Morning Prayer: 26 August – Psalm 91:1-7; Daniel 2:20-22; 1 Timothy 4:1-2 ~ on the shadow of the Almighty

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Psalm 91:1-7

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day. Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday. Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.

Daniel 2:20-22

He said,

“Praise the name of God forever and ever, for he has all wisdom and power. He controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars. He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light….”

1 Timothy 4:1-2

Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.

Reflection

IONA

Jesus called the twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases. Luke 9:1
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For in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, by virtue of his prayers, he cured men suffering from the attacks of various diseases; and he alone, God helping, drove out from this our Island (Iona) which now has the Primacy, malignant and innumerable hosts of demons warring against him, seen by bodily eyes and beginning to bring deadly diseases upon his Monastic Society.

Adamnan, The Life of Saint Columba
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I feel no conflict here.

From ‘Iona”
a song on the album by Iona
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Do pray for the protection of the work God has raised up on the island of Iona. Many people journey there each year, tourists and pilgrims of all kinds, many of whom have rejected what they have seen of Christianity so far. How crucial is the witness of those they meet there! Others journey there to the pre-Christian power sources of druidism and magic, for Iona is the focus of much attention from those interested in what is loosely termed ‘new age.’

Pray for much wisdom for the Christians they will meet on Iona and who engage or interact with them. For all who seek to minister or have been given responsibility at the Abbey, Camas or MacLeod centres, or at Duncraig or at the Catholic prayer-house or at Bishop’s House, we pray protection from weariness and discouragement, from division and argument, from deception and lies of every kind.

What good are our prayers? A painting I love shows a boy shooting paper aeroplanes at the sky. Coincidence or not, in the exact place his paper aeroplanes were aimed the thick cloud has cleared as if a window were opened to the deep of the heavens.

O Isle from whence the Light streamed far and wide
God guard thee from all evil.

Bessie J. B. MacArthur
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Pray for all who are part of the tapestry of Iona’s life today:
teaching truth too the living,
chanting consolation to the dying,
and battling to the death
with paganism
for the possession of the Isles.

Kenneth Macleod

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Safe within these shores / I feel no conflict here
I feel my spirit soar / Within this sanctuary

Iona, Iona

There are no ghosts to haunt me / There is no blood upon this land
No power to make me fear / No hour of darkness here

Iona, Iona

All bathed in emerald / Out of the mist arise
I see the stones appear / A cross before my eyes

Iona, Iona, Iona
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Canticle:

Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Peanut Gallery: The general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) Our Scripture readings and reflections will be taken from the Aidan Daily Readings (Celtic Daily Prayer) during the month of August. On Sundays, we’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world. Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

Morning Prayer: 25 August – Psalm 127:1; Exodus 35:30-36:1; John 15:26 ~ on being Spirit-led

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Psalm 127:1

Mason Adam Campbell dressing stone for the rebuilding of Iona Abbey (Raymond Bailey archive)

Unless the lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.

Exodus 35:30-36:1

Then Moses told the people of Israel, “The lord has specifically chosen Bezalel son of Uri, grandson of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. The lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts. He is a master craftsman, expert in working with gold, silver, and bronze. He is skilled in engraving and mounting gemstones and in carving wood. He is a master at every craft. And the lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach their skills to others. The lord has given them special skills as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple, and scarlet thread on fine linen cloth, and weavers. They excel as craftsmen and as designers.

“The lord has gifted Bezalel, Oholiab, and the other skilled craftsmen with wisdom and ability to perform any task involved in building the sanctuary. Let them construct and furnish the Tabernacle, just as the lord has commanded.”

John 15:26

“But I will send you the Advocate — the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me….”

Reflection

IONA

FROM THE MORNING SERVICE AT IONA ABBEY
Almighty and Everlasting God, who of old didst fill the builders of Thy tabernacle with Thy Spirit, in wisdom, in understanding, and in beauty, vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, Thy grace and blessing to us Thy servants: enlighten, purify, direct and sanctify us: accept and establish our work for the honour of Thy house and service: grant us the powerful aid of Thy Holy Spirit in all our undertakings, that we may promote Thy glory and further Thy Kingdom: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

—–

God asks, ‘ Who will go for me?
Who will extend my reach?
And who, when few will listen
will prophesy and preach?
And who, when few bid welcome,
will offer all they know?
And who, when few dare follow,
will walk the road I show?’

John L. Bell & Graham Maule,
‘The Wild Goose of Iona’

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Please pray today for the work of the Iona Community in Glasgow, and elsewhere in the world.

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Canticle:

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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21st Ordinary Sunday: Isaiah 22:19-23; Psalm 138:1-2, 3, 6, 8; Romans 11:33-36; Matthew 16:13-20 ~ “Who do you say I am?”

21ST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening prayer:

Come into the presence of God – Father, Son and Spirit – whose mystery we can never comprehend. All we have comes from God; we can only bow down in awe, and bring forward the praise that is His due.

