But when you see the abomination (which causes desolation)-
who stands where he must not,
– let the reader understand-
then let those in Judea flee to the mountains. 

But let the one on the rooftop not go down
nor enter to take anything from their house.

And let not the one who is in the field turn back to pick up their cloak.

Woe to those who are pregnant
and to those nursing their babies in those days. 

Pray that it will not be wintertime.

For in those days there will be trouble such as has never been since the beginning of creation (which God created) until now – and never ever will be. 

And unless the Lord had not shortened the days, no flesh would have been saved.
But because of the elect, whom he had chosen, he shortened the days. 

And then if someone says to you ‘Look, here is the Christ’ or ‘Look there!’, do not believe them. False Christs will appear and false prophets, and they will give signs  and wonders to deceive, if it is possible, the elect. 

So watch out for yourselves. I have told you all things in advance. 

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)

Watch out for yourselves. 

They will hand you over 
to councils
and to the synagogues 
to be beaten.
Before rulers 
and kings
you will be made to stand:
because of me 
as a testimony against them. 

– And it is necessary first to preach the gospel to all nations. – 

And when they lead you away and so hand you over
do not worry beforehand about what to say,
but say whatever is given to you at that hour.
For it is not you (all) who are speaking but the Holy Spirit.
And brother will hand over brother to death, 
and father, child.
And children will turn against parents,
and they will have them killed.

And you all will be hated by everyone because of my name. 
The one who remains faithful to the end, they will be saved. 

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)

And sitting on the Mount of Olives, opposite the temple, Peter, (and Jacob and James and Andrew) asked him privately:
‘Tell us, when will these things be,
and what will be the sign that all these things are about to happen?’

Then Jesus began to say to them:

“Watch out, lest anyone deceive you.

Many will come in my name saying that “I am he”.
and many will deceive. 

When you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed.
It is necessary to be, but it is not yet the end.
For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, 

There will be earthquakes in place after place.
There will be floods. 

These things are the beginning of the pains.”

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

And having left  the temple precincts, one of his disciples said to him:

‘Teacher, look –  what wonderful stones and buildings.’

And Jesus said to him:

‘Do you see these great buildings?

There certainly will not be one stone here left on another, which will not be thrown down.’

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

And when he sat opposite the collecting box, he watched how the crowd threw money into the collecting box and many rich people were putting† in large amounts. 

And a poor widow having come, put in two leptons* (that is equal to a quadrans + ). And having called his disciples, he said to them: ‘Truly, I tell you that this poor widow put in† more than everyone else who put into† the collecting box.  For everyone else puts in† out of their abundance, but she, from her poverty, put in all that she had, the whole of her life. 

*two small copper coins, the smallest coins in circulation in Palestine
+ the smallest Roman coin = 1/64th of a Denarius (a day’s wage)
† throwing

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.

In the course of his teaching,
he said:’
Watch out the scholars, who take pleasure in:
walking about in long robes,
greetings in the market places, 
having the best seats in the synagogues
and having the best places at feasts – 
those who cheat widows out of their property
and as  a pretext pray for a long time. 

These will receive more severe judgement.‘

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

And Jesus, teaching in the temple precincts,  replied:
‘How is it that the scholars say that the Christ is the Son of David? 

David himself said in the Holy Spirit:
“The Lord said to my lord, 
Sit at my right hand, 
Until I put your enemies under your feet”

David himself calls him “Lord”, and how is this his son? ‘

And a great crowd heard him gladly.

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.

And one of the scholars, having come, heard them arguing, and seeing that he answered well,  asked him:  ‘What is the first command of them all? ‘ 

Jesus answered :
’The first commandment  is “Hear, Israel, the Lord God, your Lord is one.” (Dt 6:4)

And you shall love the Lord your God from the whole of your heart, 

and from the whole of your soul,
and from the whole of your mind
and from the whole of strength.” (Dt 6:5)

The second is this:
“You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” (Lv  19:18)

 Greater than these is no other commandment. ‘

And the scholar said to him:
‘Well said, teacher; you have spoken truthfully,
because there is one, and no other besides him.
And “To love him from the whole heart,
and from the whole understanding
and from the whole strength,” 

and
“to love the neighbour as oneself”
– is much more than all the offerings and sacrifices’

And Jesus having seen, that he answered wisely, said to him: 
‘You are not far from the Kingdom of God’

And nobody any longer dared to question him. 

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 Sadducees came to him, who say there is no resurrection, and they asked him : 

‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us ‘If a brother of someone dies and leaves behind a wife and yet does not leave a child, then (Mose wrote )his brother should take the wife and  raise up offspring for him. 

;There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying he did not leave any offspring.
And the second took her, and he died, not leaving any offspring;
And the seven did not leave any offspring. 

‘Last of all, the woman also died. 

‘At the resurrection (when they rise again) whose wife will she be?’

Jesus said to them: ‘You are mistaken, aren’t you? Because of this: having not known the Scriptures or the power of God. For when they rise again from the dead, then they will neither marry or be given in marriage, but they will be as angels in the heavens.

‘Concerning the dead, that are raised – you have read in the Book of Moses, in the passage at the bush, how God said to him “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob”, haven’t you? He is not god of the dead, but the living. You are greatly mistaken.’

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

George Herbert

James Tissot (French, 1836-1902). The Tribute Money (Le denier de César), 1886-1894. Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper, Image: 7 5/8 x 10 7/16 in. (19.4 x 26.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.206 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 00.159.206_PS1.jpg)

And they sent some of the Pharisees  and the Herodians to him so that they might trap him by a word. 

And having come they said to him ‘ Teacher, we know that you are honest, and ‘playing politics’ is of no concern to you, for you do not look at people’s faces but you teach the way of the Lord, based on truth. Is it lawful to give poll tax to Caesar, or not? Should we give or not?’

But knowing their pretense he said to them: ‘Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius so I might see.’ 

They brought one. And he said to them : ‘Whose image is this and whose inscription? 

They said to him ; ‘Caesar’s.’

Then Jesus said to them ‘Pay back to Caesar, Caesar’s and God’s to God.’

And they were utterly amazed at him.

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