Morning Prayer: 5 Mar – Jer 17:5-10; Lk 16:19-31 ~ just desserts

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

My son, remember that during your life you received good things, just as Lazarus received bad things.
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Lord God, You love innocence of heart, and when it is lost You alone can restore it. Turn then my heart to You, and kindle in me the fire of Your Spirit, so that I may be steadfast in faith and unwearied in good works. Remember, Lord, that I am Your child; forgive the harm that I have done; and guide me in the path of justice and truth. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Jeremiah 17:5-10 (NLT)

Tree planted bu rivers — Tree planted by rivers

This is what the Lord says:

“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land.

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.

“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
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Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance. (See Luke 8:15)
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 16:19-31 (NLT)

Jesus said, “There was a certain rich man who was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen and who lived each day in luxury. At his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus who was covered with sores. As Lazarus lay there longing for scraps from the rich man’s table, the dogs would come and lick his open sores.

“Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and his soul went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side.

“The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’

“But Abraham said to him, ‘Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.’

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’

“The rich man replied, ‘No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.’

“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
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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

Morning Prayer: 4 Mar – Jer 18:18-20; Mt 20:17-28 ~ are you able

Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
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Protect Your family, Lord, and strengthen us with Your consoling presence. May the message of Christ, in all its richness, live in our hearts and lead us to the joys of heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Jeremiah 18:18-20 (NLT)

Jeremiah, as depicted by Michelangelo from the Sistine Chapel

Then the people said, “Come on, let’s plot a way to stop Jeremiah. We have plenty of priests and wise men and prophets. We don’t need him to teach the word and give us advice and prophecies. Let’s spread rumors about him and ignore what he says.”

Lord, hear me and help me! Listen to what my enemies are saying. Should they repay evil for good? They have dug a pit to kill me, though I pleaded for them and tried to protect them from your anger.
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I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life. (John 8:12)
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A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 20:17-28 (NLT)

As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. Then they will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. “What is your request?” he asked.

She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”

Can You Drink This Cup? – Nouwen [click on picture for story]

But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”

“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”

Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”

When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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“Are ye able,” said the Master, “to be crucified with me?”
“Yea,” the sturdy dreamers answered, “to the death we follow thee.”

Lord, we are able. Our spirits are thine. Remold them, make us, like thee, divine. Thy guiding radiance above us shall be a beacon to God, to love, and loyalty.

Are ye able to remember, when a thief lifts up his eyes,
that his pardoned soul is worthy of a place in paradise?

Are ye able when the shadows close around you with the sod,
to believe that spirit triumphs, to commend your soul to God?

Are ye able? Still the Master whispers down eternity,
and heroic spirits answer, now as then in Galilee.
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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: 3 Mar – Is 1:10, 16-20; Mt 23:1-12 ~ purify our hearts

Tuesday of the Second Week of Lent

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

May the message of Christ, in all its richness, live in our hearts.
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Father, may I hear Your voice this Lent and pass with Christ from death to life; may I celebrate Easter with great joy and love. Teach me to live by Your Spirit, and help me to bring faith to those who doubt. May the knowledge of Christ penetrate my mind and my heart; may it find expression in all aspects of my life.

Purify your people in these days of salvation; make us the living witness of Your presence in the world. Watch over us, Lord, with unfailing compassion, and since, left to ourselves, we are prone to evil, by Your grace turn us away from all that is harmful and direct us into the way of salvation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Isaiah 1:10, 16-20 (NLT)

Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.” Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”
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Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.

“Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. If you will only obey me, you will have plenty to eat. But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
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Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezekiel 18:31)
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A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 23:1-12 (NLT)

"If we will only enter a little into ourselves, and reflect on the course of our life, experience will teach us God has behaved towards us with a mercy that is infinite... and that it is to him alone that we owe our escape from the power of sin or our perseverance in doing good. Let us bring back to our memory all the personal graces we have received from him... to place all our Trust in God!" Fr Jean-Nicolas Groll, S.J. (1803) [Click here for story] — “If we will only enter a little into ourselves, and reflect on the course of our life, experience will teach us God has behaved towards us with a mercy that is infinite… and that it is to him alone that we owe our escape from the power of sin or our perseverance in doing good. Let us bring back to our memory all the personal graces we have received from him… to place all our Trust in God!”
Fr Jean-Nicolas Groll, S.J. (1803)
[Click on picture for story]

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.

“Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayer boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear robes with extra long tassels. And they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the seats of honor in the synagogues. They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’

“Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.
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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: 2 Mar – Dn 9:4b-10; Lk 6:36-38 ~ merciful and forgiving

Monday of the Second Week of Lent

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate, says the Lord.
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Almighty Father, grant me a spirit of prayer and repentance; grant that I may love You and my neighbor. Let me work with You to restore all things in Christ. Teach me to respect all that You have made. Forgive me for the times I have failed Christ; have mercy on me in my weakness. Lord, transform my life by Your Word and Spirit. Give me grace to refrain from all sin, and to set my heart on fulfilling Your Kingdom purposes. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Daniel 9:4b-10 (NLT)

“O Lord, you are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill your covenant and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love you and obey your commands. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulations. We have refused to listen to your servants the prophets, who spoke on your authority to our kings and princes and ancestors and to all the people of the land.

“Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. O Lord, we and our kings, princes, and ancestors are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. But the Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him. We have not obeyed the Lord our God, for we have not followed the instructions he gave us through his servants the prophets.
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Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life. (John 6:63, 68)
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 6:36-38 (NLT)

You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”
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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

Second Sunday of Lent: Gn 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18; Ps 116:10, 15-19; Rom 8:31b-34; Mk 9:2-10 ~ beloved sacrifice

Second Sunday of Lent

The gospel of the transfiguration reminds us to hold firm to a vision of glory, on dark days.

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

Opening prayer:

Ever-faithful God, You were well pleased with Abraham’s obedience and You accepted the sacrifice of Your Son, who gave himself up for the sake of us all. Train us by Christ’s teaching and school us in His obedience, that, as we walk His way of sacrifice, we may come to share in Your glory. We ask this through Christ, our deliverance and hope, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever.
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A Reading from the Old testament:Genesis 22:1-2, 9-13, 15-18 (NLT)

Some time later, God tested Abraham’s faith. “Abraham!” God called.

“Yes,” he replied. “Here I am.”

“Take your son, your only son — yes, Isaac, whom you love so much — and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you.”
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Abraham and Isaac Rembrandt, 1634 Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg — Abraham and Isaac
Rembrandt, 1634
Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

When they arrived at the place where God had told him to go, Abraham built an altar and arranged the wood on it. Then he tied his son, Isaac, and laid him on the altar on top of the wood.

And Abraham picked up the knife to kill his son as a sacrifice. At that moment the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Yes,” Abraham replied. “Here I am!”

“Don’t lay a hand on the boy!” the angel said. “Do not hurt him in any way, for now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from me even your son, your only son.”

Then Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught by its horns in a thicket. So he took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
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Then the angel of the Lord called again to Abraham from heaven. “This is what the Lord says: Because you have obeyed me and have not withheld even your son, your only son, I swear by my own name that I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies. And through your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed — all because you have obeyed me.”
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 116:10, 15-19 (NLT)

I believed in you, so I said, “I am deeply troubled, Lord.”
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The Lord cares deeply when his loved ones die. O Lord, I am your servant; yes, I am your servant, born into your household; you have freed me from my chains. I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people — in the house of the Lord in the heart of Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
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A Reading from the Letters: Rom 8:31b-34 (NLT)

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.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Mark 9:2-10 (NLT)

Transfiguration Raphael, 1518-1520 Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City — Transfiguration
Raphael, 1518-1520
Pinacoteca Vaticana, Vatican City

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus.

Peter exclaimed, “Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.

Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them.

As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by “rising from the dead.”
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Intercessions:

Merciful God: we call on Your Name with thanksgiving and trust…. Lord, hear us.

+ For Christians throughout the world, as we continue on our lenten journey — we pray…. Lord, hear us.
+ For Christians facing persecution in Iraq, Syria and Libya — we pray…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the Jewish people of every country, the sons and daughters of Abraham — we pray…. Lord, hear us.
+ For peace in the world, especially in Ukraine — we pray…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who are starving in a world of plenty — we pray…. Lord, hear us.
+ For our communities and particularly for people who are lonely or fearful — we pray…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who have gone before us in faith, especially those who have been martyred for their faith — we pray…. Lord, hear us.

Loving God, we are Your servants who trust in You, even in the midst of affliction: hear our prayers and help us to walk in Your presence all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Benediction:

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

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

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