The Wisdom of Sirach
Chapter 1
Prologue:
Many great teachings have been given to us through the Law and the Prophets and the others that followed them, and for these we should praise Israel for instruction and wisdom. Now, those who read the scriptures must not only themselves understand them, but must also as lovers of learning be able through the spoken and written word to help the outsiders.
Oh God my Father I thank You for sharing with me each day this bounty of insights and instructions, I also thank You for giving me the opportunity to share this bounty of divine providence with others who are willing to listen, and apply the teachings that You have given us, throughout every verse and page of the Bible. I pray that You give me the opportunity to bring this end to an end before I die, so that I will then start broadcasting these sessions on Youtube in order to be of more help to others.
So my grandfather Jesus, who had devoted himself especially to the reading of the Law and the Prophets and the other books of our ancestors, and had acquired considerable proficiency in them, was himself also led to write something pertaining to instruction and wisdom, so that by becoming familiar also with his book those who love learning might make even greater progress in living according to the law.
Oh God my Father this morning by means of these verses You are showing me that You have given me something in common with Sirach. You gave me the motivation to share my daily prayers online and in doing so, You have given me the opportunity to progress in my relationship with You. Furthermore this in practice can be applied in my everyday life and others may also benefit from such wise instruction that You are giving me by means of the instructions that are found in this book Amen.
You are invited therefore to read it with goodwill and attention, and to be indulgent in cases where, despite our diligent labor in translating, we may seem to have rendered some phrases imperfectly.
Oh God my Father, I pray that we may look upon Your 'Bible' not with a critical eye in order to seek discrepancies but with a motivation to let the same Word reflect our darkness so that we can grow in our relationship with You and with others. May it be oh God my Father, that our attitude becomes so humble that we permit Your Word to judge us instead of judging it ourselves Amen.
For what was originally expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same sense when translated into another language. Not only this book, but even the Law itself, the Prophecies, and the rest of the books differ not a little when read in the original.
Oh God my Father I thank You for making me aware of this discrepancy between the original text and the copy or translation, however this disparity does not make the copy as being totally false in interpretation but slightly different. Amen I pray that such discrepancy may not hinder the faith of that who will be like myself meditating on Your Good News Amen.
When I came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the of the reign of Euergetes and stayed for some time, I found opportunity for no little instruction. It seemed highly necessary that I should myself devote some diligence and labor to the translation of this book. During that time I have applied my skill day and night to complete and publish the book for those living abroad who wished to gain learning and are disposed to live according to the law.
Oh God my Father I can understand the feeling of Sirach, for I also felt the same feeling that of praying on the Bible and sharing it to all who are willing to live and base their lives according to the instructions found in the Bible Amen. However I pray that my life will be of an example to many others, even though I am still a sinner, but the Spirit in me consumes me and motivates me to keep on sharing one post after another. The latest update that the Spirit of God has prompted me to do is to add an 'audio version or a movie' along with the chapter itself. I thank You oh Jesus for this energy, faith and motivation. Day and night I reflect on the messages that You give me by means of Your powerful Word, which comforts, makes me aware of my sins and where necessary rebukes me in order to make the necessary changes in my life Amen.
¹ All wisdom is from the Lord, and with him it remains forever.
( Book of Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 1)
If only I could oh God my Father I would engrave this verse in pure gold and place it in all universities and schools, so that we will never forget it. Many people tend to believe more in science that functions on testable hypotheses and theories than on faith. In schools, students are being indoctrinated to believe in anything that is backed up by scientific evidence or enquiry. As a consequence a wave of atheism is spreading that is making the world more pagan in its belief and ways.
². The sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity-who can count them? ³. The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom-who can search them out?
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 2 to 3)
Oh God my Father even though humans may invent powerful instruments such as Hubble and many others, the universe still is and always will be a black hole and no man's land to humanity, for our knowledge is always and will always be limited when compared to You my God and Father.
