Tag: John

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

The 7th Day of Christmas: 31 Dec – John 1:1-18 ~ light in darkness

The 7th Day of Christmas

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

Opening sentences:

The Word of God became flesh and dwelt among us.

To those who accepted Him, He gave power to become the children of God.

Christ is born for us; come let us adore Him.

A Reading from the Gospels: John 1:1-18 (NLT)

light bulb in darkness

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.

The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

God sent a man, John the Baptist, to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn — not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

John testified about him when he shouted to the crowds, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘Someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’”

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
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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 who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek and 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: 24 Sept – Revelation 8:6-12 ~ judgements upon a recalcitrant world

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

Revelation 8:6-12 (ESV) – to be read aloud

Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

apocalypse tapestry Angers_01
An angel blowing a trumpet leading to shipwrecks on earth. The Apocalypse Tapestry (1377–1382) Musée de la Tapisserie, Château d’Angers, Angers

The second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. A third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

The fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of their light might be darkened, and a third of the day might be kept from shining, and likewise a third of the night.

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS

Overview: God is about to answer the prayers of the saints. The thunders, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and earthquake that follow are reminiscent of the theophany at Sinai (Ex 19:16ff) and remind us that the world still trembles before the presence of God…. The trumpets reveal the active involvement of God in bringing punishment upon a wicked world.

The church is not in view in the judgements that follow…. The trumpet-plagues are directed against a world that is adamant in its hostility toward God. As the intensity of judgements increases, so also so does the vehemence with which people refuse to repent. But the trumpet-judgements are not final… since they do not affect the entire earth. Their purpose is not so much retribution, as it is to lead people to repentance.

As plagues preceded the release of the children of Israel from their Egyptian masters, so plagues will precede the Exodus of the church from hostile political powers. They are the prelude to that great and final Exodus in which the church is taken out of the world and enters into the eternal presence of God…. We are dealing here with that montage of divine judgements upon a recalcitrant world which leads to the return of Jesus Christ as sovereign Lord. (Mounce, p.175-177)

The First Four Trumpets (8:6-12)

The first four trumpet-plagues involve natural catastrophes… analogous to the Egyptian plagues… the precise nature of which is unclear.

Land: Great devastation is caused by the sounding of the first trumpet summoning hail and fire, mixed with blood which scorches one-third of the land…. Its purpose is to warn people of the full wrath of God yet to fall, and in so doing to bring them to repentance.

Sea: The second trumpet brings destruction to one-third of the sea… killing marine life and destroying shipping and commerce… It is affected by something like a huge mountain of fire thrown into the sea…. The plague represents an eschatological judgement that goes beyond any explanation in terms of natural phenomenon. The purpose is to warn and lead to repentance.

Water: The third plague consists of a burning star that falls from the sky on the inland waters, turning them bitter and causing the death of many people…. The star is called Wormwood after the bitter taste of the plant by that name…. A portion of the inland waters were contaminated by this spectacular act of God and many people died as a result of drinking the water…. Like the other plagues… it is dircted primarily against the world of nature… and only indirectly affects people or the spirit world.

Light: The fourth plague darkens the sun, moon and stars for a third of the day and the night… indicating a total absence of light during that time….. This absolute darkness would be far more terrifying than a partial eclipse…. Darkness as a symbol of judegement runs throughout the OT…. The fourth trumpet-plague is a fulfillment of these prophecies (Mk 13;24; Is 13:10).

The darkness of the fourth plague anticipates the transition from divine warnings to demonic woes. It previews that ultimate excommunication of unrepentant people to the punishment prepared for the devil and his angels (Mt 25:41).

(Mounce, p.178-182)
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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 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
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Peanut Gallery: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.

This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and  The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).

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.) On Sundays, we’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: 23 Sept – Revelation 8:2-5 ~ the prayers of the saints

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

Revelation 8:2-5 (ESV) – to be read aloud

Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

angel with censer

And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN TRUMPETS

Preparation (8:2-5)

Jewish writings speak of the seven angels who stand before God…. To these angels are now given seven trumpets… often associated with the end-time in apocalyptic writings (e.g. Mt 24:31).

Before the angels blow their trumpets the prayers of the saints are offered. This is not an unrelated parenthesis. John means us to see that the prayers of God’s people are supremely important. Even the cataclysmic judgements which follow are held up till these prayers have been offered. Indeed in a sense it is these prayers that set the judgements in motion.

The new angel… combines much incense with the prayers of the saints… symbolizing the unity of the worship of heaven and earth…. The golden altar before the throne stresses the importance and value of the prayers of the saints…. They went up from the angel’s hand is probably a way of saying that heaven and earth are at one in this matter. Prayer is not the lonely venture that it so often feels. There is heavenly assistance and our prayers do reach God… there is something sacrificial in true prayer.

The fire came from the very altar on which the prayers of the saints have been offered. This surely means that the prayers of God’s people play a necessary part in ushering in the judgements of God.

What are the real master-powers behind the world and what are the deeper secrets of our destiny? Here is the astonishing answer: the prayer of the saints and the fire of God. That means that more potent, more powerful than all the dark and mighty powers let loose in the world, more powerful than anything else, is the prayer set ablaze by the fire of God and cast upon the earth. (Torrance)

(Morris, p.116-119)
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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 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: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.

This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and  The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).

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.) On Sundays, we’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: 22 Sept – Revelation 8:1 ~ silence

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentences

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to secure me: against snares of devils,
against temptations of vices, against inclinations of nature,
against everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

Revelation 8:1 (ESV) – to be read aloud

When the Lamb broke the seventh seal on the scroll, there was silence throughout heaven for about half an hour.

Reflection

THE SECOND VISION – THE SEVEN SEALS

Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, “The Silence in Heaven”, from Die Bibel in Bildern (“The Bible in Pictures”, 1852-1860)
Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, “The Silence in Heaven”, from Die Bibel in Bildern (“The Bible in Pictures”, 1852-1860)

The Seventh Seal (8:1)

When the seventh seal is opened, a great hush settles over the worshiping hosts of heaven… a dramatic pause… a breathless silence as all await the judgements of the scroll now unsealed…. We are reminded of the prophetic injunction, “The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him” (Habakkuk 2:20). Apparently the angelic activity of vv 2-5 takes place during this interval of silence. Trumpets are given to the seven angels before the throne. An angel standing over the altar mingles incense with the prayers of the saints, and taking fire from the golden altar fills his censor and casts it upon the earth. The intensity of the scene is heightened incredibly by the complete absence of any sound. (Mounce, p.170-171)
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The best suggestion is that the silence represents an attitude of trembling suspense on the part of the heavenly hosts in view of the judgements of God which are about to fall upon the world. It is the silence of dreadful anticipation of the events that are about to ensue, now that the time of the end has come. (Ladd, p.122-123)
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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 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: In September, we will begin reading through the Book of Revelation (ESV). Our purpose will be devotional, i.e. to discover the word of blessing that God has for us in these troubled times… to find hope and help for our daily lives.

This will not be a Bible Study per se: we will not attempt to unravel the “mysteries” of Revelation… that is far beyond our abilities and is not our interest here. However, so as not to get too far afield, we will rely on three study resources: primary – A Commentary on the Revelation of John (George Elton Ladd); supplemental Revelation (Leon Morris) and  The Book of Revelation (Robert H. Mounce).

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.) On Sundays, we’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.