Monday in Holy Week: Let's have the courage be the Marys of Bethany in the World.

Good Evening Dear Family,

Another day of heart hurting with the news that came from from San Bernardino. School shootings of any kind are still heart hurters and get us more empowered to seek and end to gun violence and violence of all forms. Where does that leave us in Holy Monday in Holy Week?  In places of despair that will lead to hope on Easter day. Our feet began a journey yesterday as we walked, praised, and joined the throng with Jesus as we entered Jerusalem once again. Every year the tone is a little bit different this year we are jangled, anxious, despairing, and for what it's worth dealing with righteous anger. What we are feeling is grief over the loss of many things we are feeling not only as a nation but our own struggles in life.Today we have many different lessons and saints to choose from, 3 sets in fact: Monday in Holy Week, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, and  William Law. Today I have chosen the lessons for the Monday in Holy Week. because we see Mary of Bethany beginning the grieving process  when she anoints Jesus' feet with expensive nard and drying them with her tears and hair. I feel we are grieving in some way and there is no right or wrong way to do it. so let's have the courage to be the Mary's of Bethany in the world. Courage, grief, service, and ministry take all forms. Remember Mary sat at Jesus feet once before, listening to him while Martha prepared the meal. Remember Martha got upset and Jesus reassured her that it was okay? Mary chose the better portion. What portion have you chosen today? 

Let us begin tonight's devotions with the Collects of the Day:

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Eternal God, the whole cosmos sings of your glory, from the dividing of a single cell to the vast expanse of interstellar space: We bless you for your theologian and scientist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who perceived the divine in the evolving creation. Enable us to become faithful stewards of your divine works and heirs of your eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ, the firstborn of all creation, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

O God, by whose grace your servant William Law, kindled with the fire of your love, became a burning and shining light in your Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before you as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.





Let us engage in the Peace Be Stills as our centering and mindfulness exercise:

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Pause.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Pause

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Inhale
Hold
Exhale
Pause

Psalm 141:1-3,8ab Domine, clamavi

O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
My eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge.

Let us remember that our courage comes from God not only loudly but quietly. We need to seek God in the stillness and the "Be Stills'

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

God,light our hearts with love and justice this night as we pray for an end to hatred and division. God light our pathways to a world where we seek to know and make peace a reality not only in our hearts but in our bodies, minds, spirits, and world. We pray for that we may speak truth to power and let our leaders know that we expect them to be truthful in speech and in action. We pray that we may truly know the history of our land, our world, and yes even how we as people of faith got from point A to point B. We pray that as we light our candles and pray this night we may listen to what you are calling us to do and to be and that we may step out in faith with courage. We pray for all those who are in need of our prayers remembering_______________. We light special candles for those who are in any ICU. We pray and give thanks this day for_____________________. We light our candles and show the world that we are one shining the Light of Christ to each other in Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy and that we may have courage to call out, speak up, stand up, and lift up ourselves from fear to trust, hate to love, injustice to justice, and that we may continue to Walk With God On The Daily Journey we call life. Amen.

Christ Jesus, being found in human form, humbled himself and

became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:8

“Receive every day as a resurrection from death, as a new enjoyment of life.” 
― William Law

“Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God.” 
― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin


Psalm 36:5-11

Dixit injustus

5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; *
you save both man and beast, O Lord.
7 How priceless is your love, O God! *
your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast upon the abundance of your house; *
you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the well of life, *
and in your light we see light.
10 Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
and your favor to those who are true of heart.
11 Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *
nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.

“We must alter our lives in order to alter our hearts, for it is impossible to live one way and pray another.” 
― William Law

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” 
― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin



A Song of Wisdom Sapientia liberavit

Wisdom 10:15-19,20b-21


Wisdom freed from a nation of oppressors *
a holy people and a blameless race.
She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, *
withstood dread rulers with wonders and signs.
To the saints she gave the reward of their labors, *
and led them by a marvelous way;
She was their shelter by day *
and a blaze of stars by night.
She brought them across the Red Sea, *
she led them through mighty waters;
But their enemies she swallowed in the waves *
and spewed them out from the depths of the abyss.
And then, Lord, the righteous sang hymns to your Name, *
and praised with one voice your protecting hand;
For Wisdom opened the mouths of the mute, *
and gave speech to the tongues of a new-born people.



“The Spirit of Love, wherever it is, is its own blessing and happiness, because it is the truth and reality of God in the soul; and therefore is in the same joy of life, and is the same good to itself everywhere and on every occasion. Would you know the blessing of all blessings? It is this God of Love dwelling in your soul, and killing every root of bitterness, which is the pain and torment of every earthly, selfish love. For all wants are satisfied, all disorders of nature are removed, no life is any longer a burden, every day is a day of peace, everything you meet becomes a help to you, because everything you see or do is all done in the sweet, gentle element of Love.” 
― William Law


“Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire.” 
― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin




Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.


Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.


