Morning Prayer

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A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

1 The senseless have vain and false hopes,    and dreams give wings to fools. 2 As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind,    so is anyone who believes in dreams. 3 What is seen in dreams is but a reflection,    the likeness of a face looking at itself. 4 From an unclean thing what can be clean?    And from something false what can be true? 5 Divinations and omens and dreams are unreal,    and like a woman in labour, the mind has fantasies. 6 Unless they are sent by intervention from the Most High,    pay no attention to them. 7 For dreams have deceived many,    and those who put their hope in them have perished. 8 Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled, and wisdom is complete in the mouth of the faithful. 18    To whom does he look? And who is his support? 19 The eyes of the Lord are on those who love him,    a mighty shield and strong support, a shelter from scorching wind and a shade from noonday sun,    a guard against stumbling and a help against falling. 20 He lifts up the soul and makes the eyes sparkle; he gives health and life and blessing. 21 If one sacrifices ill-gotten goods, the offering is blemished; 22 the gifts of the lawless are not acceptable.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

1 The senseless have vain and false hopes,    and dreams give wings to fools. 2 As one who catches at a shadow and pursues the wind,    so is anyone who believes in dreams. 3 What is seen in dreams is but a reflection,    the likeness of a face looking at itself. 4 From an unclean thing what can be clean?    And from something false what can be true? 5 Divinations and omens and dreams are unreal,    and like a woman in labour, the mind has fantasies. 6 Unless they are sent by intervention from the Most High,    pay no attention to them. 7 For dreams have deceived many,    and those who put their hope in them have perished. 8 Without such deceptions the law will be fulfilled, and wisdom is complete in the mouth of the faithful. 21 If one sacrifices ill-gotten goods, the offering is blemished; 22    the gifts of the lawless are not acceptable. 23 The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly,    nor for a multitude of sacrifices does he forgive sins. 24 Like one who kills a son before his father’s eyes    is the person who offers a sacrifice from the property of the poor. 25 The bread of the needy is the life of the poor;    whoever deprives them of it is a murderer. 26 To take away a neighbour’s living is to commit murder; 27 to deprive an employee of wages is to shed blood.

A Reading from the Book of Revelation.

1 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea having ten horns and seven heads; and on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads were blasphemous names. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave it his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of its heads seemed to have received a death-blow, but its mortal wound had been healed. In amazement the whole earth followed the beast. 4 They worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?” 5 The beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. 7 Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. It was given authority over every tribe and people and language and nation, 8 and all the inhabitants of the earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slaughtered. 9 Let anyone who has an ear listen: 10 If you are to be taken captive, into captivity you go; if you kill with the sword, with the sword you must be killed. Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.