Vespers Vespers Psalm From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all. Psalms 68:65,3 68:3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
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 Matthew the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Matthew 24:42-47 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
24:45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
24:46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
24:47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
And Glory be to God forever
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Matins Matins Psalm
From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all. Psalms 97:11-12 97:11 Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
97:12 Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.
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 Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all. Mark 13:33-37 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
13:34 For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.
13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:
13:36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.
13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
And Glory be to God forever
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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 3:-23 The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
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Catholic Epistle A Reading from Epistle 1 of St. Peter .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen. 1 Peter 5:1-12 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
5:3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
5:5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
5:9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
5:11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
5:12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
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.
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Acts of the Apostles The Acts of our fathers the apostles, may their blessings be with us. Acts 18:24-19:6 18:24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus.
18:25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
18:26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
18:27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace:
18:28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
19:1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
19:2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
19:3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism.
19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed, in the holy Church of God.
Amen.
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Coptic Synaxarium El-nasi 4, 1726
Day 4 of the Blessed Coptic Month of El-nasi, 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. Departure of St. Leparius, Bishop of Rome Departure of St. Leparius, Bishop of Rome
On this day, St. Leparius (Liberius), Bishop of Rome, departed. He was ordained during the reign of Emperor Constance, the son of Constantine. When Athanasius, Pope of Alexandria, and Paul, Patriarch of Constantinople, were exiled, they came to him. St. Liberius took them to Emperor Constance, who wrote to his brother, and they were allowed to return. After Constance was killed in Rome, Constantius sent to St. Liberius asking him to accept the followers of Arius, and to accept the exile of Athanasius, but he refused this petition. Constantius exiled St. Liberius, then came to Rome where he killed the killers of his brother. The heads of the monasteries and the priests met him and asked him to release their father Liberius. The emperor returned him from his exile, and he continued to teach and preach to his flock. He resisted the followers of Arius, until he departed in peace. He sat on the episcopal throne for fifteen years.
May his prayers be with us. Amen. Departure of St. Poimen, the Hermit Departure of St. Poimen, the Hermit
On this day also, the ascetic saint, Anba Poimen (Baymon), departed. He was born about the year 350 A.D., in one of the cities of Egypt. He had six brothers, John, Jacob, Job, Joseph, Sonosyos, and Abraham. They all agreed to become monks, and they dwelt in a remote place. They forsook the love of the world, they bore the yoke of the Lord Christ, and they lived an ascetic life. Once their mother desired to see them, so she came to them, stood outside, and she sent a message for them to come to see her. They replied saying, You shall not see us except in the age to come. She understood their answer and returned to her town. Anba Poimen was a teacher, counselor, and comforter to the old and young men of the wilderness. Whenever tribulation or temptation befell anyone, he would come to him, and St. Poimen would cure him.
This father left to us many profitable teachings such as:
+ If you see a brother who has transgressed, despair not of him, but wake up his soul, comfort him, and lighten his burden, so that he may rise up from his fall.
+ Teach your heart what your tongue says.
+ One of the brethren said to him, If I see a brother whose conduct is wicked, I do not feel comfortable to bring him to my cell. On the other hand, if his conduct is good, I rejoice and bring him to my cell cheerfully. The saint replied, If you treat well the brother who is good, then you must treat that brother whose works are inferior with a double portion of goodness, for he is sick and needs healing.
+ Then he told this brother, There was a monk in a monastery, who had fallen into a transgression, and he was always weeping, and supplicating God saying, 'O Lord, I have sinned against You, please forgive me.' A voice came to him, 'I have not forsaken you, except when you have forsaken your brother in the time of his trial.'
+ Anba Poimen also added, If we cover over the sins of our brethren, God will cover over our sins. And if we make it known, God will do the same of our inequities.
Having finished his days and having arrived at a good old age that was pleasing to God, he departed in peace.
May his prayers be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.
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Divine Liturgy Divine Psalm From the Psalms of our teacher David the prophet.
May his blessings be with us all. Psalms 116:15-16 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.
116:16 O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
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. Divine 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 16:1-12 16:1 And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
16:3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
16:4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.
16:5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord?
16:6 And he said, An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty.
16:7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write fourscore.
16:8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
16:9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.
16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.
16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
16:12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
And Glory be to God forever.
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Comparative Theology 1