إنجيل القدّيس مرقس01/من01حتى08/صَوْتُ صَارِخٍ في البَرِّيَّة: أَعِدُّوا طَرِيقَ الرَّبّ، وَٱجْعَلُوا سُبُلَهُ قَوِيمَة
“بَدْءُ إِنْجِيلِ يَسُوعَ المَسِيحِ ٱبْنِ الله. جَاءَ في كِتَابِ النَّبِيِّ آشَعْيا: «هَا إِنِّي أُرْسِلُ مَلاكِي أَمَامَ وَجْهِكَ، وهوَ يُمَهِّدُ طَرِيقَكَ. صَوْتُ صَارِخٍ في البَرِّيَّة: أَعِدُّوا طَرِيقَ الرَّبّ، وَٱجْعَلُوا سُبُلَهُ قَوِيمَة». تَمَّتْ هذِهِ النُّبُوءَةُ يَوْمَ جَاءَ يُوحَنَّا يُعمِّدُ في البَرِّيَّةِ ويَكْرِزُ بِمَعْمُودِيَّةِ التَّوْبَةِ لِمَغْفِرَةِ الخَطَايَا.وكَانَتْ كُلُّ بِلادِ اليَهُودِيَّة، وَجَمِيعُ سُكَّانِ أُورَشَليم، يَخْرُجُونَ إِلَيْه، وَيَعْتَمِدُونَ عَلَى يَدِهِ في نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنّ، مُعْتَرِفِينَ بِخَطايَاهُم. وكانَ يُوحَنَّا يَلْبَسُ ثَوْبًا مِنْ وَبَرِ الجِمَال، وَيَشُدُّ وَسَطَهُ بِحِزَامٍ مِن جِلْد، ويَقْتَاتُ مِنَ الجَرَادِ وعَسَلِ البَرَارِي. وكانَ يُنَادِي قَائِلاً: «يَأْتِي بَعْدِي مَنْ هُوَ أَقْوَى مِنِّي، مَنْ لا أَسْتَحِقُّ أَنْ أَنْحَنِيَ لأَحُلَّ رِبَاطَ حِذَائِهِ. أَنَا عَمَّدْتُكُم بِٱلمَاء، أَمَّا هُوَ فَيُعَمِّدُكُم بِٱلرُّوحِ القُدُس».
رسالة القدّيس بولس الثانية إلى أهل قورنتس10/من12حتى18/فَلَيْسَ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لِنَفْسِهِ هوَ المَقْبُولُ عِنْدَ الرَّبّ، بَلْ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لَهُ الرَّبّ!”
“يا إخوَتِي، نَحْنُ لا نَجْرُؤُ أَنْ نُسَاوِيَ أَنْفُسَنا بِقَومٍ يَشْهَدُونَ لأَنْفُسِهِم، أَو نُقَارِنَ بَيْنَنا وبَيْنَهُم، لأَنَّ الَّذِينَ يَقِيسُونَ أَنْفُسَهُم بِأَنْفُسِهِم، ويُقَارِنُونَ أَنْفُسَهُم بِأَنْفُسِهِم، لا يَفْهَمُون! أَمَّا نَحْنُ فَلا نَفْتَخِرُ فَوْقَ القِيَاس، بَلْ بِقِيَاسِ الحُدُودِ الَّتي رَسَمَهَا ٱللهُ لَنَا، وقَدْ بَلَغَتْ بِنا إِلَيْكُم. فَنَحْنُ لا نَتَعَدَّى حُدُودَنا، كَأَنَّنا لَمْ نَبْلُغْ إِلَيْكُم، بَلْ كُنَّا أَوَّلَ مَنْ وَصَلَ إِلَيْكُم بِإِنْجِيلِ المَسيح. إِنَّنا لا نَفْتَخِرُ فَوقَ القِيَاسِ عَلى حِسَابِ أَتْعَابِ غَيْرِنَا، بَلْ نَرجُو، عِنْدما يَنْمُو إِيْمَانُكُم، أَنْ نَزْدَادَ قَدْرًا في أَعْيُنِكُم، ضِمْنَ حُدُودِ عَمَلِنا، لِكَي نَحْمِلَ البِشَارَةَ إِلى أَبْعَدَ مِنْ عِنْدِكُم، ولا نَفْتَخِرَ بِمَا أَنْجَزَهُ غَيرُنا ضِمْنَ حُدُودِ عَمَلِهِ. «وَمَنْ يَفْتَخِرْ فَلْيَفْتَخِرْ بِالرَّبّ!». فَلَيْسَ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لِنَفْسِهِ هوَ المَقْبُولُ عِنْدَ الرَّبّ، بَلْ مَنْ يَشْهَدُ لَهُ الرَّبّ!”
The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straigh
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 01/01-08: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” ’, John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”.
Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.
Second Letter to the Corinthians 10/12-18: “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense. We, however, will not boast beyond limits, but will keep within the field that God has assigned to us, to reach out even as far as you. For we were not overstepping our limits when we reached you; we were the first to come all the way to you with the good news of Christ. We do not boast beyond limits, that is, in the labours of others; but our hope is that, as your faith increases, our sphere of action among you may be greatly enlarged, so that we may proclaim the good news in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in someone else’s sphere of action.‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ For it is not those who commend themselves that are approved, but those whom the Lord commends.”