Good Evening Dear Family of Love!
Happy You Matter Monday! I hope all is well! Today's #AdventWord is #Simplify and the Great O Antiphon is O Clavis David or O Key of David. How do we simplify things during this season of hyperholidayism? It means keeping an awareness of why we are doing the things we are doing. It's not about the presents but the presence. It's not about the fruit cake but the breaking of bread together. It's not about the glitz and the glamour of shiny things but the shining star that we follow to meet Jesus in the manger. It's not about the hustle and bustle but the silence of the earth and hearing angels sing and tell us "Fear Not!" It's not about gimme, gimme, gimme, it's about giving from the heart, giving with love, giving with joy, giving with hope, giving in peace. It's about being CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful) It's about love above all else. It's about ending violence, hatred, bigotry, obias, and isms, it's about being God's family now and for all time. It's about all meaning all and not some! It's about we not me! It's that simple. Here us a daily 3-pronged approach to keeping it simple for 6 days:
In our efforts to keep it simple here is our plan:
Take time to rest and pray.
Take time to listen to sacred and nice Christmas music.
Walk in God's Cathedral of Life'
Take time to rest and pray,
Take time to gather with family members who are in need of prayer and support.
Take time to worship in a church setting or outdoors.
Take time to rest and pray.
Take time to reconnect with family members who you have lost contact with.
Take time to attend sing alongs and concerts.
Take time to rest and pray.
Take time for artistic pursuits.
Take time to walk in God's Cathedral of Life
Take time to rest and pray
Take time to walk, pray, and sing
Walk a sacred path such as a labyrinth or Stations of the Cross, Stations of the Creche etc.
Take time to rest and pray.
Take time for fellowship and renewal.
Take time to love one another all the time and reestablish familial bonds.
Take time to rest and pray.
Take time to listen to sacred and nice Christmas music.
Walk in God's Cathedral of Life'
Take time to rest and pray,
Take time to gather with family members who are in need of prayer and support.
Take time to worship in a church setting or outdoors.
Take time to rest and pray.
Take time to reconnect with family members who you have lost contact with.
Take time to attend sing alongs and concerts.
Take time to rest and pray.
Take time for artistic pursuits.
Take time to walk in God's Cathedral of Life
Take time to rest and pray
Take time to walk, pray, and sing
Walk a sacred path such as a labyrinth or Stations of the Cross, Stations of the Creche etc.
Take time to rest and pray.
Take time for fellowship and renewal.
Take time to love one another all the time and reestablish familial bonds.
Now let us continue on to our meditation on the Great O Antiphons and make vigil and pray.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Refrain:
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go. Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud and majesty and awe. Refrain
O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan's tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave. Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come
And open wide our heav'nly home ;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
And open wide our heav'nly home ;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice ! Rejoice ! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
To Be Continued......!
O Sapientia
O Wisdom, which camest out of the mouth of the Most High, and reachest from one end to another, mightily and sweetly ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.
O Adonai
O Adonai, Leader of the house of Israel, who appearedst in the bush to Moses in a flame of fire, and gavest him the law in Sinai: Come and redeem us with an outstretched arm.
O Radix Jesse
O Root of Jesse, which standest for an ensign of the people, at whom kings shall stop their mouths, whom the Gentiles shall seek: Come and deliver us, and tarry not.O Radix Jesse
O Clavis David -
O Key of David, Sceptre and the house of Israel; that openest and no man shutteth, and shuttest and no man openeth: Come and bring forth the prisoners out of the prison house.
Advent anthem at the Candle Lighing
Come and save us, * O Lord God of hosts.
Come and save us, O Lord God of hosts.
Show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved:
O Lord God of hosts.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Come and save us, O Lord God of hosts.
V. Show us your mercy, O Lord:
R. And grant us your salvation.
Let us light our Candles and be at prayer and make vigil and pray for the peace of the whole world.
O Gracious Light Phos hilaron
O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
The Song of Mary Magnificat
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as It was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Song of Simeon Nunc dimittis
Luke 2:29-32
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Lessons commemorating Lillian Trasher - Missionary in Egypt
Biography of -Lillian Trasher
Collect of the Day:
God, whose everlasting arms support the universe: We thank you for moving the heart of Lillian Trasher to heroic hospitality on behalf of orphaned children in great need, and we pray that we also may find our hearts awakened and our compassion stirred to care for your little ones, through the example of our Savior Jesus Christ and by the energy of your Holy Spirit, who broods over the world like a mother over her children; for they live and reign with you, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Genesis 21:8–21
The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, “Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.” The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named for you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, “Do not let me look on the death of the child.” And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.” Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.
