Third Sunday after Trinity
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou hast given an hearty desire to pray, may, by thy mighty aid be defended; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Collect Source: Sacramentary of Gregory [ca 600AD]. In a 1662 revison the last phrase was added and comforted in all dangers and adversities
psalm xvi, xvii | xviii , 1 St. Peter v. 5 & St. Luke xv. 1.
Homily of Augustine on Psalm XVII/font>
1 St. Peter v. 5.
ALL of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.St. Luke xv. 1.
THEN drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.Book of Common
Prayer, KJV,
The Collects of Thomas Cranmer
Augustine
Homily
Psalm XVII
A prayer of David himself.
Notes:
1. This prayer must be assigned to the Person of the Lord, with the
addition of the Church, which is His body.
2. "Hear My righteousness, O God, consider My supplication" (ver. 1).
"Hearken unto My prayer, not in deceitful lips:" not going forth to
Thee in deceitful lips. "Let My judgment from Thy countenance go forth"
(ver. 2). From the enlightening of the knowledge of Thee, let Me judge
truth. Or at least, let My judgment go forth, not in deceitful lips,
from Thy countenance, that is, that I may not in judging utter aught
else than I understand in Thee. "Let Mine eyes see equity:" the eyes,
of course, of the heart.
3. "Thou hast proved and visited Mine heart in the night-season" (ver.
3). For this Mine heart hath been proved by the visitation of
tribulation. "Thou hast examined Me by fire, and iniquity hath not been
found in Me." Now not night only, in that it is wont to disturb, but
fire also, in that it burns, is this tribulation to be called; whereby
when I was examined I was found righteous.
4. "That My mouth may not speak the works of men" (ver. 4). That
nothing may proceed out of My mouth, but what relates to Thy glory and
praise; not to the works of men, which they do beside Thy will.
"Because of the words of Thy lips." [514] Because of the words of Thy
peace, or of Thy prophets. "I have kept hard ways." I have kept the
toilsome ways of human mortality and suffering.
5. "To perfect My steps in Thy paths" (ver. 5). That the love of the
Church might be perfected in the strait ways, whereby she arrives at
Thy rest. "That My footsteps be not moved." That the signs of My way,
which, like footsteps, have been imprinted on the Sacraments and
Apostolical writings, be not moved, that they may mark them who would
follow Me. Or at least, that I may still abide fixedly in eternity,
after that I have accomplished the hard ways, and have finished My
steps in the straits of Thy paths.
6. "I have cried out, for Thou hast heard Me, O God" (ver. 6). With a
free and strong effort have I directed My prayers unto Thee: for that I
might have this power, Thou hast heard Me when praying more weakly.
"Incline Thine ear to Me, and hear My words." Let not Thy hearing
forsake My humiliation.
7. "Make Thy mercies marvellous" (ver. 7). Let not Thy mercies be
disesteemed, lest they be loved too little.
8. "Who savest them that hope in Thee from such as resist Thy right
hand:" from such as resist the favour, whereby Thou favourest Me. "Keep
Me, O Lord, as the apple of Thine eye" (ver. 8): which seems very
little and minute: yet by it is the sight of the eye directed, whereby
the light is distinguished from the darkness; as by Christ's humanity,
the divinity of the Judgment [515] distinguishing between the righteous
and sinners. "In the covering of Thy wings protect Me." In the defence
of Thy love and mercy protect Me. "From the face of the ungodly who
have troubled Me" (ver. 9).
9. "Mine enemies have compassed about My soul;" "they have shut up
their own fat" (ver. 10). They have been covered with their own gross
joy, after that their desire hath been satiated with wickedness. "Their
mouth hath spoken pride." And therefore their mouth spoke pride, in
saying, "Hail, King of the Jews," [516] and other like words.
10. "Casting Me forth they have now compassed Me about" (ver. 11).
Casting Me forth outside the city, they have now compassed Me about on
the Cross. "Their eyes they have determined to turn down on the earth."
The bent of their heart they have determined to turn down on these
earthly things: deeming Him, who was slain, to endure a mighty evil,
and themselves, that slew Him, none.
11. "As a lion ready for prey, have they taken Me" (ver. 12). They have
taken Me, like that adversary who "walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour." [517] "And as a lion's whelp dwelling in secret places." And
as his whelp, the people to whom it was said, "Ye are of your father
the devil:" [518] meditating on the snares, whereby they might
circumvent and destroy the just One.
12. "Arise, O Lord, prevent them, and cast them down" (ver. 13). Arise,
O Lord, Thou whom they suppose to be asleep, and regardless of men's
iniquities; be they blinded before by their own malice, that vengeance
may prevent their deed; and so cast them down.
13. "Deliver My soul from the ungodly." Deliver My soul, by restoring
Me after the death, which the ungodly have inflicted on Me. "Thy
weapon: from the enemies of Thine hand" (ver. 14). For My soul is Thy
weapon, which Thy hand, that is, Thy eternal Power, hath taken to
subdue thereby the kingdoms of iniquity, and divide the righteous from
the ungodly. This weapon then "deliver from the enemies of Thine hand,"
that is, of Thy Power, that is, from Mine enemies. "Destroy them, O
Lord, from off the earth, scatter them in their life." O Lord, destroy
them from off the earth, which they inhabit, scatter them throughout
the world in this life, which only they think their life, who [519]
despair of life eternal. "And by Thy hidden things their belly hath
been filled." Now not only this visible punishment shall overtake them,
but also their memory hath been filled with sins, which as darkness are
hidden from the light of Thy truth, that they should forget God. "They
have been filled with swine's flesh." They have been filled with
uncleanness, treading under foot the pearls of God's words. "And they
have left the rest to their babes:" crying out, "This sin be upon us
and upon our children." [520]
14. "But I shall appear in Thy righteousness in Thy sight" (ver. 15).
But I, Who have not appeared to them that, with their filthy and
darkened heart, cannot see the light of wisdom, "I shall appear in Thy
righteousness in Thy sight."
"I shall be satiated, when Thy glory shall be manifested." And when
they have been satiated with their uncleanness, that they could not
know Me, I shall be satiated, when Thy glory shall be manifested, in
them that know Me. In that verse indeed where it is said, "filled with
swine's flesh," some copies have, "filled with children:" for from the
ambiguity of the Greek [521] a double interpretation has resulted. Now
by "children" we understand works; and as by good children, good works,
so by evil, evil.
Let us pray in the words of Augustine.
Turn we to the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and with pure hearts offer to him, so far as our
meanness can, great and true thanks, with all our hearts praying his exceeding kindness, that of
his good pleasure he would deign to hear our prayers, that by his Power he would drive out the
enemy from our deeds and thoughts, that he would increase our faith, guide our understandings,
give us spiritual thoughts, and lead us to his bliss, through Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with him, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
[A prayer which he was wont to use after his Sermons and Lectures.]
NPNF (V1-08) St. Augustine
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[513] Lat. XVI.
[514] See on Ps. xlv. 2: "the word of grace, the kiss of grace."
[515] Al. "the judgment of Godhead."
[516] Matt. xxvii. 29.
[517] 1 Pet. v. 8.
[518] John viii. 44.
[519] Al. "because they."
[520] Matt. xxvii. 25.
[521] huion, hu?n, hueion, various readings.--Ben.
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