Thoughts on Today's Verse...
Eagerly waits! Don't you just love that idea! Sounds like an oxymoron. It's not. Think of a groom waiting for his bride to come down the aisle. Imagine parents of a child that is due to be born. Remember what it was like as a child waiting for Christmas morning. Eagerly waits! That's what creation, so caught up with decay, disaster, and death, is doing! And what is creation waiting for so eagerly? Our transformation and revelation as God's triumphant and glorious children. Sounds pretty wonderful for a time and world like ours.
Day 9 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Tute, 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 Ninth Day of the Blessed Month of Tute
Martyrdom of St.Pisoura the Bishop
On this day was the martyrdom of the holy father, the Bishop Abba Pisoura. He was the bishop of the city of Masil, which is beloved of God. When Diocletian went back to worshipping the idols and started persecuting the Christians, this holy man wished to shed his blood for Christ's sake. He gathered together all the people before the altar and advised them concerning the commandments of the Lord, and then informed them that he wished to obtain the crown of martyrdom for the sake of the Lord's name. They all wept, the young and the old, saying, "To whom will you leave us, our father, as orphans?" They wanted to prevent him from doing so, but when they could not, they let him go after he committed them to the Lord Christ. He left them bidding him farewell with much tears. Three bishops agreed with him; they were Baskos, Fenabikos, and Theodore, and they all went together to the city of the governor and confessed Christ before him. So he tortured them cruelly, especially when he knew that they were bishops and fathers to the Christians. The bold bishops endured the tortures with patience for the Lord Christ fortified them. Finally the governor ordered that the heads of the four be cut, and they received the crown of life in the kingdom of God. As to the body of Saint Pisoura, it rests at present in St.George's Church in Old Cairo.
May their blessings and prayers be with us all, and Glory be to God forever. Amen.
Vespers
Psalm
From the psalms of our teacher David the prophet, may his blessings be with us Amen.
Psalm 7:10,11
My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.
God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
Gospel
Lk 4:38-41
Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon's house. But Simon's wife's mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them.
When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!"
And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.
Matins
Psalm
From the psalms of our teacher David the prophet, may his blessings be with us Amen.
Psalm 8:1 & Psalm 8:4
O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth,
Who have set Your glory above the heavens! What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
Gospel
Mk 1:35-39
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. When they found Him, they said to Him, "Everyone is looking for You."
But He said to them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth."
And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.
Liturgy
Pauline Epistle
From the epistle of teacher St. Paul the apostle to the (...), may his blessings be with us Amen.
2Tim 1:12— & 2Tim 2:1-10
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.
This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day--and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
The grace of God the Father be with you all. Amen.
Catholic Epistle
The catholic epistle from the epistle of our teacher St. (...), may his blessings be with us Amen. My beloved.
Jas 2:5-13
Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?
If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Do not love the world nor 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 holy blessings be with us all. Amen.
Acts 11:19-26
Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but the Jews only. But some of them were men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.
Then news of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch. When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.
Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to seek Saul. And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
The word of the Lord shall grow, multiply, be mighty, and be confirmed in the holy Church of God. Amen.
Synaxarium
Stand up in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel. A chapter according to St. (...) may his blessing be with us all amen.
Psalm
From the psalms of our teacher David the prophet, may his blessings be with us Amen.
Psalm 21:1-2
The king shall have joy in Your strength, O LORD;
And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!
You have given him his heart's desire,
And have not withheld the request of his lips.Selah
Gospel
Lk 10:21-28
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, "I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him."
Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see; for I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see what you see, and have not seen it, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it."
And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"
He said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?"
So he answered and said, ""You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and "your neighbor as yourself."'
And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."
He in those benefits needed not the death of Christ: these, the blood of that Lamb absolves from guilt, as well inherited as their own. He had no need of that assistance which they implore when they say, I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and making me captive in the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?