I am made by God! You are made by God. Just as surely as ANYone has been made by God, we have been made by God. He knew us before anyone knew we were there. He had plans for us before anyone planned our arrival. And he made us well! How do we know? Look at all God has made.
Day 11 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Bashans, 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 Eleventh Day of the Blessed Month of Bashans
Martyrdom of St.Theoclia, the wife of St.Justus
On this day, St. Theoclia, the wife of St. Justus (Whose commemoration is on the 10th. day of Amshir) was martyred. After the Roman Emperor Diocletian had sent them to the Governor of Alexandria, he separated them. He sent St. Justus to Ansena (Antinoe), where he was martyred, and he sent St. Theoclia to Sa El-Hagar. When the Governor saw, her he was astonished, for those who leave the kingdom preferring to die instead. He first tried to persuade her, but she refused to accept his words saying: "I have left my kingdom, accepted the separation of my husband since my youth, and I have been comforted for my son for the sake of the Lord Christ, so what could you give me?" He ordered her to be beaten until her flesh was torn and then placed her in prison. The angel of the Lord appeared to her, comforted and strengthened her. When the prisoners witnessed that her wounds had been healed, they believed in the Lord Christ, and they received the crown of martyrdom. Then the Governor ordered her beheaded and she received the crown of martyrdom. Some believers came, paid the soldier silver, took her body, shrouded and placed it in a coffin until the end of the days of persecution.
May Her prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of St.Paphnotius (St.Paphnuti), the Bishop
On this day also St. Paphnuti, the Bishop, departed. He became a monk in the wilderness of St.Macarius. He exerted himself in asceticism and worship and lived his monastic life eating dry beans and fasted for days. He learned how to read and write, and learned the doctrines of the church. He was ordained a priest, and stayed in the wilderness for thirty-five years. His virtues became known to everyone, and Pope Philotheos I, the sixty-third Patriarch of Alexandria, called him, and ordained him bishop. He did not change his clothing except on the day of celebrating the Eucharist, then he put on his sackcloth that made of hair again. His spiritual fighting and asceticism were so intense that his body languished and he became ill. He asked God in his prayer: "O My Lord Jesus Christ, do not take away from me Your blessings for the sake of my office of bishop." The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: "You know that when you were in the wilderness, there was no one to take care of you in your sickness, there was no one to minister to you, you could not find medications to relieve you, but God supported, sustained you, and kept sickness away from you. However, you are now in the world, and there are many who can take care of you, and offer you medications in your sickness." He was a bishop for thirty two years. When the day of his departure drew near, he called the priests and the deacons, handed over to them the sacred property of the church and all its possessions, and told them: "Behold know that I am departing to the Lord Christ. I have walked among you, and the Lord Jesus to Whom I am about to stand before, testifies that I have never taken even one dinar from all the money which came to me from the bishop's office." He blessed them, then departed in peace.
May his prayers be with us 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 47 : 4 - 5
Chapter 47
| 4 | He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves.Selah |
| 5 | God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet. |
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 9 : 14 - 29
Chapter 9
| 14 | And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. |
| 15 | Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. |
| 16 | And He asked the scribes, "What are you discussing with them?" |
| 17 | Then one of the crowd answered and said, "Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. |
| 18 | And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not." |
| 19 | He answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to Me." |
| 20 | Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. |
| 21 | So He asked his father, "How long has this been happening to him?" And he said, "From childhood. |
| 22 | And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." |
| 23 | Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." |
| 24 | Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!" |
| 25 | When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" |
| 26 | Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, "He is dead." |
| 27 | But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. |
| 28 | And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could we not cast it out?" |
| 29 | So He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting." |
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 47 : 3 - 4
Chapter 47
| 3 | He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. |
| 4 | He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves.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 Mark the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Mark 9 : 30 - 32
Chapter 9
| 30 | Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. |
| 31 | For He taught His disciples and said to them, "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day." |
| 32 | But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. |
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 8 : 9 - 11
Chapter 8
| 9 | But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. |
| 10 | And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. |
| 11 | But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. |
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 5 : 9 - 12
Chapter 5
| 9 | If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. |
| 10 | He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. |
| 11 | And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. |
| 12 | He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. |
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 5 : 27 - 29
Chapter 5
| 27 | And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, |
| 28 | saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!" |
| 29 | But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. |
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 116 : 1 - 2
Chapter 116
| 1 | I love the LORD, because He has heard My voice and my supplications. |
| 2 | Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. |
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 16 : 23 - 33
Chapter 16
| 23 | "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. |
| 24 | Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. |
| 25 | "These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. |
| 26 | In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; |
| 27 | for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. |
| 28 | I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father." |
| 29 | His disciples said to Him, "See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! |
| 30 | Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God." |
| 31 | Jesus answered them, "Do you now believe? |
| 32 | Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. |
| 33 | These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." |
And Glory be to God forever.
Further, if this caution be not a mark of ability, but be hateful, wherein we believe not that we are loved, because we see not the love of them who love, and repay not them, unto whom we think not that we owe a return; to that degree are human affairs thrown into disorder, if what we see not we believe not, as to be altogether and utterly overthrown, if we believe no wills of men, which assuredly we cannot see.