When we have a deep and reverential respect for our holy God, we are going to love what he loves and hate what he hates. We need to realize, however, that the word "hate" is used very carefully in Scripture. This strong verb is not used often, and when it is used with God as the subject, the object of God's hatred needs to be noticed. God hates evil, which in this case is defined as pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and vile speech. These are things that Christians not only avoid, but they also loathe. God wants his people to be people of character — people of humility, moral behavior, and helpful speech.
Day 20 of the Blessed Coptic Month of Baounah, 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 Second Day of the Blessed Month of Baounah
Commemoration of the Appearance of the Bodies of St.John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet
On this day, the church celebrates the appearance of the bodies of St. John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet, the disciple of Elijah the Prophet, in the city of Alexandria. Julian the Infidel wished to rebuild the Temple of Jerusalem, having been destroyed by Emperor Vespasian and his son Titus. He intended with malice to prove the invalidity of the saying of the Lord in the Holy Gospel: "Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left her upon another, that shall not be thrown down"(Matthew 24:2). He supplied the Jewish people with money to rebuild it. He put Elebius, who asked the Jews to assist him secretly, in charge. Many of the Jews, men, women, old and young, gathered. They started digging the foundation with eagerness, transferring the dirt and rocks away, some with baskets and the others in the tails of their dresses. St. Kyrillos (Cyril), bishop of Jerusalem, ridiculed what they were doing.
When they finished raising the rocks of the old foundation, they started to put down the new one. A severe earthquake took place, filled the excavation with dirt, dispersed the building material and killed many of the workers. The Jews were not terrified of that, and returned to the work again. Out of the depths of the earth, fiery balls came, showering the workers with rocks and hitting them so they stopped building. Many of them believed because of that and especially because they had fulfilled the prophesy of the Lord Christ, with their hands, about the destruction of the building of the temple from its foundation. St. Gregory the Theologian and St. John Chrysostom had mentioned this incident. The Jewish historian Emian, in the fifth century, had mentioned this account also incidentally in his writings. Nevertheless, the Jews told the Emperor, "The reason for what happened is the presence of the bodies of Christian leaders in that place. They must be removed from it, otherwise the temple will not be built." Julian ordered that the bodies of the saints be removed from the place and burned. When they took the bodies of St. John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet to burn them, some believers came forward to the soldiers, gave them a sum of silver and took the two bodies. They brought them to St.Athanasius, Pope of Alexandria. He was pleased and placed them in a special place until he could build a church for them.
One day St. Athanasius was sitting in the garden with his scribe, the one to be Pope Theophilos (23rd Pope) who succeeded him on the Chair, and told him, "If God gives me long days, I will build in this place a church in the names of St. John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet, and I will lay their bodies in it." When Pope Theophilos was enthroned on the Chair of the See of St. Mark, he remembered what Pope Athanasius had told him. He built the church and relocated the pure bodies to it. On their way to the church carrying the holy bodies, they passed by a house of a pagan woman. This woman was in labor for the last four days. She had a difficult labor and she was in severe pain. When she heard the singing and the chanting of the people as they passed by, and when she knew what was happening, she vowed, saying, "O John, the saint of God, if you deliver me from this tribulation, I will become a Christian." Before she had finished what she was saying, she gave birth to a boy, and she called him John. Then, her family and she were baptized. They laid the bodies with great honor in the church. Many miracles and wonders were manifested through them. As of the end of Julian the infidel was as follows: He decided to declare a war against Sapor, King of Persia. St. Basilius the Great, the author of the liturgy, and some bishops went to meet him. Emperor Julian asked them, "Why have you come." St. Basilius replied, "We came asking for a shepherd" He mocked them saying, "Where did you leave the son of the carpenter?" The Saint answered with courage and pride, "We left him making a coffin for you, for you have lost all wisdom and knowledge." Julian told him, "I have read and memorized it." St. Basilius replied, "But you did not comprehend it." Julian became angry and ordered them seized, to be slain after his return from the war with Sapor. St. Basilius told him, "You will not come back, for God has spoken by my mouth." The Emperor ordered them imprisoned. The Emperor went to the war. St. Basilius prayed before the icon of St. Marcurius Abu-saifain, asking for the chastisement of the Emperor because he insulted his Lord Christ. St. Marcurius disappeared from the icon, and when he returned, his sword was dripping blood. During the war, Julian was shot by an arrow in his liver. Thlodoritius said in his history of the church: "When this infidel Emperor was stabbed, he took a handful of the blood that was pouring out of his side and scattered it toward the heaven, saying, 'You have defeated me O Son of Mary.'" The prophesy of St. Basilius was fulfilled in him and the church was saved from his evil. When St. Macarius, Bishop of Edko, was martyred, they placed his body with the bodies of St. John the Baptist and Elisha the Prophet.