⁴ Wisdom was created before all other things, and prudent understanding from eternity. ⁶ The root of wisdom-to whom has it been revealed? Her subtleties - who knows them? ⁸ There is but one who is wise, greatly to be feared, seated upon his throne-the Lord.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 4 to 8)
Oh God my Father in truth you know that I am no theologian or priest, or street preacher, and that all that is found in this blog is the fruit of a relationship of prayer love and care that has been going on even before You created me. Even though I have been accused of being a hypocrite and unbeliever about my faith in You, I never declared that I was an authority either publicly or privately. My only wish is that of sharing my prayers with others, that all may receive the word of God as I am doing, All merit and praise is due to You my God the fountain of wisdom love and care and not to myself Amen.
⁹ It is he who created her; he saw her and took her measure; he poured her out upon all his works, ¹⁰ upon all the living according to his gift; he lavished upon those who love him.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God my Father, thumbs up for those of us, who consider themselves as losers, lacking in the knowledge and skills of others and ready to live their lives as doormats in subjection to others who make good of this negative attitude and dig their heels in to them so much as to dominate them and makethem their slaves or inferiors.
God has given You all the knowledge You need! You need not feel inferior or depressed. He has given to all according to His gift. God knows which skills to give to you and which gifts to give to me and many others. He told us that if we ask for anything that is good for us, God will always listen to our prayers and give us more than we pray for, however if we pray for something negative to happen to others or to us, we cannot expect from God, because God is all good without any taces of evil Amen. Therefore let us pray to God to show us the potential that He has given us, so that we can love Him more and value ourselves and even more the works that he has either done or can do by means of the knowledge and skills that He has given to us or will give us in the future amen according to His will.
¹¹ The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation, and gladness and a crown of rejoicing. ¹² The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life. ¹³. Those who fear the Lord will have a happy end; on the day of their death they will be blessed.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 11 to 13)
Oh God my Father Your fear is different than that of the world in the sense that it is positive fear and not negative fear. It gives me the encouragement to move on day after day. Amen. I thank You for this fear oh God my Father.
¹⁴ To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; she is created with the faithful in the womb. ¹⁵. She made among human beings an eternal foundation, and among their descendants she will abide faithfully.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 14 to 15)
Oh God You are wisdom beyond all wisdom, in You wisdom finds its beginning and as the rightful owner You distribute Your bounty of wisdom wherever and whenever necessary. Those of us who are not haughty and proud are those who will accept Your wisdom however when we are already full of ourselves we may not have room to welcome and accept You and Your wisdom my God and Father. Amen. For the wisdom of the world is not disciplined and appears sweet and inviting, however, for those who have not accepted You, Your ways of obedience, faith and sacrifice is bitter. Amen
¹⁶. To fear the Lord is fullness of wisdom; she inebriates mortals with her fruits; ¹⁷. she fills their whole house with desirable goods, and their storehouses with her produce.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 16 to 17)
Oh God You are my goodness blessing and my salvation, there is none like You. You give me strength and wisdom, when and where it is lacking and You satisfy my soul Amen.
¹⁸ The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 18)
As You are fully aware my God and Father, the human being is composed, of the physical, the psychological and even the spiritual elements. When all three are in harmony it may be said that the person is living a balanced life, however if the spiritual or any other part is not in order it will have consequences on the other parts, which places the person in a state of disharmony. I pray oh God my Father that especially throughout this new year 2017 we take You and our spiritual lives seriously so that we be persons who are whole and fully alive Amen.
¹⁹ She rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension, and she heightened the glory of those who held her fast.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 19)
Oh God my Father it is wiser of us to seek Your knowledge than that of the world, for what is of the world remains of the world, but what is Yours and of You is eternal. Moreover, those who have invested in You have never been disappointed Amen.
²⁰ To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom, and her branches are long life.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 20)
To fear You my God is not to be trembling all the time with teeth chattering. For if one is trying to live according to Your will, even though at times human nature gets the best of us, one does not need to be afraid or terrified. I am convinced that I have a Father who loves me, and I accept his rebuke, because as a parent, He knows what is good for me because my maturity is like that of a child compared to Yours my God and Father, for You see the big picture, my life plan and I only see a blurred image which in time You will continue to reveal and make clear to me. Amen. Thank You Jesus.
