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Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

Prayer for the Morning

Oh God the King eternal, who divides the day from the darkness, and has turned the shadow of death into the light of morning; I pray that this day you will incline my heart to keep your commandments, driving temptation from my mind. Guide my feet into the way of peace; that having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, I may, when the night comes, rejoice in giving you thanks for a day lived in your presence; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Christ Jesus, before ascending into heaven, You promised to send the Holy Spirit to Your apostles and disciples.

Grant that the same Spirit may perfect in my life the work of Your grace and love.

Grant me the Spirit of Fear of the Lord that I may be filled with a loving reverence toward You.

the Spirit of Piety that I may find peace and fulfillment in the service of God while serving others;

the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and, with courage, overcome the obstacles that interfere with my salvation;

the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know You and know myself and grow in holiness;

the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your truth;

the Spirit of Counsel that I may choose the surest way of doing Your will, seeking first the Kingdom;

Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may aspire to the things that last forever;

Teach me to be Your faithful disciple and animate me in every way with Your Spirit.

Irish Blessing

Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.

Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.

Psalm 119:161-164

Luke 12:13-21

Greed

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me."

But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."

Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, `What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' Then he said, `I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, `Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'

But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

Notes on the Scripture

The musical video today fleshes out the Scripture. I love the Golden Gate Quartet, and their rendition of "You Better Mind" brings home the theme of being ready for judgment.

Here's a joke I once heard: What do call a man with 500 million dollars? Answer: "A frustrated billionaire".

Some people, even if they are Christians and are trying to heed the Word, simply cannot break the greed for earthly possessions. It becomes an obsession. We are all guilty of this to some degree and could do better, I think. Sometimes we buy something unnecessary just for fun. A shiny new car, an expensive pair of shoes, a cool mobile internet device. And we don't criticize ourselves or get criticized by other people for it (unless perhaps we live in a community where there is a high level of sensitivity to unneeded earthly goods, such as the Amish do). In fact, we often get positive reinforcement from other people admiring our new toys.

But have no doubt, these little "guilty pleasures" can steer us away from God. Think about the last time you bought something you didn't need and let it form the basis of a meditation on your relationship with God, and how much joy you might be taking from the Holy Spirit.

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