October 31, 2022 :: Morning Prayer
Monday after the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity
Here beginneth the 14th chapter of Sirach.
Blessed is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth, and is not pricked with the multitude of sins.
Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him, and who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord.
Riches are not comely for a niggard: and what should an envious man do with money?
He that gathereth by defrauding his own soul gathereth for others, that shall spend his goods riotously.
He that is evil to himself, to whom will he be good? he shall not take pleasure in his goods.
There is none worse than he that envieth himself; and this is a recompence of his wickedness.
And if he doeth good, he doeth it unwillingly; and at the last he will declare his wickedness.
The envious man hath a wicked eye; he turneth away his face, and despiseth men.
A covetous man's eye is not satisfied with his portion; and the iniquity of the wicked drieth up his soul.
A wicked eye envieth his bread, and he is a niggard at his table.
My son, according to thy ability do good to thyself, and give the Lord his due offering.
Remember that death will not be long in coming, and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee.
Do good unto thy friend before thou die, and according to thy ability stretch out thy hand and give to him.
Defraud not thyself of the good day, and let not the part of a good desire overpass thee.
Shalt thou not leave thy travails unto another? and thy labours to be divided by lot?
Give, and take, and sanctify thy soul; for there is no seeking of dainties in the grave.
All flesh waxeth old as a garment: for the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shalt die the death.
As of the green leaves on a thick tree, some fall, and some grow; so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.
Every work rotteth and consumeth away, and the worker thereof shall go withal.
Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things in wisdom, and that reasoneth of holy things by his understanding.
He that considereth her ways in his heart shall also have understanding in her secrets.
Go after her as one that traceth, and lie in wait in her ways.
He that prieth in at her windows shall also hearken at her doors.
He that doth lodge near her house shall also fasten a pin in her walls.
He shall pitch his tent nigh unto her, and shall lodge in a lodging where good things are.
He shall set his children under her shelter, and shall lodge under her branches.
By her he shall be covered from heat, and in her glory shall he dwell.
Here endeth the first lesson.
Here beginneth the 17th chapter of Luke.
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.
And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.
For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.
But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.
And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.
They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.
Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;
But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.
Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.
Remember Lot's wife.
Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.
I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.
Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.