Tag: Disciples

Morning Prayer, 16 Jan – John 2:23-25 ~ rule this heart

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentence – Oswald of Northumbria (605-42)

This day is Your gift to me; I take it, Lord, from Your hand and thank You for the wonder of it.

God be with me in this Your day, every day and every way, with me and for me in this Your day; and the love and affection of heaven be toward me.

Morning readings

John 2:23-25 ESV:

Heartbeat(14)

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Reflections / Prayer:

 Jesus performed a number of miraculous signs at this time. In response many people believed in his name, but Jesus did not entrust himself to them.

The events in Cana made it clear that Jesus only takes his cues from his Father. In this sense Jesus does not entrust himself to anyone. He is present to all with God’s love, but he is also detached from all in his attachment to God. Jesus’ inner disposition is not shared by these believers. What he sees in them stands in contrast to what he found in Nathanael, for in him he saw nothing false. Nathanael heard something that seemed questionable, but he came and began to see more deeply. These people see something attractive and remain on that level, thereby missing the whole point. That which is in them is not trustworthy because it is not open to God.

(The IVP New Testament Commentary Series)

You pour life into me, giving me speech, sense, desire, giving me thought and action. My fame or repute will be just as You allow: You mark the way before me.

On Your path, O my God, and not my own, be all my journeying. Rule this heart of mine that it be only Yours.

Great God of wisdom, Great God of mercy, give me of Your fullness and of Your guidance at the turning of each pass.

Great God of shielding, Great God of surrounding, give me Your holiness and of Your peace in the fastening of my death; give me Your surrounding, and Your peace upon my death.

Peace between me and my God. May I tread the path to the gates of glory. Rule this heart of mine that it be only Yours. God’s path would I travel, my own path refuse. May I tread the path to the gates of glory.

Chad of Lichfield (?-672)

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 peace of 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 of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

_____________________________________

Peanut Gallery: A brief word of explanation – the general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) The Scripture readings are primarily from the Gospel of John, with the intent to complete the reading by Easter. Other Scriptures which illuminate the Gospel of John will be included along the way.

Reflections from various saints will be included as their memorial days occur during the calendar year.

On Sundays, I’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world.

Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

Morning Prayer, 15 Jan – John 2:13-22; Psalm 139:23-24 ~ cleanse me

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentence – Oswald of Northumbria (605-42)

This day is Your gift to me; I take it, Lord, from Your hand and thank You for the wonder of it.

God be with me in this Your day, every day and every way, with me and for me in this Your day; and the love and affection of heaven be toward me.

Morning readings

John 2:13-22 ESV:

Jesus cleanses the temple The Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey
Jesus cleanses the temple
The Benedictine Sisters of Turvey Abbey

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father’s house a house of trade.” His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his body. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Reflections / Prayer:

Confrontation:

Jesus’ authority is based on his identity. Here is the first use outside the prologue of the term Father, the single most important designation for God in John’s writings. Equally significant is the implication that Jesus is God’s Son: he refers to my Father’s house. Jesus’ provocative act is based on his relation to God as his Son.

Foreshadowing:

By associating his own body with the temple, which is his Father’s house, Jesus again points to his own special relationship with God… looking ahead to His death, resurrection and ascension.

Jesus’ identity as the Father’s Son and the centrality of his death are revealed in this story, and we begin to see how upsetting these truths are…. What are we to make of a Jesus who responds to honest, open questions with cryptic words and deeds? Jesus is indeed compassionate, but there is always a wildness, an otherness, about him.

John is writing not so we might understand all mysteries but so we might have life in his name.

(The IVP New Testament Commentary Series)

Psalm 139:23-24 (ESV)

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!

O King of Kings, O King of the universe, King who will be, who is, may You forgive us each and every one. Accept my prayer, O King of grace.

Lower my vengence, my anger and my hatred, and banish my wicked thoughts from me; send down a drop from heaven of Your holy Spirit to vanquish this heart of rock of mine.

Anyone who claims to be in the light, but hates his brother or sister, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother or sister lives in the light; and there is nothing to make that person stumble.

Lord, let my memory provide no shelter for grievance against another.
Lord, let my heart provide no harbour for hatred of another.
Lord, let my tongue be no accomplice in the judgement of a brother.

Jesus, only Son of the Father and High King, Your name is above every name, in the name of Jesus let no evil be welcome in my heart. Amen.

Cuthbert of Northumbria (635-87)

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 peace of 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 of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

_____________________________________

Peanut Gallery: A brief word of explanation – the general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) The Scripture readings are primarily from the Gospel of John, with the intent to complete the reading by Easter. Other Scriptures which illuminate the Gospel of John will be included along the way.

Reflections from various saints will be included as their memorial days occur during the calendar year.

On Sundays, I’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world.

Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

Morning Prayer, 14 Jan – John 2:1-12 ~ first sign of glory

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentence – Oswald of Northumbria (605-42)

This day is Your gift to me; I take it, Lord, from Your hand and thank You for the wonder of it.

God be with me in this Your day, every day and every way, with me and for me in this Your day; and the love and affection of heaven be toward me.

Morning readings

John 2:1-12 ESV:

Wedding at Cana Carl Bloch (1870s)
Wedding at Cana
Carl Bloch (1870s)

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Reflections / Prayer:

True Discipleship:

A key element in Jesus’ mother’s character, as in that of the first disciples, is her leaving of the initiative with Jesus. In this openness to Jesus’ will, we see her humility.

The picture of the mother of Jesus is very similar to that which shines through in the Synoptic accounts – Mary’s response to the annunciation, “May it be to me as you have said” and the spirituality of the Magnificat express this same docility before God. She is entirely Godward. She is poor in spirit and thus has entered the door of the kingdom of God described in the beatitudes.

The Glory of Jesus:

Jesus’ glory is revealed through both the supernatural power of the miracle and the imagery associated with it…. Here indeed is the one they have been waiting for. He himself is the good wine that has been kept back until now.

His glory is also evident in the graciousness of this event. In response to a humble request Jesus provides wine in abundance… a free, full, extravagant outpouring, and it is precisely the Son of God’s gratuitous, gracious generosity that is the glory revealed in this sign.

Jesus keeps a very low profile throughout the story with the result that only the servants realize what has happened. How often something similar happens in our lives! God’s grace constantly surrounds us; his love is constantly active in our lives. Yet often we fail to discern his love, seeing only the hands of those who give us the wine and not realizing where it comes from and the grace it represents.

(The IVP New Testament Commentary Series)

Wonder-working God: Sometimes I get so caught up in myself that I can’t get beyond my wants and needs… my thoughts and opinions. I’m so caught up in me that I can’t see You. Forgive me.

Give me the poverty of spirit of Mother Mary so that I can get beyond myself. Give me an awareness of the needs of those around me and the opportunities they afford for You to display Your glory. Make me an obedient servant – willing to do what Jesus says, no matter how strange it may seem to me.

And when You do reveal Your glory, may I point people to its source – Your Son, Jesus. Amen.
__________

I caught a glimpse of Your splendor / In the corner of my eye / The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen / And it was like a flash of lightning / Reflected off the sky / And I know I’ll never be the same

Show me Your glory / Send down Your presence / I want to see Your face / Show me Your glory / Majesty shines about You / I can’t go on without You, Lord

When I climb down the mountain / And get back to my life / I won’t settle for ordinary things / I’m gonna follow You forever / And for all of my days / I won’t rest ’til I see You again

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 peace of 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 of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

_____________________________________

Peanut Gallery: A brief word of explanation – the general format for Morning Prayer is adapted from the Northumbrian Community‘s Daily Office, as found in Celtic Daily Prayer (see online resources here.) The Scripture readings are primarily from the Gospel of John, with the intent to complete the reading by Easter. Other Scriptures which illuminate the Gospel of John will be included along the way.

Reflections from various saints will be included as their memorial days occur during the calendar year.

On Sundays, I’ll return to the USCCB readings (see online resources here) and various liturgical resources in order to reflect the Church’s worship and concerns throughout the world.

Photo illustrations and music videos, available online, are included as they illustrate or illuminate the readings. I will try to give credit and link to sources as best I can.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Luke 11:1-13 NLT – shameless persistence

Reading: Luke 11:1-13 NLT

teach us to prayOnce Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:

“Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.”

Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story:

“Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.

“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You fathers—if your children ask[e] for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father – May your Kingdom come and your will be done in me. May I rely on you for my daily needs.. and give me a merciful, forgiving heart. May I be as ready to give mercy… as I am to receive it. Come Holy Spirit… fill my heart and mind… and guard my lips. And may I be persistent and persevering in prayer for those you have placed on my heart. Lord Jesus – align my life with your Kingdom purposes… that my prayers and petitions might honor and please you. Amen.

Spiritual Song: “Holy Is Your Name” – Bebo Norman

Morning Reading: Luke 10:21-24 NLT – childlike amazement

Reading: Luke 10:21-24 NLT

Childlike_AmazementAt that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.

“My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

Then when they were alone, he turned to the disciples and said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you have seen. I tell you, many prophets and kings longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – Your disciples were amazed at what they saw and heard… what you revealed to them. Renew that same amazement in me… the amazement that I felt when you first revealed yourself to me. Thank you for opening my eyes and ears to the wonders of your Kingdom. May I always approach you with childlike faith. And may I never lose the joy of your salvation. Amen.

Hymn: “I Stand Amazed” – Charles Hutchinson Gabriel (1905)