KATAMEROS OF THE DAYS READINGS FOR WEEK DAYS AND FEASTS KATAMEROS OF THE DAYS READINGS FOR WEEK DAYS AND FEASTS Published by The Coptic Orthodox Churchs of St. Mary, Ottawa and St. Georges and St. Antony, Ottawa Canada CHRISTMAS 1714 A.M., 1998 A.D. FIRST EDITION Book Name: The Katameros of the Days Readings for Week Days and Feasts Publisher: Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church Ottawa – Canada St. Georges & St. Antony Coptic Orthodox Church of Ottawa, Ottawa - Canada Distributed By: The Publisher 1 Canfield Rd. Nepean, Ontario, Canada K2H 5S7 P.O.Box 6970, Station J, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 3Z6 Tel: (613) 596-0052 / 823-6625, Fax: (613) 823-6626 E-mail: [email protected] P.O.Box 46102 - 2339 Ogilvie Road Gloucester, Ontario, Canada K1J 9M7 Tel: (613) 741-8000 / 841-8661, Fax: (613) 745-5531 Date of Issue: Lent 1714 AM, 1998 AD Desktop Publishing: HRMots Inc Tel & Fax: 819-595-4372 E-mail: [email protected] "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Galatians 6:14) ~ Anok de `nnec]wpi nhi `nta]ou]ou `mmoi > `ebhl 'en pi+ `nte Peno/c/ Ih/c/ Px/c/ "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed" (Luke 1:48) |hppe gar icjen ;nou cenaermakarizin `mmoi `nje nigene`a throu Hail to you, O martyr : Hail to the courageous hero : Hail to the victorious : My lord the prince, St. George Xere nak `w pi= > xere piswij `ngenneoc > xere piaqlovoroc > pa_ `pouro Gewrgioc Hail to our father Anthony : The lamp of monasticism Xere peniwt Antwnioc > pi'hbc `nte ;metmonaxoc His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, 117th Pope of Alexandria, Patriarch of the See of St. Mark Peniwt ettahout ~Narxhepickopoc PAPA ABBA }ENOU: nima\ ]omt PREFACE In 1995, St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, Ottawa, CANADA, published "THE KATAMEROS", which is the English translation of the Arabic Katameros, the church readings for Sundays and Feasts. This book has been well received by the Coptic Churches in the lands of Immigration. The above church together with St. Georges and St. Antony Coptic Orthodox Church of Ottawa, CANADA, present "KATAMEAROS OF THE DAYS", which is the English translation of the Arabic Katameros, the church readings for the Week Days and Feasts. Again this book is awaited for a long time by the Coptic Churches in the Lands of Immigration. The "New King James" version is again utilized in the translation. Specifically this book contains: Y The church readings for all week days throughout the year. Y The readings of the church Feasts. May this book, like its sister book, be a blessing for all those who read it. We remember with prayers and thanksgiving all those who toiled in producing it, in particular, Deacon Dr. Ibrahim Halim Ibrahim. May the LORD recompense them with heavenly rewards. We ask the prayers and blessings of the father of fathers HIS HOLINESS POPE SHENOUDA III by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Greorges and St. Antony, the Patron saints of our two churches. The grace of OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST be with us all, Fr. Shenouda Doss Boutros Fr. Mikhail Sabry Farid Megally St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, St. Georges and St. Antony Ottawa Coptic Orthodox Church of Ottawa CANADA CHRISTMASS, 1714 A.M., 1998 A.D. INTRODUCTION "KATAMEROS" is the Greek word (OUKATAMEROC) meaning the book of selections from the Bible to be read during Church services. It is published in five volumes in Coptic and in Arabic by the Coptic Church in Egypt. The five volumes are: # Volume I : Sundays and Feasts. # Volume II : Week Days. # Volume III : Great Lent Season. # Volume IV : Holy week of Pascha. # Volume V : The Fifty Days from Easter to Pentecost. The present book contains the readings of volume II and the church feasts. Unlike the Sunday readings, the readings of very many of the week days are replaced by readings of other week days, For example the readings for 3 Tut are replaced by the readings of 3 Abib. A table on pp. 1 - 35 indicates that. We notice that, on the 12th day of every Coptic month, Archangel Michael is commemorated, on the 21st day of every Coptic month, the Blessed Virgin Mary is commemorated. We also remark that, on the 29th day of every Coptic month (except the months of Tubah and Amshir), the Annunciation, Nativity and the Resurrection of the LORD are commemorated It should also be mentioned that the present book is a strict English translation from its Arabic counterpart. III GENERAL REMARKS ON THE CHURCH READINGS 1) If a major or a minor LORD'S FEAST falls on a Sunday, the lessons of the feast are read instead of the regular lessons of that Sunday. The same applies for: # The Cross Feast (Hosanna Tune) # Nairooz Feast (Festal tune), and # 29th of each Coptic month, if it is the fifth Sunday. (Commemoration of major Lord's feast: Annunciation, Christmas and Easter). 2) The lessons of all other feasts, such as the feasts of St. Mary and of the Apostles, are read on the day they appear in the calendar. If they appear on Sundays, the regular lessons of the Sundays are read. 3) The feasts of the saints (Synaxarium) do not change the reading lessons of the Pentecost season, as these fifty days are the LORD'S FEAST OF HIS RESURRECTION, and the same for the reading lessons of the Great Lent season, because they are days for humility and lowliness. 4) If the Coptic month Kiyahk completes only three Sundays before the Paramon Pre-Christmas, the lessons of the last Sunday of Hatur (which precedes Kiyahk) are read as the first Sunday of Kiyahk. Hence, the readings lessons of the Annunciation of the birth of John the Baptist, the Annunciation of the birth of the LORD JESUS, the visit of the Virgin Mary to Elizabeth and the birth of John the Baptist would all be read consecutively. IV 5) Reading lessons of first of Tut (i.e. the Nairooz), are read if it falls on a Sunday. Then, the Coptic month Tut contains five Sundays, four Sundys other than the Nairooz Sunday. In this case, the readings of the Sunday which fellows Nairooz will be the lessons of the first Sunday of Tut and so on, and the readings of fifth Sunday of Tut will not be read and the same for 29th Tut (festal tune). 6) If Christmas falls on 28 Kiahk, the lessons of Christmas which are those of 29 Kiahk are read. They are read again on the following day. 7) If the Paramon Pre-Christmas falls on 27 Kiahk, the lessons of the Paramon Pre-Christmas (28 Kiahk) are read. 8) If the Paramon Pre-Christmas or the Paramon Pre-Epiphany falls on a Sunday, the lessons of the Paramon are read instead of the lessons of this Sunday. 9) If the Paramon Pre-Christmas or the Paramon Pre-Epiphany falls on a Saturday or on a Sunday, the lessons of the Paramon are read instead of the lessons of these days, but the Paramon fasting will be from Friday, and its readings are not changed (26/27 Kiyahk). 10) 29th of each Coptic month are celebrated (festal tune), because it is a Commemoration of major LORD'S FEAST: Annunciation, Christmas and Easter as we mentioned earlier. Except for the months of Tubah and Amshir which symbolize the Law and the Prophets in the Old Testament, and also they fall before the Annunciation Feast, (29 Baramhat). Yet if 29 Baramhat falls on a V Sunday, its readings replace the readings of this Sunday. This rule does not apply in the period of the Great Lent and Pentecost seasons. 11) If the Sunday which follows Christmas falls on 29 or 30 Kiahk, the lessons of 29 (Christmas reading, see No. 6) or 30 Kiahk (Post- Christmas reading, and not the lessons of the fifth Sunday) are read because they speak about Christmas. 12) If the Feast of Entrance of the LORD JESUS to the Temple (8 Amshir) falls on Jonah's fast or in the Great Lent, the lessons of the feast are read instead of the lessons of that day (festal tune). 13) The lessons of the Annunciation Feast (29 Baramhat) are read no matter which day it is (festal tune) because it is the first of the feasts. However, this rule does not apply if this feast lies between the last Friday of Lent to the second day of the Pentecost season, because this period contains LORD'S events and are not repeatable. 14) The first and second Sundays of the coptic month Bashans do not exist. They are considered contained among the Sundays of the Pentecost season. TABLE OF CONTENTS ( Preface I ( Introduction II ( General remarks on the Church readings III ( Table of the days readings throughout the coptic year Y The Blessed Month of Tut 1 Y The Blessed Month of Babah 3 Y The Blessed Month of Hatur 6 Y The Blessed Month of Kiyahk 8 Y The Blessed Month of Tubah 11 Y The Blessed Month of Amshir 14 Y The Blessed Month of Baramhat 17 Y The Blessed Month of Baramudah 20 Y The Blessed Month of Bashans 24 Y The Blessed Month of Baunah 27 Y The Blessed Month of Abib 29 Y The Blessed Month of Misra 32 Y The Blessed Month of Al-Nasi 35 ( Month of Tut 1 Tut 37 2 Tut 47 8 Tut 55 16 Tut 64 17 Tut 72 18 Tut 81 19 Tut 88 21 Tut 96 26 Tut 102 VIII ( Month of Babah 12 Babah 111 14 Babah 118 22 Babah 127 27 Babah 135 ( Month of Hatur 8 Hatur 143 9 Hatur 151 12 Hatur 159 15 Hatur 169 17 Hatur 177 22 Hatur 187 24 Hatur 194 25 Hatur 202 27 Hatur 211 28 Hatur 218 29 Hatur 227 ( Month of Kiyahk 22 Kiyahk 236 28 Kiyahk 245 29 Kiyahk 255 30 Kiyahk 263 ( Month of Tubah 1 Tubah 270 3 Tubah 280 4 Tubah 288 6 Tubah 297 10 Tubah 305 11 Tubah 313 12 Tubah 322 IX 13 Tubah 330 22 Tubah 338 26 Tubah 346 30 Tubah 354 ( Month of Amshir 2 Amshir 361 ( Month of Baramhat 13 Baramhat 370 29 Baramhat 379 ( Month of Baramhat 23 Baramudah 388 27 Baramudah 396 30 Baramudah 404 ( Month of Bashans 1 Bashans 413 10 Bashans 423 20 Bashans 431 24 Bashans 439 26 Bashans 448 ( Month of Baunah 2 Baunah 456 16 Baunah 465 30 Baunah 473 ( Month of Abib 3 Abib 481 5 Abib 491 20 Abib 500 ( Month of Misra 3 Misra 507 13 Misra 515 X 17 Misra 524 25 Misra 532 26 Misra 540 28 Misra 547 29 Misra 555 30 Misra 562 ( Month of Al-Nasi 1 Al-Nasi 569 2 Al-Nasi 579 3 Al-Nasi 586 4 Al-Nasi 595 6 Al-Nasi 602 THE BLESSED MONTH OF TUT DAY OCCASION INSTEAD READ PAGE 1 Tut Feast of El-Nairooz (The Coptic 37 New Year) 2 Tut Martyrdom of St.