Morning Prayer: 26 Jan – 2 Tm 1:1-8; Mk 3:22-30 ~ a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline

Monday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time

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

Opening sentence and Prayer:

Proclaim the Gospel, insist on it in season and out of season, convince, rebuke, and exhort, do all with patience and in a manner that will teach men.
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Almighty God, You endowed Saints Timothy and Titus with power to preach Your word. Fill us with Your Spirit, and grant that, living a life of integrity and holiness in this world, we may come to our true home in heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

A Reading from Letters: 2 Timothy 1:1-8 (NLT)

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.

I am writing to Timothy, my dear son.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

Timothy, I thank God for you — the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again.

I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.
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Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel. (2 Timothy 1:10)
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A Reading from the Gospels: Mark 3:22-30 (NLT)

But the teachers of religious law who had arrived from Jerusalem said, “He’s possessed by Satan, the prince of demons. That’s where he gets the power to cast out demons.”

blasphemy against Holy Spirit

Jesus called them over and responded with an illustration. “How can Satan cast out Satan?” he asked. “A kingdom divided by civil war will collapse. Similarly, a family splintered by feuding will fall apart. And if Satan is divided and fights against himself, how can he stand? He would never survive. Let me illustrate this further. Who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger — someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.

“I tell you the truth, all sin and blasphemy can be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven. This is a sin with eternal consequences.” He told them this because they were saying, “He’s possessed by an evil spirit.”
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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 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 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time: Jon 3:1-5, 10; Ps 25:4-9; 1 Cor 7:29-31; Mk 1:14-20 ~ time is short, follow Me

Third Sunday of Ordinary Time

Jesus called out to them: “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”

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

Opening prayer:

Your sovereign rule, O God, draws near to us in the person of Jesus Your Son. Your word summons us to faith, Your power transforms our lives. Free us to follow in Christ’s footsteps, so that neither human loyalty nor earthly attachment may hold us back from answering Your call. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.
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A Reading from the Old testament: Jonah 3:1-5, 10 (NLT)

Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.
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When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 25:4-9 (NLT)

Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

Remember, O Lord, your compassion and unfailing love, which you have shown from long ages past. Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord.

The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray. He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them his way.
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A Reading from the Letters: 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 (NLT)

But let me say this, dear brothers and sisters: The time that remains is very short. So from now on, those with wives should not focus only on their marriage. Those who weep or who rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Mark 1:14-20 (NLT)

FishersOfMen

Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.
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Intercessions:

Friends in Christ, let us come before God (who knows us and loves us) with our concerns:

+ For all who listen to God’s word – that we may put it into practice…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who read aloud God’s word in worship – that they may do it with love and reverence…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all who gather to worship God today – that all Christians may soon be one…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the sick and suffering, especially those who come to mind now – that God may heal them…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all who find these winter months difficult – that their friends may support and encourage them…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people who are lonely or sad – that God’s presence may cheer them up…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all those concerns that weigh heavily on our hearts today – that Jesus may lighten our load…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all who have died, especially those on our hearts today – that they may enjoy the glorious Communion of the Saints’…. Lord, hear us.

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life — we rely on Your help all our days: let Your grace continue to sustain us, we pray, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Benediction:

All-powerful, ever-living God, direct our steps in the way of Your love, so that our whole life may be fragrant with all we do in the name of Jesus, Your beloved Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

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

Morning Prayer: 24 Jan – Heb 9:2-3, 11-14; Mk 3:20-21 ~ Christ: the perfect sacrifice

Saturday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

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

Opening sentences:

Lord, we proclaim Your love in the morning and Your truth in the watches of the night. Grant, Lord, that in the service of others we may always reflect Your own gentleness and love.

A Reading from Letters: Hebrews 9:2-3, 11-14 (NLT)

There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place.
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So Christ has now become the High Priest over all the good things that have come. He has entered that greater, more perfect Tabernacle in heaven, which was not made by human hands and is not part of this created world. With his own blood — not the blood of goats and calves — he entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever.

Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
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Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. (Acts 16:14)
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A Reading from the Gospels: Mark 3:20-21 (NLT)

One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn’t even find time to eat. When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. “He’s out of his mind,” they said.
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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.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing:

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

Morning Prayer: 23 Jan – Heb 8:6-13; Mk 3:13-19 ~ a far better covenant

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

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

Opening sentences:

Father, we praise You for your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ; through the Holy Spirit He offered himself in sacrifice to You, that we might be delivered from death and selfishness, and be free to live in Your peace. We accept this new day as Your gift, Lord; grant that we may live in newness of life. Father, in Your will is our peace.

A Reading from Letters: Hebrews 8:6-13 (NLT)

But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.

If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. But when God found fault with the people, he said:

“The day is coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the Lord.

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already. And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

When God speaks of a “new” covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.
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God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Mark 3:13-19 (NLT)

Christ’s Appearance on the Mountain Duccio Di Buoninsegna, 14th century — Christ’s Appearance on the Mountain
Duccio Di Buoninsegna, 14th century

Afterward Jesus went up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to go with him. And they came to him. Then he appointed twelve of them and called them his apostles. They were to accompany him, and he would send them out to preach, giving them authority to cast out demons. These are the twelve he chose:

Simon (whom he named Peter), James and John (the sons of Zebedee, but Jesus nicknamed them “Sons of Thunder”, Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James (son of Alphaeus), Thaddaeus, Simon (the zealot), Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).
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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.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing:

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

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children: 22 Jan – Is 49:1, 3, 5-6, 13-15; Ps 139: 1-3, 13-15; Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14

Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

January 22 marks the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal throughout the U.S. Since that tragic decision, more than 56 million children’s lives have been lost to abortion, and many suffer that loss – often in silence. Join thousands of Christians across the country to pray for a “culture of life!”

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

Opening sentences:

O God, source of all life and goodness, You fashion human lives in Your image and likeness, and through Your love, give each human life dignity, sanctity and priceless worth; awaken in every heart new reverence for the least of Your children, and renew among Your people a readiness to nurture and sustain Your precious gift of human life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Is 49:1, 3, 5-6, 13-15 (NLT)

Listen to me, all you in distant lands! Pay attention, you who are far away! The Lord called me before my birth; from within the womb he called me by name.
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He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.”
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And now the Lord speaks — the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant, who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him. The Lord has honored me, and my God has given me strength. He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”
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Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!
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A Reading from the Psalms: Ps 139:1-3, 13-15 (NLT)

Life matters http://hopeafterabortion.com/ — Life matters
http://hopeafterabortion.com/

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up.You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
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You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous — how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 (NLT)

About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”

Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

“And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.
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Prayers of Intercession

God is the author of life. In Him we place our trust and hope as we pray:

+ For the mother who awakens each morning with the memory of abortion fresh in her mind … Lord, have mercy
+ For the father whose child died with his cooperation and consent … Lord, have mercy
+ For the parents who influenced their child’s choice to abort their grandchild … Lord, have mercy
+ For the doctors, nurses and counselors who work at abortion facilities … Lord, have mercy
+ For scientists and pharmaceutical employees who manufacture abortifacient drugs … Lord, have mercy
+ For those whose work involves promoting abortion and contraceptive use … Lord, have mercy
+ For elected leaders who oppose any restriction on the abortion license … Lord, have mercy
+ For an end to legal abortion in our nation and for the conversion of all hearts … Lord, have mercy
+ For repentance, healing and peace for those involved in abortion in any way … Lord, have mercy

God our Creator, Lord and Redeemer of mankind, we give thanks to You, who alone have the power to impart the breath of life as You form each of us in our mother’s womb; You alone have the power to forgive sins against human life, and to heal the wounds caused by these sins; grant the prayers we have placed before You, and grant that we, Your children, will place all our trust in Your Divine Mercy so that the world and all its inhabitants may be saved. Through Christ our Lord.
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Benediction:

To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Rev 1:5-6)

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

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