Palm Sunday: Is 50:4-7; Ps 22:8-9, 17-20, 23-24; Phil 2:6-11; Mk 11:1-10 ~ he made himself nothing

Palm Sunday

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

Opening prayer:

The large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” (John 12:12-13)
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All glory, laud, and honor to you, Redeemer, King, to whom the lips of children made sweet hosannas ring. You are the King of Israel and David’s royal Son, now in the Lord’s name coming, the King and Blessed One.

The company of angels is praising you on high; and we with all creation in chorus make reply. The people of the Hebrews with palms before you went; our praise and prayer and anthems before you we present.

To you before your passion they sang their hymns of praise; to you, now high exalted, our melody we raise. As you received their praises, accept the prayers we bring, for you delight in goodness, O good and gracious King!

When my love to Christ grows weak, When for deeper faith I seek, Then in thought I go to thee, Garden of Gethsemane.

When my love for man grows weak, When for stronger faith I seek, Hill of Calvary, I go – To the scenes of fear and woe.

There behold His agony, Suffered on the bitter tree; See His anguish, see His faith, Love triumphant still in death.

Then to life I turn again, Learning all the worth of pain, Learning all the might that lies In a full self-sacrifice.
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Isaiah 50:4-7 (NLT)

The Sovereign Lord has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will. The Sovereign Lord has spoken to me, and I have listened. I have not rebelled or turned away. I offered my back to those who beat me and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard. I did not hide my face from mockery and spitting.

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 22

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A Reading from the Letters: Philippians 2:6-11 (NLT)

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
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A Reading from the Gospels: Mark 11:1-10 (NLT)

As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’”

The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.

Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David! Praise God in highest heaven!”
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Intercessions:

Brothers and sisters, let us pray to God who saves us.

+ For all who take up the cross as followers of Christ…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the courage never to be afraid to speak up for the least, the last, and the lost…. Lord, hear us.
+ For people who feel tired and weary from the struggles of life…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the sick and all who care for them…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the dead in Christ, especially those who have suffered martyrdom…. Lord, hear us.

God of our salvation, your love for the world has no end: hear the prayers your faithful people make, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Benediction:

(May) Christ dwell in your hearts through faith — that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17-19)

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

Morning Prayer: 28 Mar – Ez 37:21-28; Jn 11:45-56 ~ will he, or won’t he

Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Christ the Lord has made us into a new creation. He gives us a new birth – sealing it in the waters of baptism, and nourishing us with His Word and Spirit.
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Jesus, You are gentle and humble in spirit – grant me something of Your compassion, something of Your kindness and something of Your patience towards all mankind. Teach me to be a neighbor to the sad and the needy – may I imitate You, the good Samaritan. Grant me the gift of Your mercy; pardon my sins and renew me by Your grace.

Lord God, look kindly on Your people: keep the seal of baptism inviolate in those who have received it and in those who still await their rebirth in the Spirit. 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: Ezekiel 37:21-28 (NLT)

And give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: I will gather the people of Israel from among the nations. I will bring them home to their own land from the places where they have been scattered. I will unify them into one nation on the mountains of Israel. One king will rule them all; no longer will they be divided into two nations or into two kingdoms. They will never again pollute themselves with their idols and vile images and rebellion, for I will save them from their sinful apostasy. I will cleanse them. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God.

western-wall-on-the-eve-of-the-jewish-new-year

“My servant David will be their king, and they will have only one shepherd. They will obey my regulations and be careful to keep my decrees. They will live in the land I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren after them will live there forever, generation after generation. And my servant David will be their prince forever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, an everlasting covenant. I will give them their land and increase their numbers, and I will put my Temple among them forever. I will make my home among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And when my Temple is among them forever, the nations will know that I am the Lord, who makes Israel holy.”
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Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the LORD, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. (Ezekiel 18:31)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 11:45-56 (NLT)

Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen. But some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs. If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”

Jewish Israelis Celebrate The Festival Of Passover

Caiaphas, who was high priest at that time, said, “You don’t know what you’re talking about! You don’t realize that it’s better for you that one man should die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”

He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.

So from that time on, the Jewish leaders began to plot Jesus’ death. As a result, Jesus stopped his public ministry among the people and left Jerusalem. He went to a place near the wilderness, to the village of Ephraim, and stayed there with his disciples.

It was now almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, and many people from all over the country arrived in Jerusalem several days early so they could go through the purification ceremony before Passover began. They kept looking for Jesus, but as they stood around in the Temple, they said to each other, “What do you think? He won’t come for Passover, will he?”
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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: 27 Mar – Jer 20:10-13; Jn 10:31-42 ~ believe the evidence

Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Master and Savior, You have taught us by Your life and renewed us by Your passion; do not allow us to grow used to sin.
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Father in heaven, break the bonds of sin which our weaknesses have forged to enchain us, and in Your loving mercy forgive Your people’s guilt. 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: Jeremiah 20:10-13 (NLT)

Jeremiah Michelangelo, 1508-12 the Sistine Chapel ceiling — Jeremiah
Michelangelo, 1508-12
the Sistine Chapel ceiling

I have heard the many rumors about me. They call me “The Man Who Lives in Terror.” They threaten, “If you say anything, we will report it.” Even my old friends are watching me, waiting for a fatal slip. “He will trap himself,” they say, “and then we will get our revenge on him.”