May their prayers be with us. Amen.
Departure of Pope Yoannis the Eighteenth, the 107th Pope of Alexandria
On this day also, the church celebrates the departure of Pope Yoannis (John) the Eighteenth, the 107th Pope of Alexandria. He was of the people of El-Fayyoum and his name was Joseph. He became a monk in the monastery of the great St. Antonios on the mount of El-Araba. When Pope Marcus the seventh, his predecessor, departed, the bishops, priests, and the notables of the people unanimously agreed on choosing him a Patriarch. They brought him and ordained him a Patriarch in the church of the martyr St. Marcurius in Old Cairo. That was on Sunday, 15th of Babah, 1486 A.M. (October 23, 1769 A.D.). He was called Yoannis the Eighteenth, the 107th Pope of Alexandria. During his days, the Pope of Rome attempted to attract the Eastern Churches and especially the Orthodox Church of Egypt (The Coptic Church) to the Catholic rite. He published the proceedings of the Council of Chalcedone in a book and distributed it in all the countries of the East. This council had caused the schism of the church, and the Saint Pope Dioscorus (25th Patriarch) had refused to recognize the legitimacy of this council. The Pope of Rome then sent an envoy to Pope Yoannis carrying a message inviting him to be united with him. Pope Yoannis gave this message to Anba Yusab El-Abbah, bishop of Girga. He asked him to study it and to respond to it. This great scholar and distinguished theologian replied, refuting all the claims of Rome. He defended his church, its faith, and its doctrines, a splendid defense that immortalized his memory. However, the book of the proceedings of the Council of Chalcedone brought the opposite results of what Rome expected from publishing it. The book was a proof of the sound teachings and doctrines of the Coptic Orthodox church. The Bishop of Rome was sorry for publishing the book in the East, and he gathered its copies and burned them.
During the papacy of Pope Yoannis (John) many tribulations and hardships befell him from the rulers of the country and the Ottoman governors. The Turkish commander of the army seized the patriarchate treasury and took all its funds. That forced the Pope to disappear from the oppression and the injustice of those rulers who over tasked the Christians with their unjust rules and the enormous increase of taxes stipulated from them. Pope Yoannis participated with Ibrahim El-Gohary, the head scribe at that time, in restoring the monasteries and the churches. He also made the Holy Myron. He departed on the second day of the blessed month of Baounah, 1512 A.M. (June 7, 1797 A.D.). He remained on the patriarchal chair for twenty-six years, seven months, and sixteen days. He was buried in the tomb of the patriarchs in the church of St. Marcurius Abu-Saifain. The chair remained vacant three months and twenty-six days after his departure.
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 87 : 3,5,7
Chapter 87
| 3 | Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God!Selah |
| 5 | And of Zion it will be said, "This one and that one were born in her; And the Most High Himself shall establish her." |
| 7 | Both the singers and the players on instruments say, "All my springs are in you." |
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 Luke the Evangelist.
May His Blessings be with us all.
Luke 10 : 38 - 52
Chapter 10
| 38 | Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. |
| 39 | And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. |
| 40 | But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." |
| 41 | And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. |
| 42 | But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her." |
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 48 : 8,1
Chapter 48
| 8 | As we have heard, So we have seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, In the city of our God: God will establish it forever.Selah |
| 1 | Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain. |
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 12 : 35 - 50
Chapter 12
| 35 | A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. |
| 36 | But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. |
| 37 | For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." |
| 38 | Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." |
| 39 | But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. |
| 40 | For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. |
| 41 | The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. |
| 42 | The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. |
| 43 | "When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. |
| 44 | Then he says, "I will return to my house from which I came.' And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order. |
| 45 | Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation." |
| 46 | While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. |
| 47 | Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You." |
| 48 | But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?" |
| 49 | And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! |
| 50 | For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother." |
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 Hebrews .
May his blessings be upon us.
Amen.
