Morning Prayer: 22 May – Acts 25:13-21; John 21:15-19 ~ led where you do not want to go

Friday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Lord, You are our help and our salvation.

+ Almighty Father, send Your Holy Spirit to turn my words into prayers and my seeking into finding.
+ Send Your Holy Spirit to turn my darkness into light and my falseness into truth.
+ Send Your Holy Spirit to bring order out of chaos and love out of hatred.
+ Send Your Holy Spirit to change contempt for the weak into reverence for all Your children.

Heavenly Father, grant that, as I welcome Your Spirit, my faith may grow ever stronger, my service ever more loyal. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from Acts: Acts 25:13-21 (NLT)

A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. Since they were spending many days there, Festus discussed Paul’s case with the king. He said: “There is a man here whom Felix left as a prisoner. When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned.

Apostle Paul On Trial Nikolai Bodarevsky, 1875 Transcarpathian Regional Art Museum, Uzhhorod, Ukraine — Apostle Paul On Trial
Nikolai Bodarevsky, 1875
Transcarpathian Regional Art Museum, Uzhhorod, Ukraine

“I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over anyone before they have faced their accusers and have had an opportunity to defend themselves against the charges. When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. But when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.”
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The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I told you. (John 14:26)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 21:15-19 (NLT)

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Crucifixion of St Peter Luca Giordano, 1660? Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice — Crucifixion of St Peter
Luca Giordano, 1660?
Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
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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: 21 May – Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; John 17:20-26 ~ one in Christ

Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Christ the Lord has promised us the Holy Spirit: come, let us adore him, alleluia.
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Blessed be Christ the Lord. It is through Him that I have access to the Father in the Holy Spirit.

+ Send Your Holy Spirit, the welcome guest of my heart – do not allow me to grieve Him by the harshness of my words.
+ Lord Jesus, ascended to the Father, I turn to You in the night of my anxiety and the day of my over-confidence – plead for me with the Father.
+ May Your Spirit make me one with You – let me never be separated from Your love by distress, persecution or danger.
+ As my brother, You accepted me – teach me to glorify God and to accept others.

Lord God, let Your Spirit come upon me in power and fill me with His gifts, to render my mind pleasing to You and make me submissive to Your will. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from Acts: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11 (NLT)

In Jerusalem: The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
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St Paul Icon with Christ

Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees. I stand on trial because of the hope of the resurrection of the dead.” When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees believe all these things.)

There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”

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May they all be one as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that the world may believe that you sent me, says the Lord. (John 17:21)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 17:20-26 (NLT)

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one — I in them and you in me — so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
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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: 19 May – Acts 20:17-27; John 17:1-11 ~ one message: repent and believe in Jesus

Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Christ the Lord has promised us the Holy Spirit: come, let us adore him, alleluia.
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Lord Jesus, may Your word in all its richness dwell within us – let me sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness to You. Through the Holy Spirit You have made us children of God – at all times may I pray through the Spirit to You and the Father. Guide our actions by Your wisdom – in the events of daily living may I tell of God’s glory. You are long suffering and full of compassion – help me to live at peace with everyone.

God of power and mercy, give us Your Spirit to dwell in us and make us a temple filled with His 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.

A Reading from Acts: Acts 20:17-27 (NLT)

When we landed at Miletus, [Paul] sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come and meet him.

When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike — the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

“And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus — the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

“And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.
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I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always. (John 14:16)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 17:1-11 (NLT)

After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life — to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.

“I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me.

“My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.
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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: 18 May – Acts 19:1-8; John 16:29-33 ~ believe and receive

Monday of the Seventh Week of Easter

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Christ the Lord has promised us the Holy Spirit: come, let us adore Him, alleluia.

+ We thank you, Christ our Lord, and through You we give thanks to the Father in the Holy Spirit – let everything I do this day speak Your name.
+ May Your Holy Spirit dwell within us – may He make me a living member of Your body.
+ Do not allow us to judge or despise our brothers and sisters in Christ – make me remember that one day I shall stand before Your judgement seat.
+ Fill us with all joy and peace in believing – by the power of the Holy Spirit enlarge the horizons of my hope.

Lord God, let the grace of the Holy Spirit come upon me, so that I may hold fast to Your will with fidelity and show it forth in a holy 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.

A Reading from Acts: Acts 19:1-8 (NLT)

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.

“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.

And they replied, “The baptism of John.”

Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”

As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.

Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God.
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If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of the God. (Colossians 3:1)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 16:29-33 (NLT)

Then his disciples said, “At last you are speaking plainly and not figuratively. Now we understand that you know everything, and there’s no need to question you. From this we believe that you came from God.”

Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? But the time is coming — indeed it’s here now — when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone. Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
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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: 16 May – Acts 18:23-28; John 16:23-28 ~ ask, using my name

Saturday of the Sixth Week of Easter

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

To Christ be praise and glory! He promised the apostles that the power of the Holy Spirit would come upon them.
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You are the Word of truth, the wisdom and splendor of the Father – let me be Your witness today, in word and in deed. May I recognize the things of the Spirit and set my heart on them – where my heart is, there will my treasure be. Grant that the Holy Spirit may come to help me in my weakness and teach me how to pray. Let me be filled with all knowledge and love – enable me to counsel others in truth and love. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A Reading from Acts: Acts 18:23-28 (NLT)

After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back through Galatia and Phrygia, visiting and strengthening all the believers.

“Christ and Abbot Mena”
The oldest known Coptic icon was found in Bawit in Middle Egypt in 1900 by the French archaeologist Jean Clédat (1871 – 1943) who discovered the large Coptic Monastery of St. Apollo that once stood there. It was gifted by the Egyptian government to France as part of the policy of dividing archaeological finds in 1901-1902, and is kept at the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. He had been taught the way of the Lord, and he taught others about Jesus with an enthusiastic spirit and with accuracy. However, he knew only about John’s baptism. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God even more accurately.

Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah.
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I came from the Father and have come into the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. (John 16:28)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 16:23-28 (NLT)

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.”
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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

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