Spiritual Words.
Mark Sadek
"Even without any other passion, self-esteem can ruin a man; and in the same way, if we have formed the habit of judging, we can be utterly ruined by by this alone; for indeed, the Pharisee was condemned for this very thing."
St. John Climacus.
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"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
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The Bible reading for the 4th of Tout, September 15th, is:
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, `Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.' 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, `Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.' 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gi
ft? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanne
ss. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, `If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' 31 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the alta
r. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. 13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, `Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.' 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, `Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.' 19 Foo
ls and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appea
r beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, `If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' 31 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood o
f Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.(Matt. 23:13-36)
Departure of St. Macarius, 69th Pope of Alexandria.
The Bible reading for the 5th of Tout, September 16th, is: Matthew 25:1-13
Martyrdom of Saint Sophia.
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Prayer Requests:
If you have an update on a prayer request, please let me know.
Please remember the following in your prayers:
Ibrahim - Lung cancer
Amal - Breast cancer
Wageh S.- Cancer and heart surgeries
George A. - Respiratory Problems.
Fr. Athanasius Ava Mina - Intestinal problems.
Huda S. - Peace and health.
The family of Mary R.
Rita P. - Ovarian Cancer
Julia M.S. - An infant with a lung deficiency disorder
Julie - In a coma from a serious car accident
Marian L - Late stage MS
Nadia - Lung cancer
Heidi - Difficulty to conceive
John - Brain aneurysm
Eva - Paralyzed from a stroke
Sonty P. - Suffering from cancer. Please pray for her healing and financial ability.
Lidya P. - Suffering from a stroke.
Rev. Davy P. - Suffering from hepatitis type B.
Somaya M. - Being tested for breast cancer.
Peter and family - inoperable grade 4 brain tumour
Eman, Hany and Daniel - Suffered serious injuries from a car accident
The family of Neveen M.
Emil S. - Open heart surgery.
Clement - Lung and liver cancer
M.M.- metabolic syndrome
Sherien - Cancer
Emad. Please pray for his family
Scott - Crones Disease
J. Shapiro - Cancer.
C.L. - Complete recovery after a tragic car accident.
M. Ragheb - Out of the ICU but he is still under critical care
M. Fleming - Multiple brain and spinal cord diseases.
Fr. Wissa Bessada
G. Roubil - Out of ICU
The Coptic mission trip to Mexico.
Camilo, Julio Renaldo, Diego and family, Hong and Pablo - Accept the faith and get baptized.
H.H. Pope Shenouda III
David - rectal and liver cancer.
The family of Larry W. - May the Lord grant them peace.
H.M - Hardship.
William H. - Cancer
Makram G. - Liver Cirrhosis in the last stages
Emad - Lung cancer.
Albert - Operation
Abanoub
Eva S - Recovery from a heart surgery.
M.B.- Breast Cancer
Mark - brain tumor
Fr. Anthony H.
Luka-- May God unite him with his family.
F.Z. may God help him in his service.
Tasony Esther, May God heal her and comfort her.
Akmal T. - Major heart surgery.
Amal M - Lymphoma Cancer.
Shery - Tumor near her spinal chord.
E.Salamah - Breast Cancer.
Mena - Displaced mandibular joint.
Esme - Severe lupus with heart & brain function involvement.
Yvone Y. - Serious Eye Surgery. The doctors now feel she might not need the surgery at all.
Anthony - PTSD from Iraq
Elisha Mary - return to Communion
E. - Brain tumor, 22 yrs old with 2 kids.
M. Chouinard and her family and students.
Sharon P - Temporal Lobe Epilepsy, PTSD
Jan P - pancreatic cancer
Becky Cox D - bone marrow cancer
Eric G - throat cancer
Samantha M - Type 1 diabetes
Amelia T - Breast Cancer
Anthony C - Kidney Stones
Emad: To be closer to God
Safa: To be closer to God
Badra: Comfort
Souzy: Guidance
Leelamma M - Please pray for her family.
Vladimir and Vaclav.
Steve - Depression.
M Said.
Viola - Pray for her soul and her family to know the Lord and understand HIS work
Sandy: God open her eyes, give her wisdom
Nicole: Wisdom
Hazem A. - Overcome his addiction, and gives him strength & will power.
Kip - Her spine is breaking down & will need surgery to have a rod inserted.
Katherine - Make right decisions as she enters adulthood.
Susan - Finds peace and overcome her suicidal thoughts.
Sue's family - Return, as a family, to our church and find peace.
Jacky A. and Family.
John D. - Job
L&M - Aspberger's syndrome
ME- return to God, the Church & the Sacraments
KEE - patience, perseverance, faith, strength, healing
Z. Saddak - Health
The Orthodox community in Olympia, WA
The unity of the Churches and all Christians.
The Christians in Egypt. "Blessed is Egypt My people." Isaiah 19:25
Please remember me in your prayers.
Please pray for the peace of the world.
"casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
Mark Sadek
"When the mind has been established in tranquillity and has been freed from the bonds of every fleshly passion, and the heart's attention is unwaveringly fastened upon the one and highest good, it will fulfill the apostolic words: 'Pray without ceasing.' And 'In every place lifting up pure hands without anger and dissension.' For, if we may speak in this way, when the thoughts and the mind have been seized by this purity and have been refashioned from earthly dullness to the likeness of the spiritual and the angelic, whatever they take in, whatever they reflect upon, and whatever they do will be most pure and sincere prayer."
St. John Cassian.
