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.
And you, Bethlehem Ephrathah being small among the clans of Judah, from you for me one will go out to rule over Israel and their going out will be from the days of old, from the former days.
Therefore he (God) will give (them up) -until the time when the one who is in labour gives birth and the rest of his brothers/sisters will return to the sons / daughters of Israel.
And he will stand and shepherd (the people) in the strength of the LORD by the majesty of the name of the LORD, his God and they shall dwell (in peace) for at that time he will be magnified even to the ends of the earth.
And this one will be peace: for if Assyria comes to our land and marches into our fortresses we will raise up against them seven shepherds and eight leaders of people.
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
Therefore (John) said to the crowds, who had come out to be baptized by him: ‘You, family of snakes, who told you to flee from the coming wrath?’
‘So ‘make‘ fruits, worthy of repentance and do not begin to say among yourselves: “We have Abraham, as our father.” For I say to you “God can raise from these stones children for Abraham”. So already the axe is laid at the root of the trees, Then, a tree that does not ‘make‘ good fruit will be cut down, and thrown into fire.’
And the crowds were asking him: ‘Then, what should we do?’
He answered them: ‘The one who has two tunics, let them share with one who has none, and the one who has food must do likewise’
Tax collectors even came to be baptized and they said to him: ‘Teacher what should we do?’ So he said to them: ‘Collect no more than you are required to!’
And soldiers asked him: ‘And us – what must we do?’ And he said to them: ‘Don’t shake anyone down, nor falsely accuse anyone, and be content with your wages.’
And, the people being expectant and wondering in their hearts about John that perhaps he might be the Messiah, John answered them all: “I baptize you by water, but a stronger one than me is coming, I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit, and fire.
His winnowing fork is in his hand to clean out his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.
So in this way, with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people.
Be joyful in the Lord, always! Again I will say: be joyful!
Let your gentleness be known to everybody.
The Lord is near.
Stop being anxious in anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with thanksgiving make your requests be known in the presence of God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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
Sing, Daughter Jerusalem! Shout, Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart Daughter Jerusalem! The LORD has removed the judgments against you, he has turned back your enemy the King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, do not fear evil again. On that day it will be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not fear, Zion, Do not let your hands drop. And the LORD God is in youe midst, a mighty one who saves he will rejoice over you with gladness he will quieten you by his love he will exult over you with a shout of joy.
The people who grieve because of festivals I have gathered from you they are a burden to her a reproach
Behold I will deal with all who afflict you at that time and I will will rescue the lame and the scattered I will gather I will change… to praise and to renown in all the earth … her shame
At that time I will bring you in and at the time I gather you together I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth; when I return your fortunes before your eyes says the LORD.
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.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, (when) Pontius Pilate was governing the Judeans and Herod was the ruler of Galilee and Philip, his brother was the ruler of Iturea and Trachonitis and Lysanius was ruler of Abilene and during the high priesthood of Anna and Caiaphas – the word of God came upon John, the son of Ze chariah in the desert.
And he came to all the region of the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
As it is was written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice crying in the the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, Make straight his path. Every valley shall be filled, and ever mountain and hill will be made low. And the crooked will be straight and the rough ways will be made level. And all humanity will see the salvation of God.
Lord God, you 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 to live by every word that comes from your mouth, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
I give thanks to my God, in every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, with joy, when making my prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. , Having been convinced of this very thing: that the one who began among you a good work will surely complete (it) at the day of Christ Jesus.
So it is right for me to feel this (way) about you all because I have you all in my heart – both in my chains and in also the defense of the gospel, you all have been my partners in grace.
For God is my witness that I long for you all with the compassion of Christ Jesus.
And this is my prayer: that your love might abound more and more, in wisdom and in all knowledge, so that you might decide what is best in order that you will be pure and blameless on the day of Christ, bearing the fruit of righteousness through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.
Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds, that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as judge and saviour we may be ready to receive him, who is our Lord and our God. Amen.
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.
Watch me! I am sending my messenger and he will clear the road before me. Suddenly the Lord -whom you are seeking, will come to his Temple and the messenger / angel of the covenant – whom you long for, behold he is coming. Says the LORD of hosts.
And who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he will be like the fire of the refiners like the lye of the washers.
He will act like a refiner and a purifier of silver and he will purify the sons of Levi and he will refine them like gold and silver. And they will bring to the LORD a right offering. And the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days past, and in former years.
Almighty God, purify our hearts and minds, that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as judge and saviour we may be ready to receive him, who is our Lord and our God.
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.
And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth (there will be) distress among the nations confused by the sound of sea and waves, people will be fainting from fear and from the expectation of what is coming to the world, and then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Then as these things begin to happen look up and raise your heads because your redemption is near.
And he told them a parable: Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they put out their leaves, you, yourselves, watch and know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see these things happening know that the Kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you in no way, will this generation pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never ever pass away.
Watch out for yourselves so that your hearts may not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day come upon you suddenly as a snare. For it will come all who live upon the whole earth so be alert at all times praying to escape all things about to happen and to stand before the Son of Man.
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.