God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Psalm 10:12–19
Ut quid, Domine?
12 Rise up, O Lord;
lift up your hand, O God; *
do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why should the wicked revile God? *
why should they say in their heart, "You do not care"?
14 Surely, you behold trouble and misery; *
you see it and take it into your own hand.
15 The helpless commit themselves to you, *
for you are the helper of orphans.
16 Break the power of the wicked and evil; *
search out their wickedness until you find none.
17 The Lord is King for ever and ever; *
the ungodly shall perish from his land.
18 The Lord will hear the desire of the humble; *
you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
19 To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, *
so that mere mortals may strike terror no more
2 Corinthians 1:3–7
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.
Luke 17:1–6
Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.
Dear ones let us be at prayer:
God of Peace we pray that this night we may seek peace within ourselves, our families, and in your fragile and broken world.
God of Peace we pray that we may be your peacemakers and lay down every weapon of war be they words or armament. We pray for an end to senseless acts of violence committed by the use of fire arms. May your peace prevail upon Earth.
God of Peace, may we be guided by your light of love and peace into our lives and may our hearts be mangers of peace where we will meet Jesus again so that we may be the messengers of the Gospel message in deeds and also in words.
God of Peace, we pray for peace in the hearts of those who are ill in body, mind, and spirit. Give those of us who are ill to peacefully accept our limits and let go and let you and others pick up the tasks that we were planning to do.
God of Peace, we pray for peace in the lives of all caregivers this time of year that they may have peace in their hearts and the courage to say "No" and that they may find time for respite and self-care.
God of Peace we pray for peace in the lives of those who are newly and continuing to grieve the loss of loved ones.
God of Peace, we pray that we may be good stewards of your Cathedral of Life and that the Peaceable Kingdom of God may Reign.
God of Peace, we pray for all who are traveling that a sense of peace and calm may prevail whatever mode of transportation they are using.
God of Peace we pray for all who are dying or who have died that they may rest in peace and rise in Glory in the joy of the Thin Places.
God of Peace we pray for peace in this your Family of Love as we pray for ourselves and on behalf of our family members remembering especially____________.
God of Peace we pray for peace and renewal in all our cites and all cities throughout the world remembering especially Aleppo . May peace and an end to all forms of violence prevail in fragile places all over the world and in our own country remembering Ferguson, San Bernardino, and our own cities in which we live.
God of Peace we pray for peace among the nations of the world and warring factions that peace will prevail ant that we may learn to listen lovingly with peace-filled ears.
God of Peace we pray for all those who cannot live peaceful lives because they are homeless, hungry, and ill-clothed. We pray for the least of these who may be indeed ourselves.
God of Peace we pray these our prayers, thanksgivings, remembrances, and celebrations in the most holy Name of your Son Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Additional prayers from the BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER
For Peace
Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn
but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the
strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that
all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of
Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and
glory, now and for ever. Amen.
For the Future of the Human Race
O God our heavenly Father, you have blessed us and given us
dominion over all the earth: Increase our reverence before
the mystery of life; and give us new insight into your purposes
for the human race, and new wisdom and determination in
making provision for its future in accordance with your will;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Those Who Live Alone
Almighty God, whose Son had nowhere to lay his head:
Grant that those who live alone may not be lonely in their
solitude, but that, following in his steps, they may find
fulfillment in loving you and their neighbors; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
For a Person in Trouble or Bereavement
O merciful Father, who hast taught us in thy holy Word that
thou dost not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men:
Look with pity upon the sorrows of thy servant for whom
our prayers are offered. Remember him, O Lord, in mercy,
nourish his soul with patience, comfort him with a sense of
thy goodness, lift up thy countenance upon him, and give
him peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Guidance
O God, by whom the meek are guided in judgment, and
light riseth up in darkness for the godly: Grant us, in all
our doubts and uncertainties, the grace to ask what thou
wouldest have us to do, that the Spirit of wisdom may save
us from all false choices, and that in thy light we may see
light, and in thy straight path may not stumble; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is
hatred, let us sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where
there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where
there is sadness, joy. Grant that we may not so much seek to
be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive; it is
in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we
are born to eternal life. Amen.
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Good Night Dear Family of Love, I love you! I wish for you a peaceful night in bodies, minds, and spirits. Tomorrow is Take Care Tuesday. I give thanks to God for you this night and always.
Peace, love joy, hope, prayers, and God's Blessings be always yours,
Sara
Peace, love joy, hope, prayers, and God's Blessings be always yours,
Sara
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