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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 at Daybreak (by Archimandrite Sophronios)

O  Lord Eternal and Creator of all things, who with your unknowable goodness called me to this life; I have no life, no light, no joy or wisdom, no strength except in you, O God. I entreat you, teach me to pray aright. Purify me from all taint of flesh and spirit. Bless this day which you give to me, your unworthy servant.

By the power of your blessing enable me, throughout this day, to speak and act to your glory with a pure spirit, with humility, patience, love, gentleness, peace, courage and wisdom. Let me be always aware of your presence. By the power of your love, grant me to hold fast to that which is good. Preserve me from every word or deed that corrupts the soul; from every impulse unpleasing in your sight and hurtful to my fellow man, my brothers and sisters.

This in Christ's name, I pray,

Dwell with Me

Alone with none but thee, my God,
I journey on my way.
What need I fear, when thou art near O king of night and day?
More safe am I within thy hand
Than if a host did round me stand.
So dwell in me, I pray to thee, 'til breath shall pass away.

by Mason Barge, based on a prayer of St. Columba (@ 560 A.D.)

~ Inspired by a prayer of St. Columba (@ 560 A.D.)

Benediction (from the Epistle of Jude)

Now all glory to you, great God, who is able to keep us from falling away and will bring us with great joy into your glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to you who alone are God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are yours before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!

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.

The Visitation by Dorothy Hawksley, ca. 1925. A charming character study of Mary and Elizabeth. Hawksley was a little-known British painter with a wonderful feel for the humanity of her subjects.

Psalm 104

Praise to the Sovereign Lord for His Creation and Providence

Matthew 17:22-23 (NKJV)

Jesus Again Predicts His Death and Resurrection

Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.

Notes on the Scripture

he human mind is a tricky device, full of cunning to honor and glorify itself. We hear what we want to hear and see what we want to see, so often. If you have ever read a part of the Bible that disagreed with something you hold dear, or disproved some theory you had about God, or forbade conduct dear to your heart, you will have recognized this phenomenon in yourself. Your mind twists and turns to find a way around whatever it is you don't like, as resourceful as a teenager avoiding his homework.

The disciples were men like us; and actually, less educated. Almost certainly the majority of them were illiterate. Nor had they, by this time, fully received the Holy Spirit. Christ did tell them, flat out and with no room for misunderstanding, that He would be killed and would be raised up afterwards. How could they not grasp what He was telling them?

Yet that is exactly what happened. Their only reaction is “exceeding” sorrow,Our emotions when we consider the murder of Christ are a complex subject, and I am not trying to say that feeling some degree of sorrow is wrong, or sinful. which bespeaks an incomplete grasp of Christ's purpose and ignores completely the “raised up” part. To love Christ truly is to accept his gift of salvation. To obey God is to accept his means of saving us.

Jesus has picked this moment to inform them more fully of God's plan, because Peter has recognized that He is, indeed, the Messiah. The problem is that He is not the Messiah that they have in mind. They have the same great difficulty all of us have in accepting God's word, when it conflicts with their pre-existing beliefs.

The apostles' confusion will continue, in fact, until ten days after Christ's ascension, when God sends the Holy Spirit to them. The Gospel of John is especially strong in discussing this; the question of full knowledge of salvation takes up many of the late chapters of John. To see the apostles' inability to understand, compare today's Scripture with their mindset on the very eve of the Crucifixion:

How could they possibly be so stupid, we might wonder; but we gain wisdom when we understand the reason.

Christ actually tells the apostles, and by extension us, that it is impossible to understand his teaching fully until one has fully accepted the Holy Spirit: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; . . .” (John 16:12-13)

Daily Inspiration

“ God Provides A Refuge ”

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