Good Evening Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Happy Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Today we celebrate a man who went through a life transformation. He was a rich person, party animal, and then God got a hold of him and he became a monk and a founder of a religious order The Franciscans. We too can go through a life transformation. I am no longer into consumerism and am really enjoying holy poverty and mostly holy silence. If you are in my house all you hear are the house noises and the sounds of the out doors. Today we pray that God will make us channels of God's peace. This morning I did a Morning Prayer and Healing Liturgy and we are going to use this format tonight for our worship. We will be using the Prayer of St. Francis multiple times tonight.
Let us light our candles and pray the pray the prayer that is attributed to him:
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.
Let us meditate upon the San Damiano Cross:
Prayer before the San Damiano Crucifix
Most High, glorious God enlighten the darkness of my heart. Give me true faith, certain hope and perfect clarity, sense and knowledge that I may carry out Your Holy and true command.
- Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi to discern God’s will
Psalm 148:7–14
Laudate Dominum
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, *
you sea-monsters and all deeps;
8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, *
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
9 Mountains and all hills, *
fruit trees and all cedars;
10 Wild beasts and all cattle, *
creeping things and winged birds;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, *
princes and all rulers of the world;
12 Young men and maidens, *
old and young together.
13 Let them praise the Name of the Lord, *
for his Name only is exalted,
his splendor is over earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up strength for his people
and praise for all his loyal servants, *
the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
Hallelujah!
Laudate Dominum
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, *
you sea-monsters and all deeps;
8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, *
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
9 Mountains and all hills, *
fruit trees and all cedars;
10 Wild beasts and all cattle, *
creeping things and winged birds;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, *
princes and all rulers of the world;
12 Young men and maidens, *
old and young together.
13 Let them praise the Name of the Lord, *
for his Name only is exalted,
his splendor is over earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up strength for his people
and praise for all his loyal servants, *
the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
Hallelujah!
Jeremiah 22:13–16
Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,
and his upper rooms by injustice;
who makes his neighbours work for nothing,
and does not give them their wages;
who says, “I will build myself a spacious house
with large upper rooms”,
and who cuts out windows for it,
panelling it with cedar,
and painting it with vermilion.
Are you a king
because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
says the Lord.
and his upper rooms by injustice;
who makes his neighbours work for nothing,
and does not give them their wages;
who says, “I will build myself a spacious house
with large upper rooms”,
and who cuts out windows for it,
panelling it with cedar,
and painting it with vermilion.
Are you a king
because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.
He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
says the Lord.
Canticle 12
A Song of Creation Benedicite, omnia opera Domini
Song of the Three, 35–65
.
Invocation
Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
A Song of Creation Benedicite, omnia opera Domini
Song of the Three, 35–65
.
Invocation
Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
I. The Cosmic Order
Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, *
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, *
all winds and fire and heat.
Winter and summer, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *
drops of dew and flakes of snow.
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Galatians 6:14–18
May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule-- peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule-- peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
II. The Earth and Its Creatures
Let the earth glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains
and hills, and all that grows upon the earth
Let the earth glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains
and hills, and all that grows upon the earth
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, *
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *
and all you flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Matthew 11:25–30
Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
III. The People of God
Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Doxology
Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Doxology
Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
In the high vault of heaven, glorify the Lord, *
sing praise and give honor for ever.
Collect of the day
Most high, omnipotent, good Lord, grant your people grace to renounce gladly the vanities of this world; that, following the way of blessed Francis, we may for love of you delight in your whole creation with perfectness of joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 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.
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.
A Prayer for Our Time and for the Earth
Dear God, Creator of the earth, this sacred home we share;
Give us new eyes to see the beauty all around and to protect the wonders of creation.
Give us new arms to embrace the strangers among us and to know them as family.
Give us new ears to hear and understand those who live off the land
and to hear and understand those who extract its resources.
Give us new hearts to recognize the brokenness in our communities
and to heal the wounds we have inflicted.
Give us new hands to serve the earth and its people
and to shape beloved community.
For you are the One who seeks the lost,
binds our wounds and sets us free,
and it is in the name of Jesus the Christ we pray.
Amen.
Give us new eyes to see the beauty all around and to protect the wonders of creation.
Give us new arms to embrace the strangers among us and to know them as family.
Give us new ears to hear and understand those who live off the land
and to hear and understand those who extract its resources.
Give us new hearts to recognize the brokenness in our communities
and to heal the wounds we have inflicted.
Give us new hands to serve the earth and its people
and to shape beloved community.
For you are the One who seeks the lost,
binds our wounds and sets us free,
and it is in the name of Jesus the Christ we pray.
