*Ps 83:10-11*
Behold, O God, our Protector, and look upon the face of Your Anointed. Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.
*Ps 83:2-3*
How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the Lord.
Glory Be to the Father…
Behold, O God, our Protector, and look upon the face of Your Anointed. Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere.
Protect Your Church by Your abiding mercy, we beseech You, O Lord, and since all mortals fall without You, may Your help keep them from danger and guide them to salvation.
Through our Lord…
Lesson from the letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Galatians
*Gal 5:16-24*
Brethren: Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you would. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are immorality, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, jealousies, anger, quarrels, factions, parties, envies, murders, drunkenness, carousings, and suchlike. And concerning these I warn you, as I have warned you, that they who do such things will not attain the kingdom of God. But of the fruit of the Spirit is: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, long-suffering, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity. Against such things there is no law. And they who belong to Christ have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires.
*Ps 117:8-9*
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
℣. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
*Ps 94:1*
℣. Come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord; let us acclaim the God of our salvation.
Continuation ☩ of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
*Matt 6:24-33*
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples: No man serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will stand by the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, what you shall eat; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on. Is not the life a greater thing than the food, and the body than the clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you of much more value than they? But which of you by being anxious about it can add to his stature a single cubit? And as for clothing, why are you anxious? Consider how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of those. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which flourishes today but tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith! Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or, ‘What shall we drink?’ or, ‘What are we to put on?’ - for after all these things the Gentiles seek; - for your Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be given you besides.
*Ps 33:8-9*
The Angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them. Taste and see how good the Lord is.
Grant us, Lord, we beseech You, that this salutary sacrifice may be not only a cleansing from our sins but also a propitiation of Your divine power.
Through our Lord…
*Common*
It is truly meet and just, and profitable unto salvation, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks to Thee, O Holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God, through Christ, our Lord. Through whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominions adore it, the Powers are in awe. Which the heavens and the hosts of heaven together with the blessed Seraphim joyfully do magnify. And do Thou command that it be permitted us to join with them in confessing Thee, while we say with lowly praise:
*Matt 6:33*
Seek first the Kingdom of God; and all things shall be given you besides, says the Lord.
