And so, my beloved,
run from idol worship.
To sensible people I speak –
Judge – all of you – what I say.
The cup of blessing,
which we bless,
is it not a shared participation in the blood of Christ,
the bread which we break
is it not a shared participation in the body of Christ?
Because there is one bread,
many as we are, are one body
for we all share the one bread.

Consider ‘Israel according to the flesh’
are not those eating the sacrifice
participants in the sacrificial altar?

What then do I say?
The food-offered-to idols is (something)
or the an idol is (something)?
But (I say) that what is sacrificed
is offered to demons and not to God.
I do want you to be participants with demons.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord
and the cup of demons,
you cannot share in the table of the Lord
and the table of demons.
Or we do make the Lord jealous?
We not stronger than he is, are we?

Eternal Light, shine into our hearts,
Eternal Goodness, deliver us from evil,
Eternal Power, be our support,
Eternal Wisdom, scatter the darkness of our ignorance,
Eternal Pity, have mercy upon us;
that with all our heart and mind
and soul and strength we may seek thy face
and be brought by thine infinite mercy
to thy holy presence;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Alcuin (735-804)

Nevertheless, with the majority of them
God was not pleased
for their bodies were scattered in the desert.
Now these things occurred as a pattern of us,
so that we are not people who desire evil things
as they desired evil things…

And do not become idol worshippers
as some of them
as it is written:
‘the people sat down to eat and drink
and they stood to party.’

And do not let us be sexually immoral
as some of them were immoral and fell,
in one day 23,000.

And do not let us continue to put Christ to the test
as some of them tested (him)
and were destroyed by the snakes.

And do not grumble
as some of them grumbled
and were killed by the Destroyer.

These things happened to them as warnings
and were written for our instruction
on whom the ends of the ages has come
so that the one who thinks they stand
let them see that they do not fall.

A temptation (trial) has not seized you
except a (typically) human one,
Moreover faithful is God-
who will not let you be tested
beyond what you are able (to bear)
but will make
with the temptation
an escape route also:
your ability to bear it.

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

George Herbert

For I do not want you to live in ignorance,
brothers/ sisters:
all our ancestors
were under the cloud
and all went through the sea,
and all were baptized into Moses
in the cloud and in the sea.
and all ate the same spiritual food
and all drank the same spiritual drink.
For they were drinking the spiritual following rock,
and the rock was Christ.

Nevertheless, with the majority of them
God was not pleased
for their bodies were scattered in the desert.
Now these things occurred as a pattern of us,
so that we are not people who desire evil things
as they desired evil things…

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

Do you not know that
all those running in a stadium
run
but one receives the prize?
run persistently so that you obtain it.
Moreover everyone who competes
must be disciplined in everything.
So they (do this) to receive a perishable crown,
but you an imperishable (one).
I, for that reason,
in this way I run
not aimlessly,
in this way I box
not beating air.
But I discipline my body
and I bring it under control
lest somehow
preaching to others
I might not be shown to be not what I should be.

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

Free – I am!
from all (people)
I have put myself into slavery
to all (people),
so that I might win
the greatest (number).
And I became to the Jews
as a Jew
so that I might win Jews.
To those under the Law
(I became) as one under the Law –
not being myself under the Law
so that I might win those under the Law.

To those ‘free from the Law’
not being free from the Law of God
but ‘subject to the Law’ of Christ
that I might gain those ‘free from the Law.’
I have became weak for those who are weak,
so that I might gain those who are weak,
for all (people) I have become all things
so that by all means I might save some.
I do all things on account of the gospel,
so that I might become a sharer in it.

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

But we have not exercised this right,
but we endure everything,
in order that
we might not put an obstacle in the way
of the gospel of Christ.

Do you not know that
those who work in the temple services
eat from the temple services
(and) those who serve at the altar
share in (what was sacrificed) at the altar?

So too the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel
to live from the gospel.

But I have not used any of these (rights).
And I have not written all this
so that something will happen in my case.
For it is better for me to die than-
no-one will deprive me of my boast.
For if I preach the gospel,
It is not a boast for me
Because the necessity lies on me,
for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.
For If I do this of free will,
I have a reward.
But if ‘unwillingly’
I am entrusted with a responsibility.
So what is my reward?
That preaching the gospel free of charge
I will present the Gospel free
so as not to make full use of the my right
in the gospel.

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

Am I saying this according to human (authority)
or
does the law not say this also?
For it has been written in the law of Moses:
‘You shall not muzzle the ox,
as it threshes.’
Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
or
for us, by all means, he is speaking!
that is: it was written for us,
because the one ploughing ought to plough in hope,
and the one threshing ought to share in the harvest, in hope.
If we sowed spiritual things among you,
is it a big thing for us to reap material things?
If others share in this right from you,
even more so us.

Thank you, dear Jesus,
for all you have given me,
for all you have taken away from me,
for all you have left me.

Thomas More (c.1478-1535)

Do we not have the right to eat and drink?
Do we not have the right to take along a sister, who is wife,
like the other apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?
Or do only I and Barnabas not have the right not to work?

Who ever serves as a soldier (providing) all his own rations?
Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit?
Or who shepherds a flock and does not eat some of the flock’s milk?

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is discord, union;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy,
For your mercy and for your truth’s sake. Amen

Am I am not free?
Am I not an apostle?
Have I not seen Jesus, our Lord?
Are you not my work, in the Lord?
If I am not to others an apostle,
still surely I am to you all,
For my proof of my apostleship is you all, in the Lord.
My defence to those who investigate me – is this.

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)