The Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra
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This is what I heard one time when the Buddha was staying in the monastery in Anathapindika's park in the Jeta Grove near Sravasti with a community of 1,250 bhiksus, fully ordained monks.
That day, when it was time to make the round for alms, the Buddha put on his sanghati robe and, holding his bowl, went into the city of Sravasti to seek alms food, going from house to house. When the alms round was completed, he returned to the monastery to eat the midday meal. Then he put away his sanghati robe and his bowl, washed his feet, arranged his cushion, and sat down.
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At that time, the Venerable Subhuti stood up, bared his right shoulder, put his knee on the ground, and, folding his palms respectfully, said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, it is rare to find someone like you. You always support and show special confidence in the bodhisattvas.
"World-Honored One, if sons and daughters of good families want to give rise to the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind, what should they rely on and what should they do to master their thinking?"
The Buddha replied, "Well said, Subhuti! What you have said is absolutely correct. The Tathagata always supports and shows special confidence in the bodhisattvas. Please listen
with all of your attention and the Tathagata will respond to your question. If daughters and sons of good families want to give rise to the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind, they should rely on the following way."
The Venerable Subhuti said, "Lord, we are so happy to hear your teachings."
3
The Buddha said to Subhuti, "This is how the bodhisattva mahasattvas rnaster their thinking. 'However many species of living beings there are--whether born from eggs, from the womb, from moisture, or spontaneously; whether they have form or do not have form; whether they have perceptions or do not have perceptions; or whether it cannot be said of them that they have perceptions or that they do not have perceptions, we must lead all these beings to the ultimate nirvana so that they can be liberated. And when this innumerable, immeasurable, infinite number of beings has become liberated, we do not, in truth, think that a single being has been liberated,'
"Why is this so? If, Subhuti, a bodhisattva holds on to the idea that a self, a person, a living being, or a life span exists, that person is not an authentic bodhisattva."
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"Moreover, Subhuti, when a bodhisattva practices generosity, he does not rely on any object--that is to say he does not rely on any form, sound, smell, taste, tactile object, or dharma--to practice generosity. That, Subhuti, is the spirit in which a bodhisattva should practice generosity, not relying on signs. Why? If a bodhisattva practices generosity without relying on signs, the happiness that results cannot be conceived of or measured. Subhuti, do you think that the space in the Eastern Quarter can be measured?"
"No, World-Honored One."
"Subhuti, can space in the Western, Southern, and Northern Quarters, above and below be measured?"
"No, World-Honored One."
"Subhuti, if a bodhisattva does not rely on any concept when practicing generosity, then the happiness that results from that virtuous act is as great as space. It cannot be measured. Subhuti, the bodhisattvas should let their minds dwell in the teachings I have just given."
5
"What do you think, Subhuti? Is it possible to grasp the Tathagata by means of bodily signs?"
"No, World-Honored One. When the Tathagata speaks of bodily signs, there are no signs being talked about."
The Buddha said to Subhuti: "In a place where there is something that can be distinguished by signs, in that place there is deception. If you can see the signless nature of signs, then you can see the Tathagata."
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The Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha, "In times to come, will there be people who, when they hear these teachings, have real faith and confidence in them?"
The Buddha replied, "Do not speak that way, Subhuti. Five hundred years after the Tathagata has passed away, there will still be people who enjoy the happiness that comes from
observing the precepts. When such people hear these words, they will have faith and confidence that here is the truth. We should know that such people have sown seeds not only during the lifetime of one Buddha, or even two, three, four, or five Buddhas, but have, in truth, planted wholesome seeds during the lifetimes of tens of thousands of Buddhas. Anyone who, for only a second, gives rise to a pure and clear confidence upon hearing these words of the Tathagata, the Tathagata sees and knows that person, and he or she will attain immeasurable happiness because of this understanding. Why?
"Because that kind of person is not caught up in the idea of a self, a person, a living being, or a life span. They are not caught up in the idea of a dharma or the idea of a non-dharma. They are not caught up in the notion that this is a sign and that is not a sign. Why? If you are caught up in the idea of a dharma, you are also caught up in the ideas of a self, a person, a living being, and a life span. If you are caught up in the idea that there is no dharma, you are still caught up in the ideas of a self, a person, a living being, and a life span. That is why we should not get caught up in dharmas or in the idea that dharmas do not exist. This is the hidden meaning when the Tathagata says,'Bhiksus, you should know that all of the teachings I give to you are a raft.¹ All teachings must be abandoned, not to mention non-teachings."
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"What do you think, Subhuti, has the Tathagata arrived at the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind? Does the Tathagata give any teaching?"
The Venerable Subhuti replied, "As far as I have understood the Lord Buddha's teachings, there is no independently existing object of mind called the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind, nor is there any independently existing teaching that the Tathagata gives. Why? The teachings that the Tathagata has realized and spoken of cannot be conceived of as separate, independent existences and therefore cannot be described. The Tathagata's teaching is not self-existent nor is it non-self-existent. Why? Because the noble teachers are only distinguished from others in terms of the unconditioned."
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"What do you think, Subhuti? If someone were to fill the 3,000 chiliocosms with the seven precious treasures as an act of generosity, would that person bring much happiness by this virtuous act?"
The Venerable Subhuti replied, "Yes, World-Honored One. It is because the very natures of virtue and happiness are not virtue and happiness that the Tathagata is able to speak about virtue and happiness."
The Buddha said, "On the other hand, if there is someone who accepts these teachings and puts them into practice, even if only a gatha of four lines, and explains them to someone else, the happiness brought about by this virtuous act far exceeds the happiness brought about by giving the seven precious treasures. Why? Because, Subhuti, all Buddhas and the dharma of the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind of all Buddhas arise from these teachings. Subhuti, what is called Buddhadharma is everything that is not Buddhadharma."
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"What do you think, Subhuti? Does a Stream-Enterer think, 'I have attained the fruit of stream-entry.'?"
Subhuti replied, "No, World-Honored One. Why? Stream-Enterer means to enter the stream, but in fact there is no stream to enter. One does not enter a stream that is form, nor a stream that is sound, smell, taste, touch, or object of mind. That is what we mean when we say entering a stream."
"What do you think, Subhuti? Does a Once-Returner think, 'I have attained the fruit of Once-Returning.'?"
Subhuti replied, "No, World-Honored One. Why? Once-Returner means to go and return once more, but in truth there is no going just as there is no returning. That is what we mean when we say Once-Returner."
"What do you think, Subhuti? Does a Non-Returner think like this,'l have attained the fruit of No-Return.'?"
Subhuti replied,"No, World-Honored One. Why? No-Return means not to return to this world, but in fact there cannot be any Non-Returning. That is what we mean when we say Non-Returner."
"What do you think, Subhuti? Does an Arhat think like this, 'I have attained the fruit of Arhatship¹?"
Subhuti replied, "No, World-Honored One. Why? There is no separately existing thing that can be called Arhat. If an Arhat gives rise to the thought that he has attained the fruit of Arhatship, then he is still caught up in the idea of a self, a person, a living being, and a life span. World-Honored One, you have often said that I have attained the concentration of peaceful abiding and that in the community, I am the Arhat who has most transformed need and desire. World-Honored One, if I were to think that I had attained the fruit of Arhatship, you certainly would not have said that I love to dwell in the concentration of peaceful abiding."
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The Buddha asked Subhuti, "In ancient times when the Tathagata practiced under Buddha Dipankara, did he attain anything?"
Subhuti answered, "No, World-Honored One. In ancient times when the Tathagata was practicing under Buddha Dipankara, he did not attain anything."
"What do you think, Subhuti? Does a bodhisattva create a serene and beautiful Buddha field?"
"No, World-Honored One. Why? To create a serene and beautiful Buddha field is not in fact creating a serene and beautiful Buddha field. That is why it is called creating a serene and beautiful Buddha field."
The Buddha said, "So, Subhuti, all the bodhisattva mahasattvas should give rise to a pure and clear intention in this spirit. When they give rise to this intention, they should not rely on forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile objects, or objects of mind. They should give rise to an intention with their minds not dwelling anywhere.'
"Subhuti, if there were someone with a body as big as Mount Sumeru, would you say that his was a large body?"
Subhuti answered, "Yes, World-Honored One, very large. Why? What the Tathagata says is not a large body, that is known as a large body."
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"Subhuti, if there were as many Ganges Rivers as the number of grains of sand in the Ganges, would you say that the number of grains of sand in all those Ganges Rivers is very many'"
Subhuti answered, "Very many indeed, World-Honored One. If the number of Ganges Rivers were huge, how much more so the number of grains of sand in all those Ganges Rivers."
"Subhuti, now I want to ask you this: if a daughter or son of good family were to fill the 3,000 chiliocosms with as many precious jewels as the number of grains of sand in all the Ganges Rivers as an act of generosity, would that person bring much happiness by her virtuous act?"
Subhuti replied, "Very much, World-Honored One."
The Buddha said to Subhuti, "If a daughter or son of a good family knows how to accept, practice, and explain this sutra to others, even if it is a gatha of four lines, the happiness that results from this virtuous act would be far greater."
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"Furthermore, Subhuti, any plot of land on which this sutra is proclaimed, even if only one gatha of four lines, will be a land where gods, men, and asuras will come to make offerings just as they make offerings to a stupa of the Buddha. If the plot of land is regarded as that sacred, how much more so the person who practices and recites this sutra. Subhuti, you should know that that person attains something rare and profound. Wherever this sutra is kept is a sacred site enshrining the presence of the Buddha or one of the Buddha's great disciples."
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After that, Subhuti asked the Buddha, "What should this sutra be called and how should we act regarding its teachings?"
