Watch me! I am sending my messenger
and he will clear the road before me.
Suddenly the Lord
-whom you are seeking,
will come to his Temple
and the messenger / angel of the covenant
– whom you long for,
behold he is coming.
Says the LORD of hosts.
And who can endure the day of his coming?
And who can stand when he appears?
For he will be like the fire of the refiners
like the lye of the washers.
He will act like a refiner and a purifier of silver
and he will purify the sons of Levi
and he will refine them like gold and silver.
And they will bring to the LORD a right offering.
And the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD
as in the days past, and in former years.
Almighty God,
purify our hearts and minds,
that when your Son Jesus Christ comes again as judge and saviour
we may be ready to receive him,
who is our Lord and our God.
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.