If with the tongues of humans
       I were to speak 
or even angels
but love
       I do not have
I have become
       a resounding brass (jar?)
       or a clanging cymbal
and 
if I were to have (the gift) of  prophecy
       and even to understand all the mysteries
              and every knowledge
and
if I have all faith
       so as to move mountains
but love I do not have
I am nothing

and even if I have given away all my possessions
and if I given my body over to be burned
but love I do not have
I gain nothing. 

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

Now, you all are the body of Christ
and limbs /organs
each for their part.

And some God placed in the church
first apostles
second prophets
third teachers
then miracles,
then gifts of healing
helping
guiding
kinds of tongues

Not all are apostles, are they?
Not all are prophets, are they?
Not all are teachers, are they?
Not all work miracles, do they?
Not all have gifts of healing, do they?
Not all speak with tongues, do they?
Not all interpret do they?

Nonetheless strive for the greater g ifts.

And yet I will show you a more excellent way.

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

And the eye cannot say to the hand

‘I have no need of you’

or again the head to the feet

‘I have no need of you’.

But, in particular,  the ‘limbs and organs’ of the body which are deemed less gifted with prestige

are essential.

And those (parts) of the body which we deem more dishonorable

we treat with greater honour

and our unpresentable parts

are clothed with greater modesty.

But our presentable parts have no need (of this)

but God put together the body

 by giving greater honour to the lesser part

so that there might not be division in the body

but the members might have the same concern 

for one another.

So if one ‘limb or organ’ suffers

all the limbs and organs suffers together

So if one limb/organ is celebrated (glorified)

all the limbs and organs share in the praise. 

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

St Anselm

If the foot said

‘I am not a hand

I am not (a part) of the body, 

is it 

for this reason {i.e. having said the above}

not (a part) of the body?

And if the ear said

‘I am not an eye
I am not (part) of the body’

is it  

for this reason

not (a part) of the body?

If the whole body was an eye, 

where is hearing?

If the whole (body) was an ear

where is smelling?

But as it is

God put ‘limbs and organs’ 

each of them

in the body

just as he chose.

For if all of them were one ‘limb and organ’

where would the body be?

But as it is

(there are) many limbs and organs

but one body. 

If the foot said

‘I am not a hand

I am not (a part) of the body, 

is it 

for this reason {i.e. having said the above}

not (a part) of the body?

And if the ear said

‘I am not an eye
I am not (part) of the body’

is it not

for this reason

not (a part) of the body?

If the whole body was an eye, 

where is hearing?

If the whole (body) was an ear

where is smelling?

But as it is

God put ‘limbs and organs’ 

each of them

in the body

just as he chose.

For if all of them were one ‘limb and organ’

where would the body be?

But as it is

(there are) many limbs and organs

but one body. 

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)

For just as the body is one –
and it has many ‘limbs and organs’
and all the ‘limbs and organs’ of the body
(being many)
are one body
– so also (it is in the case of) Christ.

For also
by one Spirit
we all were baptized
into one body
whether Jews
or Greeks,
whether slaves
or free,
we were made to drink
of the one Spirit.

For also
the body is not one ‘limb or organ’ but many.

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

George Herbert

For to one person through the Spirit is given speech of wisdom,
to another speech of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
to another faith by the same Spirit,
but to another gifts of healings by the one Spirit
then to another working of miracles
to another prophecy
to another discernment of spirits
to another kinds of tongues
but to another translation of tongues.

Now the one and same Spirit
works all these things,
distributing to each as he decides to each person.

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

Now there are ‘different distributions’ of gifts
but it is the same Spirit
and there are ‘different distributions’of serving
and it is the same Lord
and there are ‘different distributions’of energizings
but it is the same God,
who energizes all things in everyone.

And the manifestation of the Spirit
is given
to each person
for the common benefit.

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

Now, about the spiritual (gifts and/or people),
sisters /brothers
I do not want you to be uninformed.

You know you
that
– when you were gentiles
-to speechless idols
-however you were being led
(you were) being led astray.

Therefore I am making known to you all
that no-one
by the Spirit of God says
Jesus (is) cursed
and no-one can say
Jesus (is) Lord
except by the Holy Spirit.

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

So who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord not fittingly
is guilty (for so treating) the body and blood of the Lord.
But let a person examine themself
and in this way let them eat from the bread and drink from the cup.

For (that) one is eating and drinking judgement on themself,
if they eat and drink without ‘recognising what is different about’ the body

Because of this , among you, many are weak and sick and quite a few are asleep.
Then, if we ‘recognised what is different about’ ourselves,
we would not be judged.

But if we are judged by the Lord
we are being ‘taught by discipline’
so that we might not be condemned with the world.

So, my sisters/brothers,
when you come together to eat
wait for one another.
If someone is hungry,
may it be that they eat at home,
so that you do not come together for judgement.
I will give instructions about other things
whenever I come.

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.

(unknown)

For I received from the Lord
also what I handed over to you,
that the Lord Jesus
on that night on which he was being handed over
took bread,
and when he had given thanks
he broke it
and said
This is my body
which is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup
after the supper, saying
This cup is the new covenant
in my blood
do this
whenever you drink
in remembrance of me
For as many times as you eat this bread and drink this cup
you proclaim the death of the Lord
until when he comes.

Eternal God and Father,
you create us by your power,
and redeem us by your love,
guide and strengthen us by your Spirit,
that we may give ourselves in love and service
to one another and to you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen