O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
Psalm 36 (37) |
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The fate of the evil and the righteous |
Do not envy the wicked; do not be jealous of those that do evil. They will dry up as quickly as hay; they will wither like the grass. Put your trust in the Lord and do good, and your land and habitation will be secure. Take your delight in the Lord, and he will give you what your heart desires. Entrust your journey to the Lord, and hope in him: and he will act. He will make your uprightness shine like the light, your judgement like the sun at noon. Take your rest in the Lord, and hope in him: do not envy the one who thrives in his own way, the man who weaves plots. Abstain from wrath, abandon anger: do not envy him who turns to evil, for those who do evil will be destroyed, but those on the side of the Lord will inherit the earth. A moment yet and the sinner will be gone: you will look where he was and find nothing. But the needy will inherit the land and delight in abundant peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
Psalm 36 (37) |
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The wicked will plot against the righteous and gnash his teeth at him; but the Lord will deride him in his turn, for the Lord has seen what awaits him. The wicked have pulled out their swords, the wicked have drawn their bows, to throw down the poor and the destitute, to murder whoever follows the straight path. But their swords will enter their own hearts, and their bows will splinter. For the righteous, the little they have is better than the abundant wealth of the wicked. The limbs of the wicked will be broken while the Lord gives his strength to the just. The Lord knows when the day of the perfect will come; and their inheritance will be eternal. They will not be troubled in evil times, and in times of famine they will have more than enough. For the wicked will perish: the enemies of the Lord will be like the flowers of the fields, and like smoke they will vanish away. The wicked man borrows and does not return; but the righteous takes pity and gives. The blessed ones of the Lord will inherit the earth, but those whom he curses will be cut off. It is the Lord who strengthens the steps of man and chooses his path. Even if he trips he will not fall flat, for the Lord is holding his hand. I was young and I have grown old, but I have not seen the righteous man abandoned nor his children seeking for bread. All day long he takes pity and lends, and his seed will be blessed. Shun evil and do good, and you will live for ever. For the Lord loves right judgement, and will not abandon his chosen ones. The unjust will be destroyed for ever, and the seed of the wicked will be cut off, but the righteous will inherit the earth and live there from age to age. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
Psalm 36 (37) |
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The mouth of the righteous will speak wisdom, and his tongue will utter right judgement. The law of his God is in his heart and his steps will not stumble. The wicked man watches the just and seeks to kill him; but the Lord will rescue the just man from his hands and not condemn the just in the time of judgement. Put your hope in the Lord and follow his paths, and he will raise you up and make the land your inheritance, let you watch as the wicked are cut off. I have seen the sinner triumph, flourish like a green cedar, but he is gone, he is there no longer: I have looked for him but have not found him. Preserve innocence, follow uprightness: for the future belongs to the man of peace. The unrighteous will be destroyed altogether, their posterity will be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and their protection in time of trouble. The Lord will come to their help and free them, rescue them from the wicked and save them, because they have put their trust in him. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
Reading | Jeremiah 20:7 - 18 © |
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You have seduced me, the Lord, and I have let myself be seduced; you have overpowered me: you were the stronger. I am a daily laughing-stock, everybodys butt. Each time I speak the word, I have to howl and proclaim: Violence and ruin! The word of the Lord has meant for me insult, derision, all day long. I used to say, I will not think about him, I will not speak in his name any more. Then there seemed to be a fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones. The effort to restrain it wearied me, I could not bear it. I hear so many disparaging me, Terror from every side! Denounce him! Let us denounce him! All those who used to be my friends watched for my downfall, Perhaps he will be seduced into error. Then we will master him and take our revenge! But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble, mastered, confounded by their failure; everlasting, unforgettable disgrace will be theirs. But you, O Lord of Hosts, you who probe with justice, who scrutinise the loins and heart, let me see the vengeance you will take on them, for I have committed my cause to you. Sing to the Lord, praise the Lord, for he has delivered the soul of the needy from the hands of evil men. A curse on the day when I was born, no blessing on the day my mother bore me! A curse on the man who brought my father the news, A son, a boy has been born to you! making him overjoyed. May this man be like the towns that the Lord overthrew without mercy; may he hear alarms in the morning, the war cry in broad daylight, since he did not kill me in the womb; my mother would have been my tomb while her womb was swollen with me. Why ever did I come out of the womb To live in toil and sorrow and to end my days in shame! |
Reading | The Imitation of Christ |
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The Truth of the Lord endures for ever | |
You thunder your judgements upon me, O Lord; you shake all my bones with fear and dread, and my soul becomes severely frightened. I am bewildered when I realise that even the heavens are not pure in your sight. If you discovered iniquity in the angels and did not spare them, what will become of me? The stars fell from heaven, and I, mere dust, what should I expect? Those whose works seemed praiseworthy fell to the depths, and I have seen those who once were fed with the bread of angels take comfort in the husks of swine. There is no holiness where you have withdrawn your hand, O Lord; no profitable wisdom if you cease to rule over it; no helpful strength if you cease to preserve it. If you forsake us, we sink and perish; but if you visit us, we rise up and live again. We are unstable, but you make us firm; we grow cool, but you inflame us. All superficial glory has been swallowed up in the depths of your judgement upon me. What is all flesh in your sight? Can the clay be glorified in opposition to its Maker? How can anyone be stirred by empty talk if his heart is subject in the truth to God? If a man is subject to truth, possession of the whole world cannot swell him with pride; nor will he be swayed by the flattery of his admirers, if he has established all his trust in God. For those who do nothing but talk amount to nothing; they fail with their din of words, but the truth of the Lord endures for ever. |
Concluding Prayer |
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God of power and might, all that is perfect belongs to you. Fill us with love of your name: increase our zeal and nourish what is good in us; watch over us and preserve what you have nourished. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen. |
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 Feria |
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