Living God, You sent Your Son among us to reveal Your wisdom and make known Your ways. Increase our faith, that we may confess Jesus as your Son, take up His work on earth, and trust His promise to sustain us. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You.
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A Reading from the Old testament: Isaiah 22:19-23 (NLT)

“Yes, I will drive you out of office,” says the Lord. “I will pull you down from your high position. And then I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah to replace you. I will dress him in your royal robes and will give him your title and your authority. And he will be a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah. I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them. He will bring honor to his family name, for I will drive him firmly in place like a nail in the wall….”
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 138:1-2, 3, 6, 8 (NLT)

I give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart; I will sing your praises before the gods. I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name.
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As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.
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Though the Lord is great, he cares for the humble, but he keeps his distance from the proud.
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The Lord will work out his plans for my life — for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.
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A Reading from the Letters: Romans 11:33-36 (NLT)

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 15:21-28 (NLT)

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

“Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”

Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.”

Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
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Intercessions:

Almighty and Faithful God: Your Love for us is eternal… hear our prayers –

+ For our Church leaders – that they may preach Your word with wisdom and faith, in season and out of season…
Lord, hear us.

+ For all in positions of authority, civil and ecclesiastical – that they may serve with humility, gentleness and sound judgement…
Lord, hear us.

+ For those who have suffered through the abuse of power, civil and ecclesiastical – that healing and new strength may be theirs…
Lord, hear us.

+ For those who have suffered and died because of their faith, especially in the Middle East and Africa – that they may join their saintly predecessors in the Father’s house…
Lord, hear us.

+ For those who are persecuted and dispossessed because of their faith – that protection and provision may be theirs…
Lord, hear us.

+ For Christians around the world – that they may profess their faith to their neighbors and be a source of hope and help…
Lord, hear us.

+ For people who are travelling at summer’s end – that they may travel safely and return home refreshed…
Lord, hear us.

+ For our own needs and for the needs of those we love…
Lord, hear us.

God of love, You never discard the work of Your hands: hear our prayers we offer, in trust, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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+ In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Morning Prayer: 23 August – Psalm 101:4-5; Proverbs 30:12-13; John 8:3-9 – on my need for prayer

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Psalm 101:4-5

We prostrate ourselves before the life-giving cross.

I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil. I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors. I will not endure conceit and pride.

Proverbs 30:12-13

They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed. They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.

John 8:3-9

As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.

“Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”

They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.

When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.

Reflection

IONA

‘Pray for me. I ask you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me.’ If ever you go to a black church that’s a phrase you’ll hear almost every person use when they stand up or come forward to testify – sometimes it’s just like punctuation, not heart-felt at all, but it’s still an important reminder.

If you attend mass you will say, ‘I ask… all the angels and saints and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.’

And George MacLeod, founder of the Iona Community, as he quotes the old spiritual, echoes the same words:

It’s not my brother or my sister
but it’s me, O Lord:
standing in the need of prayer.
We are so warm in our own self-esteem
that we freeze the folks around us.
We get so high in our own estimation
that we stand isolated on a mountain
top of self-righteousness.
That is why you came: Lord Jesus:
not to save the lecherous but to turn
the righteous to repentance
And it is me, O Lord.

From Where Freedom is and Laughter
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Before the world began one Word was there; grounded in God he was, rooted in care; by him all things were made; in him was love displayed; through him God spoke and said, ‘I am for you.’

Life found in him its source; death found its end; light found in him its course, darkness its friend, for neither death nor doubt nor darkness can put out the glow of God, the shout: ‘I am for you.’

The Word was in the world which from him came; unrecognized he was, unknown by name; one with all humankind, with the unloved aligned, convincing sight and mind: ‘I am for you.’

All who received the Word by God were blessed; sisters and brothers they of earth’s fond guest. So did the Word of Grace proclaim in time and space and with a human face, ‘I am for you.’
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Canticle:

Blessing

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Morning Prayer: 22 August – Psalm 51:18; Haggai 1:2-5; Matthew 17:24-27 – on rebuilding

Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Psalm 51:18

Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Huts were erected on the east side of the Abbey © Iona Community, from Outside the Safe Place: An oral history of the early years of the Iona Community. — Huts were erected on the east side of the Abbey
© Iona Community, from Outside the Safe Place: An oral history of the early years of the Iona Community.

Haggai 1:2-5

“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: The people are saying, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.’”

Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you!”

Matthew 17:24-27

On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?”

“Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house.

But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?”

“They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied.

“Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”

Reflection

IONA

In 561 Columba arrived on Iona with his twelve; in 1938 MacLeod arrived with another band of twelve, half craftsmen without jobs, half students for the ministry. They built a wooden shed to live in by the fallen monastery and began the work of re-building.

MacLeod recounts that the group needed money with which to get its project started. ‘I wrote to the richest man I knew. He replied that I should go see a psychiatrist at once. Then I asked – me a pacifist, mind you – Sir John Lithgow, a builder of warships at his Govan shipyard. He was interested, but asked if I would give up my pacifisn if he gave me the £5,000. I said “Not on your life.” “Then,” he said, “I will give you your £5,000.” Materials were hard to obtain: ‘The war was on and the government commandeered all timber. But a ship coming from Canada struck a storm and jettisoned its cargo of lumber in the Atlantic. The timber floated 80 miles, finally landed on Mull, opposite Iona – and all the right length! It roofs the Iona library today.’

James H. Forest
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