²². Unjust anger cannot be justified, for anger tips the scale to one's ruin.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 22)
For some reason, the New Testament Version omits verse 21 and moves on to verse 22 of the first chapter of the book of Wisdom of Sirach.
Oh God, my Father, this is one of my weakest points which You are helping me to deal with. When I lose control of myself and become highly emotional I move to lower level of being. My emotions take control and many times I do and say things that later on I regret that I had said or done. Oh God I am sorry for such moments because they are shameful that I pray that You deliver me from such moments. I pray that You help me in taming thus burst of negative energy that flows in me during such moments and change, it into moments of love and tranquillity, which helps to restore all my systems into their former order of tranquillity.
²³ Those who are patient stay calm until the right moment, and then cheerfulness comes back to them.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 23)
Oh God my Father I wish to be gifted with the gift of patience, for many times in my life I have rushed and when I did so I made one mistake after another. I pray that I have the humility to rely totally on You than on myself. Amen.
²⁴ They hold back their words until the right moment; then the lips of many tell of their good sense.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 24)
Oh God I pray for control over both my mind and my tongue, for many times I speak that which could have been left unsaid until the right moment. I pray for Your prompting oh God my Father to say what is right, true, justifiable and valid at the right time, in the right situation Amen.
²⁵ In the treasuries of wisdom are wise sayings, but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 25)
Oh God my Father the Good News that is found in the Bible are words of wisdom, however for unbelievers it is not of value. For me it is a living testimony of how my life is to be. It is engraved in my heart and mind. I pray for Your loving grace and for the courage to go against my natural worldly self in order to live my life according to Your will. Amen.
²⁶ If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will lavish her upon you.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 26)
Oh God You are the infinite source of wisdom, joy and love, and anyone who enters into a relationship with You or You chose to enter into a relationship with that person will benefit from such wisdom, not as the world offers it but as according to Your will which surpasses the wisdom of the world, both in quality and in quantity. Amen. Oh God if I live my life on Your Word and obtain the grace to live each verse that it contains both in the Old and in the New Testament this would be enough for me. Thank You Jesus.
²⁷ For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline, fidelity and humility are his delight. ²⁸Do not disobey the fear of the Lord; do not approach him with a divided mind. ²⁹ Do not be a hypocrite before others and keep watch over your lips. ³⁰ Do not exalt yourself, or you may fall and bring dishonor upon yourself. The Lord will reveal your secrets and overthrow you before the whole congregation, because you did not come in the fear of the Lord, and your heart was full of deceit.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 27 to 30)
Oh God my beloved Father, by means of these verses You are highlighting my sins and that of many humans like myself. We are proud and disobedient, hypocrites in what we say and even do. In the presence of some people we behave differently from when we are in the presence of others. We cannot show our true and honest self. We dishonour our self, by exalting each other and at time even ourselves with grand titles that You do not like or approve of.
Oh God I long for that day when all that is in our broom cupboards will be brought to light and then and only then would we feel the guilt and shame of our actions and may I along with the rest of the world feel the great need to turn away from our sinful ways and follow You my God and Father. Even though I am fervent in my life of prayer, because You encourage me to do so, I am still a sinful person, who is struggling with my own self, in order to achieve mastery over myself, not with the intention of being proud but to restrain my sinful self from continuing to commit either the same sins or new ones. With Your help oh God my Father You are able to free me from the lures and temptations of this body of sin Amen.
Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end the first chapter of the book of Sirach with the following prayer:-
Oh God my beloved Father, may I embrace the wisdom found in the verses of the Bible and with great humility teach me to undress of this mortal and sinful body in order to put on one that is not sinful but holy. Only You my God can help me to reach this end, but I believe that if it is Your will it can be done. Fight me Oh God my Father until You overcome my sinful self and free me from myself so that I can be more like You Amen.
