Sunday, December 27, 2015

On the Fourth Day of Christmas

On the Fourth Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:
4 Calling Birds
3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree


Four Calling Birds represent the Four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.   Each book has its own voice defining Jesus.  Here’s the beginning of each:
 

John -The Eternal Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend[a] it.

Matthew - The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David the king.

Mark - John the Baptist Prepares the Way

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets:[a]

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”[b]
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”[c]

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Luke - Dedication to Theophilus anf John’s Birth

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

John’s Birth Announced to Zacharias

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

 


Today we remember Simon the Myrrhbearer, Founder of Simonopetra, Monastery of Mount Athos.  In his honor, I’d like to share one of my favorite hymn, Agne Parthene,  

 

Saturday, December 26, 2015

On the Third Day of Christmas


On the Third Day of Christmas
My true love sent to me:

3 French Hens
2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

Are the 3 French Hens: Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues?   Or are they the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit? 

If we go with the virtues, then we should take a look at the traditional Christmas Carol, Good King Wenceslas, The King was a wonderful example of charity. 
 
 “Therefore, Christian men, be sure wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing." 

 
In the carol, we hear mention of the Feast of Stephen.  Saint Stephen is remembered on December 27, in the beginning of our Twelve Days. Did you know we also remember Joseph the Betrothed on the Sunday after Christmas?  It’s a moveable feast-day, not having a specific date, but always the Sunday after Christmas.  It might seem like he’s been neglected to have a moveable feast, but to the contrary.  The Sunday before Christmas we remember Christ’s Genealogy and the Sunday after Christmas we remember Joseph. 
 

According to the Synaxarion:

On December 27 we commemorate the holy Apostle, Proto-Martyr, and Archdeacon Stephen, one of the Seven Deacons.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Theodore the Inscribed, brother of Theophanes the Poet.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Theodore, Archbishop of Constantinople

On this day we also commemorate the holy Hieromartyr Maurice, and the seventy martyrs with him.

We also commemorate the holy and righteous Ancestors of God: Joseph the Betrothed of our Lady the Holy Theotokos and Virgin Mary; James (or Iakovos) the Brother of the Lord; and David the Prophet and king.

By the intercessions of Your saints, O God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen 

On the Second Day of Christmas


On the Second Day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:


2 Turtle Doves
and a Partridge in a Pear Tree


Are the 2 Turtle Doves the Old and New Testaments or the two natures of Christ: God and Man?  

 


Did you know that today was the Synaxis of the Theotokos? A Synaxis is a “piggy back” feast for supporting figures of the day before.  Christ was born on the 25th and we remember His mother on the 26th.   

According to the Synaxarion:

On December 26 is the Synaxis in honor of our All-holy Lady Theotokos. On this day we also commemorate our father among the saints Efthymios the Confessor, Bishop of Sardis.

On this day we also commemorate our devout father Constantine who was of Jewish origin.

We also commemorate our devout father Evarestos.

We also commemorate the holy New Hieromartyr Constantine the Russian, who contested in Constantinople in the year 1743.

By their holy intercessions, O God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen.   

Friday, December 25, 2015

On the First Day of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas
my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Gospel according to Matthew 2:1-12
 
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will govern my people Israel.'”
Wish you and your a blessed Nativity.
 
Christ is born!  Glorify Him!
 
Apolytikion of HOLY NATIVITY in the Fourth Tone
Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath shined the light of knowledge upon the world; for thereby they that worshipped the stars were instructed by a star to worship Thee, the Sun of Righteousness, and to know Thee, the Dayspring from on high. O Lord, glory be to Thee.
Kontakion of HOLY NATIVITY in the Third Tone
Today, the Virgin bears Him who is transcendent, and the earth presents the cave to Him who is beyond reach. Angels, along with shepherds glorify Him. The Magi make their way to Him by a star. For a new child has been born for us, the God before all ages.

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Christians Naturally Forgive

Another year has passed and I can't believe the situation in the Middle East is still a mess, and by "situation," I mean the slaughtering and targeting of Christians by terrorists. 
 
And the saddest part it, it's nothing new.  This past Sunday, in the Epistle for the day we read in St. Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews:
 
Women received their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, ill-treated – of whom the world was not worthy – wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
I never thought history would repeat itself but it has.  Yet, in the midst of it all there is a little girl, Myriam, who has stolen my heart as a true example of Christ's teachings. 
 
You might remember Myriam from this lovely video by SAT-7 KIDS, a popular children's show in the Middle East. They found her in a refugee camp in Irbil last year at Christmas and asked a few questions.   What was so fantastic about this little girl is her love and desire to forgive the terrorists who evicted her and thousands others from their homes.

 
Recently, ABCnews.com aired a follow-up interview  with a sweet girl named Myriam.  Her message: forgiveness. She told ABC News “20/20 co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas,  “Jesus said ‘forgive each other, love each other the way I love you...’”
 
 
It is hard to imagine how I’d respond if someone threw me out of my home and threatened my life for being a Christian.  I am embarrassed to admit that forgiveness wouldn’t be the first words rolling off my tongue. I would be angry, terrified, offended…   None of these are loving or trusting attributes.
 
But Myriam is from Qaraqosh.  It’s a city near Mosul, where as you might remember from August of 2014, ISIS had already swept through.  In an article titled  Iraq Christians flee as Islamic State takes Qaraqosh,  I read “…hundreds of Christian families fled Mosul after the Islamist rebels gave them an ultimatum to convert to Islam, pay a special tax or be executed.”
 
Mosul was, and I repeat “was,” one of the oldest Christian villages in the world.  They were Christian since Christ was on earth.  I imagine there are nuances to how they lived in a Christ-like manner that was deeply imbedded into their culture, things they would have taken for granted.
 
I am intrigued by this as a Yankee living in the Deep South.  I see many cultural nuances that are prominent in this part of the country.  One is impeccable manners.  The South is fuelled by etiquette and you don’t have anything if you ain't got good manners.  A reply of “Yes, Ma’am.” or “Thank you, sir.” is ingrained into children the moment they can talk.
I imagine similar nuances of Christianity were in Mosul, where Christianity was a part of life for thousands of years.
 
So for sweet Myriam to want forgiveness above revenge is no surprise.  It’s a perfect witness to the truest understanding of Christ’s teachings.

If you would like to help the refugees from Qaraqosh, Mosel, and around the world, you can contribute to IOCC
 
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help the victims of poverty and conflicts around the world by making a financial gift to the IOCC International Emergency Response Fund which will provide immediate relief, as well as long-term support through the provision of emergency aid, recovery assistance and other support to help those in need. To make a gift, please visit iocc.org or call toll free at 1-877-803-IOCC (4622), or mail a check or money order payable to IOCC, P.O. Box 17398, Baltimore, MD 21297.
 
 ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES
IOCC is the official humanitarian aid agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. Since its inception in 1992, IOCC has delivered $534 million in relief and development programs to families and communities in more than 50 countries. IOCC is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of more than 140 churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy, and a member of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.–based secular and faith-based organizations working to improve the lives of the world's most poor and vulnerable populations. To learn more about IOCC, visit iocc.org.
 

Saturday, December 19, 2015

God's Plan vs. God's Will


It's official!   I will be speaking at the annual Metropolis of Chicago Women's Retreat

Friday, January 15th - Saturday, January 16th, 2016 

The retreat will begin Friday evening and continue through Saturday, 4 p.m.

 
Please join us! 

 
"God's Plan vs. God's Will"
  
There is a fine balance in our relationship with God which teeters between our will
and God’s will, and the pivot point is love.  With the perfect gift of free will, we have
to find that balance where God’s will and our own align us into His plan.  The retreat
will look at this relationship and discuss its nuances.

