Morning
Invitatory Psalm Tuesday 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
...
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.
...
No good thing does the Lord withhold
from those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.
Psalms 65
1Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed, 2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come. 3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas. 6By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might. 7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy. 9You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. 10You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. 12The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, 13the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
Psalm 66
1Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 we sing the glory of your name; we give you glorious praise.
3Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 4All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done: God is awesome in deeds among mortals.
6 God turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in the One 7 who rules forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations— let the rebellious not exalt themselves.
8Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of praise be heard, 9 who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.
….
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19But truly God has listened and has given heed to the words of my prayer. 20Blessed be God, you have not rejected my prayer or removed your steadfast love from me.
Psalm 70
1Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me!….4Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”
5 I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!
Daily Lectionary Reading, Luke 2:1-20
In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom.
8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said, “ Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11 Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger. ” 13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 “ Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors. ” 15 When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16 They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. 18 Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20 The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told.
Prayer for Today: O Lord, you interrupted those shepherds when they were at work, but they heard you. Increase our perceptiveness so that we will recognize your presence among us wherever we are. Increase our faithfulness so that we will follow your will. Turn our "get-around-to-its" to "right-nows." Amen.
Midday Psalm 119:97-104
97Oh, how I love your law!
It is my meditation all day long.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is always with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your decrees are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
101 I hold back my feet from every evil way,
in order to keep your word.
102 I do not turn away from your ordinances,
for you have taught me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
Evening
Psalms 102
1Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you. 2 Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call.
….
7 I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the housetop. 8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.
...
11 My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass. 12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations.
…
17 You will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.
….
25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. You change them like clothing, and they pass away; 27 but you are the same, and your years have no end. 28 The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.
Psalm 103
1Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless your holy name.
2Bless the Lord, O my soul, we do not forget all your benefits—3who forgives all our iniquity, who heals all our diseases, 4 who redeems our life from the Pit, who crowns us with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies us with good as long as we live so that our youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 You will not always accuse, nor will you keep your anger forever. 10 You do not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is your steadfast love toward those who fear you; 12as far as the east is from the west, so far you removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a parent has compassion for his children, so you have compassion for those who fear you. 14For you know how we were made; you remember that we are dust. 15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear you, and you righteousness to children’s children, 18to those who keep your covenant and remember to do your commandments.
19 You have established your throne in the heavens, and your kingdom rules over all.….
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment