the powers of spirits and the thoughts of human beings,
the varieties of plants and the virtues of roots;
I learned both what is secret and what is manifest,
for wisdom, the fashioner of all things, taught me.
This is the word of the Lord.
Wisdom 7.15–22a
Responsorial Psalm
R: You say, O Lord, ‘Seek my face’;
[your face will I seek].
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom then shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?
When the wicked, even my enemies and my foes,
came upon me to eat up my flesh,
they stumbled and fell. R
Though a host encamp against me,
my heart shall not be afraid,
and though there rise up war against me,
yet will I put my trust in him. R
One thing have I asked of the Lord and that alone I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the fair beauty of the Lord
and to seek his will in his temple. R
My heart tells of your word, ‘Seek my face.’
Your face, Lord, will I seek.
Hide not your face from me,
nor cast your servant away in displeasure.
You have been my helper, leave me not,
neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. R
From Psalm 27
A reading from the Second Letter of Paul to Timothy.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favourable or unfavourable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.
As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
This is the word of the Lord.
2 Timothy 4.1–8
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus said to the crowds: ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Matthew 5.13–19
Post Communion
God of truth,
whose Wisdom set her table
and invited us to eat the bread and drink the wine
of the kingdom:
help us to lay aside all foolishness
and to live and walk in the way of insight,
that we may come with Basil and Gregory
to the eternal feast of heaven;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 January
Munchin
Abbot
Ireland: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Religious
Munchin, a seventh-century monk, affectionately known as the wise, is honoured in Limerick and known as patron of the city. The ‘little monk’ inaugurated a tradition of prayer and study in a golden period of Irish Christianity and Celtic monastic life.
Collect
Source of all wisdom,
you so inspired your servant Munchin
that he became affectionately known as ‘The Wise’:
renew in your church the tradition of prayer and study,
that we may for ever honour you with heart, soul and mind;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 January
Seraphim
Monk of Sarov, Spiritual Guide
England, Scotland: Commemoration
If celebrated otherwise, Common of Religious
Born in 1759 at Kursk in Russia, Seraphim entered the Monastery of our Lady at Sarov near Moscow when he was twenty years old. He lived as a Solitary for over thirty years but his gifts as a staretz, or spiritual guide, became more widely-known until he found himself sharing his gift of healing spirit, soul and body with the thousands who made the pilgrimage to his monastery. The ‘Jesus Prayer’
