wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled,
because they were no more."
Morning Prayer
Psalm 2,26
Psalm 2
Quare fremuerunt gentes?
- 1
- Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why do the peoples mutter empty threats?- 2
- Why do the kings of the earth rise up in revolt,
and the princes plot together, *
against the LORD and against his Anointed?- 3
- "Let us break their yoke," they say; *
"let us cast off their bonds from us."- 4
- He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in derision.- 5
- Then he speaks to them in his wrath, *
and his rage fills them with terror.- 6
- "I myself have set my king *
upon my holy hill of Zion."- 7
- Let me announce the decree of the LORD: *
he said to me, "You are my Son;
this day have I begotten you.- 8
- Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your possession.- 9
- You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and shatter them like a piece of pottery."- 10
- And now, you kings, be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.- 11
- Submit to the LORD with fear, *
and with trembling bow before him;- 12
- Lest he be angry and you perish; *
for his wrath is quickly kindled.- 13
- Happy are they all *
who take refuge in him! - Why are the nations in an uproar? *
13 Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on his afflicted. 14 But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me." 15 "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. 16 Behold, I have graven you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. 17 Your builders outstrip your destroyers, and those who laid you waste go forth from you. 18 Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, says the Lord, you shall put them all on as an ornament, you shall bind them on as a bride does. 19 "Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land- surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. 20 The children born in the time of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: 'The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.' 21 Then you will say in your heart: 'Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; whence then have these come?'" 22 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders. 23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. With their faces to the ground they shall bow down to you, and lick the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who wait for me shall not be put to shame." 1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened round his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire. 10 "See that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. 12 What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? 13 And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. 14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish. Psalm 19,126 PSALM 19 The heavens are telling the glory of God; 2 Day to day pours forth speech, 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; 2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, 3 The Lord has done great things for us; 1 "Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in travail! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her that is married, says the Lord. 2 Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; hold not back, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. 3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. 4 "Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be put to shame; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more. 5 For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called. 6 For the Lord has called you like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit, like a wife of youth when she is cast off, says your God. 7 For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will gather you. 8 In overflowing wrath for a moment I hid my face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says the Lord, your Redeemer. 9 "For this is like the days of Noah to me: as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you. 10 For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you. 11 "O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. 13 All your sons shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the prosperity of your sons. 13 And they were bringing children to him, that he might touch them; and the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw it he was indignant, and said to them, "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 15 Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it." 16 And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
Psalm
26
Judica me, Domine
for I have lived with integrity; *
I have trusted in the Lord and have not faltered.
examine my heart and my mind.
I have walked faithfully with you.
nor do I consort with the deceitful.
I will not sit down with the wicked.
that I may go in procession round your altar,
and recounting all your wonderful deeds.
and the place where your glory abides.
nor my life with those who thirst for blood,
and their right hand full of bribes.
redeem me, O LORD, and have pity on me.
in the full assembly I will bless the LORD.
Matthew 18:1-14
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
and night to night declares knowledge.
their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them;
and there is nothing hid from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern his errors?
Clear thou me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;
let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in thy sight,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
PSALM 126
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
"The Lord has done great things for them."
we are glad.
4 Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like the watercourses in the Negeb!
5 May those who sow in tears
reap with shouts of joy!
6 He that goes forth weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.