Beloved, do not be surprised
that a trial
among you
by fire
is happening
to test you
as a surprising thing occurring.
But in as much
you share the sufferings of Christ
rejoice!
So that
at the revelation of his glory
you may be full of joy.

If you are insulted
on account of the name of Christ,
(you are) blessed
because the Spirit of Glory,
that is the Spirit of God
rests upon you.¹

1. Isal 11:2 ↩︎

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

The end of all things has come very near.
So be sensible and be sober
for (the sake of your) prayers:
above all
having unfailing love
for one another
because
love covers a multitude of sins¹
Be hospitable to one another
without complaining.
As far as each person has received a gift
– servie it to one other
as faithful stewards
of the varied grace of God:
whoever speaks
as (someone speaking) the words of God
if some serves
as (someone serving) with strength which God provides.
in order that God might be glorified in all things
through Jesus Christ,
who is the glory and the power
for ever and ever. Amen.

1. Proverbs 10:12 ↩︎

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

… the nations…
who will give an account
to him who is ready
to judge
the living and the dead
for this is why the good news was preached
to people who are (now) dead
that although they might have been condemned
according to human standards
now they might live
according to God’ standards
in the Spirit.

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.

Therefore
Christ having suffered in the flesh
you also arm yourself with the same attitude:
because the one who suffers in the flesh
has finished with sin,
for they live
no longer according to human desires
but according to the will of God
(their) remaining time in the flesh.
For the time has been enough
so that the will of the nations has been accomplished
having walked along in
debauchery
passions
drunkenness
carousing
partying
and disgusting idolatry.
Because of this,
they are surprised
when you do not run with with them
into the same flood of reckless living
with the result that they blaspheme.

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

(… the spirits in prison)
long ago
disobeyed
when ‘the patience of God’ waited
in the days of Noah
as the ark was being built
in which a few,
this is eight souls
were brought safely by water,
which corresponds to baptism
which now saves you
– not the removal of dirt from (of?) (the) flesh
but a pledge to God of a good conscience
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who is on the right hand of God,
having gone into heaven
the angels and authorities and powers
having been subjected to him.

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 also Christ suffered
once-for-all-time
for sins,
-the righteous man for the unrighteous many
so that he might bring you to God,
although
having been killed
in the flesh
he was made alive
in the spirit
-in which, also
he went and preached
to the spirits in prison…

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.

And who is the one who will harm you,
if you become eager for the good?
But if you also suffer
for the sake of righteousness
(you are) blessed.
Do not fear their fear¹
and neither be troubled,
But revere the Lord as Christ
in your hearts,
ready
always
to answer anyone
who asks you
(for) a reason
for the hope in you,
But with gentleness and fear (of God)
having a good conscience
so that your slanderers
when they abuse
your good (life) in Christ
might be put to shame

For it is better
– doing good
if the will of God wills (it)
to suffer
-than doing evil.

1. Isa 8:12 ↩︎

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

George Herbert

Lastly
all of you be of one mind,
sympathetic
loving of your brothers/sisters
compassionate
humble
-not returning evil for evil
or insult for insult
on the contrary
bless (them)
because this is what you were called to,
so that you might inherit a blessing.
For
the one who wishes to love
and to see good days –
-let them stop their tongue from evil,
and their lips from speaking deceit,
– and turn away from evil
and do good,
-let them seek peace
and pursue it
because the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous
and his ears (open to) their petition,
But the Lord’s face is against those who do evil.¹

1. Psalm 34 13-17 ↩︎

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

Likewise
wives – be subject to (your) own husbands,
so that
even if some disbelieve the word,
on account of the ‘way of life’ of (their) wives
without a word
they might be won over,
when having seen
in fear (of God)
your holy ‘way of life’.
let not (your) adornment be external:
in the braiding of hair
or the putting on of gold (jewelry)
or wearing of (fine) clothes
but (let your adornment be) the secret person
(that is) the heart
by the imperishable (adornment)
of a gentle and peaceable spirit
which is, before God, very precious.
For in this way, formerly
the holy women
who hoped on God
used to adorn themselves
by being subject to their husbands
as Sarah obeyed Abraham,
calling him Lord
-whose children you have become
so do good
and do not fear
any intimidation at all.

Likewise
husbands,
live with …
according to consideration
as the weaker vessel
(your) wives
by showing honour
as fellow-heirs of (the) grace
(which is) life
so that your prayers may not be hindered.

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

For you have been called to this,
because Christ suffered too
for you
leaving you a model
so that you might closely-follow
in his footsteps
who committed no sin
nor was deceit found on in his mouth ¹
who although being insulted, did nor reply with an insult
although suffering, did not threaten
but he handed himself over to the one who judges justly,
who himself ‘bore the burden’ of our sins,²
in his body,
on the tree,
so being removed from sins
we might live to righteousness.
by whose wounding we are being healed ³
For you were wandering like sheep⁴
but now you have been turned
towards to the shepherd
and guardian of your souls.

1. Isa 53:9 ↩︎
2. Isa 53:4, 12 ↩︎
3. Isal 53:5 ↩︎
4. Isa 53:6 ↩︎

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