Walk With me on Our Journey: A morning vigil for a new week!: Stop the glorification of busy and center in on what matters most!

Good Morning Dear Ones!

Happy Monday! I hope everyone is well and ready for a new week. Let us stop the glorification of the rush to do Christmas! We have many days to prepare. This week we will be focusing in on how best we can be centered in with God and each other. This morning we are going to have a vigil for a new week. This evening we will return to our time of vigils, prayers, lessons, and meditations on a current social justice theme. I don't know what that will be, because God will tell me what that is.

Let us engage in "The Peace Be Stills"

Peace be still

Peace be.

Peace

Peace be still.

Peace be.

Peace.

Peace be still.

Peace be.

Peace.

Inhale gently.

Exhale gently.

Pause and repeat three times.

Let us make vigil and pray for peace, justice, love and mercy for the whole world.
Image result for candles

God is Spirit, and those who worship must worship in spirit and

in truth. John 4:24

Oh my Beloved Adonai

You are alive for me today.

Seeing the wind caress the branches

Of the trees

I am delivered by Your grace into the infinity of Your existence.

You are alive in me today.

I feel Your presence coursing through my body and

Burning my heart with a golden fire.

Your voice -- such sweet silent flames of raging love

That purify me in blissful splendor but do not consume me.

Oh My Beloved

Oh Ever Faithful One

Open my mouth so that my lips may declare Your praise now and always

Open my heart to Your Love now and forever.

early morning blessing - ronald bedrick

MORNING PRAYER

O God, early in the morning I cry to you.

Help me to pray

And to concentrate my thoughts on you:

I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,

But with you there is light;

I am lonely, but you do not leave me;

I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;

I am restless, but with you there is peace.

In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;

I do not understand your ways,

But you know the way for me…

Restore me to liberty,

And enable me to live now

That I may answer before you and before me.

Lord, whatever this day may bring,

Your name be praised.

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Venite Psalm 95:1-7

Come, let us sing to the Lord; *

let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving *

and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.

For you are a great God; *

you are great above all gods.

In your hand are the caverns of the earth, *

and the heights of the hills are yours also.

The sea is yours, for you made it, *

and your hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee, *

and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For you are our God,

and we are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand. *

Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

The following verses are added when Psalm 95 is used as the Invitatory:

Let us listen today to God’s voice:

Harden not your hearts,

as your forebears did in the wilderness, *

at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,

when they tempted me.

They put me to the test, *

though they had seen my works.

Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *

“This people are wayward in their hearts;

they do not know my ways.”

So I swore in my wrath, *

“They shall not enter into my rest.”

IN LAK’ECH

Tú eres mi otro yo.

You are my other me.

Si te hago daño a ti,

If I do harm to you,

Me hago daño a mi mismo.

I do harm to myself.

Si te amo y respeto,

If I love and respect you,

Me amo y respeto yo.

I love and respect myself.

Luis Valdez

Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.

Glory to you for the radiance of you holy Name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you in the splendor of you temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.

Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.

Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

The Song of Hannah

1 Samuel 2:1-8

My heart exults in you, O God; *

my triumph song is lifted in you.

My mouth derides my enemies, *

for I rejoice in your salvation.

There is none holy like you, *

nor any rock to be compared to you, our God.

Do not heap up prideful words or speak in arrogance; *

Only God is knowing and weighs all actions.

The bows of the mighty are broken, *

but the weak are clothed in strength.

Those once full now labor for bread, *

those who hungered now are well fed.

The childless woman has borne sevenfold, *

while the mother of many is forlorn.

God destroys and brings to life, casts down and raises up; *

gives wealth or takes it away, humbles and dignifies.

God raises the poor from the dust; *

and lifts the needy from the ash heap

To make them sit with the rulers *

and inherit a place of honor.

For the pillars of the earth are God’s *

on which the whole earth is founded.

Luke 21:1-4
21He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.3He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’

A Song of Christ’s Humility
Philippians 2:6-11

Though in the form of God, *
Christ Jesus did not cling to equality with God,
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, *
and was born in human likeness.
Being found in human form, he humbled himself *
and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him *
and given him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, *
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, *
to the glory of God the Father.