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"When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom." Proverbs 11:2
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The Bible reading for the 5th of Tout, September 16th, is:
1 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight a cry was heard: `Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, `No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, `Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, `Assure
dly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matt. 25:1-13)
Martyrdom of Saint Sophia.
The Bible reading for the 6th of Tout, September 17th, is: Matthew 23:13-36
Departure of Isaiah the Prophet.
Martyrdom of Saint Basilissa.
The Bible reading for the 7th of Tout, September 18th, is: Luke 7:28-35
Departure of St. Dioscorus, 25th Pope of Alexandria.
Martyrdom of Sts. Agathon, Peter, John, Amun and Amuna and Their Mother, Rebecca.
Departure of St. Severianus, Bishop of Gabala.
Mark Sadek
"Every created nature is far removed from and completely foreign to the divine nature. For if God is nature, other things are not nature; but if every other thing is nature, He is not a nature, just as He is not a being if all other things are beings. And if He is a being, then all other things are not beings. And if you accept this as true also for wisdom, goodness, and in general all things that pertain to God or are ascribed to Him, then your theology will be correct and in accordance with the saints."
St. Gregory Palamas.
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"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Revelation 3:20
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The Bible reading for the 8th of Tout, September 19th, is:
13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. 16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, `Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.' 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? 18 And, `Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.' 19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gi
ft? 20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. 21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. 22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it. 23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! 25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanne
ss. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. 29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, 30 and say, `If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.' 31 Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt. 33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell? 34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the alta
r. 36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. (Matthew 23:13-36)
Martyrdom of Zacharias the Prophet.
Departure of Moses the Prophet.
Martyrdom of St. Dimides (Diomede).
The Bible reading for the 9th of Tout, September 20th, is: John 16:20-33
Martyrdom of St. Pisora the Bishop.
Mark Sadek
"...patient endurance is required before anything can come about; and, once something has come about, it can be sustained and brought to perfection only through such endurance."
St. Peter of Damaskos.
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"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14
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The Bible reading for the 9th of Tout, September 20th, is:
20 Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. 21 A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. 23 And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. 25 These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shal
l pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. 28 I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father. 29 His disciples said to Him, See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! 30 Now we are sure that You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this we believe that You came forth from God. 31 Jesus answered them, Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:20-33)
Martyrdom of St. Pisora the Bishop.
The Bible reading for the 10th of Tout, September 21st, is: Matthew 25:1-13
Martyrdom of Saint Matruna.
Commemoration of Sts. Basin and Her Children.
Mark Sadek
"In order to receive the Lord, one must have a well-ordered way of thinking that is capable of it; in order to receive the Lord, one must have a heartfelt will towards it, one must have humble feelings. This did the Archangel Gabriel explain to righteous Zachary, the father of the Forerunner, the Forerunner's service, when he announced his conception and birth. 'Many of the children of Israel,' said the Archangel, 'shall he turn to the Lord their God' (cf. Lk. 1:16-17)"
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
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"What is desired in a man is kindness." Proverbs 19:22
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The Bible reading for the 10th of Tout, September 21st, is:
1 Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight a cry was heard: `Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, `No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, `Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, `Assure
dly, I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. (Matt. 25:1-13)
Martyrdom of Saint Matruna.
Commemoration of Sts. Basin and Her Children.
The Bible reading for the 11th of Tout, September 22nd, is: Luke 12:4-12
Martyrdom of Saint Basilides (Wasilides).
Mark Sadek
"Without them [temptations] it is impossible to acquire a strong constitution (of the soul). But again, to withstand them is not in our power. How could perishable clay withstand the action of water unless the Divine fire make it strong? If we submit to the yoke of God's will and pray with constant desire and humility, then, through patience, we also shall receive everything from our Lord Jesus Christ."
Monks Callistus and Ignatius.
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"And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." 1 John 2:17
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The Bible reading for the 11th of Tout, September 22nd, is:
4 And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. 7 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 8 Also I say to you, whoever confesses Me before men, him the Son of Man also will confess before the angels of God. 9 But he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God. 10 And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven. 11 Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. 12 For the Holy Spirit wi
ll teach you in that very hour what you ought to say. (Luke 12:4-12)
Martyrdom of Saint Basilides (Wasilides).
The Bible reading for the 12th of Tout, September 23rd, is: Matthew 16:13-19
The Assembly of the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus to Judge Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople.
The Translocation of the Relics of Sts. Clemus (Aklimos) and His Companions.
Mark Sadek
"When our hearts are reluctant we often have to compel ourselves to pray for our enemies, to pour out prayer for those who are against us. Would that our hearts were filled with love! How frequently we offer a prayer for our enemies, but do it because we are commanded to, not out of love for them. We ask the gift of life for them even while we are afraid that our prayer may be heard. The Judge of our souls considers our hearts rather than our words. Those who do not pray for their enemies out of love are not asking anything for their benefit."
St. Gregory the Great.
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"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust." Psalm 91:1-2
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The Bible reading for the 12th of Tout, September 23rd, is:
13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? 14 So they said, Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. 15 He said to them, But who do you say that I am? 16 Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matt. 16:13-19)
The Assembly of the Third Ecumenical Council at Ephesus to Judge Nestorius, Archbishop of Constantinople.
The Translocation of the Relics of Sts. Clemus (Aklimos) and His Companions.
The Bible reading for the 13th of Tout, September 24th, is: John 10:1-16
Departure of Pope Mattheos II, 90th Patriarch of the See of St. Mark.
Commemoration of the Miracle performed by St. Basilius (Basil), Bishop of Caesarea, Cappadocia.
The Bible reading for the 14th of Tout, September 25th, is: Luke 10:21-28
Departure of St. Agathon the Stylite.