+ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Opening Sentences
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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Reading: Psalm 89:5 (ESV)
Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!
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Reading: Matthew 18:20 (ESV)
“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”
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Prayer:
Heavenly Father: your people magnify and glorify your name; we give you the praise and honor you deserve. Grace us with your presence as we come together in your name.
+ May we work together in harmony, as we deliver the bread of life that you so freely offer.
+ May our humility, kindness and compassion bless others, as we become more like Jesus.
+ May your light of life shine through us, as we light the way to your heavenly kingdom.
+ May your mercy and forgiveness bring us together as a family, as we show love for one another.
+ May we never berate one another; instead, we pray blessing, joy, welfare and protection on one another.
Heavenly Father: we declare in the name of Jesus, according to the power of the Spirit at work in us, that we – your people – are of one mind, one faith, and one baptism. You are the Lord and Father of us all – through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
__________
“Praise & Harmony “We Will Glorify” Summer Celebration” – The Acappella Company
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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: John 5:16-30 (NLT)
So the Jewish leaders began harassing Jesus for breaking the Sabbath rules. But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.
So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.
The Salvator Mundi Gian Lorenzo Bernini, circa 1679 Monastery of Saint Sebastian outside the Walls, Rome
“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.
Morning Prayer
Heavenly Father, you gave your own Son, the Word made flesh, to be our bread of life. May the message of Christ, in all its richness, live in my heart during this Lenten season.
+ Quiet me before you – that I may hear your voice and pass with Christ from death to life.
+ Forgive my sins and cleanse me – that I may walk with Christ in newness of life.
+ Teach me to live by your Spirit – that I may bring hope and help to those in need.
+ Penetrate my mind and heart – that my way of living may express your love and mercy.
+ Purify your Church in every tribe and nation – that we may be the living witness of your presence in the world.
Merciful God, you crown your saints with glory and pardon sinners when they repent. Prepare me – body, mind, and spirit – to contemplate Calvary and welcome Easter with great joy 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
“Omusharaba (The Cross)” – Ambassodors Of Christ Choir 2016 (Rwanda)
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:
May the message of Christ, in all its richness, live in my heart.
_____
Father, may I hear Your voice this Lent and pass with Christ from death to life; may I celebrate His Easter feast with great joy and love. Teach me to live by Your Spirit, and help me to bring faith to those who doubt. May the knowledge of Christ penetrate my mind and my heart; and may it find expression in all aspects of my life. 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: Isaiah 49:8-15 (NLT)
This is what the Lord says:
“At just the right time, I will respond to you. On the day of salvation I will help you. I will protect you and give you to the people as my covenant with them. Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel and assign it to its own people again. I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out in freedom,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Come into the light.’ They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures and on hills that were previously bare. They will neither hunger nor thirst. The searing sun will not reach them anymore. For the Lord in his mercy will lead them; he will lead them beside cool waters. And I will make my mountains into level paths for them. The highways will be raised above the valleys. See, my people will return from far away, from lands to the north and west, and from as far south as Egypt.”
Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering.
Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.”
“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!
__________
I am the resurrection and the life, says the Lord; whoever believes in me will never die. (John 11:25-26)
__________
A Reading from the Gospels: John 5:17-30 (NLT)
But Jesus replied, “My Father is always working, and so am I.” So the Jewish leaders tried all the harder to find a way to kill him. For he not only broke the Sabbath, he called God his Father, thereby making himself equal with God.
So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing. In fact, the Father will show him how to do even greater works than healing this man. Then you will truly be astonished. For just as the Father gives life to those he raises from the dead, so the Son gives life to anyone he wants. In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge, so that everyone will honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son is certainly not honoring the Father who sent him.
“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
“And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice — the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment. I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.
__________
__________
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
The Peanut Gallery 