24 Domini est terra

1 The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, *
the world and all who dwell therein.

2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas *
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

3 "Who can ascend the hill of the Lord? *
and who can stand in his holy place?"

4 "Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, *
who have not pledged themselves to falsehood,
nor sworn by what is a fraud.

5 They shall receive a blessing from the Lord *
and a just reward from the God of their salvation."

6 Such is the generation of those who seek him, *
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

7 Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.

8 "Who is this King of glory?" *
"The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle."

9 Lift up your heads, O gates;
lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the King of glory shall come in.

10 "Who is he, this King of glory?" *
"The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory."

A Song of Christ’s Goodness

Anselm of Canterbury

Jesus, as a mother you gather your people to you; *

you are gentle with us as a mother with her children.

Often you weep over our sins and our pride, *

tenderly you draw us from hatred and judgment.

You comfort us in sorrow and bind up our wounds, *

in sickness you nurse us and with pure milk you feed us.

Jesus, by your dying, we are born to new life; *

by your anguish and labor we come forth in joy.

Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness; *

through your gentleness, we find comfort in fear.

Your warmth gives life to the dead, *

your touch makes sinners righteous.

Lord Jesus, in your mercy, heal us; *

in your love and tenderness, remake us.

In your compassion, bring grace and forgiveness, *

for the beauty of heaven, may your love prepare us.

Psalm 63:1-8 Deus, Deus meus

O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; *

my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,

as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.

Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, *

that I might behold your power and your glory.

For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *

my lips shall give you praise.

So will I bless you as long as I live *

and lift up my hands in your Name.

My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness, *

and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,

When I remember you upon my bed, *

and meditate on you in the night watches.

For you have been my helper, *

and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.

My soul clings to you; *

your right hand holds me fast.

Jewish Morning Prayer.

"My God, the soul You have given me is pure. You created it, You formed it, and You breathed it into me. [and You guard it while it is within me, and one day You will take it from me, and restore it to me in the time to come. As long as the soul is within me, I will thank You, HaShem my God and God of my ancestors, Master of all works, Lord of all souls. Blessed are You, LORD, who restores souls to lifeless bodies

Psalm 67:1-5 Deus misereatur

O God, be merciful to us and bless us, *

show us the light of your countenance and come to us.

Let your ways be known upon earth, *

your saving health among all nations.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; *

let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *

for you judge the peoples with equity

and guide all the nations upon earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; *

let all the peoples praise you.

Canticle of Brother Sun and Sister Moon of St. Francis of Assisi:

Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.

Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars,
In the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.

Praised be You, my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.

Praised be You my Lord through Sister Water,
So useful, humble, precious and pure.

Praised be You my Lord through Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night
and he is beautiful and playful and robust and strong.

Praised be You my Lord through our Sister,
Mother Earth
who sustains and governs us,
producing varied fruits with coloured flowers and herbs.
Praise be You my Lord through those who grant pardon
for love of You and bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
By You Most High, they will be crowned.

Praised be You, my Lord through Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in mortal sin!
Blessed are they She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.
Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks,
And serve Him with great humility.
St. Francis of Assisi's prayer praising Mary the Mother of Jesus

Hail, holy Lady, most holy Queen,
Mary, Mother of God, ever Virgin.
You were chosen by the Most High Father in heaven,
consecrated by Him, with His most Holy Beloved Son
and the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.

On you descended and still remains all the fullness of grace and every good.
Hail, His Palace.
Hail His Tabernacle.
Hail His Robe.
Hail His Handmaid.
Hail, His Mother.
and Hail, all holy Virtues, who, by grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
are poured into the hearts of the faithful
so that from their faithless state,
they may be made faithful servants of God through you.

God of love we make vigil and pray for all of our family members who are on the margins needing our love and care. We pray that we may all have empathy to be able to see outward appearances and see the face of God in each one of these precious souls whom you send in to our lives. We light candles for the least of these and remember them.