Amen.
Let us pray together the Canticle of Brother Sun, Sister Moon
Most high, all powerful, all good Lord!
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honor, and all blessing.
To You, alone, Most High, do they belong.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your name.
No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your name.
Be praised, my Lord, through all Your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and You give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness.
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and You give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars;
in the heavens You have made them bright, precious and beautiful.
in the heavens You have made them bright, precious and beautiful.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
through which You give Your creatures sustenance.
and clouds and storms, and all the weather,
through which You give Your creatures sustenance.
Be praised, my Lord, through Sister Water;
she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.
she is very useful, and humble, and precious, and pure.
Be praised, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
through whom You brighten the night.
He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.
through whom You brighten the night.
He is beautiful and cheerful, and powerful and strong.
Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth,
who feeds us and rules us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
who feeds us and rules us,
and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.
Be praised, my Lord, through those who forgive for love of You;
through those who endure sickness and trial.
through those who endure sickness and trial.
Happy those who endure in peace,
for by You, Most High, they will be crowned.
for by You, Most High, they will be crowned.
Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Bodily Death,
from whose embrace no living person can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing Your most holy will.
The second death can do no harm to them.
from whose embrace no living person can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Happy those she finds doing Your most holy will.
The second death can do no harm to them.
Praise and bless my Lord, and give thanks,
and serve Him with great humility.
and serve Him with great humility.
Let us hear the words of this prayer in the song as written and sung by John Michael Talbot.
Brother Sun and Sister Moon- John Michael Talbot
Let us pray!
God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Ishmael may we find unity with all of our family members in love, mercy, justice and peace.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all the war torn areas of the world and protection for all of our brothers and sisters.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all who are living with mental illness. We pray that we may reach out and support with love and compassion to them and their caregivers.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for our family members who are ill that they may be healed of their illnesses.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for the least of these and all the wonderful things they bring to this world. We give thanks to God that they are reminders to all of our family members who need to be aware that not everyone is fortunate.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
Give us strength to speak truth to power and keep doing it until Justice rolls down
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
Take away all of our fears, hate, isolationism, and replace it with trust, love, and unity.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all who are dying and have died today and entered into the Thin Places with Joy and gladness.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray this night for all who travel that they may safely arrive at their destination.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for ourselves and on behalf of others
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all faith communities and leaders who enrich our lives each day.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We give thanks this night for _______________ and that we may put on an attitude of Gratitude
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray that we will awake refreshed, renewed, and re-created to do the work and service God is calling us to do.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for rain and the cleansing and healing of Your Creation.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Ishmael may we find unity with all of our family members in love, mercy, justice and peace.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all the war torn areas of the world and protection for all of our brothers and sisters.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all who are living with mental illness. We pray that we may reach out and support with love and compassion to them and their caregivers.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for our family members who are ill that they may be healed of their illnesses.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for the least of these and all the wonderful things they bring to this world. We give thanks to God that they are reminders to all of our family members who need to be aware that not everyone is fortunate.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
Give us strength to speak truth to power and keep doing it until Justice rolls down
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
Take away all of our fears, hate, isolationism, and replace it with trust, love, and unity.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all who are dying and have died today and entered into the Thin Places with Joy and gladness.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray this night for all who travel that they may safely arrive at their destination.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for ourselves and on behalf of others
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for all faith communities and leaders who enrich our lives each day.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We give thanks this night for _______________ and that we may put on an attitude of Gratitude
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray that we will awake refreshed, renewed, and re-created to do the work and service God is calling us to do.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We pray for rain and the cleansing and healing of Your Creation.
God and maker of us All hear our prayer
We ask these our prayers in Jesus' most Holy Name. Amen.
Admonition of St Francis
Where there is charity and wisdom,
there is neither fear nor ignorance.
Where there is patience and humility,
there is neither anger nor disturbance.
Where there is poverty with joy,
there is neither greed nor avarice.
Where there is rest and meditation,
there is neither anxiety nor restlessness.
Where there is fear of the Lord to guard an entrance,
there the enemy cannot have a place to enter.
Where there is a heart full of mercy and discernment,
there is neither excess nor hardness of heart.
John Rutter Mix- All things Bright and Beautiful
Where there is charity and wisdom,
there is neither fear nor ignorance.
Where there is patience and humility,
there is neither anger nor disturbance.
Where there is poverty with joy,
there is neither greed nor avarice.
Where there is rest and meditation,
there is neither anxiety nor restlessness.
Where there is fear of the Lord to guard an entrance,
there the enemy cannot have a place to enter.
Where there is a heart full of mercy and discernment,
there is neither excess nor hardness of heart.
