Category: Time to Pray

  • 1 Corinthians 13 1-3

    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

  • I Corinthians 12 27-31

    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

  • 1 Corinthians 12 21-26

    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

  • 1 Corinthians 12 15-20

    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)

  • 1 Corinthians 12 12-14

    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

  • 1 Corinthians 12 8-11

    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

  • 1 Corinthians 12 4-7

    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

  • 1 Corinthians 12 1-3

    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

  • 1 Corinthians 11 27-34

    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)

  • 1 Corinthians 11 23-26

    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