Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Daily Readings For Friday, 10 December

From armenianchurch-ed.net:

Daily Readings:


Saints/Feasts/Fasts to be observed/commemmorated/celebrated:  The Nativity Fast (Hasnag)


Daily Prayer:

1st Prayer: December 10,2010


I heard an innocent person once speak

in a most unfitting manner to the One

before whom no earthly being can be justified,

and it was not pleasing as he boasted,

“I have never committed adultery

or fornication or tasted any other mortal pleasures

of this world.” Saying this is no less impious

than those deeds. May God forgive him,

for even if what he said were true

by bragging he shows he has not progressed

as far as he has fallen.

Repeating Zechariah’s words to the people of Israel:

“Praise the Lord that we are great,”

echoing the voice of the Pharisee who exalted himself.

.2nd Prayer: December 10,2010

Ease the severity of the torment

that awaits me and

those children of hell, the ornaments of eternal death.

Lift away my shameful sins

that are kept to reprimand me, wretch that I am,

at the tribunal of the last judgment.



Let it be for my peace that my punishment has already been given by your mercy,

so that unbearable terror does not loom before me

and hopelessness might not overwhelm

life-giving contrition.



Terrifying day of judgment,

judge that cannot be bought or deceived,

awful shame, fearsome rebuke,

inescapable reprimand, unavoidable torment,

terror that cannot be comforted,

trembling that cannot be stilled,

inconsolable weeping, incurable gnashing of teeth,

untreatable disease,

the curse of your awesome divine word,

the shutting down of compassion, cutting off of mercy.

At the time when the heavens will be rolled up

like a scroll

and the earth will be shaken to its very foundations,

and billowing waves of the tempestuous sea,

pursue each other, crash against each other and

counteract each other’s force,

jolting and shaking

the foundations of the earth’s thick surface

across its expanse

with forceful blows to its very core

and with thunderous sound,

laying the mountains low,

and melting the substance of stone with fire,

with all the other elements of nature at that time:



then the heavens will be cleared in purity

and the creatures together with all their elements

will be recreated in new form

and our hidden misdeeds will be made known

and our invisible passions will be revealed

the conduct of each person’s inner beliefs

will be displayed on our bodies

and the king of heaven will sit at his tribunal

with the due sentence in his hands.

.
Scriptural Readings:
 
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28.
 
I Thessalonians 5:12-2812But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; 13esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. 15See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.


16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise the words of prophets, 21but test everything; hold fast to what is good; 22abstain from every form of evil.

23May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this. 25Beloved, pray for us. 26Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss. 27I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all of them. 28The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.


 
Luke 14:1-11


Luke 14:1-11


14On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. 2Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. 3And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, “Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?” 4But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. 5Then he said to them, “If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?” 6And they could not reply to this.

7When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”