And now you know
what holds (the man of lawlessness) back
   so that he may be revealed                  
in his own time.

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. 

Only, the one who holds him back will do so
          until he is out of the way. 

And then the lawless one will be revealed, 
whom the Lord will do away with,
by the breath of his mouth 
and he will destroy him by the epiphany of his coming. 
whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan
with all miracles and signs and false wonders,
and by every evil deception directed at those who are perishing
because they did not accept the love of the truth so that they would be saved. 

And because of this God sends to them a powerful delusion so they would believe the lie. 
in order that all those may be condemned who do believe in the truth, having taken pleasure in evil.  

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)

Let no-one deceive you in any way –
first comes the rebellion,
and the lawless man is revealed, 
the son of destruction, 
the one who opposes
      and who exalts himself above everything
called god
or worshipped, 
so that in the temple of god
     he sits
     claiming for himself that he is God. 

Do you all not remember that
while (I was) with you
I told you these things?

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)

(…this is evidence of the just judgement of God)

… if indeed it is just for God
to pay your trouble
        back to those who trouble you
  and relieve you
who are being troubled
with us,
at the revelation of our Lord Jesus
             from heaven
             with his powerful angels
in flaming fire
giving punishment to those who do not know God
 and those who do not obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,
  who will suffer punishment,                
– eternal destruction –
           from before God
           and from the glory of his strength,
when he comes to receive glory
        among  his holy ones
and to be marvelled at by all who believe,
— because you believe our testimony
        among you.

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.

on that day.

(So that we ourselves boast  
about you
in the churches of God
for  your steadfastness and faith
in all the persecutions and the troubles
which you are enduring. )

…this is evidence of the just judgement of God
to the end that you are declared worthy
 for the kingdom of God
and for which you are suffering, 

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.

Paul and Silavanus and Timothy
  to the church of the Thessalonians
   in God our Father
   and the Lord Jesus Christ, 

grace to you and
peace
from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We ought to give thanks
    to God always
about you,
sisters and brothers,
as is fitting
because
your faith is growing abundantly and
the love of each one of you all
for one another
is increasing.

So that we ourselves boast  about you
in the churches of God
for  your steadfastness and faith
in all the persecutions and the troubles
which you are enduring. 

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.

Do not quench the Spirit.
Do not despise prophecy. 
But test everything, 
hold fast to the good.
Shun every kind of evil. 

May the God of peace himself,
make you completely holy , 
and may your whole spirit, soul and body
be kept
entirely blameless
at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

He who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 

Brothers and sisters, pray for us. 

Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.

I charge you, 
before the Lord, to read publicly 
the letter to all the brothers and sisters. 

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with 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.

Always be joyful!
Continually pray!
In everything give thanks!
for this is the will of God
          in Christ Jesus 
for you.

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

George Herbert

We implore you
      brothers and sisters,
to respect those
        who work hard among you, 
         and watch over you in the Lord,
        and admonish you,
and consider them with the greatest respect 
        in love 
because of their work. 

Live at peace among yourselves.

We encourage you, brothers and sisters,
to warn the ill-disciplined, 
to encourage the low spirited, 
to help the weak,
and to be patient towards all. 

See that no-one pays back evil for evil,
but always  pursue the good
      for one another,
      and for all. 

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