Wednesday 28 August 2013

Daily Office - Aug 28

Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Teacher of the Faith, 430

Psalm 119.153-end

O consider my affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget your law.
Plead my cause and redeem me; according to your promise, give me life.
Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek your statutes.
Great is your compassion, O Lord;
give me life, according to your judgements.
Many there are that persecute and oppress me,
yet do I not swerve from your testimonies.
It grieves me when I see the treacherous, for they do not keep your word.

Consider, O Lord, how I love your commandments;
give me life according to your loving-kindness.
The sum of your word is truth, and all your righteous judgements endure for evermore. R
Princes have persecuted me without a cause, but my heart stands in awe of your word.
I am as glad of your word as one who finds great spoils.
As for lies, I hate and abhor them, but your law do I love.
Seven times a day do I praise you, because of your righteous judgements.
Great peace have they who love your law;
nothing shall make them stumble.

Lord, I have looked for your salvation and I have fulfilled your commandments.
My soul has kept your testimonies and greatly have I loved them.
I have kept your commandments and testimonies,
for all my ways are before you.
Let my cry come before you, O Lord; 
give me understanding, according to your word.
Let my supplication come before you;
deliver me, according to your promise.
My lips shall pour forth your praise, when you have taught me your statutes.
My tongue shall sing of your word, for all your commandments are righteous.
Let your hand reach out to help me, for I have chosen your commandments.
I have longed for your salvation, O Lord, and your law is my delight.
Let my soul live and it shall praise you, and let your judgements be my help.
 I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost;
O seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

Proverbs 26.12-end
Do you see persons wise in their own eyes?
   There is more hope for fools than for them.
The lazy person says, ‘There is a lion in the road!
   There is a lion in the streets!’
As a door turns on its hinges,
   so does a lazy person in bed.
The lazy person buries a hand in the dish,
   and is too tired to bring it back to the mouth.
The lazy person is wiser in self-esteem
   than seven who can answer discreetly.
Like somebody who takes a passing dog by the ears
   is one who meddles in the quarrel of another.
Like a maniac who shoots deadly firebrands and arrows,
so is one who deceives a neighbour
   and says, ‘I am only joking!’
For lack of wood the fire goes out,
   and where there is no whisperer, quarrelling ceases.
As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire,
   so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
   they go down into the inner parts of the body.
Like the glaze covering an earthen vessel
   are smooth lips with an evil heart.
An enemy dissembles in speaking
   while harbouring deceit within;
when an enemy speaks graciously, do not believe it,
   for there are seven abominations concealed within;
though hatred is covered with guile,
   the enemy’s wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
   and a stone will come back on the one who starts it rolling.
A lying tongue hates its victims,
   and a flattering mouth works ruin.

Mark 8.27-9.1
Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’

He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’

And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’

The Collect
Merciful Lord,
who turned Augustine from his sins to be a faithful bishop and teacher:
grant that we may follow him in penitence and discipline
till our restless hearts find their rest in you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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