John Rutter Mix- All things Bright and Beautiful
Gracious and loving God of Love and the makers of families. May we never take our families and those we love for granted.
Let us respond with : Make us channels of your peace O, God.
Let us respond with : Make us channels of your peace O, God.
We pray that we may learn what it means to Love our Neighbor as ourselves.
We pray that we peace may prevail upon earth and among all of us who are part of the human family.
We pray to you O God ,for the loving protection of all of our family members who are in danger.
We pray for all who are ill and are hospitalized and are afraid .We pray for their bodily healing and the banishment of all fears and anxieties.
We pray that as we become conservationists of God's Cathedral of Life that we may also take time to provide for ourselves much needed self-care and be good stewards of our bodies, minds, and spirits.
We pray for all children who are facing many trials.
We pray for all who mourn and grieve any loss that they may be comforted and given love and consolation.
We pray for all those who are receiving palliative and hospice care and all those who minister unto them.
We pray for all faith leaders who are in preparation for all the services in which they are called to lead and provide pastoral preaching and care.
Today we remember the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi and his words in pictures:
Lord God we lift up these our prayers to your Son Jesus Christ in His Most Holy Name. Amen.
A litany for healing may be added: (From the Book of Occasional Services - A Public Service of Healing)
Litany of Healing
Let us name before God those for whom we offer our
Prayers.
The People audibly name those for whom they are interceding.
A Person appointed then leads the Litany
God the Father, your will for all people is health and
salvation;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
God the Son, you came that we might have life, and might
have it more abundantly;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
God the Holy Spirit, you make our bodies the temple of your
presence;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have
our being;
We praise you and thank you, O Lord.
Lord, grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured,
or disabled, that they may be made whole;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Grant to all who seek your guidance, and to all who are
lonely, anxious, or despondent, a knowledge of your will
and an awareness of your presence;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional
distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the
suffering, granting them wisdom and skill, sympathy and
patience;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Grant to the dying peace and a holy death, and uphold by
the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit those who are
bereaved;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by human sin, in
our lives, in our nation, and in the world;
Hear us, O Lord of life.
You are the Lord who does wonders:
You have declared your power among the peoples.
With you, O Lord, is the well of life:
And in your light we see light.
Hear us, O Lord of life:
Heal us, and make us whole.
Let us pray.
A period of silence follows
O Lord our God, accept the fervent prayers of your people;
in the multitude of your mercies look with compassion upon
us and all who turn to you for help; for you are gracious, O
lover of souls, and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Or this litany From Episcopal Peace Fellowship:
A Litany for Gun Violence
Leader: We stand before this Wall of Injustice remembering all who have been harmed by gun violence, both intended and accidental. We lament that an American child is 12 times more likely to die by a bullet than are the children living in all twenty-five other industrialized nations combined. We acknowledge the deep pain and grief in our communities and nation. Will you commit to tear down the walls that divide us, and build-up the one human family, grounded in nonviolence, justice and love?
People: We will with God’s help.
Leader: We stand before this Wall of Injustice remembering all perpetrators and the families of those who commit acts of gun violence. We acknowledge that their lives are also devastated and their hopes dashed. For their sake and ours, will you pray for healing of the pain radiating from every act of violence?
People: We will, with God’s help.
Leader: We stand before this Wall of Injustice, united in our grief for the violent deaths of over 30,000 Americans by gunfire each year. Will you commit to prayer, study and action, ever hopeful that repentance and transformation will move us forward toward God’s peaceable kingdom?
People: We will, with God’s help.
Franciscan blessings
May God bless you with a restless discomfortabout easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.May God bless you with holy angerat injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.May God bless you with the gift of tearsto shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish,so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.May God bless you with enough foolishnessto believe that you really can make a difference in this world,so that you are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.
Here is a slightly different version of the blessing . . .
May God bless us with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships, so that we may live deep within our hearts.May God bless us with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that we may work for justice, freedom, and peace.May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that we may reach out our hands to comfort them and turn their pain into joy.And may God bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world, so that we can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8 (From : A Franciscan Blessing)
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.
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.
+++++
Good Night Dear Ones I love you! May we continue to hold sacred space and sanctuary in compassion, love, and acceptance and mercy always.
Love and blessings,
Sara
Resources:
Book of Common Prayer
Lectionary Page
Walk With Me On Our Journey
A Heart For Justice
The House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church - A Word to the Church
YouTube
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Quote Sites for St. Francis' Prayers
Book of Occasional Services.
Book of Common Prayer
Satucket : Saint of the Day : St. Francis of Assisi
No comments:
Post a Comment