Morning Prayer

A Reading from the Second Letter to the Corinthians.

7 Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses’ face because of the glory of his face, a glory now set aside, 8 how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory? 9 For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, much more does the ministry of justification abound in glory! 10 Indeed, what once had glory has lost its glory because of the greater glory; 11 for if what was set aside came through glory, much more has the permanent come in glory! 12 Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, 13 not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. 14 But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. 15 Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; 16 but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

1 Then Elijah arose, a prophet like fire,    and his word burned like a torch. 2 He brought a famine upon them,    and by his zeal he made them few in number. 3 By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens,    and also three times brought down fire. 4 How glorious you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!    Whose glory is equal to yours? 5 You raised a corpse from death    and from Hades, by the word of the Most High. 6 You sent kings down to destruction,    and famous men, from their sickbeds. 7 You heard rebuke at Sinai    and judgements of vengeance at Horeb. 8 You anointed kings to inflict retribution,    and prophets to succeed you. 9 You were taken up by a whirlwind of fire,    in a chariot with horses of fire. 10 At the appointed time, it is written, you are destined    to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the hearts of parents to their children,    and to restore the tribes of Jacob. 11 Happy are those who saw you and were adorned with your love! For we also shall surely live.