“Devotion signifies a life given, or devoted to God. He therefore is the devout man, who lives no longer to his own will, or the way and spirit of the world, but to the sole will of God, who considers God in everything, who serves God in everything, who makes all the parts of his common life, parts of piety, by doing everything in the name of God, and under such rules as are conformable to his Glory.” 
― William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life

“We are one, after all, you and I, together we suffer, together exist, and forever will recreate each other.” 
― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin



14 A Song of Penitence Kyrie Pantokrator

Prayer of Manasseh, 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-15

Especially suitable in Lent, and on other penitential occasions

O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, *
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and of all their righteous offspring:
You made the heavens and the earth, *
with all their vast array.
All things quake with fear at your presence; *
they tremble because of your power.
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; *
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.
O Lord, you are full of compassion, *
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.
You hold back your hand; *
you do not punish as we deserve.
In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners, *
that they may repent of their sin and be saved.
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, *
and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, *
and I know my wickedness only too well.
Therefore I make this prayer to you: *
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.
Do not let me perish in my sin, *
nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, *
and in me you will show forth your goodness.
Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
in accordance with your great mercy, *
and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, *
and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.



“I cannot tell you how much I love you. But that which of all things I have most at heart, with regard to you, is the real progress of your soul in the divine life. Heaven seems to be awakened in you. It is a tender plant. It requires stillness, meekness, and the unity of the heart, totally given up to the unknown workings of the Spirit of God, which will do all its work in the calm soul, that has no hunger or desire but to escape out of the mire of its earthly life into its lost union and life in God. I mention this, out of a fear of your giving in to an eagerness about many things, which, though seemingly innocent, yet divide and weaken the workings of the divine life within you.” 
― William Law



Hebrews 9:11-15

When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!


For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.



“As sure, therefore, as there is any wisdom in praying for the Spirit of God, so sure is it, that we are to make that Spirit the rule of all our actions;” 
― William Law, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life


“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.” 
― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

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.

John 12:1-11


Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.



“The merit of persons is to be no rule of our charity, but we are to do acts of kindness to those that least deserve it.” 
― William Law

“Love is the affinity which links and draws together the elements of the world. Love, in fact, is the agent of universal synthesis"
-Fr. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ” 

― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

A Song of God’s Love

1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another, *
for love is of God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, *
for God is Love.
In this the love of God was revealed among us, *
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through Jesus Christ.
In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us *
and sent his Son that sins might be forgiven.
Beloved, since God loved us so much, *
we ought also to love one another.
For if we love one another, God abides in us, *

and God’s love will be perfected in us.


“What paralyzes life is lack of faith and lack of courage. The difficulty lies not in solving problems but in expressing them correctly; and we can now see that it is biologically undeniable that unless we harness passion to the service of spirit there can be no progress. Sooner or later, then, and in spite of all our incredulity, the world will take this step— because the greater truth always prevails and the greater good emerges in the end. The day will come when, after mastering the ether, the winds, the tides, gravity, we shall master the energies of love, for God. And then, for the second time in the history of the world, man will have made fire his servant.” 
― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, On Love & Happiness

Let us stand together as we pray for a more loving and just world.
God we pray for the innocents of Syria, Egypt, and San Bernardino. We pray for those who have died and those who have survived. Wrap your loving arms of comfort around everyone and empower the nations to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you without doing harm to anyone. God help us to use words first not bombs, violence, guns, and gasses. 

Hear the cries of your children O God

God, we pray that we may stand together as one family seeking for a solution to all the violence, hatred, division, and indifference.

Hear the cries of your children O God

God we pray that we may speak truth to power when it is necessary to call people out when our brothers and sisters are slandered, verbally abused, and made fun of by senseless and harmful bullying.

Hear the cries of your children O God.

God we pray that we may serve the least of these our family members and see your face in their eyes daily may we seek to come to know you in them.

Hear the cries of your children O God.

God we pray that we may console one another when we are in grief or struggle.

Hear the cries of your children O God.

God we pray that we may stand up with courage when we are needed to say something and not sit idly by when we are made to feel like doormats.

Hear the cries of your children O God.

God we pray for_____________________________

Hear the cries of your children O God.

God we pray that we may help you make this fragile and broken world a more loving and just place in which to live, move, and just be.

Hear the cries of your children O God.


God accept these our prayers in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.


“Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything
to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through
some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.” 
― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.^* 5You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. ⁶Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.⁷Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. ⁸Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem^* on your forehead,⁹and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

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.

Eternal Spirit, 
Earth-maker, Pain-bearer, Life-giver, 
Source of all that is and that shall be, 
Father and Mother of us all, 
Loving God, in whom is heaven:

The hallowing of your name echo through the universe! 
The way of your justice be followed by the peoples
of the world! 
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings! 
Your commonwealth of peace and freedom 
sustain our hope and come on earth.

With the bread we need for today, feed us. 
In the hurts we absorb from one another, forgive us. 
In times of temptation and test, strengthen us. 
From trials too great to endure, spare us. 
From the grip of all that is evil, free us.

For you reign in the glory of the power that is love, 
now and for ever. Amen.

The blessing of God, the eternal goodwill of God, the shalom of God, the wildness and the warmth of God, be among us and between us, now and always.

++++++

Good Night Dear Ones! I love you and give God thanks for you always. Let us keep watch,love, and tend and care for each other this week! We are each other's keepers.

With love and care,

Sara

Resources:
New Zealand Book of Common Prayer
Good Reads Quotes  of William Law and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
The Book of Common Prayer
Enriching our Worship 
For more information on our saints of the day click on their names below:

William Law
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin