Pachomius of Tabenissi, Monastic, 348

The Collect:

Rite I:
Set us free, O God, from all false desires, vain ambitions, and everything that would separate us from thy love; that, like thy servant Pachomius, we might give ourselves fully to a life of discipleship, seeking thee alone and serving those whom thou hast given us to serve; through Jesus Christ, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.

Rite II:
Set us free, O God, from all false desires, vain ambitions, and everything that would separate us from your love; that, like your servant Pachomius, we might give ourselves fully to a life of discipleship, seeking you alone and serving those whom you have given us to serve; through Jesus Christ, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.

First Lesson: 2 Timothy 2:1–6

¹You then, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus; ²and what you have heard from me through many witnesses entrust to faithful people who will be able to teach others as well. ³Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer. ⁵And in the case of an athlete, no one is crowned without competing according to the rules. ⁶It is the farmer who does the work who ought to have the first share of the crops.

Psalm: Psalm 16

¹ Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *
       I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord,
       my good above all other.”
² All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *
       upon those who are noble among the people.
³ But those who run after other gods *
       shall have their troubles multiplied.
⁴ Their libations of blood I will not offer, *
       nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
⁵ O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; *
       it is you who uphold my lot.
⁶ My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *
       indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
⁷ I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; *
       my heart teaches me, night after night.
⁸ I have set the Lord always before me; *
       because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
⁹ My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *
       my body also shall rest in hope.
¹⁰ For you will not abandon me to the grave, *
       nor let your holy one see the Pit.
¹¹ You will show me the path of life; *
       in your presence there is fullness of joy,
       and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Gospel: Matthew 6:24–33

²⁴ ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

²⁵ ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? ²⁸ And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” ³² For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

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