The Buddha replied,"Thls sutra should be called The Diamond that Cuts through Illusion because it has the capacity to cut through allusions and afflictions and bring us to the shore of liberation. Please use this title and practice according to its deepest meaning. Why? What the Tathagata has called the highest, transcendent understanding is not, in fact, the highest, transcendent understanding. That is why it is truly the highest, transcendent understanding:"
The Buddha asked,"What do you think, Subhuti? Is there any dharma that the Tathagata teaches?"
Subhuti replied, "The Tathagata has nothing to teach, World-Honored One."
"What do you think, Subhuti? Are there many particles of dust in the 3,000 chiliocosms?"
"Very many, World-Honored One."
"Subhuti, the Tathagata says that these particles of dust are not particles of dust, That is why they are truly particles of dust. And what the Tathagata calls chiliocosms are not in fact chiliocosms. That is why they are called chiliocosmsl"
"What do you think, Subhuti? Can the Tathagata be recognized by the possession of the thirty-two marks?"
The Venerable Subhuti replied, "No, World-Honored One. Why? Because what the Tathagata calls the thirty-two marks are not essentially marks and that is why the Tathagata calls them the thirty-two marks."
"Subhuti, if as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges a son or daughter of a good family gives up his or her life as an act of generosity and if another daughter or son of a good family knows how to accept, practice, and explain this sutra to others, even if only a gatha of four lines, the happiness resulting from explaining this sutra is far greater."
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When he had heard this much and penetrated deeply into its significance, the Venerable Subhuti was moved to tears. He said, "World-Honored One, you are truly rare in this world. Since the day I attained the eyes of understanding, thanks to the guidance of the Buddha, I have never before heard teachings so deep and wonderful as these. World-Honored One, if someone hears this sutra, has pure and clear confidence in it, and arrives at insight into the truth, that person will realize the rarest kind of virtue. World-Honored One, that insight into the truth is essentially not insight. That is what the Tathagata calls insight into the truth.
"World-Honored One, today it is not difficult for me to hear this wonderful sutra, have confidence in it, understand it, accept it, and put it into practice. But in the future, in 500 years, if there is someone who can hear this sutra, have confidence in it, understand it, accept it, and put it into practice, then certainly the existence of someone like that will be great and rare. Why? That person will not be dominated by the idea of a self, a person, a living being, or a life span. Why? The idea of a self is not an idea, and the ideas of a person, a living being, and a life span are not ideas either. Why? Buddhas are called Buddhas because they are free of ideas."
"The Buddha said to Subhuti, "That is quite right. If someone hears this sutra and is not terrified or afraid, he or she is rare. Why? Subhuti, what the Tathagata calls parama-paramita, the highest transcendence, is not essentially the highest transcendence, and that is why it is called the highest transcendence.
"Subhuti, the Tathagata has said that what is called transcendent endurance is not transcendent endurance. That is why it is called transcendent endurance. Why? Subhuti, thousands of lifetimes ago when my body was cut into pieces by King Kalinga, I was not caught in the idea of a self, a person, a living being, or a life span. If, at that time, I had been caught up in any of those ideas, I would have felt anger and ill-will against the king.
"I also remember in ancient times, for 500 lifetimes, I practiced transcendent endurance by not being caught up in the idea of a self, a person, a living being, or a life span. So, Subhuti, when a bodhisattva gives rise to the unequalled mind of awakening, he has to give up all ideas. He cannot not rely on forms when he gives rise to that mind, nor on sounds, smells, tastes, tactile objects, or objects of mind. He can only give rise to that mind that is not caught up in anything.
"The Tathagata has said that all notions are not notions and that all living beings are not living beings. Subhuti, the Tathagata is one who speaks of things as they are, speaks what is true, and speaks in accord with reality. He does not speak deceptively or to please people. Subhuti, if we say that the Tagthagata has realized a teaching, that teaching is neither graspable nor deceptive.
"Subhuti, a bodhisattva who still depends on notions to practice generosity is like someone walking in the dark. He will not see anything. But when a bodhisattva does not depend on notions to practice generosity, he is like someone with good eyesight walking under the bright light of the sun. He can see all shapes and colors.
"Subhuti, if in the future there is any daughter or son of good family who has the capacity to accept, read, and put into practice this sutra, the Tathagata will see that person with his eyes of understanding. The Tathagata will know that person, and that person will realize the measureless, limitless fruit of her or his virtuous act."
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"Subhuti, if on the one hand, a daughter or son of a good family gives up her or his life in the morning as many times as there are grains of sand in the Ganges as an act of generosity, and gives as many again in the afternoon and as many again in the evening, and continues doing so for countless ages; and if, on the other hand, another person listens to this sutra with complete confidence and without contention, that person's happiness will be far greater. But the happiness of one who writes this sutra down, receives, recites, and explains it to others cannot be compared.
"In summary, Subhuti, this sutra brings about boundless virtue and happiness that cannot be conceived or measured. If there is someone capable of receiving, practicing, reciting, and sharing this sutra with others, the Tathagata will see and know that person, and he or she will have inconceivable, indescribable, and incomparable virtue. Such a person will be able to shoulder the highest, most fulfilled, awakened career of the Tathagata. Why? Subhuti, if one is content with the small teachings, if he or she is still caught up in the idea of a self, a person, a living being, or a life span, he or she will not be able to listen, receive, recite, and explain this sutra to others. Subhuti, any place this sutra is found is a place where gods, men, and asuras will come to make offerings. Such a place is a shrine and should be venerated with formal ceremonies, circumambulations, and offerings of flowers and incense."
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"Furthermore, Subhuti, if a son or daughter of good family, while reciting and practicing this sutra, is disdained or slandered, his or her misdeeds committed in past lives, including those that could bring about an evil destiny, will be eradicated, and he or she will attain the fruit of the most fulfilled, awakened mind. Subhuti, in ancient times before I met Buddha Dipankara, I had made offerings to and had been attendant of all 84,000 multi-millions of buddhas. If someone is able to receive, recite, study, and practice this sutra in the last epoch, the happiness brought about by this virtuous act is hundreds of thousands times greater than that which I brought about in ancient times. In fact, such happiness cannot be conceived or compared with anything, even mathematically. Such happiness is immeasurable.
"Subhuti, the happiness resulting from the virtuous act of a son or daughter of good family who receives, recites, studies, and practices this sutra in the last epoch will be so great that if I were to explain it now in detail, some people would become suspicious and disbelieving, and their minds might become disoriented. Subhuti, you should know that the meaning of this sutra is beyond conception and discussion. Likewise, the fruit resulting from receiving and practicing this sutra is beyond conception and discussion."
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At that time, the Venerable Subhuti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, may I ask you again that if daughters or sons of good family want to give rise to the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind, what should they rely on and what should they do to master their thinking?"
The Buddha replied, "Subhuti, a good son or daughter who wants to give rise to the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind should do it in this way: 'We must lead all beings to the shore of awakening, but, after these beings have become liberated, we do not, in truth, think that a single being has been liberated.' Why is this so? Subhuti, if a bodhisattva is still caught up in the idea of
a self, a person, a living being or a life span, that person is not an authentic bodhisattva. Why is that?
"Subhuti, in fact, there is no independently existing object of mind called the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind. What do you think, Subhuti? In ancient times, when the Tathagata was living with Buddha Dipankara, did he attain anything called the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind?"
"No, World-Honored One. According to what I understand from the teachings of the Buddha, there is no attaining of anything called the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind."
The Buddha said, "Right you are, Subhuti. In fact, there does not exist the so-called highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind that the Tathagata attains. Because if there had been any such thing, Buddha Dipankara would not have predicted of me, 'In the future, you will come to be a Buddha called Shakyamuni.' This prediction was made because there is, in fact, nothing that can be attained that is called the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind. Why? Tathagata means the suchness of all things (dharmas). Someone would be mistaken to say that the Tathagata has attained the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind since there is not any highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind to be attained. Subhuti, the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind that the Tathagata has attained is neither graspable nor elusive. This is why the Tathagata has said, 'All dharmas are Buddhadharma.' What are called all dharmas are, in fact, not all dharmas. That is why they are called all dharmas.
"Subhuti, a comparison can be made with the idea of a great human body."
Subhuti said, "What the Tathagata calls a great human body is, in fact, not a great human body."
"Subhuti, it is the same concerning bodhisattvas. If a bodhisattva thinks that she has to liberate all living beings, then she is not yet a bodhisattva. Why? Subhuti, there is no independently existing object of mind called bodhisattva. Therefore, the Buddha has said that all dharmas are without a self, a person, a living being, or a life span. Subhuti, if a bodhisattva thinks, 'I have to create a serene and beautiful Buddha field¹, that person is not yet a bodhisattva. Why? What the Tathagata calls a serene and beautiful Buddha field is not in fact a serene and beautiful Buddha field. And that is why it is called a serene and beautiful Buddha field. Subhuti, any bodhisattva who thoroughly understands the principle of non-self and non-dharma is called by the Tathagata an authentic bodhisattva."
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"Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata have the human eye?"
Subhuti replied,"Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata does have the human eye."
The Buddha asked, "Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata have the divine eye?"
Subhuti said, "Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata does have the divine eye."
"Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Tathagata have the eye of insight?"
Subhuti replied,"Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata does have the eye of insight."
"Subhuti, what do you think? Does theTathagata have the eye of transcendent wisdom?"
"Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata does have the eye of transcendent wisdom."
The Buddha asked, "Does the Tathagata have the Buddha eye?"
"Yes, World-Honored One, the Tathagata does have the Buddha eye."
"Subhuti, what do you think? Does the Buddha see the sand in the Ganges as sand?"
Subhuti said, "World-Honored One, the Tathagata also calls it sand."
"Subhuti, if there were as many Ganges Rivers as the number of grains of sand of the Ganges and there was a Buddha land for each grain of sand in all those Ganges Rivers, would those Buddha lands be many?"
"Yes, World-Honored One, very many."
The Buddha said, "Subhuti, however many living beings there are in all these Buddha lands, though they each have a different mentality, the Tathagata understands them all. Why is that? Subhuti, what the Tathagata calls different mentalities are not in fact different mentalities. That is why they are called different mentalities."
"Why? Subhuti, the past mind cannot be grasped, neither can the present mind or the future mind."
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"What do you think, Subhuti? If someone were to fill the 3,000 chiliocosms with precious treasures as an act of generosity, would that person bring great happiness by his virtuous act?" "Yes, very much, World-Honored One."
"Subhuti, if such happiness were conceived as an entity separate from everything else, the Tathagata would not have said it to be great, but because it is ungraspable, the Tathagata has said that the virtuous act of that person brought about great happiness."
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"Subhuti, what do you think? Can the Tathagata be perceived by his perfectly formed body?"
"No, World-Honored One. What the Tathagata calls a perfectly formed body is not in fact a perfectly formed body. That is why it is called a perfectly formed body."
"What do you think, Subhuti? Can the Tathagata be perceived by his perfectly formed physiognomy?"
"No, World-Honored One. It is impossible to perceive the Tathagata by any perfectly formed physiognomy. Why? Because what the Tathagata calls perfectly formed physiognomy is not in fact perfectly formed physiognomy. That is why it is called perfectly formed physiognomy."
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"Subhuti, do not say that the Tathagata conceives the idea 'I will give a teaching¹. Do not think that way. Why? If anyone says that the Tathagata has something to teach, that person slanders the Buddha because he does not understand what I say. Subhuti, giving a Dharma talk in fact means that no talk is given. This is truly a Dharma talk."
Then, Insight-Life Subhuti said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, in the future, will there be living beings who will feel complete confidence when they hear these words?"
The Buddha said, "Subhuti, those living beings are neither living beings nor non-living beings. Why is that? Subhuti, what the Tathagata calls non-living beings are truly living beings."
22
Subhuti asked the Buddha, "World-Honored One, is the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind that the Buddha attained the unattainable?"
The Buddha said, "That is right, Subhuti. Regarding the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind, I have not attained anything. That is why it is called the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind."
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"Furthermore, Subhuti, that mind is everywhere equally. Because it is neither high nor low, it is called the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind. The fruit of the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind is realized through the practice of all wholesome actions in the spirit of non-self, nonperson, non-living being, and non-life span. Subhuti, what are called wholesome actions are in fact not wholesome actions. That is why they are called wholesome actions."
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"Subhuti, if someone were to fill the 3,000 chiliocosms with piles of the seven precious treasures as high as Mount Sumeru as an act of generosity, the happiness resulting from this is much less than that of another person who knows how to accept, practice, and explain the Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra to others. The happiness resulting from the virtue of a person who practices this sutra, even if it is only a gatha of four lines, cannot be described by using examples or mathematics."
25
"Subhuti, do not say that the Tathagata has the idea, 'I will bring living beings to the shore of liberation.' Do not think that way, Subhuti. Why? In truth there is not one single being for the Tathagata to bring to the other shore. If the Tathagata were to think there was, he would be caught in the idea of a self, a person, a living being, or a life span. Subhuti, what the Tathagata calls a self essentially has no self in the way that ordinary persons think there is a self. Subhuti, the
Tathagata does not regard anyone as an ordinary person. That is why he can call them ordinary persons."
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"What do you think, Subhuti? Can someone meditate on the Tathagata by means of the thirty-two marks?"
Subhuti said, "Yes, World-Honored One. We should use the thirty-two marks to meditate on the Tathagata."
The Buddha said, "If you say that you can use the thirty-two marks to see the Tathagata, then the Cakravartin is also a Tathagata?"
Subhuti said, "World-Honored One, I understand your teaching. One should not use the thirty-two marks to meditate on the Tathagata."
Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:
"Someone who looks for me in form or seeks me in sound
is on a mistaken path and cannot see the Tathagata."
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"Subhuti, if you think that the Tathagata realizes the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind and does not need to have all the marks, you are wrong. Subhuti, do not think in that way. Do not think that when one gives rise to the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind, one needs to see all objects of mind as nonexistent, cut off from life. Please do not think in that way. One who gives rise to the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind does not contend that all objects of mind are nonexistent and cut off from life."
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"Subhuti, if a bodhisattva were to fill the 3,000 chiliocosms with the seven precious treasures, as many as the number of sand grains in the Ganges as an act of generosity, the happiness brought about by his or her virtue is less than that brought about by someone who has understood and wholeheartedly accepted the truth that all dharmas are of selfless nature and is able to live and bear fully this truth. Why is that, Subhuti? Because a bodhisattva does not need to build up virtue and happmess."
Subhuti asked the Buddha, "What do you mean, World-Honored One, when you say that a bodhisattva does not need to build up virtue and happiness?"
"Subhuti, a bodhisattva gives rise to virtue but is not caught in the idea of virtue and happiness. That is why the Tathagata has said that a bodhisattva does not need to build up virtue and happiness."
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"Subhuti, if someone says that the World-Honored One comes, goes, sits, and lies down, that person has not understood what I have said. Why? The meaning of Tathagata is 'does not come from anywhere and does not go anywhere¹. That is why he is called a Tathagata."
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"Subhuti, if a daughter or son of a good family were to grind the 3,000 chiliocosms to particles of dust, do you think there would be many particles?"
Subhuti replied, "World-Honored One, there would be many indeed. Why? If particles of dust had a real self-existence, the Buddha would not have called them particles of dust. What the Buddha calls particles of dust are not, in essence, particles of dust. That is why they can be called particles of dust. World-Honored One, what the Tathagata calls the 3,000 chiliocosms are not chiliocosms. That is why they are called chiliocosms. Why? If chiliocosms are real, they are a compound of particles under the conditions of being assembled into an object. That which the Tathagata calls a compound is not essentially a compound. That is why it is called a compound."
"Subhuti, what is called a compound is just a conventional way of speaking. It has no real basis. Only ordinary people are caught up in conventional terms."
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"Subhuti, if anyone says that the Buddha has spoken of a self view, a person view, a living-being view, or a life span view, has that person understood my meaning?"
"No, World-Honored One. Such a person has not understood the Tathagata. Why? What the Tathagata calls a self view, a person view, a living-being view, or a life span view are not in essence a self view, a person view, a living-being view, or a life span view. That is why they are called a self view, a person view, a living-being view, or a life span view."
"Subhuti, someone who gives rise to the highest, most fulfilled, awakened mind should know that this is true of all dharmas, should see that all dharmas are like this, should have confidence in the understanding of all dharmas without any conceptions about dharmas. Subhuti, what is called a conception of dharmas, the Tathagata has said, is not a conception of dharmas. That is why it is called a conception of dharmas."
32
"Subhuti, if someone were to offer an immeasurable quantity of the seven treasures to fill the worlds as infinite as space as an act of generosity, the happiness resulting from that virtuous act would not equal the happiness resulting from a son or daughter of a good family who gives rise to the awakened mind and reads, recites, accepts, and puts into practice this sutra, and explains it to others, even if only a gatha of four lines. In what spirit is this explanation given? Without being caught up in signs, just according to things as they are, without agitation. Why is this?
"All composed things are like a dream,
a phantom, a drop of dew, a flash of lightning.
That is how to meditate on them,
that is how to observe them."
After they heard the Lord Buddha deliver this sutra, the Venerable Subhuti, the bhiksus and bhiksunis, laymen and laywomen, and gods and asuras, filled with joy and confidence, undertook to put these teachings into practice.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
The Heart Sutra
The Heart Sutra
Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, meditating deeply on Perfection of Wisdom, saw clearly that the five aspects of human existence are empty*, and so released himself from suffering. Answering the monk Sariputra, he said this:
Body is nothing more than emptiness,
emptiness is nothing more than body.
The body is exactly empty,
and emptiness is exactly body.
The other four aspects of human existence --
feeling, thought, will, and consciousness --
are likewise nothing more than emptiness,
and emptiness nothing more than they.
All things are empty:
Nothing is born, nothing dies,
nothing is pure, nothing is stained,
nothing increases and nothing decreases.
So, in emptiness, there is no body,
no feeling, no thought,
no will, no consciousness.
There are no eyes, no ears,
no nose, no tongue,
no body, no mind.
There is no seeing, no hearing,
no smelling, no tasting,
no touching, no imagining.
There is nothing seen, nor heard,
nor smelled, nor tasted,
nor touched, nor imagined.
There is no ignorance,
and no end to ignorance.
There is no old age and death,
and no end to old age and death.
There is no suffering, no cause of suffering,
no end to suffering, no path to follow.
There is no attainment of wisdom,
and no wisdom to attain.
The Bodhisattvas rely on the Perfection of Wisdom,
and so with no delusions,
they feel no fear,
and have Nirvana here and now.
All the Buddhas,
past, present, and future,
rely on the Perfection of Wisdom,
and live in full enlightenment.
The Perfection of Wisdom is the greatest mantra.
It is the clearest mantra,
the highest mantra,
the mantra that removes all suffering.
This is truth that cannot be doubted.
Say it so:
Gaté,
gaté,
paragaté,
parasamgaté.
Bodhi!
Svaha!