 

Mary Knew

There are hundreds of Christmas songs and hymns.   They come in all different shapes and sizes and they range from fun to reverence.  You may have heard of a song titled, “Mary, Did You Know?”  It’s about the amazing things Jesus did and questions if Mary knew after giving birth that her son would:  walk on water, bring the dead to life, give blind men sight, heal the lame…  “Did you know your baby boy was Lord of all creation?”
 
 
 
When I first heard it, I thought it was odd that there would be a song about the Panagia from a perspective that she was truly surprised by Christ.  Tradition teaches that the Virgin Mary was raised in the Temple and that the Angels kept her company.  I imagine there were a few things she did know and that after a virgin birth, she was no longer surprised by much. You might say, she had “seen it all.”
Speaking of Mary, did you know that the day after Christmas we celebrate the Synaxis of the Virgin Mary?
Father Alexander Schmemann, in the Services of Christmas (1981) wrote about the Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos…
“… Combining the hymns of the Nativity with those celebrating the Mother of God, the Church points to Mary as the one through whom the Incarnation was made possible. His humanity—concretely and historically—is the humanity He received from Mary. His body is, first of all, her body. His life is her life. This feast, the assembly in honor of the Theotokos, is probably the most ancient feast of Mary in the Christian tradition, the very beginning of her veneration by the Church.
Here are the lyrics to the hymn for her feast:
Synaxis of the Most Holy Theotokos
He, who was begotten of the Father before the morning star, without a mother, becomes incarnate of you today, without a father. Wherefore, a star announces the good news to the Magi. Angels with shepherds praise your immaculate birth-giving, O Full of Grace.
Furthermore, did you know that on the islands in Greece, the Marys, Marias, Panayiotis and Petes all celebrate on the Synaxis of the Virgin Mary, December 26, as opposed to the more commonly observed date of her Dormition?
May the Virgin Mary embolden us when we are asked to do the impossible.

Great Tools to Destress this Christmas

 

“ Never again!”
 
Two words I think of often this time of year.
 
Never again!  Forget the mall. I am shopping online next year!
Never again!  Did we need all these cookies?
Never again!  Next year we are staying home and relaxing!
Never again!  Why did I wait so long to clean the house?
If you have found yourself saying “never again” this Christmas season, stop right now, pour yourself a cup of cocoa or tea, find a quiet place and watch this webinar, Potholes on the Way to Bethlehem: Navigating the Stress of the Nativity Season, by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Center for Family Life.
Addressing the physical, mental and spiritual demands of experiencing Christmas, Fr. Alex Goussetis, Pastor of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Lancaster, PA, and George Stavros, PhD, MDiv, Executive Director of the Danielson Institute and Clinical Associate Professor of Pastoral Psychology at Boston University, along with Melissa Tsongranis, Associate Director of the Center for Family Care offer tangible advice and wisdom to encourage the most frantic elf.
Following their advice and example, you are sure to be refreshed and experience peace this Christmas.
 
 
 

Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Miracle Icon from Hawaii

Recently posted on the Orthodox Christian Network.
 
A few weeks ago I flew to Houston for a presvytera retreat.  We were instructed to wait at the baggage claim for the others and the shuttle bus.  I arrived early and it was a pleasure to see my presvytera sisters come around the corner.  We got a head start to our hugs and hellos, and caught up on each other’s news.
As I kept an eye out for the shuttle I noticed a man in a cassock wandering the area.  I had the sense he was waiting for a traveler.  I didn’t go up and say hello, after all, I wasn’t the airport presvytera or hostess.  I was technically off-duty.
As the crowds cleared and the flow of travelers dispersed to their cars and rides, another lone man in a cassock appeared.  This one was carrying a blue velvet mailbag, and immediately I knew who the first man was waiting for.  It wasn’t this second traveler, but THE PANAGIA!
 
