Of a Monastic I

Collect:
O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us, we pray thee from an inordinate love of this world, that, inspired by the devotion of thy servant N., we may serve thee with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

or this

O God, by whose grace thy servant N., enkindled with the flame of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Song of Songs 8:6-7
Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of his house for love,
it would be utterly scorned.

Second Lesson: Philippians 3:7-15
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Psalm: 34 or 34:1-8

  1. I will bless the LORD at all times; *
    his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
  2. I will glory in the LORD; *
    let the humble hear and rejoice.
  3. Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD; *
    let us exalt his Name together.
  4. I sought the LORD, and he answered me *
    and delivered me out of all my terror.
  5. Look upon him and be radiant, *
    and let not your faces be ashamed.
  6. I called in my affliction and the LORD heard me *
    and saved me from all my troubles.
  7. The angel of the LORD encompasses those who fear him, *
    and he will deliver them.
  8. Taste and see that the LORD is good; *
    happy are they who trust in him!
  9. Fear the LORD, you that are his saints, *
    for those who fear him lack nothing.
  10. The young lions lack and suffer hunger, *
    but those who seek the LORD lack nothing that is good.
  11. Come, children, and listen to me; *
    I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
  12. Who among you loves life *
    and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
  13. Keep your tongue from evil-speaking *
    and your lips from lying words.
  14. Turn from evil and do good; *
    seek peace and pursue it.
  15. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, *
    and his ears are open to their cry.
  16. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, *
    to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
  17. The righteous cry, and the LORD hears them *
    and delivers them from all their troubles.
  18. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted *
    and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
  19. Many are the troubles of the righteous, *
    but the LORD will deliver him out of them all.
  20. He will keep safe all his bones; *
    not one of them shall be broken.
  21. Evil shall slay the wicked, *
    and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
  22. The LORD ransoms the life of his servants, *
    and none will be punished who trust in him.

Gospel: Luke 12:33-37
"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them."

or

Luke 9:57-62
As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

He said to another man, "Follow me."

But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible

Common of Saints