So my grandfather Jesus, who had devoted himself especially to the reading of the Law and the Prophets and the other books of our ancestors, and had acquired considerable proficiency in them, was himself also led to write something pertaining to instruction and wisdom, so that by becoming familiar also with his book those who love learning might make even greater progress in living according to the law.
Oh God my Father this morning by means of these verses You are showing me that You have given me something in common with Sirach. You gave me the motivation to share my daily prayers online and in doing so, You have given me the opportunity to progress in my relationship with You. Furthermore this in practice can be applied in my everyday life and others may also benefit from such wise instruction that You are giving me by means of the instructions that are found in this book Amen.
You are invited therefore to read it with goodwill and attention, and to be indulgent in cases where, despite our diligent labor in translating, we may seem to have rendered some phrases imperfectly.
Oh God my Father, I pray that we may look upon Your 'Bible' not with a critical eye in order to seek discrepancies but with a motivation to let the same Word reflect our darkness so that we can grow in our relationship with You and with others. May it be oh God my Father, that our attitude becomes so humble that we permit Your Word to judge us instead of judging it ourselves Amen.
For what was originally expressed in Hebrew does not have exactly the same sense when translated into another language. Not only this book, but even the Law itself, the Prophecies, and the rest of the books differ not a little when read in the original.
Oh God my Father I thank You for making me aware of this discrepancy between the original text and the copy or translation, however this disparity does not make the copy as being totally false in interpretation but slightly different. Amen I pray that such discrepancy may not hinder the faith of that who will be like myself meditating on Your Good News Amen.
When I came to Egypt in the thirty-eighth year of the of the reign of Euergetes and stayed for some time, I found opportunity for no little instruction. It seemed highly necessary that I should myself devote some diligence and labor to the translation of this book. During that time I have applied my skill day and night to complete and publish the book for those living abroad who wished to gain learning and are disposed to live according to the law.
Oh God my Father I can understand the feeling of Sirach, for I also felt the same feeling that of praying on the Bible and sharing it to all who are willing to live and base their lives according to the instructions found in the Bible Amen. However I pray that my life will be of an example to many others, even though I am still a sinner, but the Spirit in me consumes me and motivates me to keep on sharing one post after another. The latest update that the Spirit of God has prompted me to do is to add an 'audio version or a movie' along with the chapter itself. I thank You oh Jesus for this energy, faith and motivation. Day and night I reflect on the messages that You give me by means of Your powerful Word, which comforts, makes me aware of my sins and where necessary rebukes me in order to make the necessary changes in my life Amen.
¹ All wisdom is from the Lord, and with him it remains forever.
( Book of Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 1)
If only I could oh God my Father I would engrave this verse in pure gold and place it in all universities and schools, so that we will never forget it. Many people tend to believe more in science that functions on testable hypotheses and theories than on faith. In schools, students are being indoctrinated to believe in anything that is backed up by scientific evidence or enquiry. As a consequence a wave of atheism is spreading that is making the world more pagan in its belief and ways.
². The sand of the sea, the drops of rain, and the days of eternity-who can count them? ³. The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth, the abyss, and wisdom-who can search them out?
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 2 to 3)
Oh God my Father even though humans may invent powerful instruments such as Hubble and many others, the universe still is and always will be a black hole and no man's land to humanity, for our knowledge is always and will always be limited when compared to You my God and Father.
⁴ Wisdom was created before all other things, and prudent understanding from eternity. ⁶ The root of wisdom-to whom has it been revealed? Her subtleties - who knows them? ⁸ There is but one who is wise, greatly to be feared, seated upon his throne-the Lord.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 4 to 8)
Oh God my Father in truth you know that I am no theologian or priest, or street preacher, and that all that is found in this blog is the fruit of a relationship of prayer love and care that has been going on even before You created me. Even though I have been accused of being a hypocrite and unbeliever about my faith in You, I never declared that I was an authority either publicly or privately. My only wish is that of sharing my prayers with others, that all may receive the word of God as I am doing, All merit and praise is due to You my God the fountain of wisdom love and care and not to myself Amen.
⁹ It is he who created her; he saw her and took her measure; he poured her out upon all his works, ¹⁰ upon all the living according to his gift; he lavished upon those who love him.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 9 to 10)
Oh God my Father, thumbs up for those of us, who consider themselves as losers, lacking in the knowledge and skills of others and ready to live their lives as doormats in subjection to others who make good of this negative attitude and dig their heels in to them so much as to dominate them and makethem their slaves or inferiors.
God has given You all the knowledge You need! You need not feel inferior or depressed. He has given to all according to His gift. God knows which skills to give to you and which gifts to give to me and many others. He told us that if we ask for anything that is good for us, God will always listen to our prayers and give us more than we pray for, however if we pray for something negative to happen to others or to us, we cannot expect from God, because God is all good without any taces of evil Amen. Therefore let us pray to God to show us the potential that He has given us, so that we can love Him more and value ourselves and even more the works that he has either done or can do by means of the knowledge and skills that He has given to us or will give us in the future amen according to His will.
¹¹ The fear of the Lord is glory and exultation, and gladness and a crown of rejoicing. ¹² The fear of the Lord delights the heart, and gives gladness and joy and long life. ¹³. Those who fear the Lord will have a happy end; on the day of their death they will be blessed.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 11 to 13)
Oh God my Father Your fear is different than that of the world in the sense that it is positive fear and not negative fear. It gives me the encouragement to move on day after day. Amen. I thank You for this fear oh God my Father.
¹⁴ To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; she is created with the faithful in the womb. ¹⁵. She made among human beings an eternal foundation, and among their descendants she will abide faithfully.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 14 to 15)
Oh God You are wisdom beyond all wisdom, in You wisdom finds its beginning and as the rightful owner You distribute Your bounty of wisdom wherever and whenever necessary. Those of us who are not haughty and proud are those who will accept Your wisdom however when we are already full of ourselves we may not have room to welcome and accept You and Your wisdom my God and Father. Amen. For the wisdom of the world is not disciplined and appears sweet and inviting, however, for those who have not accepted You, Your ways of obedience, faith and sacrifice is bitter. Amen
¹⁶. To fear the Lord is fullness of wisdom; she inebriates mortals with her fruits; ¹⁷. she fills their whole house with desirable goods, and their storehouses with her produce.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 16 to 17)
Oh God You are my goodness blessing and my salvation, there is none like You. You give me strength and wisdom, when and where it is lacking and You satisfy my soul Amen.
¹⁸ The fear of the Lord is the crown of wisdom, making peace and perfect health to flourish.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 18)
As You are fully aware my God and Father, the human being is composed, of the physical, the psychological and even the spiritual elements. When all three are in harmony it may be said that the person is living a balanced life, however if the spiritual or any other part is not in order it will have consequences on the other parts, which places the person in a state of disharmony. I pray oh God my Father that especially throughout this new year 2017 we take You and our spiritual lives seriously so that we be persons who are whole and fully alive Amen.
¹⁹ She rained down knowledge and discerning comprehension, and she heightened the glory of those who held her fast.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 19)
Oh God my Father it is wiser of us to seek Your knowledge than that of the world, for what is of the world remains of the world, but what is Yours and of You is eternal. Moreover, those who have invested in You have never been disappointed Amen.
²⁰ To fear the Lord is the root of wisdom, and her branches are long life.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 20)
To fear You my God is not to be trembling all the time with teeth chattering. For if one is trying to live according to Your will, even though at times human nature gets the best of us, one does not need to be afraid or terrified. I am convinced that I have a Father who loves me, and I accept his rebuke, because as a parent, He knows what is good for me because my maturity is like that of a child compared to Yours my God and Father, for You see the big picture, my life plan and I only see a blurred image which in time You will continue to reveal and make clear to me. Amen. Thank You Jesus.
