Katameros
The Coptic Orthodox Church readings follow a structured daily cycle of Psalms, Gospel, Pauline, Catholic, Acts, and Synaxarium readings for prayer, reflection, and worship.
Today's Readings
Vespers
Psalm & Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to our teacher Saint Matthew the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 68:25-26
25 The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; Among them were the maidens playing timbrels.
26 Bless God in the congregations, The Lord, from the fountain of Israel.
Matthew 26:6-13
6 And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper,
7 a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table.
8 But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?
9 For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor."
10 But when Jesus was aware of it, He said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a good work for Me.
11 For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always.
12 For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial.
13 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her."
Matins
Psalm & Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to our teacher Saint John the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 8:2-3
2 Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
John 4:15-24
15 The woman said to Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw."
16 Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here."
17 The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You have well said, 'I have no husband,'
18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly."
19 The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.
20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship."
21 Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father.
22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.
24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
Liturgy
Pauline Epistle
Ephesians 5:8-21
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Catholic Epistle
1 Peter 3:5-14
5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,
6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.
7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;
9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
10 For "He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.
11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."
13 And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?
14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled."
Acts of the Apostles
Acts 21:5-14
5 When we had come to the end of those days, we departed and went on our way; and they all accompanied us, with wives and children, till we were out of the city. And we knelt down on the shore and prayed.
6 When we had taken our leave of one another, we boarded the ship, and they returned home.
7 And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.
8 On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.
11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"
12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem.
13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."
Synaxarium
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit One God. Amen Day 6th of the Blessed Coptic Month of Misra. May God begin it in goodness and renew it for us in peace and tranquility, while our sins and iniquities are forgiven through the tender mercies of our Lord, O my fathers and my brethren. Amen.
On this day St. Julietta was martyred. This saint was born in Caesarea, Cappadocia, to wealthy Christian parents. She inherited a great wealth from them. An oppressor defrauded her of her wealth. When she tried to take back her money from him that evil man accused her before the Governor of Cappadocia that she was a Christian.
The governor seized St. Julietta and asked about her faith. She confessed her faith in the Lord Christ before him. After the Governor had tortured her much, he cast her in fire, and she delivered up her pure spirit in the hands of the Lord. The fire did not harm her body and she received the crown of martyrdom.
The blessing of her prayers be with us all. Amen.
On this day also of the year 294 of the martyrs (578 A.D.) the great saint Mar Jacob al-Baradai (Jacobus Baradaeus). This saint was the son of Theophilus the priest of the city of Tela, east of Edessa (el¬-Raha). Since his young age he became a monk in the Vasilita monastery where he received vast knowledge in Theology and in Greek and Syriac literatures. He was ordained a priest and the fame of his virtues became well known.
When the Orthodox Empress Theodora, the wife of the Chalcedonian Emperor Justinian, heard of his virtues she eagerly desired to meet him. He travelled to Constantinople where the Empress received him with much honor. Then he retired to one of the monasteries of the city, where he lived as a complete recluse for about fifteen years.
The Ghassanide king al-Harith Ibn Jabalah asked from Empress Theodora to arrange for him and his people, who refused the council of Chalcedon, pastoral care. The Empress supported the Alexandrian Pope Theodosius, Anthimus patriarch of Constantinople and the bishop John of Egypt who were held by Emperor Justinian in one of the fortresses under house arrest. She assisted them to consecrate Fr. Jacob al-Baradai a metropolitan for Edessa and another one called Theodorus a metropolitan for the Arabs in el-Basra.
They granted the metropolitan Jacob el-Baradai a vast Ecumenical Pastoral Authorities for ordaining bishops and priests for the Orthodox Christians who refused the council of Chalcedon everywhere. He moved from one place to another in his tattered beggar’s disguise made of the material that was used to make saddles for donkeys and mules to sit on it. From this clothes and the material used to make them the title el-Baradai came.
The Lord helped Mar Jacob by speedily moving him and supporting him with performing miracles. He moved around confirming the churches and the believers in the Orthodox faith. A historian testified that, “Mar Jacob is said to have ordained the incredible number of 100,000 clergy, 89 bishops and with the help of other bishops consecrated two patriarchs for Antioch.”
