3rd March 2025 Morning Prayer

The Psalter

Psalm 18

Diligam te, Domine

I WILL love thee, O LORD, my strength. * The LORD is my stony rock, and my defence;

My Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust; * my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.

I will call upon the LORD, which is worthy to be praised; * so shall I be safe from mine enemies.

The sorrows of death compassed me, * and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.

The pains of hell came about me; * the snares of death overtook me.

In my trouble I called upon the LORD, * and complained unto my God:

So he heard my voice out of his holy temple, * and my complaint came before him; it entered even into his ears.

The earth trembled and quaked, * the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, because he was wroth.

There went a smoke out in his presence, * and a consuming fire out of his mouth, so that coals were kindled at it.

He bowed the heavens also, and came down, * and it was dark under his feet.

He rode upon the Cherubim, and did fly; * he came flying upon the wings of the wind.

He made darkness his secret place, * his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him.

At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed; * hailstones and coals of fire.

The LORD also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder; * hailstones and coals of fire.

He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; * he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.

The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered, * at thy chiding, O LORD, at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.

He sent down from on high to fetch me, * and took me out of many waters.

He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me; * for they were too mighty for me

They came upon me in the day of my trouble; * but the LORD was my upholder.

He brought me forth also into a place of liberty; * he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.

The First Lesson

Gen18:1-16

18 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;

And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,

And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant:

Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree:

And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said.

And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.

And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it.

And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.

And they said unto him, Where is Sarah thy wife? And he said, Behold, in the tent.

And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?

Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.

Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh.

And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

The Second Lesson

Mark9:38-50

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.

But Jesus said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.

For he that is not against us is on our part.

For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.

The Sunday called Quinquagesima

O Lord, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; Send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.