*Ps 16:6-8*
I call upon You, for You will answer me, O God; incline Your ear to me; hear my word. Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.
*Ps 61:1*
Hear, O Lord, a just suit; attend to my outcry.
Glory Be to the Father…
I call upon You, for You will answer me, O God; incline Your ear to me; hear my word. Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of Your eye; hide me in the shadow of Your wings.
Hear us, almighty and merciful God, and in Your kindness grant us the graces of self-denial that lead to salvation.
Through our Lord…
Lesson from the book of Kings
*4 Kings 4:1-7*
In those days, a certain woman cried to the Prophet Eliseus, saying, Your servant, my husband, is dead, and you know that your servant was one who feared God: and behold the creditor is come to take away my two sons to serve him. And Eliseus said to her, What will you have me to do for you? Tell me, what have you in your house? And she answered, I your handmaid have nothing in my house but a little oil, to anoint me. And he said to her, Go, borrow of all your neighbors empty vessels not a few. And go in, and shut your door, when you are within, and your sons; and pour out thereof into all those vessels: and when they are full take them away. So the woman went, and shut the door upon her, and upon her sons: they brought her the vessels, and she poured in. And when the vessels were full, and she said to her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he answered, I have no more. And the oil stood. And she came, and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay your creditor; and you and your sons live off the rest.
*Ps 18:13-14*
Cleanse me from my unknown faults, O Lord! From wanton sin especially, restrain Your servant.
℣. Let it not rule over me. Then shall I be blameless and innocent of serious sin.
Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
*Matt 18:15-22*
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: If your brother sin against you, go and show him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listen to you, you have won your brother. But if he do not listen to you, take with you one or two more so that on the word of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed. And if he refuse to hear them, appeal to the Church, but if he refuse to hear even the Church, let him be to you as the heathen and the publican. Amen I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven. I say to you further, that if two of you shall agree on earth about anything at all for which they ask, it shall be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together for My sake, there am I in the midst of them. Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
*Ps 117:16-17*
The right hand of the Lord has struck with power: the right hand of the Lord has exalted me; I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
O Lord, may this sacrament result in our redemption; keep us always from the sins of our human nature, and bring us the gift of salvation.
Through our Lord…
*Lent*
It is truly meet and just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who by this bodily fast, dost curb our vices, dost lift up our minds and bestow on us strength and rewards; through Christ our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the heavenly hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat Thee that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted while we say with lowly praise:
*Ps 14:1-2*
Lord, who shall sojourn in Your tent? Who shall dwell on Your holy mountain? He who walks blamelessly and does justice.