 
 
Without any sense of fear or shame, I approached the gentleman and asked him directly if he was carrying a miracle icon.  The poor man was a bit dazed, and as he mumbled his confirmation, I quickly followed with, “We are 15 presvyteres waiting for a shuttle to a presvytera retreat.  Is it possible to venerate the icon before you leave?”
What a blessing!   He lifted the icon out of the velvet bag as we all drew near the sweet aroma of myrrh.  One by one, we made the sign of the cross and venerated the “Hawaiian” Iveron Icon.  Some cried as we realized the blessing before us.  The icon’s caretaker, subdeacon Nectarios, was generous.
 
Read more on the Orthodox Christian Network.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Day 2, Psalms




I love the psalms.  They find the words I am usually looking for.  They teach us how to address and relate with God.  They take us low and lift us up.  Look at the following:

Psalm 88 2-3
Let my prayer enter into thy presence; Incline thine ear unto my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol.

And then: Psalm 89:1-2
I will sing of the lovingkindness of Jehovah for ever: With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever; Thy faithfulness wilt thou establish in the very heavens.  

Day 2: Psalm 86-91

A Prayer of David
86 Bow down thine ear, O Jehovah, and answer me; For I am poor and needy.
Preserve my soul; for I am godly: O thou my God, save thy servant that trusteth in thee.
Be merciful unto me, O Lord; For unto thee do I cry all the day long.
Rejoice the soul of thy servant; For unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness unto all them that call upon thee.
Give ear, O Jehovah, unto my prayer; And hearken unto the voice of my supplications.
In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; For thou wilt answer me.
There is none like unto thee among the gods, O Lord; Neither are there any works like unto thy works.
All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; And they shall glorify thy name.
10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: Thou art God alone.
11 Teach me thy way, O Jehovah; I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy name.
12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; And I will glorify thy name for evermore.
13 For great is thy lovingkindness toward me; And thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.
14 O God, the proud are risen up against me, And a company of violent men have sought after my soul, And have not set thee before them.
15 But thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
16 Oh turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; Give thy strength unto thy servant, And save the son of thy handmaid.
17 Show me a token for good, That they who hate me may see it, and be put to shame, Because thou, Jehovah, hast helped me, and comforted me.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah; a Song.
87 His foundation is in the holy mountains.
Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion More than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God. Selah
I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon as among them that know me: Behold, Philistia, and Tyre, with Ethiopia: This one was born there.
Yea, of Zion it shall be said, This one and that one was born in her; And the Most High himself will establish her.
Jehovah will count, when he writeth up the peoples, This one was born there. Selah
They that sing as well as they that dance shall say, All my fountains are in thee.
A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Chief Musician; set to Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.
88 O Jehovah, the God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee.
Let my prayer enter into thy presence; Incline thine ear unto my cry.
For my soul is full of troubles, And my life draweth nigh unto Sheol.
I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no help,
Cast off among the dead, Like the slain that lie in the grave, Whom thou rememberest no more, And they are cut off from thy hand.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, In dark places, in the deeps.
Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, And thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah
Thou hast put mine acquaintance far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
Mine eye wasteth away by reason of affliction: I have called daily upon thee, O Jehovah; I have spread forth my hands unto thee.
10 Wilt thou show wonders to the dead? Shall they that are decreased arise and praise thee? Selah
11 Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or thy faithfulness in Destruction?
12 Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? And thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But unto thee, O Jehovah, have I cried; And in the morning shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Jehovah, why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted.
16 Thy fierce wrath is gone over me; Thy terrors have cut me off.
17 They came round about me like water all the day long; They compassed me about together.
18 Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, And mine acquaintance into darkness.
Maschil of Ethan the Ezrahite.
89 I will sing of the lovingkindness of Jehovah for ever: With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever; Thy faithfulness wilt thou establish in the very heavens.
I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant:
Thy seed will I establish for ever, And build up thy throne to all generations. Selah
And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Jehovah; Thy faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can be compared unto Jehovah? Who among the sons of the mighty is like unto Jehovah,
A God very terrible in the council of the holy ones, And to be feared above all them that are round about him?
O Jehovah God of hosts, Who is a mighty one, like unto thee, O Jehovah? And thy faithfulness is round about thee.
Thou rulest the pride of the sea: When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
10 Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; Thou hast scattered thine enemies with the arm of thy strength.
11 The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: The world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them.
