Celtic Daily Reading (March 6)

[Celtic Daily]

6 March

Feast Day: St. Baldred of Glasgow, St. Balther of Tinningham, St.
Billfrith of Lindisfarne, St. Cadroe of Waulsort, Ss.Cyneburga and
Cyneswide, & Tibba, St. Fridolin The Traveller, St. Sezin of Guic-Sezni

Theme: Overcome evil
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Declaration of faith

To whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life,
and we have believed and have come to know
that You are the Holy One of God.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ,
King of endless glory.

Psalm: Psalm 88
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. To the choirmaster: according to
Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, my God, I
call for help by day; I cry out in the night before thee. Let my prayer
come before thee, incline thy ear to my cry! For my soul is full of
troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am reckoned among those who
go down to the Pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one forsaken
among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom
thou dost remember no more, for they are cut off from thy hand. Thou
hast put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep. Thy
wrath lies heavy upon me, and thou dost overwhelm me with all thy waves.
[Selah] Thou hast caused my companions to shun me; thou hast made me a
thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye
grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon thee, O LORD; I spread
out my hands to thee. Dost thou work wonders for the dead? Do the shades
rise up to praise thee? [Selah] Is thy steadfast love declared in the
grave, or thy faithfulness in Abaddon? Are thy wonders known in the
darkness, or thy saving help in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O
LORD, cry to thee; in the morning my prayer comes before thee. O LORD,
why dost thou cast me off? Why dost thou hide thy face from me?
Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer thy terrors; I
am helpless. Thy wrath has swept over me; thy dread assaults destroy me.
They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in upon me
together. Thou hast caused lover and friend to shun me; my companions
are in darkness.
Old Testament: 1 Samuel 26:1-21
Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gib'e-ah, saying, "Is not David hiding
himself on the hill of Hachi'lah, which is on the east of Jeshi'mon?" So
Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, with three thousand
chosen men of Israel, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul
encamped on the hill of Hachi'lah, which is beside the road on the east
of Jeshi'mon. But David remained in the wilderness; and when he saw that
Saul came after him into the wilderness, David sent out spies, and
learned of a certainty that Saul had come. Then David rose and came to
the place where Saul had encamped; and David saw the place where Saul
lay, with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army; Saul was
lying within the encampment, while the army was encamped around him.
Then David said to Ahim'elech the Hittite, and to Jo'ab's brother
Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah, "Who will go down with me into the camp to
Saul?" And Abi'shai said, "I will go down with you." So David and
Abi'shai went to the army by night; and there lay Saul sleeping within
the encampment, with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and
Abner and the army lay around him. Then said Abi'shai to David, "God has
given your enemy into your hand this day; now therefore let me pin him
to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him
twice." But David said to Abi'shai, "Do not destroy him; for who can put
forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed, and be guiltless?" And David
said, "As the LORD lives, the LORD will smite him; or his day shall come
to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish. The LORD forbid that
I should put forth my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but take now the
spear that is at his head, and the jar of water, and let us go." So
David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head; and they
went away. No man saw it, or knew it, nor did any awake; for they were
all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them.
Then David went over to the other side, and stood afar off on the top of
the mountain, with a great space between them; and David called to the
army, and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Will you not answer, Abner?"
Then Abner answered, "Who are you that calls to the king?" And David
said to Abner, "Are you not a man? Who is like you in Israel? Why then
have you not kept watch over your lord the king? For one of the people
came in to destroy the king your lord. This thing that you have done is
not good. As the LORD lives, you deserve to die, because you have not
kept watch over your lord, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the
king's spear is, and the jar of water that was at his head." Saul
recognized David's voice, and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?"
And David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king." And he said, "Why
does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What guilt
is on my hands? Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his
servant. If it is the LORD who has stirred you up against me, may he
accept an offering; but if it is men, may they be cursed before the
LORD, for they have driven me out this day that I should have no share
in the heritage of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now
therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of
the LORD; for the king of Israel has come out to seek my life, like one
who hunts a partridge in the mountains." Then Saul said, "I have done
wrong; return, my son David, for I will no more do you harm, because my
life was precious in your eyes this day; behold, I have played the fool,
and have erred exceedingly."
Meditation:
Two days ago we read how Saint David and his friends were divinely
directed to build their headquarters in a different place. Having done
that, they had to learn the hard lesson that being in the place of God's
choosing does not make us immune to opposition. Once God's kingdom gets
a foothold, things that are not of God in that place, however well
established, come under threat; so they react, sometimes ferociously.
Saint David said, 'You know that the world hates Christ's followers. You
know that God's people Israel faced innumberable setbacks on their
desert trek to the Promised Land. They were beaten to their knees, but
not overthrown. Learn from them not to let evil overcome us but to
overcome evil with good." - based on Ray Simpson.
New Testament: Titus 2 But as for you, teach what befits sound doctrine.
Bid the older men be temperate, serious, sensible, sound in faith, in
love, and in steadfastness. Bid the older women likewise to be reverent
in behavior, not to be slanderers or slaves to drink; they are to teach
what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and
children, to be sensible, chaste, domestic, kind, and submissive to
their husbands, that the word of God may not be discredited. Likewise
urge the younger men to control themselves. Show yourself in all
respects a model of good deeds, and in your teaching show integrity,
gravity, and sound speech that cannot be censured, so that an opponent
may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say of us. Bid slaves to be
submissive to their masters and to give satisfaction in every respect;
they are not to be refractory, nor to pilfer, but to show entire and
true fidelity, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God
our Savior. For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all
men, training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to
live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world, awaiting our blessed
hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus
Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to
purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Declare these things; exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one
disregard you.
Closing Prayer:
You are holy, Lord, the only God, and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good, Lord God, living and true.
You are love.
You are wisdom.
You are humility.
You are endurance.
You are rest.
You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage.
You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord,
God Almighty,
Merciful Saviour. Amen.

Saint Francis’ prayer in Praise of God, given to Brother Leo


Sent out at approximately midnight G.M.T.

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