Do no evil, and evil will never overtake you.
Stay away from wrong, and it will turn away from you.
The Queen had tea with Paddington Bear Saturday night and told him what she’s been hiding in her purse all these years: the same thing he’s been carrying under his hat, marmalade sandwiches. (Victoria Jones/Press Association)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2
INVITATORY AND PSALTER
Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.
For you are a great God;
you are great above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!
Psalm 56
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
for my enemies are hounding me; *
all day long they assault and oppress me.
2 They hound me all the day long; *
truly there are many who fight against me, O Most High.
3 Whenever I am afraid, *
I will put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust and will not be afraid, *
for what can flesh do to me?
5 All day long they damage my cause; *
their only thought is to do me evil.
6 They band together; they lie in wait; *
they spy upon my footsteps;
because they seek my life.
7 Shall they escape despite their wickedness? *
O God, in your anger, cast down the peoples.
8 You have noted my lamentation;
put my tears into your bottle; *
are they not recorded in your book?
9 Whenever I call upon you, my enemies will be put to flight; *
this I know, for God is on my side.
10 In God the LORD, whose word I praise,
in God I trust and will not be afraid, *
for what can mortals do to me?
11 I am bound by the vow I made to you, O God; *
I will present to you thank-offerings;
12 For you have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, *
that I may walk before God in the light of the living.
Psalm 57
1 Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,
for I have taken refuge in you; *
in the shadow of your wings will I take refuge
until this time of trouble has gone by.
2 I will call upon you, O Most High God, *
the God who maintains my cause.
3 You will send from heaven and save me;
you will confound those who trample upon me; *
O God, you will send forth your love and your faithfulness.
4 I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people; *
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongue a sharp sword.
5 They have laid a net for my feet,
and I am bowed low; *
they have dug a pit before me,
but have fallen into it themselves.
6 Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *
and your glory over all the earth.
7 My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; *
I will sing and make melody.
8 Wake up, my spirit;
awake, lute and harp; *
I myself will waken the dawn.
9 I will confess you among the peoples, O LORD; *
I will sing praise to you among the nations.
10 For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens, *
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
11 Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *
and your glory over all the earth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Oculus window at St. Paul’s, Brunswick, Maine. (parish photo)
THE LESSONS
Ecclesiasticus 7:1-14 (NRSV)
Do no evil, and evil will never overtake you.
Stay away from wrong, and it will turn away from you.
Do not sow in the furrows of injustice,
and you will not reap a sevenfold crop.
Do not seek from the Lord high office,
or the seat of honor from the king.
Do not assert your righteousness before the Lord,
or display your wisdom before the king.
Do not seek to become a judge,
or you may be unable to root out injustice;
you may be partial to the powerful,
and so mar your integrity.
Commit no offense against the public,
and do not disgrace yourself among the people.
Do not commit a sin twice;
not even for one will you go unpunished.
Do not say, “He will consider the great number of my gifts,
and when I make an offering to the Most High God, he will accept it.”
Do not grow weary when you pray;
do not neglect to give alms.
Do not ridicule a person who is embittered in spirit,
for there is One who humbles and exalts.
Do not devise a lie against your brother,
or do the same to a friend.
Refuse to utter any lie,
for it is a habit that results in no good.
Do not babble in the assembly of the elders,
and do not repeat yourself when you pray.
Canticle: First Song of Isaiah
Isaiah 12:2-6
Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Richard Rohr is a Franciscan monk, priest and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Galatians 4:12-20 (NRSV)
Friends, I beg you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you; though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What has become of the good will you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
They make much of you, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you may make much of them. It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you.
My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
Canticle: Song of the Redeemed
Revelation 15:3-4
O ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are they that you have done, *
surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, *
O King of all the ages.
Who can fail to do you homage, Lord
and sing the praises of your Name? *
for you only are the Holy One.
All nations will draw near and fall down before you *
because your just and holy works have been revealed.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Jesus and the Syro-Phoenician Woman (artist unknown)
Matthew 15:21-28 (NRSV)
Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” He answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you;
R. We praise your Name for ever.
V. Lord, keep us from all sin today;
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. For we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope;
R. And we shall never hope in vain.
The First Book of Common Prayer, translated, compiled and edited by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, was published the Day after Pentecost, 1549. He consolidated the monastic Liturgy of the Hours into Morning and Evening Prayer for daily public use, and returned the liturgy of the Eucharist to the common language “understanded of the people” instead of Latin. (patheos.com)
Collect of the Day: The First Book of Common Prayer, 1549
Almighty and everliving God, whose servant Thomas Cranmer, with others, restored the language of the people in the prayers of your Church: Make us always thankful for this heritage; and help us so to pray in the Spirit and with the understanding, that we may worthily magnify your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Anglican Rosary Prayer
said on the cruciform bead
Dear Lord Jesus,
help me do the things I should.
To be to others kind and good.
And in all I do or say,
grow more loving every day.
Monday Morning Prayer List: Most Recent
531,837,022 cases of coronavirus around the world; 6,298,821 deaths
USA: 84,761,723 cases, up 1,498,000; 1,008,576 deaths, up 4000
Patricia, & Martha, pain and freedom of movement
Lisa, high-risk pregnancy
Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine
Nathaniel & Eric, transplants
Deacon Fred
Yvonne & Keith, recent surgeries
Rev. Gary Curl, diagnosed with ALS
Dave, recovery after rehab
Keith & Jennifer Leach, newlyweds
Famine in Kenya, Ethiopia & Somalia
Percy, blood clots; his brother Beau, tumor in neck
Leah, pain relief
Catherine, pancreatic cancer & chemo
Terry Kay Morton, kidney and liver cancer
Deacon Marc, eye disease
Adriana, breast cancer
Dawn, healing of spirit, body and mind
Diana, recovering from surgery
Brad, employment
Nicky, age 5, severe leukemia; 5 siblings, mother Janet
Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.
For the Mission of the Church
Everliving God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21++
VIDEO: O for a thousand tongues (see #493, Lydia (Phillips), Thomas Phillips; Charles Wesley) – BBC’s “Songs of Praise,” 2010
Daily Office Asia-Pacific 