Mar Jacob el-Baradai came to Egypt to meet Pope Demian, 35th Patriarch of Alexandria, along with a delegation of Antiochian bishops. He reached the monastery of Mar-Romanus in Palestine on the Egyptian border where a contagious and deadly sickness attacked them and claimed the life of four of them. One of them was the Holy Father metropolitan Mar Jacob el-Baradai who was 73 years old and had served his Ecumenical Metropolitan office for 37 years.
When Pope Demian heard of his arrival, he went to Mar Romanus monastery to escort him to Alexandria. When he arrived and found that he had departed, he was exceedingly sorrowful and wrote a letter of condolence to the Syrian church. He tried to move his body to Alexandria, however the monks of Mar Romanus monastery refused. They prayed on the saint and buried him in their monastery. Later on he was moved to his monastery where he became a monk and was buried there with great veneration.
The blessing of his prayers be with us all. Amen.
Today also marks the departure of the great saint Anba Besa, the disciple of Anba Shenouda the Archimandrite. He was born in the city of Absay. His father was wealthy and was charitable to the needy. He entreated God to give him a son. The Lord answered his prayer and gave him this saint and called him Besa. When he was five years old his father handed him to a wise teacher who taught him reading, writing, and studying the Holy Scriptures and the church books. He grew in grace and knowledge as he frequently attended the church to pray and worship.
When Besa became a young man, his father handed him land to farm. He planted a garden, vineyard and olive trees. He desired to become a monk and put on the Holy Eskeem. He prayed to God fervently to manage his life as deemed fit.
When his father knew of his wish of becoming a monk, he took him and went to the monastery of the great saint Anba Shenouda. While they were on their way, an angel of the Lord appeared to Anba Shenouda and informed him of the coming of the young man Besa to become a monk. He commended to accept him and that he would be his obedient disciple all the days of his life. When he arrived to the monastery with his father, Anba Shenouda received them with joy. The blessed archon, Besa’s father, said to him: “I ask you O my Holy Father to accept this young man to be your disciple and servant”, and Anba Shenouda accepted him.
After a period of time he clothed him with the monastic attire and handed him to one of the elders of the monastery to teach him the basic principles of monasticism. The monk Besa lived an honorable monastic life and grew in the monastic trials under the guidance of his spiritual father. According to a heavenly vision to Anba Shenouda, he called the monk Besa and made him his personal disciple and appointed him to be the second man in the monastery. The Lord supported him and prospered any work he dealt with as He did with the righteous Joseph. Anba Shenouda loved him greatly and revealed to him many secrets of his spiritual fights. Anba Besa had reached a high spiritual level that made him worthy to see many spiritual revelations.
Shortly before the departure of Anba Shenouda, the Lord Christ appeared to him and commended him to appoint Besa his disciple to succeed him in presiding over the monastery. Anba Shenouda brought the elder monks and told them: “I bid you farewell O my beloved children. I am going to the Lord so listen to your father Besa from this day on for he will be your father and shepherd.” When Anba Besa tried to excuse himself because of the heavy responsibility, Anba Shenouda told him: “The Lord Christ is the who appointed you a father for the monastic fellowship and a teacher for the monks. May the Lord keep His holy blessing upon you and on your holy places forever. Be steadfast in the peace of God all the days of your life, O my son.” When he said that, he departed in peace.
After the departure of Anba Shenouda, Anba Besa presided over the monastery and took care of the monks with the best of care for a full twenty years being supported by the power of God and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. When he completed his good fight, he fell ill with a great fever. He gathered the monks, blessed them and commended them with important monastic instructions, then delivered his spirit into the hands of the Lord Christ whom he loved. His children the monks shrouded him, prayed over him and buried him beside his spiritual father, Anba Shenouda.
The blessing of his prayers be with us all and glory be to our God forever. Amen.
Psalm & Gospel
Stand in the fear of God and listen to the Holy Gospel. A reading from the Holy Gospel according to our teacher Saint Matthew the Evangelist. May His Blessings be with us all. Amen.
Psalms 45:14-15
14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King's palace.
Matthew 25:1-13
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 "And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!'
7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 "Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!'
12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
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