Morning Prayer

A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

19 Before you speak, learn;    and before you fall ill, take care of your health. 20 Before judgement comes, examine yourself;    and at the time of scrutiny you will find forgiveness. 21 Before falling ill, humble yourself;    and when you have sinned, repent. 22 Let nothing hinder you from paying a vow promptly,    and do not wait until death to be released from it. 23 Before making a vow, prepare yourself;    do not be like one who puts the Lord to the test. 24 Think of his wrath on the day of death,    and of the moment of vengeance when he turns away his face. 25 In the time of plenty think of the time of hunger;    in days of wealth think of poverty and need. 26 From morning to evening conditions change; all things move swiftly before the Lord. 27 One who is wise is cautious in everything;    when sin is all around, one guards against wrongdoing. 28 Every intelligent person knows wisdom,    and praises one who finds her. 29 Those who are skilled in words become wise themselves,    and pour forth apt proverbs. 30 Do not follow your base desires,    but restrain your appetites. 31 If you allow your soul to take pleasure in base desire,    it will make you the laughing-stock of your enemies. 32 Do not revel in great luxury,    or you may become impoverished by its expense. 33 Do not become a beggar by feasting with borrowed money when you have nothing in your purse.

A Reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians.

15 I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18 Consider the people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices partners in the altar? 19 What do I imply then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or are we provoking the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Do not seek your own advantage, but that of the other.