Bold! Arrogant!
They [the false teachers]do not tremble
when slandering the glorious ones [evil angels].
– whereas [good] angels
being greater in might and power [than evil angels]
do not use (bear)
a slanderous judgement
against them [evil angels]
from the Lord.

But these
as irrational animals
born by nature
to be caught and killed (destroyed)
slandering
those of whom they are ignorant
in their destruction
will be destroyed with them [the evil angels].

O Lord, in whom is our hope,
remove far from us, we pray thee,
empty hopes and presumptuous confidence.
Make our hearts so right with thy most holy and loving heart,
that hoping in thee we may do good;
until that day when faith and hope
shall be abolished by sight and possession,
and love shall be all in all.

Christina Rossetti (1830-94)

For if God did not spare angels
who sinned
but gave them over to pits of gloom
having held them captive in Tartarus
who held them until judgement…
and
did not spare the ancient world
but protected
Noah the eighth
(and seven others)
a preacher of righteousness
when he brought
a flood
upon an ungodly world,

and if he
having reduced to ashes
the cities of Sodom, and Gomorrah
he condemned {them to destruction]
having set a warning-example
a sign
of the things to come
for the ungodly
and
if he rescued righteous Lot
having been troubled
by the lawless lifestyle
of the wicked people
(for, the righteous man
living among them
tormented his righteous soul
daily
by what is seen and what is heard
by lawless deeds)
(if so…) the Lord knows how to deliver
the godly from trial,
and how to keep the ungodly
for punishment
at the day of judgement
especially those who go after
the flesh in its corrupt lusts
and those who despise authority (of the Lord).

Keep us, O Lord, while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after thee,
and in an affectionate walking with thee,
every day of our lives;
that when thou comest,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious King, for ever and ever.

Richard Baxter (1615-1691)

And also there were (became) false-prophets
among the people
as also there will be false-teachers
among you all
who will bring in destructive opinions
even denying the master
who bought them-
bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

And many will follow their indecencies,
through whom the true way will be blasphemed

And  in their greed
by made up words
they will exploit you
-about whom
the ancient judgement is not idle
and their destruction is not sleeping.

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:
That we may seek your face
with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. Amen.

Alcuin

Of first order
       know this:
               that every prophecy of scripture
                     comes about not
                            by (the prophet’s) own interpretation.
For no prophecy was 
       ever brought about 
                             by the will of a human, 
but by those
      carried by the Holy Spirit
-they spoke from God. 
               

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:
That we may seek your face
with all our heart and mind and soul and strength. Amen.

Alcuin

And we have the prophetic word,

confirmed,

which you would do well

to pay attention to

as a lamp shining in a dark place,

until day dawns,
and (the) morning  star rises

in your hearts.

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 we did not follow cleverly devised myths
when we made known to you 
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 
For when he received honour and glory
from God the Father,
and the voice was borne to him
by the Majestic Glory, 
“This is my beloved Son, 
with whom I am well pleased,” 
we ourselves heard this very voice
borne from heaven,
for we were with him
on the holy mountain. 

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)

Therefore
I shall be ready to remind you
always
about these things
although
(you) know (them)
and have been established
in the truth
that you have.

And I think it right,
as long I am in this tent,
to awaken you in remembrance
knowing that
the taking off of my body
is soon
also Our Lord Jesus Christ
has made clear (it) to me.
So I will also do my best
to see that
after my departure
you might always have a remembrance of these things.

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

George Herbert

Therefore,
rather sisters /brothers
do your best
to confirm
your calling and election.
For doing these things
you will never ever stumble .
For in this way
an entrance
will be richly provided for you
into the eternal kingdom
of our Lord
and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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

For this reason,
do you best to add
by your faith, virtue
by virtue, wisdom
by wisdom, self-control
by self-control, perseverance
by perseverance, godliness
by godliness, family-love
by family-love, unselfish-love.
For if these things
really-are yours
and are increasing
they will make you
neither idle
or unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord,
Jesus Christ.
But the one in whom these things are not present
is blind, short-sighted,
being forgetful about
the cleansing of their past sins.

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

Seeing that
– his divine power
having given to us everything necessary
to lead to life and godliness
through the knowledge
of the one who calls us
by his own glory and goodness,
-through which he gave to us
precious and very great promises
so that through these things
you might become
sharers of the divine nature
having escaped the corruption
which is in the the world
because of (sinful) desire…

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