Which means...
Gone,
gone,
gone over,
gone fully over.
Awakened!
So be it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Emptiness is the usual translation for the Buddhist term Sunyata (or Shunyata). It refers to the fact that no thing -- including human existence -- has ultimate substantiality, which in turn means that no thing is permanent and no thing is totally independent of everything else. In other words, everything in this world is interconnected and in constant flux. A deep appreciation of this idea of emptiness thus saves us from the suffering caused by our egos, our attachments, and our resistance to change and loss.
Note: Perfection of Wisdom is a translation of Prajnaparamita. The full title of this sutra is The Heart of Prajnaparamita Sutra.
Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, meditating deeply on Perfection of Wisdom, saw clearly that the five aspects of human existence are empty*, and so released himself from suffering. Answering the monk Sariputra, he said this:
Body is nothing more than emptiness,
emptiness is nothing more than body.
The body is exactly empty,
and emptiness is exactly body.
The other four aspects of human existence --
feeling, thought, will, and consciousness --
are likewise nothing more than emptiness,
and emptiness nothing more than they.
All things are empty:
Nothing is born, nothing dies,
nothing is pure, nothing is stained,
nothing increases and nothing decreases.
So, in emptiness, there is no body,
no feeling, no thought,
no will, no consciousness.
There are no eyes, no ears,
no nose, no tongue,
no body, no mind.
There is no seeing, no hearing,
no smelling, no tasting,
no touching, no imagining.
There is nothing seen, nor heard,
nor smelled, nor tasted,
nor touched, nor imagined.
There is no ignorance,
and no end to ignorance.
There is no old age and death,
and no end to old age and death.
There is no suffering, no cause of suffering,
no end to suffering, no path to follow.
There is no attainment of wisdom,
and no wisdom to attain.
The Bodhisattvas rely on the Perfection of Wisdom,
and so with no delusions,
they feel no fear,
and have Nirvana here and now.
All the Buddhas,
past, present, and future,
rely on the Perfection of Wisdom,
and live in full enlightenment.
The Perfection of Wisdom is the greatest mantra.
It is the clearest mantra,
the highest mantra,
the mantra that removes all suffering.
This is truth that cannot be doubted.
Say it so:
Gaté,
gaté,
paragaté,
parasamgaté.
Bodhi!
Svaha!
Which means...
Gone,
gone,
gone over,
gone fully over.
Awakened!
So be it!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* Emptiness is the usual translation for the Buddhist term Sunyata (or Shunyata). It refers to the fact that no thing -- including human existence -- has ultimate substantiality, which in turn means that no thing is permanent and no thing is totally independent of everything else. In other words, everything in this world is interconnected and in constant flux. A deep appreciation of this idea of emptiness thus saves us from the suffering caused by our egos, our attachments, and our resistance to change and loss.
Note: Perfection of Wisdom is a translation of Prajnaparamita. The full title of this sutra is The Heart of Prajnaparamita Sutra.
Roman Catholic Daily Readings For Tuesday, 30 November
From USCCB, Catholic Online and CNA:
Daily Readings:
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: Fast of the Nativity (Advent)
St. Andrew
Feastday: November 30
Patron of Fisherman
Andrew, like his brother Simon Peter, was a fisherman. He became a disciple of the great St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John to follow the Divine Master. Jesus knew that Andrew was walking behind him, and turning back, he asked, "what do you seek?" When Andrew answered that he would like to know where Jesus lived, Our Lord replied, "Come and see." Andrew had been only a little time with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah.
From then on, he chose to follow Jesus. Andrew was thus the first disciple of Christ. Next, Andrew brought his brother Simon (St. Peter) to Jesus and Jesus received him, too, as His disciple. At first the two brothers continued to carry on their fishing trade and family affairs, but later, the Lord called them to stay with Him all the time. He promised to make them fishers of men, and this time, they left their nets for good. It is believed that after Our Lord ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Two countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron - Russia and Scotland.
More Saints of the Day
•St. Zosimus
•St. Trojan
•St. Tudwal
•St. Constantius
•St. Joseph Marchand
•St. Maura
Reading 1
Rom 10:9-18
Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for
Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11Responsorial PsalmR. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Mt 4:18-22GospelAs Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Daily Readings:
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: Fast of the Nativity (Advent)
St. Andrew
Feastday: November 30
Patron of Fisherman
Andrew, like his brother Simon Peter, was a fisherman. He became a disciple of the great St. John the Baptist, but when John pointed to Jesus and said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" Andrew understood that Jesus was greater. At once he left John to follow the Divine Master. Jesus knew that Andrew was walking behind him, and turning back, he asked, "what do you seek?" When Andrew answered that he would like to know where Jesus lived, Our Lord replied, "Come and see." Andrew had been only a little time with Jesus when he realized that this was truly the Messiah.
From then on, he chose to follow Jesus. Andrew was thus the first disciple of Christ. Next, Andrew brought his brother Simon (St. Peter) to Jesus and Jesus received him, too, as His disciple. At first the two brothers continued to carry on their fishing trade and family affairs, but later, the Lord called them to stay with Him all the time. He promised to make them fishers of men, and this time, they left their nets for good. It is believed that after Our Lord ascended into Heaven, St. Andrew went to Greece to preach the gospel. He is said to have been put to death on a cross, to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days in that state of suffering, still preaching to the people who gathered around their beloved Apostle. Two countries have chosen St. Andrew as their patron - Russia and Scotland.
More Saints of the Day
•St. Zosimus
•St. Trojan
•St. Tudwal
•St. Constantius
•St. Joseph Marchand
•St. Maura
Reading 1
Rom 10:9-18
Brothers and sisters:
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
The Scripture says,
No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
There is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone to preach?
And how can people preach unless they are sent?
As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news!
But not everyone has heeded the good news;
for Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?
Thus faith comes from what is heard,
and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.
But I ask, did they not hear?
Certainly they did; for
Their voice has gone forth to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.
Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11Responsorial PsalmR. (10) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. (John 6:63) Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
or:
R. Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life.
Mt 4:18-22GospelAs Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,
Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew,
casting a net into the sea; they were fishermen.
He said to them,
“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
At once they left their nets and followed him.
He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.
They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.
He called them, and immediately they left their boat and their father
and followed him.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Daily Readings For Tuesday, 30 November (21 Hadar 2003)
From kidusmarkos.org and ethiopiantewahedo.com:
Daily Readings:
Week Two, Day Three
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: + Kidist Mariam (Holy Virgin Mary)
Advent
The Tenth day
Morning Prayer
Make the sign of the Cross…
In the name of the Father....
Opening Prayer
O God, our refuge and our strength, who are the author of all goodness; be merciful to us, we pray that you may hear us and accept our morning prayer; and grant us the things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Saviour and our master. Amen. Our Father…
Psalm 50: 1-23
50:1 The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof. 50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. 50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. 50:5 Gather my saints together to me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah. 50:7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even your God. 50:8 I will not reprove thee for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. 50:9 I will take no bullock out of your house, nor he goats out of your folds. 50:10 Forevery beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 50:11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. 50:12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 50:13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 50:14 Offer to God thanksgiving; and pay your vows to the most High: 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me. 50:16 But to the wicked God saith, What have you to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in your mouth? 50:17 Seeing you hate instruction, and casts my words behind thee. 50:18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and have been partaker with adulterers. 50:19 You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frameth deceit. 50:20 Thou sittest and speakest against your brother; thou slanderest your own mother's son. 50:21 These things have you done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before your eyes. 50:22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. 50:23 Whoso offers praise glorifieth me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Psalm 51: 1-19
51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness: according to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shall make me to know wisdom. 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. 51:9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 51:11 Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free spirit. 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors your ways; and sinners shall be converted to thee. 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall declarethy praise. 51:16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 51:18 Do good in your good pleasure to Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 51:19 Then shall thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon your altar. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Psalm 52: 1-9
52:1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endures continually. 52:2 The tongue devises mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 52:3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 52:4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 52:5 God shall likewise destroy thee forever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of your dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. 52:6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 52:7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. 52:8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. 52:9 I will praise thee forever, because you have done it: and I will wait on your name; for it is good before your saints. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Scripture Readings
1st Reading
1st Kings 9: 2-5
9:2 That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to him, I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me: I have hallowed this house, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David your father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. He who receives the Prophet by the name of the Prophet shall receive the Prophet’s reward. Amen
2nd Reading
Romans 8: 12-17
8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. He who receives the Apostle by the name of the Apostle shall receive the Apostle’s reward. Amen
3rd Reading (Chant)
Psalm 55: 1-2
55:1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 55:2 Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Halleluiah! Stand and harken to the Holy Gospel, the message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
4th Reading
The Gospel of St. John 14: 1-7
14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith to him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life…
Concluding Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, who are the sources of all good things, and cleanse our hearts, strengthen us in love through the Holy Spirit. Grant your grace that we may always be grateful for all the goodness you have given us and may we bear our trials with patience, today, tomorrow and always. Amen. Our Father…
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 10
Evening Prayer
In the Name of the Father……..
