(… the spirits in prison)
long ago
disobeyed
when ‘the patience of God’ waited
in the days of Noah
as the ark was being built
in which a few,
this is eight souls
were brought safely by water,
which corresponds to baptism
which now saves you
– not the removal of dirt from (of?) (the) flesh
but a pledge to God of a good conscience
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who is on the right hand of God,
having gone into heaven
the angels and authorities and powers
having been subjected to him.

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

For also Christ suffered
once-for-all-time
for sins,
-the righteous man for the unrighteous many
so that he might bring you to God,
although
having been killed
in the flesh
he was made alive
in the spirit
-in which, also
he went and preached
to the spirits in prison…

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art –
Thou my best thought, by day or by night;
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

And who is the one who will harm you,
if you become eager for the good?
But if you also suffer
for the sake of righteousness
(you are) blessed.
Do not fear their fear¹
and neither be troubled,
But revere the Lord as Christ
in your hearts,
ready
always
to answer anyone
who asks you
(for) a reason
for the hope in you,
But with gentleness and fear (of God)
having a good conscience
so that your slanderers
when they abuse
your good (life) in Christ
might be put to shame

For it is better
– doing good
if the will of God wills (it)
to suffer
-than doing evil.

1. Isa 8:12 ↩︎

Lord, you have given me so much,
I ask for one more thing –
a grateful heart.

George Herbert

Lastly
all of you be of one mind,
sympathetic
loving of your brothers/sisters
compassionate
humble
-not returning evil for evil
or insult for insult
on the contrary
bless (them)
because this is what you were called to,
so that you might inherit a blessing.
For
the one who wishes to love
and to see good days –
-let them stop their tongue from evil,
and their lips from speaking deceit,
– and turn away from evil
and do good,
-let them seek peace
and pursue it
because the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous
and his ears (open to) their petition,
But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil.¹

1. Psalm 34 13-17 ↩︎

Be thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me
Be thou a smooth path below me
Be thou a kindly shepherd behind me
Today – tonight -forever
Amen.

St Columba

Likewise
wives – be subject to (your) own husbands,
so that
even if some disbelieve the word,
on account of the ‘way of life’ of (their) wives
without a word
they might be won over,
when having seen
in fear (of God)
your holy ‘way of life’.
let not (your) adornment be external:
in the braiding of hair
or the putting on of gold (jewelry)
or wearing of (fine) clothes
but (let your adornment be) the secret person
(that is) the heart
by the imperishable (adornment)
of a gentle and peaceable spirit
which is, before God, very precious.
For in this way, formerly
the holy women
who hoped on God
used to adorn themselves
by being subject to their husbands
as Sarah obeyed Abraham,
calling him Lord
-whose children you have become
so do good
and do not fear
any intimidation at all.

Likewise
husbands,
live with …
according to consideration
as the weaker vessel
(your) wives
by showing honour
as fellow-heirs of (the) grace
(which is) life
so that your prayers may not be hindered.

O Love, O God who created me, in your love recreate me.
O Love, who redeemed me,
fill up in me whatever part of your love
has fallen into neglect within me.
O Love, O God, who first loved me,
grant that with my whole heart,
and with my whole soul,
and with my whole strength,
I may love you.

Gertrude the Great

For you have been called to this,
because Christ suffered too
for you
leaving you a model
so that you might closely-follow
in his footsteps
who committed no sin
nor was deceit found on in his mouth ¹
who although being insulted, did nor reply with an insult
although suffering, did not threaten
but he handed himself over to the one who judges justly,
who himself ‘bore the burden’ of our sins,²
in his body,
on the tree,
so being removed from sins
we might live to righteousness.
by whose wounding we are being healed ³
For you were wandering like sheep⁴
but now you have been turned
towards to the shepherd
and guardian of your souls.

1. Isa 53:9 ↩︎
2. Isa 53:4, 12 ↩︎
3. Isal 53:5 ↩︎
4. Isa 53:6 ↩︎

Teach us, good Lord,
to serve thee as thou deservest;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to toil and not to seek for rest;
to labour and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do thy will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen

St Ignatius

[Be subject to every human authority…]

The (House-) servants being subject
in all fear (of God)
to the masters
not only to those who are good and gentle
but to the cruel ones.
For this is grace…
if because of an awareness of God
someone is enduring griefs
while suffering unjustly.
For what credit is it
if while sinning
and being beaten
you will endure?
But if while doing good
and suffering
you endure,
this is grace in the presence of God.

Grant, Lord,
that we may hold to you without parting,
worship you without wearying,
serve you without failing;
faithfully seek you,
happily find you,
and forever possess you,
the only God,blessed now and for ever.
Amen

St Anselm

Be subject to every human authority,
because of the Lord,
that is a king – a ruler,
or governors – sent by him
for the punishment of evil-doers
and the praise of good-doers
because this is the will of God
by doing good
to silence
the ignorance of foolish people,
— (Be) as free people,
not as those without excuse
have freedom
but as slaves of God.

Honour everyone,
love the ‘family’
fear God,
honour the King.

Beloved, I beg you as aliens and strangers
to abstain from fleshly desires
which war against the soul.
– having a good way of life
amongst the nations
so that
in the situation in which
they accuse you
as wrongdoers
observing your good works
they might glorify God,
on the day of (his) visit.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
stay beside me to defend me,
within me to guide me,
before me to lead me,
and above me to bless me,
that with you and in you,
I may live, and move and have my being,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

(unknown)

But you!
– a chosen race, ¹
a kingly priesthood,
a holy nation.²
a race to be possessed
so that
you might proclaim the excellencies
of him
who called you from darkness
into his marvellous light.
Those who once were not a people
But now (are the) people of God
those having not been shown mercy
now having been shown mercy.³

1. Ex 19:6 ↩︎
2. Isa 43:20-21 ↩︎
3. Hos1:6,23, 2:3,5 ↩︎

Steer the ship of my life, good Lord, to your quiet harbour,
where I can be safe from the storms of sin and conflict.
Show me the course I should take.
Renew in me the gift of discernment,
so that I can always see the right direction in which I should go.
And give me the strength and the courage to choose the right course,
even when the sea is rough and the waves are high,
knowing that through enduring hardship and danger in your name
we shall find comfort and peace.
Amen

Basil of Caesarea (c.329-379)