Salutation
... in the name of the Father, and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Amen. Through the prayers of our
holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen. Glory
to You, our God, Glory to You.
O Heavenly King: Prayer to the Holy
Ghost
O
Heavenly King, the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, You are everywhere and fill
all things, Treasury of blessings, and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and
cleanse us from every impurity, and save our souls, O Good One.
To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.
Hear this, all people. Give ear, all inhabitants of the world: both low and high, rich and poor, together. My mouth shall speak of wisdom. The meditation of my heart [shall be] of understanding. I will incline my ear to a
parable. I will open my dark saying on
the harp. Why should I fear
in the days of evil, [when] the
iniquity of my heels shall circle about me?
Those who trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in
the abundance of their riches, none can by any means redeem his
brother, nor give God a ransom for him: for the redemption of
their soul [is] precious, It ceases forever:
so that he should live forever, [and] not see corruption.
For he sees wise men die, Likewise
the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. Their inward thought [is], [that] their houses [shall
continue] forever, [and] their
dwelling places to all generations. They
call lands after their own names.
Nevertheless, man in honor abides not. He is like the beasts [that] perish. This
their way [is] their folly. Yet their posterity approve their sayings. Consider.
Like sheep they are laid in
the grave. Death shall feed on them. The upright shall have dominion over them in
the morning. Their beauty shall consume
in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for He shall
receive me. Consider.
Be not afraid when one is
made rich, when the glory of his house is increased: for when he dies
he shall carry nothing away. His glory
shall not descend after him: though while he lived he blessed his
soul. Men will praise you, when you do
well for yourself.
He shall go to the generation
of his fathers. They shall never see
light. Man in honor, understands
not. He is like the beasts [that] perish.
[i] Long
before Scrooge was ever written, the sons of Korah made the point in
Psalms. The person ensnared in his own
wealth is neither fit nor ready to receive the Christ Child. “The iniquity at [His] heels,” refers to the
prophecy that the Christ Child came to wound the head of Satan. The path to eternal life without corruption,
lies in forsaking the wealth of this world, so that one may receive the wealth
of the next world. “Blessed are the poor
in spirit.” The Christ Child came in
poverty: so that we could receive His riches, the riches of His Glory.
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