Feast of Saint Abba Narcissus
Archbishop of Jerusalem
WEDNESDAY
Megabit 01 - March 10
The Anaphora of the 318 Fathers of
Nicea
FIRST READING: 2 Timothy 2: 1 - 7.
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me before many witnesses
entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No
soldier on service gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to satisfy the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete
is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share
of the crops.
SECOND
READING: James 1: 5 - 15.
If any of
you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all men generously and without reproaching, and it will be given him. 6 But
let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10* and the rich in his humiliation, because like the flower of the grass
he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes.
So will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. 12 Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood
the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted,
"I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted with evil and he himself tempts no one; 14 but each person is tempted
when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
THIRD READING: The Acts of the Apostles
15: 1 - 13.
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brethren, "Unless you are
circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension
and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the
elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting
the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed
by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who
belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to
keep the law of Moses." 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there
had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you,
that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God who knows the heart bore witness to
them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their
hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither
our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just
as they will." 12 And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs
and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
THE PSALMODY: Psalm 15: 5, 6.
The LORD is
my chosen portion and my cup; Thou holdest my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yea, I have a
goodly heritage.
THE
HOLY GOSPEL: Saint Matthew 10: 17 - 26.
Beware of men; for they will
deliver you up to councils, and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my
sake, to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you up, do not be anxious how you are to speak
or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour; 20 for it is not you who speak, but the
Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child, and children
will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But he who endures
to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly, I say to you, you will not
have gone through all the towns of Israel, before the Son of man comes. 24 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor
a servant above his master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they
have called the master of the house Be-elzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
The Feast of Saint Abba
Macrobius
Bishop - Martyr for Christ
THURSDAY
Megabit 02 - March 11
The Anaphora of Saint Basil the Great
FIRST
READING: Romans 1: 8 - 18.
First, I thank my God
through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. 9 For God is my witness, whom I serve
with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, 10 asking that somehow by
God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. 11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift
to strengthen you, 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. 13 I want you
to know, brethren, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap
some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians,
both to the wise and to the foolish: 15 so I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 16 For I am not ashamed
of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous
shall live."
SECOND
READING: 1 John 1: 1 - finish.
That which was from
the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands,
concerning the word of life-- 2 the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal
life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us-- 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you,
so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are
writing this that our joy may be complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light
and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not live
according to the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
THIRD READING: The Acts of the Apostles
8: 14 - 26.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they
sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16 for it had not
yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on
them and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles'
hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give me also this power, that any one on whom I lay my hands may receive the
Holy Spirit." 20 But Peter said to him, "Your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift
of God with money! 21* You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent therefore
of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23* For
I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." 24 And Simon answered, "Pray for me to
the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me." 25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of
the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
THE PSALMODY: Psalm 37: 30, 31.
The mouth of the righteous
utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice.
The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip.
THE HOLY GOSPEL: Saint Matthew 5: 20
- 31.
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom
of heaven. 21 "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable
to judgment.' 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults
his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you
are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there
before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Make friends quickly with
your accuser, while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard,
and you be put in prison; 26 truly, I say to you, you will never get out till you have paid the last penny. 27 "You have
heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully
has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away;
it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes
you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into
hell.