13th March 2025 Morning Prayer

The Psalter

The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth; * and his seed is blessed.

Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good; * and dwell for evermore.

For the LORD loveth the thing that is right; * he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.

The unrighteous shall be punished; * as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.

The righteous shall inherit the land, * and dwell therein for ever.

The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom, * and his tongue will be talking of judgment.

The law of his God is in his heart, * and his goings shall not slide.

The ungodly watcheth the righteous, * and seeketh occasion to slay him.

The LORD will not leave him in his hand, * nor condemn him when he is judged.

Hope thou in the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land: * when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.

I myself have seen the ungodly in great power, * and flourishing like a green bay-tree.

I went by, and lo, he was gone: * I sought him, but his place could no where be found.

Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right; * for that shall bring a man peace at the last.

As for the transgressors, they shall perish together; * and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.

But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the LORD; * who is also their strength in the time of trouble.

The First Lesson

Gen25:28-

And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob.

And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:

And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.

And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?

And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

The Second Lesson

1Cor4:6-

And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

Now ye are full, now ye are rich, ye have reigned as kings without us: and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.

For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.

We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised.

Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you.

For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.

Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.

For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.

What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

The First Sunday in Lent

O Lord who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.