Opening Prayer
Merciful God and Father, we humbly ask you in our evening prayer to help and teach us how to love and respect to each other sincerely, and we may work for peace and welfare of those who need our help in our communities: and make us more like you in serving others. Amen. Our Father…
Psalm 53: 1-6
53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 53:2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. 53:3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 53:4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. 53:5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encamps against thee: you have put them to shame, because God hath despised them. 53:6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Psalm 54: 1-7
54:1 Save me, O God, by your name, and judge me by your strength. 54:2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. 54:3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah. 54:4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. 54:5 He shall reward evil to mine enemies: cut them off in your truth. 54:6 I will freely sacrifice to thee: I will praise your name, O Lord; for it is good. 54:7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Psalm 55: 1-23
55:1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 55:2 Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; 55:3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. 55:4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. 55:5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. 55:6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. 55:7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. 55:8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. 55:9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. 55:10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. 55:11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets. 55:12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 55:13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 55:14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company. 55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. 55:18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. 55:19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abides of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. 55:20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. 55:21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. 55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. 55:23 But thou, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Scripture Reading
1st Reading
1st Kings 8: 51-53 or 50-53
8:50 And forgive your people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: For they be your people, and your inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: That your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to hearken to them in all that they call for to thee. For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be your inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses your servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God. He who receives the prophet by the name of the prophet shall receive the prophet’s reward. Amen
2nd Reading
Acts 2: 25-28
2:25 For David speaks concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; thou shall make me full of joy with your countenance. He who receives the Apostle by the name of the Apostle shall receive the Apostle’ s reward. Amen
3rd Reading (Chant)
Psalm 55: 1-2
55:1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 55:2 Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Halleluiah! Stand and harken to the Holy Gospel, the message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
4th Reading
The Gospel of St. John 14: 1-3
14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life…
Concluding Prayer
O Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who opened up our salvation through your death and resurrection, we ask you in our evening prayer to direct us in the path of true life, and write your law in our hearts. Grant us your wonderful peace throughout this coming night. Amen. Our Father….
The Synaxarium:
THE THIRD MONTH
HEDAR 21
(November 30)
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT,
ONE GOD. AMEN.
And on this day also died Saint Gregory, the worker of signs and wonders. This holy man came from the country of Rome, and from his earliest years he was taught philosophy and the True Faith. He was a true Christian, and he remembered the end of this world, and the never-ending abidingness of the kingdom of the heavens, and he devoted all his mind to the salvation of his soul. And the bishop of that city asked him to help him in the work of his episcopate, but he did not wish for this for he used to flee from the praises of men; after this he fled to the desert where he fought a good fight. When the bishop of that city died [the priests] tried to make him bishop, but they could not find him; and when the people were gathered together, and Gregory, the preacher of Divinity, was with them, a voice came unto them saying, “Seek for Gregory, the dweller in the desert, and set him over you.” And they sought for him but found him not, and they continued [to seek for him] for many days. And whilst they were seeking for him in the desert and mountains, he was nigh unto them though they knew it not. And when they found him not they all with one accord agreed and took a Book of the Gospels and set it over them, and this Book which they set over them they named “Gregory, the preacher of Godhead.” And the angel of the Lord appeared unto this Saint Gregory, and said unto him, “Rise up and get thee gone, for they have made thee bishop over them; and refuse not this thing, for it is from God.” And he was unable to resist the Divine command, and he descended from the mountain, and went to them, and they went forth to meet him with great honor, and they carried out his enthronement. And God made manifest through him signs and wonders innumerable, and because of this he was called “Gregory, the worker of signs and miracles,” because of the multitude of his signs and wonders. Now there was a certain small lake wherein two brethren used to catch many fish, which they sold for much money, and they disputed between themselves about the lake, each one saying, “This Lake belongs to me only.” When they were unable to agree about it they came to Bishop Gregory to make a decision about that lake for them, and he decided that they should divide the lake between them. And when they refused to agree together as he commanded them, and they would not do as the saint told them, but each continued to say, “I will take it for myself,” straightway Saint Gregory asked God concerning that lake. And the earth swallowed up the lake, and the water became dry land, and it remains so to this day. And the report of the signs and wonders, which he used to work, was heard in all the earth; and having finished his good fight he died in peace [and departed] from this fleeting world and entered into everlasting joy. Salutation to Gregory whose odor is sweeter then cinnamon, and who dried up a lake about which two brethren quarreled.
And on this day also died the holy father Abba Cosmas, the fifty-first Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. On this holy man came tribulation and much sorrow, and in his days great tribulation came upon the Christians. And about that time also the King of the Muslims put them to shame, for he commanded that the Christians and the Jews should not wear white apparel, and that they should distinguish themselves by wearing apparel the color of indigo. And in the days of this holy father many signs and wonders appeared, and among them was the wonder of the figure of our holy Lady the Virgin Mary, which was in the church of Saint Severus in the desert of Scete; this figure opened itself down on one side, and from it much blood flowed. And there were many figures [of the Virgin] in the country of Egypt from the eyes of which tears flowed in abundance, and those who have understanding and wisdom will know that this took place because of the tribulation, and trials and sorrow which came upon the bishops and the believers. And after this God gave good days in the place of those days which were bad. And this father taught the believers continually, and he strengthened them in the True Faith; and he sat upon the throne of Mark for seven years and five months. He died on the twenty-first day of the month of Khedar in the five hundred and seventy-fifth year of the martyrs (A.D. 859), and he was buried in a cave near Donosor. Salutation to thy upright episcopacy, thou on account of whose sorrow the figure of the Virgin shed tears.
And on this day also are commemorated the holy martyrs Alphaeus, and Zacchaeus, and Romanus, and John, and Thomas, and Victor, and Isaac from the city of Eshmunen. Salutation to you, O ye bright stars of Eshmunen.
And on this day also died Abba John of the city of Asyut. The parents of this holy man were glassmakers, and when this saint was born they brought him up under good admonitions and teaching; after he grew up they taught him the craft of the carpenter, and after a few days, when his father and his mother were dead, he departed to the saints Abba Isidore and Abba Bayman and adopted the garb of the monk; and he devoted himself so strenuously to fasting and prayer that his name was heard of in remote monasteries. Then the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and commanded him to go to his own country and to teach the people thereof the way of righteousness. Now he never left his cell except to receive the Offering. And one day two holy old men came to him, Abba Abzel and Abba Besoy, and before they had come near him he cried out from a distance, saying, “Peace to your visit, O my fathers,” and he addressed them by their names though he knew them not. And they marveled greatly. And Saint Sinoda, the pillar of Egypt, used to visit him often and embrace him. When the wicked pagans attacked the land of Egypt and war broke out, the Emperor Theodosius sent the governor of Egypt who marched against them. And he sent Saint John and took his cross, and the saint said unto the governor, “Fear not. Thou shalt conquer,” and so it came to pass according to his word. And war broke out a second time against Theodosius, and he sent [to enquire of] Saint John [how it would end, and the saint said unto him], “Be not sad. Thou shalt conquer,” and the Emperor Maximianus conquered them (i.e. the enemy). One day the Emperor Theodosius commanded [his soldiers] to kill the men of Asyut and to plunder their city because of the great work of foulness, which they had done. Now the angel of God made Abba John to know this before the governor arrived. When the men of the city heard of the emperor’s command they went up the mountain to Abba John [and he said unto them], “Be not sad, for God will save you.” When the governor arrived, he came into the cell of this holy man John in order to be blessed by him, and Abba John told the governor everything which the emperor had commanded; and when the governor heard this he was amazed and he prostrated himself before his holiness. And the governor had a son who was eighteen years old and who was possessed by the spirit of a devil, and he asked the holy man to heal him. And the holy may prayed over some oil and water, and having anointed him therewith he was healed straightway. Then the saint asked the governor to write to the emperor, and to abandon the slaughter of the men of Asyut, and the governor wrote a letter to him and gave it to Abba John. And having taken the letter and gone into his cell, he prayed, and a cloud of light came and it took up Abba John and brought him to the emperor, and when the emperor had a table prepared Saint John threw the letter upon it. And the emperor took it and read it, and he found that it was the letter, which the governor had written for Father John. And having lifted up his eyes he saw a cloud of light above him, and he was terrified. Then he wrote a letter to the governor in his own handwriting and under his own secret sign, [telling him] to abandon the destruction of the city through the prayer of Abba John. And the emperor threw his letter on the cloud, and those who were assembled there saw a hand receive it, and it went inside the cloud; and during that night the saint returned to the mountain; and on the following day he gave the letter with the emperor’s seal upon it to the governor. When the governor saw it he was amazed, and he praised God for the saving of the city, and he departed to his own country. And the fame of Saint John being noised abroad a certain noble lady, a kinswoman of the emperor, went to him to be healed of her disease, and by his prayer she was healed. Then the Emperor Theodosius died and the wicked Marcian reigned, and he brought tribulation upon our father Dioscurus. And Abba John sent him a letter abusing him and cursing him because he had changed the Faith, and after a few days God killed him. When Abba John was one hundred and twenty-five years old he knew that his [time of] rest had come, and as he was praying to God he fell forward on his face on the ground, and delivered up his soul into the hand of his Creator. And innumerable signs and wonders appeared at his grave. Salutation to John who was arrayed in holiness.
And on this day took place the translation of the body of Saint Deborah, who is also called “Tchebare,” of the city of Dalbat; her story is written in the book of her strife.
Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.
Daily Readings:
Week Two, Day Three
Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: + Kidist Mariam (Holy Virgin Mary)
Advent
The Tenth day
Morning Prayer
Make the sign of the Cross…
In the name of the Father....
Opening Prayer
O God, our refuge and our strength, who are the author of all goodness; be merciful to us, we pray that you may hear us and accept our morning prayer; and grant us the things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually; through Jesus Christ our Saviour and our master. Amen. Our Father…
Psalm 50: 1-23
50:1 The mighty God, even the Lord, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof. 50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. 50:3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. 50:4 He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people. 50:5 Gather my saints together to me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. 50:6 And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah. 50:7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even your God. 50:8 I will not reprove thee for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. 50:9 I will take no bullock out of your house, nor he goats out of your folds. 50:10 Forevery beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. 50:11 I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. 50:12 If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. 50:13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? 50:14 Offer to God thanksgiving; and pay your vows to the most High: 50:15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shall glorify me. 50:16 But to the wicked God saith, What have you to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in your mouth? 50:17 Seeing you hate instruction, and casts my words behind thee. 50:18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and have been partaker with adulterers. 50:19 You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue frameth deceit. 50:20 Thou sittest and speakest against your brother; thou slanderest your own mother's son. 50:21 These things have you done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before your eyes. 50:22 Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. 50:23 Whoso offers praise glorifieth me: and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Psalm 51: 1-19
51:1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness: according to the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 51:2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shall make me to know wisdom. 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which you have broken may rejoice. 51:9 Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 51:11 Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free spirit. 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors your ways; and sinners shall be converted to thee. 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall declarethy praise. 51:16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 51:18 Do good in your good pleasure to Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 51:19 Then shall thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon your altar. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Psalm 52: 1-9
52:1 Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endures continually. 52:2 The tongue devises mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 52:3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 52:4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 52:5 God shall likewise destroy thee forever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of your dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. 52:6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 52:7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. 52:8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. 52:9 I will praise thee forever, because you have done it: and I will wait on your name; for it is good before your saints. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Scripture Readings
1st Reading
1st Kings 9: 2-5
9:2 That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. And the Lord said to him, I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me: I have hallowed this house, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom upon Israel forever, as I promised to David your father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. He who receives the Prophet by the name of the Prophet shall receive the Prophet’s reward. Amen
2nd Reading
Romans 8: 12-17
8:12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. He who receives the Apostle by the name of the Apostle shall receive the Apostle’s reward. Amen
3rd Reading (Chant)
Psalm 55: 1-2
55:1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 55:2 Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Halleluiah! Stand and harken to the Holy Gospel, the message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
4th Reading
The Gospel of St. John 14: 1-7
14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith to him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life…
Concluding Prayer
Almighty and everlasting God, who are the sources of all good things, and cleanse our hearts, strengthen us in love through the Holy Spirit. Grant your grace that we may always be grateful for all the goodness you have given us and may we bear our trials with patience, today, tomorrow and always. Amen. Our Father…
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Day 10
Evening Prayer
In the Name of the Father……..
Opening Prayer
Merciful God and Father, we humbly ask you in our evening prayer to help and teach us how to love and respect to each other sincerely, and we may work for peace and welfare of those who need our help in our communities: and make us more like you in serving others. Amen. Our Father…
Psalm 53: 1-6
53:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 53:2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. 53:3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 53:4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. 53:5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encamps against thee: you have put them to shame, because God hath despised them. 53:6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Psalm 54: 1-7
54:1 Save me, O God, by your name, and judge me by your strength. 54:2 Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. 54:3 For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah. 54:4 Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul. 54:5 He shall reward evil to mine enemies: cut them off in your truth. 54:6 I will freely sacrifice to thee: I will praise your name, O Lord; for it is good. 54:7 For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Psalm 55: 1-23
55:1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 55:2 Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; 55:3 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me. 55:4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. 55:5 Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. 55:6 And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. 55:7 Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. 55:8 I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. 55:9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city. 55:10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. 55:11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets. 55:12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him: 55:13 But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance. 55:14 We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company. 55:15 Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them. 55:16 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice. 55:18 He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me. 55:19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abides of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God. 55:20 He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant. 55:21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords. 55:22 Cast your burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. 55:23 But thou, O God, shall bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, As it was in the beginning…
Scripture Reading
1st Reading
1st Kings 8: 51-53 or 50-53
8:50 And forgive your people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: For they be your people, and your inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: That your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to hearken to them in all that they call for to thee. For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be your inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses your servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God. He who receives the prophet by the name of the prophet shall receive the prophet’s reward. Amen
2nd Reading
Acts 2: 25-28
2:25 For David speaks concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; thou shall make me full of joy with your countenance. He who receives the Apostle by the name of the Apostle shall receive the Apostle’ s reward. Amen
3rd Reading (Chant)
Psalm 55: 1-2
55:1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. 55:2 Attend to me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Halleluiah! Stand and harken to the Holy Gospel, the message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
4th Reading
The Gospel of St. John 14: 1-3
14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life…
Concluding Prayer
O Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, who opened up our salvation through your death and resurrection, we ask you in our evening prayer to direct us in the path of true life, and write your law in our hearts. Grant us your wonderful peace throughout this coming night. Amen. Our Father….
The Synaxarium:
THE THIRD MONTH
HEDAR 21
(November 30)
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT,
ONE GOD. AMEN.
And on this day also died Saint Gregory, the worker of signs and wonders. This holy man came from the country of Rome, and from his earliest years he was taught philosophy and the True Faith. He was a true Christian, and he remembered the end of this world, and the never-ending abidingness of the kingdom of the heavens, and he devoted all his mind to the salvation of his soul. And the bishop of that city asked him to help him in the work of his episcopate, but he did not wish for this for he used to flee from the praises of men; after this he fled to the desert where he fought a good fight. When the bishop of that city died [the priests] tried to make him bishop, but they could not find him; and when the people were gathered together, and Gregory, the preacher of Divinity, was with them, a voice came unto them saying, “Seek for Gregory, the dweller in the desert, and set him over you.” And they sought for him but found him not, and they continued [to seek for him] for many days. And whilst they were seeking for him in the desert and mountains, he was nigh unto them though they knew it not. And when they found him not they all with one accord agreed and took a Book of the Gospels and set it over them, and this Book which they set over them they named “Gregory, the preacher of Godhead.” And the angel of the Lord appeared unto this Saint Gregory, and said unto him, “Rise up and get thee gone, for they have made thee bishop over them; and refuse not this thing, for it is from God.” And he was unable to resist the Divine command, and he descended from the mountain, and went to them, and they went forth to meet him with great honor, and they carried out his enthronement. And God made manifest through him signs and wonders innumerable, and because of this he was called “Gregory, the worker of signs and miracles,” because of the multitude of his signs and wonders. Now there was a certain small lake wherein two brethren used to catch many fish, which they sold for much money, and they disputed between themselves about the lake, each one saying, “This Lake belongs to me only.” When they were unable to agree about it they came to Bishop Gregory to make a decision about that lake for them, and he decided that they should divide the lake between them. And when they refused to agree together as he commanded them, and they would not do as the saint told them, but each continued to say, “I will take it for myself,” straightway Saint Gregory asked God concerning that lake. And the earth swallowed up the lake, and the water became dry land, and it remains so to this day. And the report of the signs and wonders, which he used to work, was heard in all the earth; and having finished his good fight he died in peace [and departed] from this fleeting world and entered into everlasting joy. Salutation to Gregory whose odor is sweeter then cinnamon, and who dried up a lake about which two brethren quarreled.
And on this day also died the holy father Abba Cosmas, the fifty-first Archbishop of the city of Alexandria. On this holy man came tribulation and much sorrow, and in his days great tribulation came upon the Christians. And about that time also the King of the Muslims put them to shame, for he commanded that the Christians and the Jews should not wear white apparel, and that they should distinguish themselves by wearing apparel the color of indigo. And in the days of this holy father many signs and wonders appeared, and among them was the wonder of the figure of our holy Lady the Virgin Mary, which was in the church of Saint Severus in the desert of Scete; this figure opened itself down on one side, and from it much blood flowed. And there were many figures [of the Virgin] in the country of Egypt from the eyes of which tears flowed in abundance, and those who have understanding and wisdom will know that this took place because of the tribulation, and trials and sorrow which came upon the bishops and the believers. And after this God gave good days in the place of those days which were bad. And this father taught the believers continually, and he strengthened them in the True Faith; and he sat upon the throne of Mark for seven years and five months. He died on the twenty-first day of the month of Khedar in the five hundred and seventy-fifth year of the martyrs (A.D. 859), and he was buried in a cave near Donosor. Salutation to thy upright episcopacy, thou on account of whose sorrow the figure of the Virgin shed tears.
And on this day also are commemorated the holy martyrs Alphaeus, and Zacchaeus, and Romanus, and John, and Thomas, and Victor, and Isaac from the city of Eshmunen. Salutation to you, O ye bright stars of Eshmunen.
