Do everything without grumbling,
and arguing,
so that you will be pure
and innocent, 
children of God, 
unblemished
in the middle of a crooked
and perverse humanity ,
in which you shine as stars in the universe
holding fast to the word of life
so that I can boast  on the day of Christ, 
proof that I  have not run in vain
nor toiled in vain.

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 then, my beloved, 
  just as you have always obeyed
         not only in my presence
        but now much more in my absence
     with fear and trembling
work out your own salvation. 

For God is the one who is working mightily 
in you all
the willing 
and the working
for the sake of his good pleasure.

Take from us,
O God, all pride and vanity,
all boasting and self-assertion,
and give us the true courage that shows itself in gentleness,
the true wisdom that shows itself in simplicity,
and the true power that shows itself in modesty.

Charles Kingsley

Think like this (care about others)
among yourselves
which (thinking) was also in Christ Jesus,
who
though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard being equal with God
as something to be exploited.
But  he  emptied  himself
having taken the form of a slave
being born in the likeness of human beings
and being found in the shape of a man
he humiliated himself
    by being obedient, to the point of death, 
 even death on a cross. 

On account of which 
God exalted him to the highest degree
that is he generously gave him the Name (high) above all names. 
so that in honour of  the name of Jesus
every knee should bend
-the heavenly beings
and on-the-earth beings
and under-the-earthly beings
and that the tongue of every person should acknowledge:
‘Jesus Christ is Lord’
to the glory of God the Father.

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

Think like this (care about others)
among yourselves
which (thinking) was also in Christ Jesus,
who
though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard being equal with God
as something to be exploited.
But  he  emptied  himself
haven taken the form of a slave
being born in the likeness of human beings
and being found in the shape of a man…

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.

So
if there is any comfort in Christ
if there is any consolation in love
if there is any participation in the Spirit
if there is any affection and mercy…
complete my joy
that is 
think the same way
having the same love
    souls-together
thinking one thing

(doing) nothing from selfish ambition
or from conceit

but in humility-of-mind
consider one another
more important than yourselves.
Each of you should not be caring  about your things
but (should be caring) about others’ things.

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.

Only 
worthily
of the Gospel about Christ, 
‘live citizenly’
    so that whether coming and seeing you
  or being away,
I hear things about you, 
namely that you stand firm
in one spirit,
one in soul
struggling side by side in the faith
which is the Gospel
and not being frightened
not in any way by those who are opposing 
which is a sign of destruction for them, 
but to you salvation, 
and this is from God. 

Because for you 
it has been given graciously
on behalf of Christ
not only in him to believe 
but also for his sake to suffer
having the same struggle
such as you saw to be mine, 
(and) now hear that is mine.

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

And since I am confident of this (it is better for you that I stay)
I know that I will remain and carry on with all of you
for your progress and joy
in the faith

so that ‘what you can be proud of’
will abound
in Christ Jesus
in me
because of my coming again to you.

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.

For me, to be living is Christ 
and to die is an advantage. 

If  living in the flesh,
this is fruitful work for me, 

and I can’t tell which to choose. 
And yet I am caught between the two:

having a desire to die
and be with Christ.
For that is better in many ways.

But to stay in the flesh is better for you. 

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

George Herbert

Yes, and  I  will continue to rejoice,: 
for I know 
 that this will result in salvation for me
through your prayer
              and the provision of the spirit of Jesus Christ.
in accordance with the eager expectation
            and my hope. 
    (and) that that in no way will I be ashamed
        but with boldness
       as always and now
 Christ will be highly honoured  
     in my body
          either by (my life)
or by (my) death.

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

Some 
    because of envy and rivalry
and others
    through good will,
preach Christ:

those from love, 
knowing that I am put  here for the defence of the Gospel, 

others proclaim Christ
from selfish ambition
not purely
supposing to raise trouble in my chains.

What does it matter?

Only that in every way
either by false motive
or by truth
Christ is proclaimed,
and so in this I rejoice.

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