Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

I am going now to prepare a place for you, and I shall return to take you with me; so that where I am you also may be. Alleluia.
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Lord, give me life through Your Holy Spirit.

+ Father, You accepted the sacrifice of Your Son, raising Him from the dead – receive my morning offering and lead me to eternal life.
+ Reveal Your presence in my work this day – may I do everything for Your glory and for the consecration of our world.
+ Do not allow my work to come to nothing – let it serve my neighbor and advance Your Kingdom.
+ Open my eyes to see my neighbor’s need – warm my heart that I may offer him/her my love.

Lord, give me life through Your Holy Spirit.

A Reading from Acts: Acts 13:26-33 (NLT)

“Brothers — you sons of Abraham, and also you God-fearing Gentiles — this message of salvation has been sent to us! The people in Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about. Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’ words that are read every Sabbath. They found no legal reason to execute him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.

“When they had done all that the prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead! And over a period of many days he appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people of Israel.

“And now we are here to bring you this Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors, and God has now fulfilled it for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about Jesus: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’
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I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 14:1-6 (NLT)

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.”

“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
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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