And on this day also died Abba John of the city of Asyut. The parents of this holy man were glassmakers, and when this saint was born they brought him up under good admonitions and teaching; after he grew up they taught him the craft of the carpenter, and after a few days, when his father and his mother were dead, he departed to the saints Abba Isidore and Abba Bayman and adopted the garb of the monk; and he devoted himself so strenuously to fasting and prayer that his name was heard of in remote monasteries. Then the angel of the Lord appeared unto him and commanded him to go to his own country and to teach the people thereof the way of righteousness. Now he never left his cell except to receive the Offering. And one day two holy old men came to him, Abba Abzel and Abba Besoy, and before they had come near him he cried out from a distance, saying, “Peace to your visit, O my fathers,” and he addressed them by their names though he knew them not. And they marveled greatly. And Saint Sinoda, the pillar of Egypt, used to visit him often and embrace him. When the wicked pagans attacked the land of Egypt and war broke out, the Emperor Theodosius sent the governor of Egypt who marched against them. And he sent Saint John and took his cross, and the saint said unto the governor, “Fear not. Thou shalt conquer,” and so it came to pass according to his word. And war broke out a second time against Theodosius, and he sent [to enquire of] Saint John [how it would end, and the saint said unto him], “Be not sad. Thou shalt conquer,” and the Emperor Maximianus conquered them (i.e. the enemy). One day the Emperor Theodosius commanded [his soldiers] to kill the men of Asyut and to plunder their city because of the great work of foulness, which they had done. Now the angel of God made Abba John to know this before the governor arrived. When the men of the city heard of the emperor’s command they went up the mountain to Abba John [and he said unto them], “Be not sad, for God will save you.” When the governor arrived, he came into the cell of this holy man John in order to be blessed by him, and Abba John told the governor everything which the emperor had commanded; and when the governor heard this he was amazed and he prostrated himself before his holiness. And the governor had a son who was eighteen years old and who was possessed by the spirit of a devil, and he asked the holy man to heal him. And the holy may prayed over some oil and water, and having anointed him therewith he was healed straightway. Then the saint asked the governor to write to the emperor, and to abandon the slaughter of the men of Asyut, and the governor wrote a letter to him and gave it to Abba John. And having taken the letter and gone into his cell, he prayed, and a cloud of light came and it took up Abba John and brought him to the emperor, and when the emperor had a table prepared Saint John threw the letter upon it. And the emperor took it and read it, and he found that it was the letter, which the governor had written for Father John. And having lifted up his eyes he saw a cloud of light above him, and he was terrified. Then he wrote a letter to the governor in his own handwriting and under his own secret sign, [telling him] to abandon the destruction of the city through the prayer of Abba John. And the emperor threw his letter on the cloud, and those who were assembled there saw a hand receive it, and it went inside the cloud; and during that night the saint returned to the mountain; and on the following day he gave the letter with the emperor’s seal upon it to the governor. When the governor saw it he was amazed, and he praised God for the saving of the city, and he departed to his own country. And the fame of Saint John being noised abroad a certain noble lady, a kinswoman of the emperor, went to him to be healed of her disease, and by his prayer she was healed. Then the Emperor Theodosius died and the wicked Marcian reigned, and he brought tribulation upon our father Dioscurus. And Abba John sent him a letter abusing him and cursing him because he had changed the Faith, and after a few days God killed him. When Abba John was one hundred and twenty-five years old he knew that his [time of] rest had come, and as he was praying to God he fell forward on his face on the ground, and delivered up his soul into the hand of his Creator. And innumerable signs and wonders appeared at his grave. Salutation to John who was arrayed in holiness.
And on this day took place the translation of the body of Saint Deborah, who is also called “Tchebare,” of the city of Dalbat; her story is written in the book of her strife.
Glory be to God Who is glorified in His Saints. Amen.
Anglican/Episcopalian Daily Readings For Tuesday, 30 November
From satucket.com and wapedia:
Daily Readings:
Saints/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: St. Andrew
ANDREW THE APOSTLE
(30 NOV NT)
Most references to Andrew in the New Testament simply include him on a list of the Twelve Apostles, or group him with his brother, Simon Peter. But he appears acting as an individual three times in the Gospel of John. When a number of Greeks (perhaps simply Greek-speaking Jews) wish to speak with Jesus, they approach Philip, who tells Andrew, and the two of them tell Jesus (Jn 12:20-22). (It may be relevant here that both "Philip" and "Andrew" are Greek names.) Before Jesus feeds the Five Thousand, it is Andrew who says, "Here is a lad with five barley loaves and two fish." (Jn 6:8f) And the first two disciples whom John reports as attaching themselves to Jesus (Jn 1:35-42) are Andrew and another disciple (whom John does not name, but who is commonly supposed to be John himself -- John never mentions himself by name, a widespread literary convention). Having met Jesus, Andrew then finds his brother Simon and brings him to Jesus. Thus, on each occasion when he is mentioned as an individual, it is because he is instrumental in bringing others to meet the Saviour. In the Episcopal Church, the Fellowship of Saint Andrew is devoted to encouraging personal evangelism, and the bringing of one's friends and colleagues to a knowledge of the Gospel of Christ.
Just as Andrew was the first of the Apostles, so his feast is taken in the West to be the beginning of the Church Year. (Eastern Christians begin their Church Year on 1 September.) The First Sunday of Advent is defined to be the Sunday on or nearest his feast (although it could equivalently be defined as the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day).
Several centuries after the death of Andrew, some of his relics were brought by a missionary named Rule to Scotland, to a place then known as Fife, but now known as St. Andrew's, and best known as the site of a world-famous golf course and club. For this reason, Andrew is the patron of Scotland.
When the Emperor Constantine established the city of Byzantium, or Constantinople, as the new capital of the Roman Empire, replacing Rome, the bishop of Byzantium became very prominent. Five sees (bishoprics) came to be known as patriarchates: Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Byzantium. Now, the congregation at Rome claimed the two most famous apostles, Peter and Paul, as founders. Antioch could also claim both Peter and Paul, on the explicit testimony of Scripture, and of course Jerusalem had all the apostles. Alexandria claimed that Mark, who had been Peter's "interpreter" and assistant, and had written down the Gospel of Mark on the basis of what he had heard from Peter, had after Peter's death gone to Alexandria and founded the church there. Byzantium was scorned by the other patriarchates as a new-comer, a church with the political prestige of being located at the capital of the Empire, but with no apostles in its history. Byzantium responded with the claim that its founder and first bishop had been Andrew the brother of Peter. They pointed out that Andrew had been the first of all the apostles to follow Jesus (John 1:40-41), and that he had brought his brother to Jesus. Andrew was thus, in the words of John Chrysostom, "the Peter before Peter." As Russia was Christianized by missionaries from Byzantium, Andrew became the patron not only of Byzantium but also of Russia.
Andrew is the national saint of Scotland. George (23 Apr) is the national saint of England, Patrick (17 Mar) of Ireland, and Dewi = David (1 Mar) of Wales. George, who was a soldier, is customarily pictured as a knight with a shield that bears a red cross on a white background. This design is therefore the national flag of England. It is said that Andrew was crucified on a Cross Saltire -- an 'X' -shaped cross. His symbol is a Cross Saltire, white on a blue background. This is accordingly the national flag of Scotland. A symbol of Patrick is a red cross saltire on a white background. The crosses of George and Andrew were combined to form the Union Jack, or flag of Great Britain, and later the cross of Patrick was added to form the present Union Jack. Wales does not appear as such (sorry!). Whether there is a design known as the cross of David, I have no idea.
by James Kie
Readings:
Psalm 19 or 19:1-6
Psalm 19
God’s Glory in Creation and the Law
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament* proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice* goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens* he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;*
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
Exhortation to Choose Life
11 Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. 12It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ 13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ 14No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
Romans 10:8b-18
Romans 10:8-188But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because* if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ 16But not all have obeyed the good news;* for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ 17So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.*
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for
‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.’
Matthew 4:18-22
Matthew 4:18-22
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Preface of Apostles
PRAYER (traditional)
Almighty God, who didst give such grace to thine apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of thy Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give unto us, who are called by thy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
PRAYER (contemporary)
Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give unto us, who are called by your Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Webmaster: Charles Wohlers
Last updated: 20 November 1999
Morning Office Readings:
Psalm 5
Trust in God for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down towards your holy temple
in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favour as with a shield.
Psalm 6
Prayer for Recovery from Grave Illness
To the leader: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
3 My soul also is struck with terror,
while you, O Lord—how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who can give you praise?
6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eyes waste away because of grief;
they grow weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;
they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.
Isaiah 1:21-31
The Degenerate City
21 How the faithful city
has become a whore!
She that was full of justice,
righteousness lodged in her—
but now murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,
your wine is mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not defend the orphan,
and the widow’s cause does not come before them.
24 Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel:
Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies,
and avenge myself on my foes!
25 I will turn my hand against you;
I will smelt away your dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges as at the first,
and your counsellors as at the beginning.
Afterwards you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.
27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 For you shall be ashamed of the oaks
in which you delighted;
and you shall blush for the gardens
that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be like an oak
whose leaf withers,
and like a garden without water.
31 The strong shall become like tinder,
and their work* like a spark;
they and their work shall burn together,
with no one to quench them.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica
2You yourselves know, brothers and sisters,* that our coming to you was not in vain, 2but though we had already suffered and been shamefully maltreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle* among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
9 You remember our labour and toil, brothers and sisters;* we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was towards you believers. 11As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, 12urging and encouraging you and pleading that you should lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Evening Office Readings:
Psalm 10
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
1 Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart,
those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.
4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, ‘God will not seek it out’;
all their thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’
5 Their ways prosper at all times;
your judgements are on high, out of their sight;
as for their foes, they scoff at them.
6 They think in their heart, ‘We shall not be moved;
throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.’
7 Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
8 They sit in ambush in the villages;
in hiding-places they murder the innocent.
Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert;
they lurk that they may seize the poor;
they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.
10 They stoop, they crouch,
and the helpless fall by their might.
11 They think in their heart, ‘God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.’
12 Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God,
and say in their hearts, ‘You will not call us to account’?
14 But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief,
that you may take it into your hands;
the helpless commit themselves to you;
you have been the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;
seek out their wickedness until you find none.
16 The Lord is king for ever and ever;
the nations shall perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
18 to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.*
Psalm 11
Song of Trust in God
To the leader. Of David.
1 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me,
‘Flee like a bird to the mountains;*
2 for look, the wicked bend the bow,
they have fitted their arrow to the string,
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?’
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind.
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
and his soul hates the lover of violence.
6 On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulphur;
a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
Luke 20:9-18
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
9 He began to tell the people this parable: ‘A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. 10When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11Next he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. 12And he sent yet a third; this one also they wounded and threw out. 13Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.” 14But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, “This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.” 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.’ When they heard this, they said, ‘Heaven forbid!’ 17But he looked at them and said, ‘What then does this text mean:
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”?*
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’
Eucharistic Readings:
Psalm 72
Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King
Of Solomon.
