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النشر الإلكتروني

Then he reads one of the short chapters following.

First Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Cornelius. And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said

Prayer: its obligation and accept- unto him, Thy prayers and thine

ableness.

The Lesson is taken from the Book of the Prophet Daniel; from the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke; from the Acts of the Holy Apostles; and from St. Paul's First Epistle to Timothy.

NOW

OW when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his win

dows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

2 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

3 Brethren, There was a certain man in Cæsarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him,

1 Dan. vi. 10. 41 Tim. ii. 8. 7 St. James v. 16.

alms are come up for a memorial before God.

4 Blessed Paul saith, I will that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

FRIDAY.

Prayer: its prevailing power with God when persevering.

From the Books of the Prophets Jeremiah and Daniel; and from the General Epistle of St. James. THEN shall ye call upon Me,

TH

5 and ye shall go and pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

6 And I, Daniel, set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, . . . . And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel,

the man Ga

briel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. 7 Brethren, the effectual fervent

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prayer of a righteous man availeth | same coasts, and cried unto Him,

much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

Second Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Same subject continued.

saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But He answered and said, I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me. But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's

From the Holy Gospel according to bread, and to cast it to dogs. And

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St. Luke.

:

ND Jesus spake a parable unto His disciples to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?

FRIDAY.

And

Same subject continued.
From the Holy Gospel according to
St. Matthew.

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she said, Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Third Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Confession of sins sanctioned and
enjoined.

From the Holy Gospel according to
St. Mark; from the Acts of the
Holy Apostles; from the General
Epistle of St. James, and First
General Epistle of St. John.
[OHN did baptise in the wilder-

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ness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptised of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

4 God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: so that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and departed into the coasts of the evil spirits went out of them. Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a And fear fell on all the Jews

2THEN Jesus went thence, and

THE

woman of Canaan came out of the and Greeks dwelling at Ephesus,

1 St. Luke xviii. 1.

4 Acts xix. 11.

2 St. Matt. xv. 21.

3 St. Mark i. 4.

and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned

them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

1 The holy Apostle St. James saith, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.

2 Brethren, if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Fourth Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Warning against covetousness. From the Holy Gospel according to

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St. Luke.

tude, Take heed, and beware

ND Jesus said unto the multi

of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And He spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

5 Jesus saith, Give alms of such 9

things as ye have; and, behold, all

things are clean unto you.

• Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens which faileth not.

7 Brethren, to do good and to distribute forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

1 St. James v. 16. 4 Tob. xii. 8.

FRIDAY.

Warning against love of the world. From the General Epistle of St. James, and the First General Epistle of St. John.

RETHREN, know ye not that

the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

If

10 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of

21 St. John i. 8.
5 St. Luke xi. 41.

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3 Prov. xix. 17. 6 St. Luke xii. 33. 9 St. James iv. 4.

the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, five brethren; that he may testify

and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

Fifth Week.

WEDNESDAY.

Fatal effects of careless indulgence

in the good things of this life.

From the Holy Gospel according to
St. Luke.

ESUS said, There was a certain

unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

purple, and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day. And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 2 which was laid at his gate full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And be

sides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have

1 St. Luke xvi. 19.

FRIDAY.

The duty and benefit of fasting. From the Books of the Prophets Daniel, Ezekiel, and Joel.

I

N those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.

ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, . . . . I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold.. His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and the

voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision;

....

And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling. Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel : for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.

2 Dan. x. 2.

groom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

1 Behold, saith the Lord, this was the iniquity of Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her 5 Cornelius said, Four days ago, daughters, neither did she strength- I was fasting until this hour, and en the hand of the poor and needy. at the ninth hour I prayed in my 2 Therefore also now, saith the house, and behold a man stood beLord, turn ye even to Me with all fore me in bright clothing, and said, your heart, and with fasting, and Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and with weeping, and with mourning: thy alms had in remembrance, in and rend your heart, and not your the sight of God. garments, and turn unto the Lord your God for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil. Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?

Sixth Week.

WEDNESDAY.

The same subject continued. From the Holy Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke, and from the Acts of the Holy Apostles.

3

'AT

T that time Jesus said, When ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for 7 they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

4 Then came to Jesus the disciples of John, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but Thy disciples fast not? And He said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bride

1 Ezek. xvi. 49.

4 St. Matt. ix. 14; St. Luke v. 34. 7 Gen. xxxii. 9.

6 And as certain prophets and teachers, with Barnabas and Saul, ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

FRIDAY.

Undivided trust in God's providence.

From the Book of Genesis; from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah; from St. Paul's Epistle to the Philippians; and from the First General Epistle of St. Peter.

'A

ND Jacob said, O God of my

father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well unto thee; I am not worthy of the least of all Thy mercies, and of all the truth, which Thou hast shewed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

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Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither,

for God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the

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