Tag: Monday of the Third Week of Lent

Morning Prayer: Mon, 20 Mar – John 4:43-54 ~ a lifetime of signs and wonders

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

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

Opening Sentences

Heavenly Father, you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you: Look upon the heartfelt desires of your humble servants, and stretch forth the strong hand of your Majesty to be our defense against our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.
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Reading: John 4:43-54 (NLT)

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.

As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
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Prayer:

Sovereign Lord: you are the One in whom I live, and breathe, and have my being. You are the One in whom I find rest for my soul. Grant me your peace –

+ that I may trust you to provide for the daily, mundane, aspects of my life

+ that I may trust you with the lives of my family, my children and grandchildren

+ that I may trust in your loving-kindness for me especially when I’m at my wits end

+ that I may trust in your goodness to answer me when I cry out to you for help

+ that I may trust in your presence with me for strength and courage to face the day

Sovereign Lord: my whole life is a miracle – a continuing series of signs and wonders, testimonies to your power, mercy and grace. Empower me to show and tell those you have already prepared to hear and believe the Good News of what you have done for me. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
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“Anchor of Hope” – Ellie Holcomb


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Blessing

The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.

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

Morning Prayer: 29 February – Luke 4:24-30 ~ love rejected

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

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

Opening Sentence

Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6)

Morning Reading: Luke 4:24-30 (NLT)

But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth by Jeff Watkins
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
by Jeff Watkins

“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.

Morning Prayer

Blessed be Jesus, my Savior. Through his death he has opened up for me the way of salvation. Merciful God, by grace through faith, you gave me a new life; may I ever grow in your likeness.

+ Restore in me the joy of first-love; may I look with wonder on you today.
+ Fill me again with your Spirit; may it overflow to those who are in need.
+ Draw me nearer to you through the help I give to others; may I see you in them.
+ Help me to do what is right and good; may I seek you always with all my heart.
+ Forgive me for the times I have hurt other people. Lord, have mercy on me.

Direct all your people, Lord, in the path of true life. By your unfailing mercy purify and guard us; without you we cannot stand fast. Support and guide us always by your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

“Oh, The Deep, Deep Love Of Jesus” – Audrey Assad

Closing Sentence

Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously. (Isaiah 55:7)

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

Morning Prayer: 9 Mar – 2 Kgs 5:1-16; Lk 4:24-30 ~ prophet rejected

Monday of the Third Week of Lent

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Blessed be Jesus, our Saviour. Through His death He has opened up for us the path of salvation.
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Merciful God, You have given us new life through faith in Jesus Christ; may we ever grow in His likeness. May we bring joy this day to those who are in need; draw us nearer to You through the help we give others. Help us do what is right and good; may we seek You always with our whole heart. Forgive us for the times we have hurt other people, and failed to preserve the unity of Your family; Lord, have mercy on us. Direct Your people in the path of true life. 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: 2 Kings 5:1-16 (NLT)

The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.

At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among their captives was a young girl who had been given to Naaman’s wife as a maid. One day the girl said to her mistress, “I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.”

letter-about-naaman

So Naaman told the king what the young girl from Israel had said. “Go and visit the prophet,” the king of Aram told him. “I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. The letter to the king of Israel said: “With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.”

When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”

But when Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him: “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.”

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage.

Elisha refusing the gifts of Naaman Pieter Fransz de Grebber, 1637 Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, Netherlands
Elisha refusing the gifts of Naaman
Pieter Fransz de Grebber, 1637
Frans Hals Museum,
Haarlem, Netherlands

But his officers tried to reason with him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!

Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.” And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused.
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I hope in the LORD, I trust in his word; with him there is kindness and plenteous redemption. (See Psalm 130:5, 7)
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 4:24-30 (NLT)

jesusfromacliff

But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.

“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner — a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
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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