If you have died with Christ
from the spiritual forces of the world
why do you submit to decrees
as if living in the world? –
‘Do not handle’
‘-nor taste’
‘-nor touch’
these things that are all for destruction
by being used (up)
according to human rules and doctrines.
which to be sure have the reputation of wisdom-
by would-be-wisdom
and false humility
– (to be) severe discipline of the body
but they do not have any value
for (dealing with) the flesh.

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)

So, let no-one judge you
– in matters of eating and drinking
or with regard to a festival
or new moons or sabbaths,
which are shadows of what is to come
– the substance is (the things of) Christ.
Let no-one disqualify you
taking pleasure in false humility
and in the worship of angels.
which they have seen
and go on about
being puffed up
without cause
and by their unspiritual mind
and not holding onto the head (i.e. Christ)
from whom all the body
through the joints and ligaments
being nourished
and held together
grows with a growth that is from God.

O thou, who art the light of the minds that know thee,
the life of the souls that love thee,
and the strength of the wills that serve thee;
help us so to know thee that we may truly love thee;
so to love thee that we may fully serve thee,
whom to serve is perfect freedom.
Amen

…and you
being dead in your sins 
    and the uncircumcision of the flesh
he (God) made-alive-together with him
having forgiven all our trespasses
having wiped the-record-of-the debt against us
– the written codes       
– which was hostile to us
and he took it away from our midst
having nailed it to the cross.
having disarmed the rulers and authorities,
he (God) boldly made them a public disgrace
by leading them in a triumphal procession
in him (Christ). 

God be in head and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes and in my looking;
God be in my mouth and in my speaking;
God be in my heart and in my thinking;
God be at my end and at my departing.

that is empty deceit,
… and not according to Christ.

because
in him all the fullness of deity
permanently lives
in bodily form
and in him you are fulfilled
who is the head over every ruler and authority,
in whom also you have been circumcised
with a circumcision not made by hands
when you completely stripped off the fleshly body
in Christ’s (way of) circumcision
having been buried together with him,
in the act of baptism
in which you also were raised together (with him)
through (your) faith in the power of God
which raised him from among the dead…

Lord God,
your feed us with the living bread from heaven.
You renew our faith
increase our hope
and strengthen our love.
Teach us to hunger for Christ
who is the true and living bread
and live by every word that comes from your mouth,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So, as you received the Christ, Jesus the Lord
(go on) walking in him,
having been firmly rooted
and being built up in him
and being settled in the Faith
– just as you have been taught,
overflowing in thankfulness.

Watch out! Perhaps there will be someone
who will carry you off as spoil
through ‘philosophy’
that is empty deceit,
according to human traditions
according to the spirits of the world
and not according to Christ.

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 I want you to know
how great a struggle
I have on your behalf
and for those in Laodicea
and any who have not seen
my face, in the flesh,
so that their hearts might be encouraged
having been knit together
in love,
and into every kind of riches
that is the full wealth of full assurance, (the result of) understanding
– namely a fuller knowledge of the secret of God
that is Christ
in whom all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge
are hidden.

I say this, so that no-one will deceive you,
by attractive arguments.
For although I am away in the flesh,
I am with you in spirit,
rejoicing to see
your good order
and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ

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.

Now, I rejoice
in (the midst of) (my) sufferings
on your behalf
and I complete (in my turn)
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
in my flesh
on behalf of his body
which is the church,
for which I have become a servant
according to the stewardship of God
which was given to me for you
– that is to bring to completion the message of God,
– the secret,
hidden from ages and generations past
but now revealed to his holy ones
that God willed to make known
(to them)
what is the glorious riches of this secret
among the nations.
which is Christ in you all
the hope of glory

whom we proclaimed to you,
warning everyone
and teaching everyone
with all wisdom,
so that we might present everyone
mature in Christ
to this I work,
struggling
because of his power
powerfully
working in me.

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

George Herbert

And you (who) formerly were alienated (from God)
and enemies in (your) thinking
because of (your) evil deeds
…now (God) has reconciled
by his body of flesh
through his death
to present you
holy
and without blemish
and beyond reproach
in (God’s) presence
if you indeed stay in faith
established firmly
and steadfast
and not shifting
from the hope of the gospel
which you heard
which has been proclaimed to every creature
that is under heaven
of which I Paul have became a servant.

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

And he himself is before [all things]
and all things hold together in him.

And he himself is the head of the body – the church,

-who is the Beginning,
– being the firstborn from the dead ones,
so that he himself might become in all things pre-eminent

because all the fulness (of God) was pleased
to dwell in him (Christ).
and to reconcile [all things] to him (God)
having made peace
through the blood of his cross
(through him [ie Christ])
whether things on the earth
or things in the heavens.

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

(His beloved Son)…
who is the likeness of the invisible God,
the first(-born) of all creatures
because in him [all things] were created
-in the heavens and upon the earth
-things visible and invisible things
whether enthroned ones
or powers
or rulers
or authorities
[all things] through him
and in him
have been created.

And he himself is before [all things]
and all things hold together in him.

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