Eva Lee Matthews, Monastic, 1928

The Collect:

Rite I:
O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us, we pray thee from an inordinate love of this world, that, inspired by the devotion of thy servant Eva Lee Matthews, we may serve thee with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Rite II:
O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, that we, inspired by the devotion of your servant Eva Lee Matthews, may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Micah 6:6–8

⁶     ‘With what shall I come before the Lord,
           and bow myself before God on high?
       Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
           with calves a year old?
⁷     Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
           with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
       Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
           the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
⁸     He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
           and what does the Lord require of you
       but to do justice, and to love kindness,
           and to walk humbly with your God?

Psalm: Psalm 96

¹ Sing to the Lord a new song; *
       sing to the Lord, all the whole earth.
² Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; *
       proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
³ Declare his glory among the nations *
       and his wonders among all peoples.
⁴ For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; *
       he is more to be feared than all gods.
⁵ As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *
       but it is the Lord who made the heavens.
⁶ Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *
       Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!
⁷ Ascribe to the Lord, you families of the peoples; *
       ascribe to the Lord honor and power.
⁸ Ascribe to the Lord the honor due his Name; *
       bring offerings and come into his courts.
⁹ Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *
       let the whole earth tremble before him.
¹⁰ Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is King! *
       he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
       he will judge the peoples with equity.”
¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
    let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *
       let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
¹² Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
    before the Lord when he comes, *
       when he comes to judge the earth.
¹³ He will judge the world with righteousness *
       and the peoples with his truth.

Gospel: Matthew 26:6–13

⁶ Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. ⁸ But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, ‘Why this waste? ⁹ For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.’ ¹⁰ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. ¹¹ For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. ¹³ Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’

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