12 The north and the south, thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon rejoice in thy name.
13 Thou hast a mighty arm; Strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of thy throne: Lovingkindness and truth go before thy face.
15 Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: They walk, O Jehovah, in the light of thy countenance.
16 In thy name do they rejoice all the day; And in thy righteousness are they exalted.
17 For thou art the glory of their strength; And in thy favor our horn shall be exalted.
18 For our shield belongeth unto Jehovah; And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then thou spakest in vision to thy saints, And saidst, I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have found David my servant; With my holy oil have I anointed him:
21 With whom my hand shall be established; Mine arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not exact from him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 And I will beat down his adversaries before him, And smite them that hate him.
24 But my faithfulness and my lovingkindness shall be with him; And in my name shall his horn be exalted.
25 I will set his hand also on the sea, And his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.
27 I also will make him my first-born, The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My lovingkindness will I keep for him for evermore; And my covenant shall stand fast with him.
29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, And his throne as the days of heaven.
30 If his children forsake my law, And walk not in mine ordinances;
31 If they break my statutes, And keep not my commandments;
32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, And their iniquity with stripes.
33 But my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, Nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
34 My covenant will I not break, Nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
35 Once have I sworn by my holiness: I will not lie unto David:
36 His seed shall endure for ever, And his throne as the sun before me.
37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, And as the faithful witness in the sky. Selah
38 But thou hast cast off and rejected, Thou hast been wroth with thine anointed.
39 Thou hast abhorred the covenant of thy servant: Thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.
40 Thou hast broken down all his hedges; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.
41 All that pass by the way rob him: He is become a reproach to his neighbors.
42 Thou hast exalted the right hand of his adversaries; Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.
43 Yea, thou turnest back the edge of his sword, And hast not made him to stand in the battle.
44 Thou hast made his brightness to cease, And cast his throne down to the ground.
45 The days of his youth hast thou shortened: Thou hast covered him with shame. Selah
46 How long, O Jehovah? wilt thou hide thyself for ever? How long shall thy wrath burn like fire?
47 Oh remember how short my time is: For what vanity hast thou created all the children of men!
48 What man is he that shall live and not see death, That shall deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah
49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, Which thou swarest unto David in thy faithfulness?
50 Remember, Lord, the reproach of thy servants; How I do bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty peoples,
51 Wherewith thine enemies have reproached, O Jehovah, Wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of thine anointed.
52 Blessed be Jehovah for evermore. Amen, and Amen.
A Prayer of Moses the man of God.
90 Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place In all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.
Thou turnest man to destruction, And sayest, Return, ye children of men.
For a thousand years in thy sight Are but as yesterday when it is past, And as a watch in the night.
Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: In the morning they are like grass which groweth up.
In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; In the evening it is cut down, and withereth.
For we are consumed in thine anger, And in thy wrath are we troubled.
Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, Our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: We bring our years to an end as a sigh.
10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten, Or even by reason of strength fourscore years; Yet is their pride but labor and sorrow; For it is soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger, And thy wrath according to the fear that is due unto thee?
12 So teach us to number our days, That we may get us a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Jehovah; how long? And let it repent thee concerning thy servants.
14 Oh satisfy us in the morning with thy lovingkindness, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflicted us, And the years wherein we have seen evil.
16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, And thy glory upon their children.
17 And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And establish thou the work of our hands upon us; Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of Jehovah, He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in whom I trust.
For he will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover thee with his pinions, And under his wings shalt thou take refuge: His truth is a shield and a buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night, Nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
For the pestilence that walketh in darkness, Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; But it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, And see the reward of the wicked.
For thou, O Jehovah, art my refuge! Thou hast made the Most High thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.
11 For he will give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under foot.
14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble: I will deliver him, and honor him.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, And show him my salvation.
American Standard Version (ASV)
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)