Tag: Daily Office Universalis

Morning Prayer: 14 May – John 15:9-17 ~ “Love each other.”

Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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

Opening Sentence

I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

Morning Reading: John 15:9-17 (NLT)

rsz_jesus_on_the_cross_john_3-16_1

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.

“Love each other, one another” – Graham Kendrick

Prayer

Lord Jesus, may I be one with you in all that I say and do. Draw me close that I may glorify you and bear fruit for your kingdom. Inflame my heart with your love and remove from it anything that would make me ineffective or unfruitful in loving and serving you as my All. (Dan Schwager at dailyscripture.net)

Closing Sentence

May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. (1 Thessalonians 3:12-13)

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

Morning Prayer: 07 May – John 16:23-28 ~ ask in my name

Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter

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

Opening Sentence

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.” (John 14:16)

Morning Reading: John 16:23-28 (NLT)

abundant joy

At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

“I have spoken of these matters in figures of speech, but soon I will stop speaking figuratively and will tell you plainly all about the Father. Then you will ask in my name. I’m not saying I will ask the Father on your behalf, for the Father himself loves you dearly because you love me and believe that I came from God. Yes, I came from the Father into the world, and now I will leave the world and return to the Father.”

“I Asked The Lord” – Indelible Grace

Prayer

To Christ be praise and glory! He promised the apostles that the power of the Holy Spirit would come upon them. Lord, send forth your light and your truth.

+ You are the Word of truth, the wisdom and splendour of the Father; let us be your witnesses today, in word and in deed.
+ May we recognize the things of the Spirit and set our hearts on them; where our hearts are, there will our treasure be.
+ Grant that the Holy Spirit may come to help us in our weakness and teach us how we ought to pray.
+ Fill us with all knowledge and love; enable us to counsel one another in truth and charity.

God and Father, your Son, at his ascension, promised the Holy Spirit to his apostles. They received abundant graces of wisdom from heaven: grant us, also, we pray, the gifts of your Spirit. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Closing Sentence

The truth is that we neither live nor die as self-contained units. At every turn life links us to God, and when we die we come face to face with him. In life or death we are in the hands of God. Christ lived and died that he might be the Lord in both life and death. – Romans 14:7-9 (PHILLIPS)

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

Morning Prayer: 30 April – John 15:18-21 ~ hated because of me

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Easter

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

Opening Sentence

Christ died and came to life again to establish his dominion over the living and the dead. Alleluia.

Morning Reading: John 15:18-21 (NLT)

The World’s Hatred

cross and gavel

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me.”

Prayer

Almighty, ever-living God, You implanted in us the seed of eternity by your gift of grace through faith in your Son, Jesus Christ. Son of God, risen from the dead, you are the Lord of life; bless us and make us holy.

+ You are the peace and joy of all who believe in you; help us to live as children of light, rejoicing in your victory.
+ You underwent great sufferings to enter the Father’s glory; wipe away our tears and turn our sorrow into joy.

Gracious, ever-present God, lead us through the valleys of persecution and rejection to the fullness of glory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Jesus, I My Cross Have Taken” – Indelible Grace

Closing Sentence

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1)

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

Morning Prayer: 23 April – John 14:7-14 ~ Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!

Saturday of the Fourth Week of Easter

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

Opening Sentence

“You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Morning Reading: John 14:7-14 (NLT)

“If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”

Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”

The Last Supper of Jesus Andre Derain, 1911
The Last Supper of Jesus
Andre Derain, 1911

Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.

“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ: you have revealed to us the knowledge of everlasting life. May your resurrection enrich us today with your grace.

+ Strengthen us for the coming day with the bread of your word.
+ Give us open hearts that are responsive to your voice.
+ Make us attentive and eager to receive your word.
+ Continue the good work that you have begun in us.
+ Help us to manifest your resurrection by our way of living.
+ Fill us with the joy of your Spirit that can never be taken away.

All-powerful, ever-living God, keep the mystery of Easter alive in us always. You gave us a new birth by water and the Spirit: give us grace to bear much fruit, and bring us to the joys of eternal life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Open Heaven (River Wild) – Hillsong Worship

Closing Sentence

All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God.

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

Morning Prayer: 16 April – John 6:60-69 ~ you alone…

Saturday of the Third Week of Easter

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

Opening Sentence

The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Alleluia.

Morning Reading: John 6:60-69 (NLT)

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?”

Christ and the Apostles by Georges Rouault, 1937-38 Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Christ and the Apostles
by Georges Rouault, 1937-38
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.”

66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?”

68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

Prayer

Lord Jesus: you alone have spoken the words that are spirit and life. We believe that you are the Holy One of God – give us your peace and joy.

+ You are the risen Lord of life; lead us in the path of righteousness and make us more like you.
+ You are the peace and joy of all who believe in you; help us to live as children of light, rejoicing in your victory.
+ You underwent great sufferings to enter the Father’s glory; wipe away all our tears and turn our sorrows into joy.

God our Father, by your grace through faith you have given new life to those who believe in you. May your pilgrim Church grow in faith; strengthen us to bear witness before the world to your resurrection. Protect us and help us resist all false beliefs, and so keep intact the grace of your blessing. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

In Christ Alone – Adrienne Liesching and Geoff Moore

Closing Sentence

Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we believe; we know that you are the Christ, the Son of God.’ Alleluia.

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