Morning Prayer: 10 Mar – Dn 3:25 / 34-43; Mt 18:21-35 ~ seventy times seven

Tuesday 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:

At night my soul longs for You; I watch for You at daybreak.
_____

Do not withdraw Your grace from me, Lord: by it alone I can give myself wholly to Your service and receive Your help in my every need. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
__________

A Reading from the Old Testament: Daniel 3:25 / 34-43 (NJB)

“Look!” Nebuchadnezzar shouted. “I see four men, unbound, walking around in the fire unharmed! And the fourth looks like a god!”
__________

The Burning Fiery Furnace George Jones, 1832 Tate Museum, Britain — The Burning Fiery Furnace
George Jones, 1832
Tate Museum, Britain

Azariah stood in the heart of the fire, praying aloud thus:

Do not abandon us for ever, for the sake of your name; do not repudiate your covenant, do not withdraw your favour from us, for the sake of Abraham, your friend, of Isaac, your servant, and of Israel, your holy one, to whom you promised to make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as the grains of sand on the seashore.

Lord, we have become the least of all nations, we are put to shame today throughout the world, because of our sins. We now have no leader, no prophet, no prince, no burnt offering, no sacrifice, no oblation, no incense, no place where we can make offerings to you and win your favour. But may the contrite soul, the humbled spirit, be as acceptable to you as burnt offerings of rams and bullocks, as thousands of fat lambs: such let our sacrifice be to you today, and may it please you that we follow you whole-heartedly, since those who trust in you will not be shamed.

And now we put our whole heart into following you, into fearing you and seeking your face once more. Do not abandon us to shame but treat us in accordance with your gentleness, in accordance with the greatness of your mercy. Rescue us in accordance with your wonderful deeds and win fresh glory for your name, O Lord.
__________

Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart; for I am gracious and merciful. (Joel 2:12,13)
__________

A Reading from the Gospels: Matthew 18:21-35 (NLT)

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold — along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned — to pay the debt.

Parable of the Unmerciful Servant Russian Icon — Parable of the Unmerciful Servant
Russian Icon

“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
__________

Grace and truth shall mark the way where the Lord His own will lead, if His word they still obey and His testimonies heed.

For Thy Name’s sake hear Thou me, for Thy mercy, Lord, I wait; pardon my iniquity, for my sin is very great.

He who walks in godly fear in the path of truth shall go; peace shall be his portion here, and his sons all good shall know.

They that fear and love the Lord shall Jehovah’s friendship know; He will grace to them accord, and His faithful covenant show.
__________

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: 15 August – Psalm 84:1-12; 2 Kings 23:4; Luke 17:7-10 – on doorkeeping

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentences

One thing I have asked of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; to behold the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Psalm 84:1-12

Iraqi Christians pray during a mass at the Saint-Joseph church in Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, on July 20, 2014.(Photo: AFP-Safin Hamed)

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies. I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the courts of the Lord. With my whole being, body and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, my King and my God! What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises.

What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings. They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.

O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies, hear my prayer. Listen, O God of Jacob.

O God, look with favor upon the king, our shield! Show favor to the one you have anointed.

A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

2 Kings 23:4

Then the king instructed Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second rank and the Temple gatekeepers to remove from the Lord’s Temple all the articles that were used to worship Baal, Asherah, and all the powers of the heavens. The king had all these things burned outside Jerusalem on the terraces of the Kidron Valley, and he carried the ashes away to Bethel.

Luke 17:7-10

“When a servant comes in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, ‘Come in and eat with me’? No, he says, ‘Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.’ And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, ‘We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.’”

Reflection

IONA

… to me, the least of saints, to me, allow that I may
keep a door in Paradise.
(The ‘Prayer of Columba’)

One duty of a door-keeper is to stand guard against all that is harmful; another is to welcome whoever may come as guest.

The One who was no less than God
took on the flesh of lowly man
and came to wash the feet of clay
because it was Your holy plan;
and I, no greater than my King
would ever seek a place
of humble service in Your house.

Oh, let me be a servant,
a keeper of the door!
My heart is only longing
to see forevermore
the glory of Your presence,
the dwelling of the Lord
Oh, let me be a servant,
a keeper of the door.
(Twila Paris)

… if so it be that I can see Thy glory,
even afar, and hear Thy voice, O God.
(The ‘Prayer of Columba’)

__________

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: 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.) Our Scripture readings and reflections will be taken from the Aidan Daily Readings (Celtic Daily Prayer) during the month of August. 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, 12 Mar – John 13:1-20 ~ love on display

Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentences – Cuthbert of Northumbria (635-87)

God’s will would I do, my own will bridle; God’s due would I give, my own due yield; God’s path would I travel, my own path refuse.

Morning reading

John 13:1-20 ESV:

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet Ghislane Howard (2004) — Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet
Ghislane Howard (2004)

During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Reflections:

footwashing and betrayal

It is extremely important to realize that Jesus is going to wash the feet of one who is considering betraying him. Judas has not yet given in to the temptation, but the devil has prompted him. This is the first step in a sequence that temptation follows – “the provocation,” the initial idea. It is wise to reject the thought at this point because the temptation is at its weakest and one is not yet guilty of sin.