²². Unjust anger cannot be justified, for anger tips the scale to one's ruin.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 22)
For some reason, the New Testament Version omits verse 21 and moves on to verse 22 of the first chapter of the book of Wisdom of Sirach.
Oh God, my Father, this is one of my weakest points which You are helping me to deal with. When I lose control of myself and become highly emotional I move to lower level of being. My emotions take control and many times I do and say things that later on I regret that I had said or done. Oh God I am sorry for such moments because they are shameful that I pray that You deliver me from such moments. I pray that You help me in taming thus burst of negative energy that flows in me during such moments and change, it into moments of love and tranquillity, which helps to restore all my systems into their former order of tranquillity.
²³ Those who are patient stay calm until the right moment, and then cheerfulness comes back to them.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 23)
Oh God my Father I wish to be gifted with the gift of patience, for many times in my life I have rushed and when I did so I made one mistake after another. I pray that I have the humility to rely totally on You than on myself. Amen.
²⁴ They hold back their words until the right moment; then the lips of many tell of their good sense.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 24)
Oh God I pray for control over both my mind and my tongue, for many times I speak that which could have been left unsaid until the right moment. I pray for Your prompting oh God my Father to say what is right, true, justifiable and valid at the right time, in the right situation Amen.
²⁵ In the treasuries of wisdom are wise sayings, but godliness is an abomination to a sinner.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 25)
Oh God my Father the Good News that is found in the Bible are words of wisdom, however for unbelievers it is not of value. For me it is a living testimony of how my life is to be. It is engraved in my heart and mind. I pray for Your loving grace and for the courage to go against my natural worldly self in order to live my life according to Your will. Amen.
²⁶ If you desire wisdom, keep the commandments, and the Lord will lavish her upon you.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verse 26)
Oh God You are the infinite source of wisdom, joy and love, and anyone who enters into a relationship with You or You chose to enter into a relationship with that person will benefit from such wisdom, not as the world offers it but as according to Your will which surpasses the wisdom of the world, both in quality and in quantity. Amen. Oh God if I live my life on Your Word and obtain the grace to live each verse that it contains both in the Old and in the New Testament this would be enough for me. Thank You Jesus.
²⁷ For the fear of the Lord is wisdom and discipline, fidelity and humility are his delight. ²⁸Do not disobey the fear of the Lord; do not approach him with a divided mind. ²⁹ Do not be a hypocrite before others and keep watch over your lips. ³⁰ Do not exalt yourself, or you may fall and bring dishonor upon yourself. The Lord will reveal your secrets and overthrow you before the whole congregation, because you did not come in the fear of the Lord, and your heart was full of deceit.
(Wisdom of Sirach Chapter 1 verses 27 to 30)
Oh God my beloved Father, by means of these verses You are highlighting my sins and that of many humans like myself. We are proud and disobedient, hypocrites in what we say and even do. In the presence of some people we behave differently from when we are in the presence of others. We cannot show our true and honest self. We dishonour our self, by exalting each other and at time even ourselves with grand titles that You do not like or approve of.
Oh God I long for that day when all that is in our broom cupboards will be brought to light and then and only then would we feel the guilt and shame of our actions and may I along with the rest of the world feel the great need to turn away from our sinful ways and follow You my God and Father. Even though I am fervent in my life of prayer, because You encourage me to do so, I am still a sinful person, who is struggling with my own self, in order to achieve mastery over myself, not with the intention of being proud but to restrain my sinful self from continuing to commit either the same sins or new ones. With Your help oh God my Father You are able to free me from the lures and temptations of this body of sin Amen.
Oh God my beloved Father, I would like to end the first chapter of the book of Sirach with the following prayer:-
Oh God my beloved Father, may I embrace the wisdom found in the verses of the Bible and with great humility teach me to undress of this mortal and sinful body in order to put on one that is not sinful but holy. Only You my God can help me to reach this end, but I believe that if it is Your will it can be done. Fight me Oh God my Father until You overcome my sinful self and free me from myself so that I can be more like You Amen.
