Category: Life in America

Morning Prayer: 22 January – Ephesians 2:13-16 ~ Jesus is our peace

Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

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

Opening Sentence

God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Morning Reading: Ephesians 2:13-16(NLT)

But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.

Crucified Jesus by Carole Foret
Crucified Jesus
by Carole Foret

For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.

Morning Prayer

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. Father, in your will is our peace.

+ We accept this new day as your gift, Lord; grant that we may live in newness of life.
+ You made all things, and keep all things in being; give us the insight to see your hand at work in them all.
+ Your Son sealed the new and everlasting covenant in his blood; help us to live by this covenant and honor it.
+ As Jesus died on the cross, blood and water flowed from his side; as we share in the Eucharist, pour out your Spirit upon us.

Praise to you, heavenly Father, in your will is our peace. Grant that in your kingdom, together with your saints, we may praise you with even greater joy. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“He Is Our Peace” – Maranatha Singers

Blessing

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24)

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

Morning Prayer: 21 January – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 ~ be my sustaining breath

Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

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

Opening Sentence

Your words are spirit, Lord, and they are life; you have the message of eternal life. (John 6:63,68)

Morning Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NLT)

woman crying

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

Morning Prayer

Blessed be my God and Father: he hears the prayers of his children. Lord, hear me now.

+ Thank you, Father, for sending me your Son – may I keep him before my eyes throughout this day.
+ Make wisdom and sound judgement my guide – help me walk in newness of life.
+ Give me your strength in my weakness – when I meet problems give me courage to face them.
+ Comfort me in my sorrow and troubles – that I may be a consolation to others.
+ Direct my thoughts, my words, my actions today – that I may know, and do, your will.

Almighty, ever-living God, you choose what is weak in the world to shame what is strong. Grant that I may follow the example of Jesus, who was lowly and meek yet all-powerful. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“A Place On Earth” – Fernando Ortega

Blessing

(May) the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

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

Morning Prayer: 20 January – Romans 8:31-39 ~ inseparable love

Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

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

Opening Sentence

The Lord is king, let the earth rejoice. May I serve the Lord in holiness all my days.

Morning Reading:Mark 2:13-17(NLT)

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one — for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

inseparable_love

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow — not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below — indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Morning Prayer

Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ, for he promised to be with me until the end of time. Stay with me today, Lord Jesus.

+ In all things I am victorious through your love – take me into your care today.
+ Let the love of your Holy Spirit be in my heart – I consecrate this day to you.
+ Help me to answer your call – may I be salt to the earth and light to the world.
+ As the day unfolds – may I work in harmony with your will for the good of all.

Stay with me today, Lord Jesus. Shed your clear light on my heart, Lord, so that walking continually in the light of your Word I may never be deceived or misled. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“Nothing Can Separate Us” – Shannon Wexelberg

Blessing

(May) Christ dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

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

Morning Prayer: 19 January – 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5; Mark 2:23-28 ~ children of the light

Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

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

Opening Sentence

Lord, send forth your light and your truth.

Morning Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:4-5 (NLT)

children of the light

But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.

Morning Reading: Mark 2:23-28 (NLT)

One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grain fields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?”

Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.”

Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

Morning Prayer

Blessed be our Savior, Jesus Christ, who by his rising to new life has freed the world from fear. Lord, lead us to the truth.

+ Lord Jesus, as this day begins we remember that you are risen, and therefore we look to the future with confidence.
+ Hear our prayers this morning, and take to yourself our cares, our hopes, and our needs.
+ Deepen in us our love for you today, so that in all things we may find our good, and the good of others.
+ Lord Jesus, we pray that through our own troubles, we may learn to feel the sufferings of others; help us to show them your compassion.

True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ, as you enlighten all men for their salvation, give us grace, we pray, to herald your coming by preparing the ways of justice and of peace. You live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever.

“God Of Mercy And Compassion” – God’s Country

Blessing

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

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

Morning Prayer: 18 January – Mark 2:18-22 ~ accept my love and service

Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

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

Opening Sentence

“Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory.” (Psalm 50:14-15)

Morning Reading: Mark 2:18-22 (NLT)

Once when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and asked, “Why don’t your disciples fast like John’s disciples and the Pharisees do?”

Jesus replied, “Do wedding guests fast while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. They can’t fast while the groom is with them. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

"The New and the Old Clothes. The New Wine and the Used Wineskins" by Kazakhstan Artist Nelly Bube.
“The New and the Old Clothes. The New Wine and the Used Wineskins”
by Kazakhstan Artist Nelly Bube.

“Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the wine would burst the wineskins, and the wine and the skins would both be lost. New wine calls for new wineskins.”

Morning Prayer

Christ has given me a share in his priesthood. Lord, in union with you, accept my love and service.

+ Jesus Christ, you are the eternal priest – make my morning sacrifice of worship acceptable to the Father.
+ Lord, you are love itself – grant that I may love you and serve you throughout the day.
+ Give me today the fruits of the Holy Spirit – make me patient, kind and gentle.
+ Give me the discernment to know the needs of my neighbors and the courage to love them as family.

Almighty Lord and God, protect me by your power through the course of this day, even as you have enabled me to begin it. Do not let me turn aside to any sin, but let my every thought, word and deed aim at doing what is pleasing in your sight. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

“Take All of Me” – Hillsong

Blessing

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)

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