Jesus’ own awareness is also an important part of the context of the footwashing. He knew that the Father had put all things under his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God. This knowledge does not simply give Jesus the security to wash the disciples feet — his sharing in the divine essence is what leads him to wash their feet. This is what God himself is like — he washes feet, even the feet of the one who will betray him!

footwashing and humility

Footwashing is something slaves did for their masters, wives did for their husbands, children for their parents, and disciples for their teachers. In Jesus’ case, there is an obvious reversal of roles with his disciples. The one into whose hands the Father had given all now takes his disciples’ feet into his hands to wash them (Augustine).

Peter cannot stand the thought of his teacher doing the work of a slave. It would have been appropriate for one of the disciples to have washed Jesus’ feet, but the reverse is intolerable. This response expresses Peter’s love, but his love lacks humility. Indeed, humility is the very thing illustrated in Jesus’ present action. In Peter’s response we see the pride and self-will that is at the heart of all sin and that is the very thing for which the cross will atone and bring healing.

footwshing and leadership

The community Jesus has brought into being is to manifest the love of God that he has revealed through serving one another with no vestige of pride or position. There will be recognized positions of leadership within the new community, but the exercize of leadership is to follow this model of servanthood – demonstrating in word and deed the selfless love of God.

The pattern of life exemplified in the footwashing is true blessedness, contrary to what the world, which is centered in pride and selfishness, thinks. Accordingly, Jesus says, Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. The Gospel is a life to be lived and not just an ideal to be contemplated.

footwashing and mission

Jesus gives his own mission and that of his followers “an absolute theological significance; in both the world is confronted by God himself” (Barrett). Seen in the context of the footwashing, this statement of the dignity of the Christian witnesses is not an expression of power and authority in any worldly sense. The one who represents Christ by bearing the same self-sacrificing love of God will meet with the same response Jesus met but will also be the agent of the same eternal life that comes through knowledge of the Father in the Son by the Spirit.

The IVP New Testament Commentary Series

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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

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: Psalm 37:8-9,11; Ecclesiastes 7:8; Luke 17:7-10 ~ wait patiently

Morning Prayer:

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

Opening sentence

To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Morning readings

Psalm 37:8-9,11 ESV:

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.

Ecclesiastes 7:8 ESV:

Better is the end of a thing than its beginning, and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Luke 17:7-10 ESV:

“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”

Reflection:

Make this the prayer of your heart: Lord show me the right seat, find me the fitting task, give me the willing heart.

Commit your way to the Lord. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret – it only leads to evil.

Prayer: “Kingdom Coming” – Worship Central (Album: Let It Be Known)

God of mercy and grace / Turn Your ear to our cry / Heal this nation we pray / For the sake of Your name / O God arise

Click below for audio:

There’s an ocean of tears / For the broken and lost / For injustice and pain / Break our hearts once again / O God arise O God arise

Your Kingdom’s coming salvation day / A time of breakthrough is on its way / Only our God is strong to save / Only our God is strong to save

We believe for the day / When the prodigal heart / Will run home to the One / Who has loved from the start / O God arise O God arise

Lord have mercy / Christ have mercy on us on us / Lord have mercy / Christ have mercy on us

Song

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

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: The Morning Prayer readings are from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com.

The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you. For our purpose here, I will limit my selections to the Morning Prayer resources.

Morning Reading: Luke 22.24-30 NLT – turning tables

Reading: Luke 22.24-30 NLT

Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’

"Divine Servant" Max Griener Jr, 1986-1989 — “Divine Servant”
Max Griener Jr, 1986-1989

But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves.

“You have stayed with me in my time of trial. And just as my Father has granted me a Kingdom, I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom. And you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel….”

Prayer: Lord Jesus – The disciples seem silly arguing about who is the greatest among them. And yet – not so silly at all – when I begin to compare my life and work with that of others. Fill me with godly contentment. Give me a servant’s heart, that I might be with you in Kingdom come. And by your grace, reserve a place for me at your table. To God be the glory. Amen.

Hymn: “Servant Song” – Donna Marie McGargill, OSM

What do you want of me, Lord? Where do you want me to serve you? Where can I sing your praises. I am your song. Jesus, Jesus, you are the Lord. Jesus, Jesus, you are the way.

I hear you call my name, Lord, and I am moved within me. Your Spirit stirs my deepest self. Sing your songs in me. Jesus, Jesus, you are my Lord. Jesus, Jesus, you are the way.

Above, below, and around me. Before, behind and all through me, your Spirit burns deep within me. Fire my life with your love. Jesus, Jesus, be warmth of my heart. Jesus, Jesus, you are the way.

You are the light in my darkness. You are my strength when I’m weary. You give me sight when I’m blinded. Come see for me. Jesus, Jesus, you are my light. Jesus, Jesus, you are the way.

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