John Donne, Priest
Tuesday of Holy Week

Holy Sonnet XIV.
Batter my heart, three-person'd God ; for youAs yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bendYour force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.I, like an usurp'd town, to another due,Labor to admit you, but O, to no end.Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,But am betroth'd unto your enemy ;Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,Take me to you, imprison me, for I,Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me. - John Donne

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from the dread enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the scheming of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords,
who aim bitter words like arrows,
6 Who can search out our crimes?*
We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.’
For the human heart and mind are deep.
7 But God will shoot his arrow at them;
they will be wounded suddenly.
9 Then everyone will fear;
they will tell what God has brought about,
and ponder what he has done.
Psalm 64 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Lamentations 2:1-9 - 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11 - Mark 12:1-11