+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentences
Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness, and was tempted as we are, yet without sin: give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit; and, as you know our weakness, so may we know your power to save; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Reading: Psalm 42:4, 5-6, 8 (NLT)
My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be….
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Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!
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“Each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.”
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Reading: Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT)
Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
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Prayer:
Lord Jesus: envelope me with your unfailing love, and grant me your peace.
+ Thank you for the life you have given me to live now.
+ Give me a spirit of gratitude and contentment for what I have.
+ Help me to dwell on things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
+ Fill me with joyful expectation for the future you have planned out for me.
Lord Jesus: no matter what I face, gain or loss, blessed be your Name. Amen.
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“It is well” – Bethel
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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!
+ 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: Mark 1:15 (NLT)
“The time promised by God has come at last!” Jesus announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
Morning Reading: Mark 6:7-13 (NLT)
And Jesus called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money. He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes.
“Wherever you go,” he said, “stay in the same house until you leave town. But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.”
So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.
Morning Prayer
Blessed be Jesus Christ my Savior. In him I become a new creation, the old order passes and all things are renewed. Renew me in your Spirit, that I may enter your Kingdom and rejoice in you for ever.
+ Fill me to overflowing that I may work to fill the world with your Spirit.
+ Conform my will to yours that I may work for justice, charity and peace.
+ Grant that I may put aside my apathy.
+ Help me to recognize with joy the power you have given me.
+ Set me free from all evil.
+ Show me the things that really matter in the confusion around me.
Renew me, Lord, in your Spirit. Look with favor on my Lenten journey and while I deny my self-interest to follow you, renew my spirit with the grace that prompts me to good works. Through my Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
“The Kingdom of God” – Taizé
The kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom.
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!
+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Opening sentence and prayer:
Blessed be Christ our Saviour. In him we become a new creation, the old order passes and all things are renewed.
You promised us, Lord, a new heaven and a new earth; renew us in Your Spirit, that we may come to the new Jerusalem and rejoice in You for ever. Grant that we may put aside our apathy; help us to recognize with joy the power You have given us. Set us free from all evil; show us in the confusion of our lives the things that really matter. Through our 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: Jonah 3:1-10 (NLT)
Jonah Preaches in Nineveh Jakob Steinhardt, 1923 hand-colored woodcut/Image courtesy of the Israel Museum
Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, three days’ journey in breadth. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.
The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.”
When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it.
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Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful. (Joel 2:12)
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A Reading from the Gospels: Luke 11:29-32 (NLT)
The Prophet Jonah Michelangelo (c. 1542–1545) Sistine Chapel, Vatican Palace, Vatican City
When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, “This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
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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
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