But the Lord stands beside me like a great warrior. Before him my persecutors will stumble. They cannot defeat me. They will fail and be thoroughly humiliated. Their dishonor will never be forgotten. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you test those who are righteous, and you examine the deepest thoughts and secrets. Let me see your vengeance against them, for I have committed my cause to you.

Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For though I was poor and needy, he rescued me from my oppressors.
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Your words, Lord, are Spirit and life; you have the words of everlasting life. (John 6:63, 68)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 10:31-42 (NLT)

Once again the people picked up stones to kill him. Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”

"He Anointed the Eyes of the Blind Man" Walter Rane — “He Anointed the Eyes of the Blind Man”
Walter Rane

They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”

Jesus replied, “It is written in your own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are gods!’ And you know that the Scriptures cannot be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called ‘gods,’ why do you call it blasphemy when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the world. Don’t believe me unless I carry out my Father’s work. But if I do his work, believe in the evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.”

Once again they tried to arrest him, but he got away and left them. He went beyond the Jordan River near the place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile. And many followed him. “John didn’t perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he said about this man has come true.” And many who were there believed in Jesus.
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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: 26 Mar – Gn 17:3-9; Jn 8:51-59 ~ before Abraham… I am

Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent

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

Opening sentence and prayer:

Give praise to Christ our Lord, the radiant light of the world – who guides our steps and lights our way so that we may no longer live in darkness.
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Stand by Your people, Lord, who place all their trust in Your mercy. Wash away the stain of our sins, make us live in Your presence our whole life long, and bring us to the inheritance You have promised. 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: Genesis 17:3-9 (NLT)

Abraham, Sara and an Angel Jan Provoost, ca. 1520 Musée du Louvre, Paris, France — Abraham, Sara and an Angel
Jan Provoost, ca. 1520
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France

At this, Abram fell face down on the ground. Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: I will make you the father of a multitude of nations! What’s more, I am changing your name. It will no longer be Abram. Instead, you will be called Abraham, for you will be the father of many nations. I will make you extremely fruitful. Your descendants will become many nations, and kings will be among them!

“I will confirm my covenant with you and your descendants after you, from generation to generation. This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you. And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility….
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If today you hear his voice; harden not your hearts. (Psalm 95:8)
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 8:51-59 (NLT)

I tell you the truth, anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!”

The people said, “Now we know you are possessed by a demon. Even Abraham and the prophets died, but you say, ‘Anyone who obeys my teaching will never die!’ Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”

Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.”

The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I am!” At that point they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.
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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

Fifth Sunday of Lent: Jer 31:31-34; Ps 51:3-4, 12-15; Heb 5:7-9; Jn 12:20-33 ~ his death, his glory

Fifth Sunday of Lent

As Easter approaches, remember all those who are preparing for Baptism; and may we be prepared to renew our Baptismal promises as well.

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

Opening prayer:

In our hearts, O God, You have written a covenant of grace, sealed by the obedience of Jesus Your Son. Raise us up with Christ, the grain fallen to earth that yields a harvest of everlasting life. Help us to glorify Your name by following faithfully where He has led. We ask this through Christ, our deliverance and hope, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, holy and mighty God for ever and ever.
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A Reading from the Old Testament: Jeremiah 31:31-343 (NLT)

“The day is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah. This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt. They broke that covenant, though I loved them as a husband loves his wife,” says the Lord.

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, ‘You should know the Lord.’ For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already,” says the Lord. “And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
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A Reading from the Psalms: Psalm 51:3-4, 12-15 (NLT)

For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.
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Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you. Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you. Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness. Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
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A Reading from the Letters: Hebrews 5:7-9 (NLT)

While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.
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A Reading from the Gospels: John 12:20-33 (NLT)

Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.

Crucifix Cimabue c 1268-71. Basilica di Santa Croce, Florence. — Crucifix
Cimabue c 1268-71.
Basilica di Santa Croce, Florence.

Jesus replied, “Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels — a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.

“Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name.”

Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” He said this to indicate how he was going to die.
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In this cross of Christ I glory, towering o’er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o’ertake me, hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
never shall the cross forsake me. Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming light and love upon my way,
from the cross the radiance streaming adds more luster to the day.
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Intercessions:

Gracious God: You are the source of mercy and compassion. Hear our prayers.

+ For all who are preparing to celebrate baptism at Easter time…. Lord, hear us.
+ For obedience to the will of God among the followers of Christ…. Lord, hear us.
+ For Christians suffering persecution for their faith today…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the continuing faithfulness to God’s word of our Jewish brothers and sisters…. Lord, hear us.
+ For those who hunger and thirst, in many nations, today…. Lord, hear us.
+ For the people in need in our communities, particularly our sick…. Lord, hear us.
+ For all who have gone before us in faith, and for those who mourn their loss…. Lord, hear us.

God of mercy and compassion, You give new heart to Your people: hear the prayers we offer in faith, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Benediction:

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

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

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