1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live* while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 11:1-10
The Peaceful Kingdom
11A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Luke 10:21-24
Jesus Rejoices
21 At that same hour Jesus* rejoiced in the Holy Spirit* and said, ‘I thank* you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.* 22All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
23 Then turning to the disciples, Jesus* said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’
Daily Readings:
Saints/Heroes/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated: St. Andrew
ANDREW THE APOSTLE
(30 NOV NT)
Most references to Andrew in the New Testament simply include him on a list of the Twelve Apostles, or group him with his brother, Simon Peter. But he appears acting as an individual three times in the Gospel of John. When a number of Greeks (perhaps simply Greek-speaking Jews) wish to speak with Jesus, they approach Philip, who tells Andrew, and the two of them tell Jesus (Jn 12:20-22). (It may be relevant here that both "Philip" and "Andrew" are Greek names.) Before Jesus feeds the Five Thousand, it is Andrew who says, "Here is a lad with five barley loaves and two fish." (Jn 6:8f) And the first two disciples whom John reports as attaching themselves to Jesus (Jn 1:35-42) are Andrew and another disciple (whom John does not name, but who is commonly supposed to be John himself -- John never mentions himself by name, a widespread literary convention). Having met Jesus, Andrew then finds his brother Simon and brings him to Jesus. Thus, on each occasion when he is mentioned as an individual, it is because he is instrumental in bringing others to meet the Saviour. In the Episcopal Church, the Fellowship of Saint Andrew is devoted to encouraging personal evangelism, and the bringing of one's friends and colleagues to a knowledge of the Gospel of Christ.Just as Andrew was the first of the Apostles, so his feast is taken in the West to be the beginning of the Church Year. (Eastern Christians begin their Church Year on 1 September.) The First Sunday of Advent is defined to be the Sunday on or nearest his feast (although it could equivalently be defined as the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day).
Several centuries after the death of Andrew, some of his relics were brought by a missionary named Rule to Scotland, to a place then known as Fife, but now known as St. Andrew's, and best known as the site of a world-famous golf course and club. For this reason, Andrew is the patron of Scotland.
When the Emperor Constantine established the city of Byzantium, or Constantinople, as the new capital of the Roman Empire, replacing Rome, the bishop of Byzantium became very prominent. Five sees (bishoprics) came to be known as patriarchates: Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Byzantium. Now, the congregation at Rome claimed the two most famous apostles, Peter and Paul, as founders. Antioch could also claim both Peter and Paul, on the explicit testimony of Scripture, and of course Jerusalem had all the apostles. Alexandria claimed that Mark, who had been Peter's "interpreter" and assistant, and had written down the Gospel of Mark on the basis of what he had heard from Peter, had after Peter's death gone to Alexandria and founded the church there. Byzantium was scorned by the other patriarchates as a new-comer, a church with the political prestige of being located at the capital of the Empire, but with no apostles in its history. Byzantium responded with the claim that its founder and first bishop had been Andrew the brother of Peter. They pointed out that Andrew had been the first of all the apostles to follow Jesus (John 1:40-41), and that he had brought his brother to Jesus. Andrew was thus, in the words of John Chrysostom, "the Peter before Peter." As Russia was Christianized by missionaries from Byzantium, Andrew became the patron not only of Byzantium but also of Russia.
Andrew is the national saint of Scotland. George (23 Apr) is the national saint of England, Patrick (17 Mar) of Ireland, and Dewi = David (1 Mar) of Wales. George, who was a soldier, is customarily pictured as a knight with a shield that bears a red cross on a white background. This design is therefore the national flag of England. It is said that Andrew was crucified on a Cross Saltire -- an 'X' -shaped cross. His symbol is a Cross Saltire, white on a blue background. This is accordingly the national flag of Scotland. A symbol of Patrick is a red cross saltire on a white background. The crosses of George and Andrew were combined to form the Union Jack, or flag of Great Britain, and later the cross of Patrick was added to form the present Union Jack. Wales does not appear as such (sorry!). Whether there is a design known as the cross of David, I have no idea.
by James Kie
Readings:
Psalm 19 or 19:1-6
Psalm 19
God’s Glory in Creation and the Law
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God;
and the firmament* proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice* goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens* he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and nothing is hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;*
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
Deuteronomy 30:11-14
Exhortation to Choose Life
11 Surely, this commandment that I am commanding you today is not too hard for you, nor is it too far away. 12It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ 13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us, and get it for us so that we may hear it and observe it?’ 14No, the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to observe.
Romans 10:8b-18
Romans 10:8-188But what does it say?
‘The word is near you,
on your lips and in your heart’
(that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9because* if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. 11The scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ 12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. 13For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
14 But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? 15And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ 16But not all have obeyed the good news;* for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ 17So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.*
18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for
‘Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.’
Matthew 4:18-22
Matthew 4:18-22
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’ 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21As he went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.
Preface of Apostles
PRAYER (traditional)
Almighty God, who didst give such grace to thine apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of thy Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give unto us, who are called by thy Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
PRAYER (contemporary)
Almighty God, who gave such grace to your apostle Andrew that he readily obeyed the call of your Son Jesus Christ, and brought his brother with him: Give unto us, who are called by your Word, grace to follow him without delay, and to bring those near to us into his gracious presence; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Webmaster: Charles Wohlers
Last updated: 20 November 1999
Morning Office Readings:
Psalm 5
Trust in God for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader: for the flutes. A Psalm of David.
1 Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
will enter your house,
I will bow down towards your holy temple
in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
because of my enemies;
make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths;
their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God;
let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
you cover them with favour as with a shield.
Psalm 6
Prayer for Recovery from Grave Illness
To the leader: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.
3 My soul also is struck with terror,
while you, O Lord—how long?
4 Turn, O Lord, save my life;
deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who can give you praise?
6 I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
7 My eyes waste away because of grief;
they grow weak because of all my foes.
8 Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The Lord has heard my supplication;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;
they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.
Isaiah 1:21-31
The Degenerate City
21 How the faithful city
has become a whore!
She that was full of justice,
righteousness lodged in her—
but now murderers!
22 Your silver has become dross,
your wine is mixed with water.
23 Your princes are rebels
and companions of thieves.
Everyone loves a bribe
and runs after gifts.
They do not defend the orphan,
and the widow’s cause does not come before them.
24 Therefore says the Sovereign, the Lord of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel:
Ah, I will pour out my wrath on my enemies,
and avenge myself on my foes!
25 I will turn my hand against you;
I will smelt away your dross as with lye
and remove all your alloy.
26 And I will restore your judges as at the first,
and your counsellors as at the beginning.
Afterwards you shall be called the city of righteousness,
the faithful city.
27 Zion shall be redeemed by justice,
and those in her who repent, by righteousness.
28 But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed together,
and those who forsake the Lord shall be consumed.
29 For you shall be ashamed of the oaks
in which you delighted;
and you shall blush for the gardens
that you have chosen.
30 For you shall be like an oak
whose leaf withers,
and like a garden without water.
31 The strong shall become like tinder,
and their work* like a spark;
they and their work shall burn together,
with no one to quench them.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-12
Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica
2You yourselves know, brothers and sisters,* that our coming to you was not in vain, 2but though we had already suffered and been shamefully maltreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle* among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
9 You remember our labour and toil, brothers and sisters;* we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was towards you believers. 11As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, 12urging and encouraging you and pleading that you should lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
Evening Office Readings:
Psalm 10
Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies
1 Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—
let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart,
those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord.
4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, ‘God will not seek it out’;
all their thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’
5 Their ways prosper at all times;
your judgements are on high, out of their sight;
as for their foes, they scoff at them.
6 They think in their heart, ‘We shall not be moved;
throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.’
7 Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
8 They sit in ambush in the villages;
in hiding-places they murder the innocent.
Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert;
they lurk that they may seize the poor;
they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.
10 They stoop, they crouch,
and the helpless fall by their might.
11 They think in their heart, ‘God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.’
12 Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God,
and say in their hearts, ‘You will not call us to account’?
14 But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief,
that you may take it into your hands;
the helpless commit themselves to you;
you have been the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;
seek out their wickedness until you find none.
16 The Lord is king for ever and ever;
the nations shall perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
18 to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
so that those from earth may strike terror no more.*
Psalm 11
Song of Trust in God
To the leader. Of David.
1 In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me,
‘Flee like a bird to the mountains;*
2 for look, the wicked bend the bow,
they have fitted their arrow to the string,
to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations are destroyed,
what can the righteous do?’
4 The Lord is in his holy temple;
the Lord’s throne is in heaven.
His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind.
5 The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
and his soul hates the lover of violence.
6 On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulphur;
a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.
7 For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
the upright shall behold his face.
Luke 20:9-18
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
9 He began to tell the people this parable: ‘A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country for a long time. 10When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11Next he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. 12And he sent yet a third; this one also they wounded and threw out. 13Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.” 14But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, “This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours.” 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.’ When they heard this, they said, ‘Heaven forbid!’ 17But he looked at them and said, ‘What then does this text mean:
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”?*
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.’
Eucharistic Readings:
Psalm 72
Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King
Of Solomon.
1 Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy,
and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live* while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
8 May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 11:1-10
The Peaceful Kingdom
11A shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
3 His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide by what his ears hear;
4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,
and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist,
and faithfulness the belt around his loins.
6 The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
7 The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
Return of the Remnant of Israel and Judah
10 On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Luke 10:21-24
Jesus Rejoices
21 At that same hour Jesus* rejoiced in the Holy Spirit* and said, ‘I thank* you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.* 22All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.’
23 Then turning to the disciples, Jesus* said to them privately, ‘Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! 24For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.’
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