L: In you, O Lord, I find my refuge;
do not let me be put to shame.
All: Turn your ear to my cry and rescue me.
Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to protect me.
L: You are my true rock and my fortress;
for the glory of your name, O God, lead me and guide me,
protect me from the trap that is hidden for me,
All: Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, my faithful God.
L: I will proclaim and rejoice in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my suffering;
you have taken heed of my struggles,
and you have set my feet in a wide space, free of terror.
All: Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in pain;
my eye and soul and body waste away from grief.
L: My life is full of sorrow,
and my years full of sighing;
my strength fails from my sadness,
All: But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.”
Now let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
L: Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
All: How abundant is the goodness
that you have kept for those who live in awe of you,
for those who take refuge in you!
In the shelter of your presence you protect them;
you hold them safe from cruel mouths.
who has shown wondrous, steadfast love.
All: I had said in my fear,
“I have been chased far from your sight.”
But you heard my pleas
when I cried out to you for help.
L: Love the Lord, all you faithful!
All: Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord.
Matthew 7:1-6, 12-20, 24-27
“Do not judge, or you may be judged. Remember that the by judgment you make you will also be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You say one thing, and do another. First, take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.
“Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.
“In everything, do to others what you wish they would do to you; this is the sum of all the law and the prophets.
“Beware the wide and easy way; look for the narrow gate. The gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to true life, and there are few who find it.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you pretending to be gentle like sheep, but on the inside are ravenous wolves. You will know them by what they produce. Grapes don’t grow from thornbrushes, figs don’t grow from thistles. In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is good for nothing but firewood. You will know true prophets not by how they look and act, but by their fruits.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on solid rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it collapsed into the sand.”
