Morning Prayer

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A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

1 One who keeps the law makes many offerings; 2    one who heeds the commandments makes an offering of well-being. 3 One who returns a kindness offers choice flour, 4    and one who gives alms sacrifices a thank-offering. 5 To keep from wickedness is pleasing to the Lord,    and to forsake unrighteousness is an atonement. 6 Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed, 7    for all that you offer is in fulfilment of the commandment. 8 The offering of the righteous enriches the altar,    and its pleasing odour rises before the Most High. 9 The sacrifice of the righteous is acceptable,    and it will never be forgotten. 10 Be generous when you worship the Lord,    and do not stint the first fruits of your hands. 11 With every gift show a cheerful face,    and dedicate your tithe with gladness. 12 Give to the Most High as he has given to you,    and as generously as you can afford. 13 For the Lord is the one who repays,    and he will repay you sevenfold. 14 Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it; 15    and do not rely on a dishonest sacrifice; for the Lord is the judge,    and with him there is no partiality. 16 He will not show partiality to the poor;    but he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. 17 He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan,    or the widow when she pours out her complaint. 18 Do not the tears of the widow run down her cheek 19    as she cries out against the one who causes them to fall? 20 One whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted,    and his prayer will reach to the clouds. 21 The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds,    and it will not rest until it reaches its goal; it will not desist until the Most High responds 22 and does justice to the righteous, and executes judgement. Indeed, the Lord will not delay, and like a warrior will not be patient until he crushes the loins of the unmerciful

A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

1 One who keeps the law makes many offerings; 2    one who heeds the commandments makes an offering of well-being. 3 One who returns a kindness offers choice flour, 4    and one who gives alms sacrifices a thank-offering. 5 To keep from wickedness is pleasing to the Lord,    and to forsake unrighteousness is an atonement. 6 Do not appear before the Lord empty-handed, 7    for all that you offer is in fulfilment of the commandment. 8 The offering of the righteous enriches the altar,    and its pleasing odour rises before the Most High. 9 The sacrifice of the righteous is acceptable,    and it will never be forgotten. 10 Be generous when you worship the Lord,    and do not stint the first fruits of your hands. 11 With every gift show a cheerful face,    and dedicate your tithe with gladness. 12 Give to the Most High as he has given to you,    and as generously as you can afford. 13 For the Lord is the one who repays,    and he will repay you sevenfold. 14 Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it; 15    and do not rely on a dishonest sacrifice; for the Lord is the judge,    and with him there is no partiality. 16 He will not show partiality to the poor;    but he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged. 17 He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan, or the widow when she pours out her complaint.

A Reading from the Book of Revelation.

11 Then I saw another beast that rose out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. 12 It exercises all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and it makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. 13 It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in the sight of all; 14 and by the signs that it is allowed to perform on behalf of the beast, it deceives the inhabitants of earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived; 15 and it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast so that the image of the beast could even speak and cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, 17 so that no one can buy or sell who does not have the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This calls for wisdom: let anyone with understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a person. Its number is six hundred sixty-six.