Tag: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 08 Nov 2020: Amos 5:18-24, Matthew25:1-13 ~ “Stay awake and be ready.”

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 08 Nov 2020

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

Opening:

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“So you, too, must keep watch!
For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”
(Matthew 25:13)

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Psalm 63 – Mount Paran Church Choir, Atlanta, GA

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Prayer for Purity

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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A Reading from the Prophets: Amos 5:18-24 (NLT)

Warning of Coming Judgment

What sorrow awaits you who say,
“If only the day of the Lord were here!”
You have no idea what you are wishing for.
That day will bring darkness, not light.
In that day you will be like a man who runs from a lion—
only to meet a bear.
Escaping from the bear, he leans his hand against a wall in his house—
and he’s bitten by a snake.
Yes, the day of the Lord will be dark and hopeless,
without a ray of joy or hope.

“I hate all your show and pretense—
the hypocrisy of your religious festivals and solemn assemblies.
I will not accept your burnt offerings and grain offerings.
I won’t even notice all your choice peace offerings.
Away with your noisy hymns of praise!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
Instead, I want to see a mighty flood of justice,
an endless river of righteous living.

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Oh Lord You’re Beautiful – Spontaneous Worship (Heartcry of David Collective) in Tarporley, UK

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A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew25:1-13 (NLT)

Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

“”All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

“But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

“But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

“But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

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Behold You have come
Over the hills
Upon the mountains
To me You have run
My beloved
You’ve captured my heart

With You I will go
You are my love
You are my fair one
Winter is past
And the springtime has come

Dance with me
O lover of my soul
To the song of all songs
Romance me
O lover of my soul
To the song of all songs

Dance With Me/Glory Come Down – (Heartcry of David Collective)
Jewish & Gentile artists worshipping Jesus from rooftop in Jerusalem

Open the heavens
Let Your glory come down
My heart burns for You, Jesus
For Your presence, for Your holy fire }

And consume me with Your fire
And all my desire burn for You, burn for You }

Dance with me
O lover of my soul
To the song of all songs
Romance me
O lover of my soul
To the song of all songs

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Prayer:

+ For the Church: Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.

+ For Mercy: Almighty God, you have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities; grant that we, who for our evil deeds deserve to be punished, by the might of your grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

+ For Trust: Most loving Father, you will us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on the One who cares for us. Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested unto us in your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

+ For watchfulness: Thou, who with thine own mouth hast told us that at midnight the bridegroom shall come: Grant that the cry, “The bridegroom cometh!” may sound evermore in our ears, that so we be never unprepared to meet him, or forgetful of the souls for whom he died, for whom we watch and pray. And save us, O Lord. Amen.

+ For Christ’s Return: Hasten, O Father, the coming of your kingdom; and grant that we your servants, who now live by faith, may with joy behold your Son at his coming in glorious majesty; even Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

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Majesty – Heartcry of David Collective

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Closing – 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 (NLT)

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words.

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

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Ps 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9; 1 Cor 3:9-11, 16-17; Jn 2:13-22 ~ a house of prayer

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

Opening prayer:

Holy God, in every place on earth You gather Your people into Your presence to proclaim the wonders of Your love. Deepen our unity with Your faithful people throughout the world and build us up into a house of prayer for all nations. 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: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 (NLT)

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In my vision, the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing east from beneath the door of the Temple and passing to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the water flowing out through the south side of the east gateway.
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Then he said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure. There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows.
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Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along both sides of the river. The leaves of these trees will never turn brown and fall, and there will always be fruit on their branches. There will be a new crop every month, for they are watered by the river flowing from the Temple. The fruit will be for food and the leaves for healing.”
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6, 8-9 (NLT)

So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
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God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed. From the very break of day, God will protect it. The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God’s voice thunders, and the earth melts!
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Come, see the glorious works of the Lord: See how he brings destruction upon the world. He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
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A Reading from the Letters: 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17 (NLT)

1Co3.9

For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.

Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.
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Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 2:13-22 (NLT)

It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”

But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”

“All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

“What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.
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Intercessions:

You, O Lord, are enthroned as the Holy One on the praises of Your people. Hear us now as we bring before You the needs of Your church:

+ For Christians around the world – that church leaders may follow in the footsteps of the Apostles…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all the churches in our communities – that Christians may be united with one another and with believers around the world…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all the people of our local churches – that our faith may show itself in acts of mercy and kindness…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people on the margins of life – that the welcome they receive in their church may remind them of God’s gracious care…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who design, build and care for church facilities – that their work may give glory to God…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all who gather for prayer in Your name – that our praises and petitions may rise as a pleasing aroma to Your throne…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those of us who don’t know how, or what to pray – that Your Spirit would intercede for us with groanings too deep for words…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all the faithful who have died, especially through persecution and war – that having passed through the waters of baptism, they may share Christ’s victory over death…. Lord, hear us.

God of heaven and earth, You reward those with clean hands and pure hearts. Create in us clean hearts and right spirits as we bring our prayers to You, through Christ our Lord.
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I love thy kingdom, Lord, the house of thine abode, the church our blest Redeemer saved with his own precious blood.

I love thy church, O God. Her walls before thee stand, dear as the apple of thine eye, and graven on thy hand.

For her my tears shall fall; for her my prayers ascend; to her my cares and toils be given, till toils and cares shall end.

Beyond my highest joy, I prize her heavenly ways: her sweet communion, solemn vows, her hymns of love and praise.

Sure as thy truth shall last, to Zion shall be given the brightest glories earth can yield, and brighter bliss of heaven.
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Benediction:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

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