Hebrews 9 : 1 - 12
Chapter 9
| 1 | Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary. |
| 2 | For a tabernacle was prepared: the first part, in which was the lampstand, the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary; |
| 3 | and behind the second veil, the part of the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of All, |
| 4 | which had the golden censer and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which were the golden pot that had the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; |
| 5 | and above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. Of these things we cannot now speak in detail. |
| 6 | Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services. |
| 7 | But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people's sins committed in ignorance; |
| 8 | the Holy Spirit indicating this, that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet made manifest while the first tabernacle was still standing. |
| 9 | It was symbolic for the present time in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience-- |
| 10 | concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed until the time of reformation. |
| 11 | But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. |
| 12 | Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. |
The grace of God the Father be with you all.
Amen.
Catholic Epistle
A Reading from Epistle 2 of St. John .
May his blessing be upon us.
Amen.
2 John 1 : 1 - 13
Chapter 1
| 1 | The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, |
| 2 | because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: |
| 3 | Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. |
| 4 | I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. |
| 5 | And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. |
| 6 | This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. |
| 7 | For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. |
| 8 | Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. |
| 9 | Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. |
| 10 | If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; |
| 11 | for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. |
| 12 | Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. |
| 13 | The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen. |
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 1 : 1 - 14
Chapter 1
| 1 | The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, |
| 2 | until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, |
| 3 | to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. |
| 4 | And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; |
| 5 | for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." |
| 6 | Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" |
| 7 | And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. |
| 8 | But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." |
| 9 | Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. |
| 10 | And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, |
| 11 | who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." |
| 12 | Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. |
| 13 | And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. |
| 14 | These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. |
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 45 : 12 - 13
Chapter 45
| 12 | And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; The rich among the people will seek your favor. |
| 13 | The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold. |
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.
Luke 1 : 39 - 56
Chapter 1
| 39 | Now Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, |
| 40 | and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. |
| 41 | And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. |
| 42 | Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! |
| 43 | But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? |
| 44 | For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. |
| 45 | Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." |
| 46 | And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord, |
| 47 | And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. |
| 48 | For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. |
| 49 | For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. |
| 50 | And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. |
| 51 | He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. |
| 52 | He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. |
| 53 | He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. |
| 54 | He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, |
| 55 | As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever." |
| 56 | And Mary remained with her about three months, and returned to her house. |
And Glory be to God forever.
Does the heart have a narrow door?
Will it allow in just one more
of every beast and flower and bird
and every song it has ever heard?
Just one more child, just one more flower,
one more relinquishing of power
to that sane and sacred foolishness
of living by inclusiveness?
Does the heart have a supple, elastic latch
that makes it easy to dispatch
all pettiness and bigotry
and opens it to what makes us free?
. . .
You who can heal all wounds and hate
make my heart open, free, and great.
—Carol Bialock [1]
Researcher Brené Brown knows the importance of vulnerability and open-heartedness. In her book Daring Greatly, she offers a parenting manifesto that can serve as a touchstone when we feel afraid or resist vulnerability. You might read it aloud to a child, someone you love, or yourself:
Above all else, I want you to know that you are loved and lovable. You will learn this from my words and actions—the lessons on love are in how I treat you and how I treat myself.
I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness. You will learn that you are worthy of love, belonging, and joy every time you see me practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfections.
We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room in our home for both.
We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion with ourselves first; then with each other. We will set and respect boundaries; we will honor hard work, hope, and perseverance. Rest and play will be family values, as well as family practices.
You will learn accountability and respect by watching me make mistakes and make amends, and by watching how I ask for what I need and talk about how I feel.
I want you to know joy, so together we will practice gratitude. I want you to feel joy, so together we will learn how to be vulnerable.
When uncertainty and scarcity visit, you will be able to draw from the spirit that is a part of our everyday life.
Together we will cry and face fear and grief. I will want to take away your pain, but instead I will sit with you and teach you how to feel it.
We will laugh and sing and dance and create. We will always have permission to be ourselves with each other. No matter what, you will always belong here.
As you begin your Wholehearted journey, the greatest gift that I can give to you is to live and love with my whole heart and to dare greatly.
I will not teach or love or show you anything perfectly, but I will let you see me, and I will always hold sacred the gift of seeing you. Truly, deeply, seeing you.
References:
[1] Carol Bialock, “Widening the Door,” Coral Castles (Fernwood: 2019), 87. Used with permission. Carol is a Religious of the Sacred Heart and author of the poem “Breathing Underwater” which inspired the title of my book on Twelve-Step spirituality, Breathing Under Water. Today is Sr. Carol’s 90th birthday and the release of her book of poems, Coral Castles!
Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (Avery: 2012), 244-245. Visit brenebrown.com for a copy of the manifesto and other resources.