epiphany 3.7 [evening]
Psalm 55
Listen, O God, to my prayer!
Do not ignore my appeal for mercy!
Pay attention to me and answer me!
I am so upset and distressed, I am beside myself,
because of what the enemy says,
and because of how the wicked pressure me,
for they hurl trouble down upon me
and angrily attack me.
My heart beats violently within me;
the horrors of death overcome me.
Fear and panic overpower me,
terror overwhelms me.
I say, “I wish I had wings like a dove!
I would fly away and settle in a safe place!
Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. Selah
I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind and the gale.”
Confuse them, O Lord!
Frustrate their plans!
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
Day and night they walk around on its walls,
while wickedness and destruction are within it.
Disaster is within it;
violence and deceit do not depart from its public square.
Indeed, it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me,
or else I could hide from him.
But it is you, a man like me.
my close friend in whom I confided.
We would share personal thoughts with each other,
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
May death destroy them!
May they go down alive into Sheol!
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
As for me, I will call out to God,
and the LORD will deliver me.
During the evening, morning, and noontime
I will lament and moan,
and he will hear me.
He will rescue me and protect me from those who attack me,
even though they greatly outnumber me.
God, the one who has reigned as king from long ago.
will hear and humiliate them. Selah
They refuse to change,
and do not fear god.
He attacks his friends;
he breaks his solemn promises to them.
His words are as smooth as butter,
but he harbors animosity in his heart.
His words seem softer than oil,
but they are really like sharp swords.
Throw your burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain you.
He will never allow the godly to be upended.
But you, O God, will bring them down to the deep Pit.
Violet and deceitful people will not live even half a normal lifespan.
But as for me, I trust in you.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Take a deep breath and allow the Psalm to remain with you for the evening.
the prayers
Spend time with God praying in your own words or with no words at all.
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.
epiphany 3.7 [noon]
meditation
A brother was restless in his community and he was often irritated. So he said, ‘I will go and live somewhere by myself. I will not be able to talk or listen to anyone and so I shall be at peace, and my passionate anger will cease.’ He went out and lived alone in a cave. But one day he filled his jug with water and put it on the ground. Suddenly it happened to fall over. he filled it again, and again it fell. This happened a third time. In a rage he snatched up the jug and smashed it. Coming to his senses, he knew that the demon of anger had mocked him, and he said, ‘Here am I by myself, and he has beaten me. I will return to the community. Wherever you live, you need effort and patience and above all God’s help.’ So he got up, and went back. || The Desert Fathers: Sayings of the Early Christian Monks
epiphany 3.7 [morning]
Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60.3
The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.
the gospel
John 6.16-27 Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, got into a boat and started to cross the lake to Capernaum. (It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.) By now a strong wind was blowing and the sea was getting rough. Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, approaching the boat, and they were frightened. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat came to the land where they had been heading.
This next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake realized that only one small boat had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. But some boats from Tiberias came to shore near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they go into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus.
When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. Do not work for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life—the food which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.
Take a deep breath and remain in silence letting the gospel penetrate your soul.
the prayers
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Spend time with God praying in your own words or with no words at all.
Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
blessing
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13.14
