completed and he received the crown of martyrdom. After the people had left, St. Mark came and carried the body, wrapped it, and placed it in a cave in Cyprus. St. Mark then went to Alexandria to preach there.
May The prayers of these two apostles be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
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
DAILY CONTEMPLATION
سنكسار يوم 21 من شهر كيهك لسنة 1738 لتقويم الشهداء الموافق 30 من شهر ديسمبر لسنة 2021 بالتقويم الميلادى
 غالبا ما يجهل الإنسان حقيقة نفسه، فهو دائما يظن بأنه الأفضل في كل شيء وبأنه يستطيع أن يقوم بأصعب الأمور من دون مساعدة وبأنه كامل حتى يظن أحيانا بأن الله لم يخلق غيره صالحا ومفيدا للبشرية وكأن الكون كله يدور حوله. ولكن عندما يتقدم الإنسان بعمق وواقعية وصدق سيجد نفسه شخصا تائها ومشردا ومتمردا ومليء بالخطية وسيكتشف أنه ضعيف جدا، يحتاج لمن يقف إلى جابنه في كل الأمور التي تحيط به. الكتاب المقدس يقدم لنا واقعية الإنسان الفاسد الذي يحتاج لمن ينقيه من خطاياه "كما هو مكتوب أنه ليس بار ولا واحد. ليس من يفهم. ليس من يطلب الله. الجميع زاغوا وفسدوا معا. ليس من يعمل صلاحا ليس ولا واحد" (رومية 10:3). هذه هي حقيقة كل إنسان بكل شفافية وصراحة لهذا نجد المرنم في العهد القديم يصرخ إلى الله بعد أن اكتشف ذاته بانه لا شيء من دون الخالق المحب، "اختبرني يا الله واعرف قلبي امتحني واعرف أفكاري. وانظر إن كان فيّ طريق باطل واهدني طريقا أبديا" (مزمور 23:139). إن اكتشاف ذاتنا بكل موضوعية وصدق يجعلنا نعي أننا خطاة ونحتاج لمن يرفع عنا خطايانا، ففي هذه اللحظات المهمة من حياتنا علينا أن نذهب إلى نبع الحياة حيث هناك نستقي ونرتوي من الغفران الحقيقي "ولكن من يشرب من الماء الذي أعطيه أنا فلن يعطش إلى الأبد. بل الماء الذي أعطيه يصير فيه ينبوع ماء ينبع إلى حياة أبدية" (يوحنا 14:4). موسى عندما اكتشف ضعفه ذهب منسحقا ومتواضعا أمام الله معترفا بأنه لن تستطيع أن يفعل شيئا ولأنه فهم ذاته وعرف حجمه أعطاه الله من لدنه قوّة وعزم "لأن الله لم يعطنا روح الفشل بل روح القّوة والمحبة والنصح" (2 تيموثاوس 7:1). فجعله يقف امام فرعون ومن ثم قاد الشعب من مصر إلى البرية متوجها إلى أرض الموعد. وماذا نقول عن اشعياء الذي أدرك ضعفه أمام قداسة الله حيث خرجت الكلمات من قلبه إلى فمه "فقلت ويل لي إني هلكت لأني إنسان نجس الشفتين وأنا ساكن بين شعب نجس الشفتين لأن عينيّ قد رأتا الملك ربّ الجنود" (أشعياء 5:6). ندها نجد الله استخدمه في أن يكون إناء صالح لخدمة السيد. أيها الإنسان اعرف نفسك واكتشف ضعفك وتقدم بخشوع إلى المسيح طالبا أن يستخدم هذا الضعف فيبدله إلى قوة وانتصار "فقال لي تكفيك نعمتي لأن قوّتي في الضعف تكمل. فبكل سرور أفتخر بالحري في ضعفاتي لكي تحلّ عليّ قوّة المسيح" (2 كورنثوس 9: 12). |