Saturday, January 27, 2018

Celebrating a year of holy poverty and Meditating with the Servants of God!



Good Evening Beloved Community!

Happy Self-Care and Sabbath Rest Weekend. As I was looking at the calendar today, I have much to celebrate. This has been a year living into a time of holy poverty and going without to gain much. I have purposely and by necessity have stopped engaging in the need to accumulate things and to use what I have and give away those things that I no longer have use for. I can tell you it is freeing! When you go without shopping in department stores, having credit cards, and the false need to be someone you aren't it is amazing just how wonderful and wonder-filled this can be. I don't have liquidity, employment and those things which make on comfy. I have food stamps, Medicaid, California Life Line, and Low Cost Auto insurance and my family pays my bills. Do I wish I could go back to two years ago? The answer is a resounding "NO!" I wouldn't have the knowledge to know about what the least of these truly go through. So today I celebrate Holy Poverty and my neo-monastic life. If you come to my house it is a quiet place, where silence is the order of the day. It helps especially during this time of great chaos and anxiety. I can honestly say that when we engage in "The Be Stills" and "Peace Be Stills" it fits my lifestyle. As pilgrims on our year of pilgrimage, please take time to assess your need for noise, things, and the busyness of life. Instead of giving you a heads up to what we will be doing with our prayer time, we are going to be surprised as we go along.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.








Light and Peace in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Light of the World Phos hilaron

Light of the world, in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days

134 Ecce nunc

1 Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, *
you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.

2 Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord; *
the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.


God of all love we come together tonight to accept your call to light our candles and pray. We pray this night to be loving towards one another. We pray this night for guidance in how we can best serve you in the world. We pray that we may be more giving of ourselves to others. We pray that we may be able to be hopeful and hope-filled to this fragile and broken world. We pray that we may shine your light and help people out of the dark places they find themselves in. We pray that we may be supportive in what ever decisions people make,  We pray for the least of these who struggle with the day to day issues of living. We pray that everyone will be lovingly included and not excluded and invisible. We pray that we may be peacemakers and children of God. We pray that we may "Strive for justice, and respect the dignity of every human being"* We pray that we may build bridges and tear down walls. We pray for the courage to speak truth to power. We pray for an end to hatred, violence and terror. We pray that we may use our voices not to hurt but to heal. We pray this night that we all may be one and that we may continue to pray for Syria, Ukraine ,Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Palestine, and all places where terror and violence have occurred even when the media fails to report it. May we all be one with those who mourn and stand vigil for the peace of the world and in the places where there is danger. God we lift up these prayers to you with hurting hearts, open hands up lifted, with loving care and voices. Amen.




133 Ecce, quam bonum!

1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!

2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,

3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.

4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.

5 For there the Lord has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.

 
Charity is the form, mover, mother and root of all the virtues.


O Godhead hid, devoutly I adore Thee, 
Who truly art within the forms before me; 
To Thee my heart I bow with bended knee, 
As failing quite in contemplating Thee.

Jesu, eternal Shepherd! hear our cry; 
Increase the faith of all whose souls on Thee rely.  

Sight, touch, and taste in Thee are each deceived; 
The ear alone most safely is believed: 
I believe all the Son of God has spoken, 
Than truth's own word there is no truer token.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

God only on the cross lay hid from view;
But here lies hid at once the manhood too;
And I, in both professing my belief,
Make the same prayer as the repentant thief.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

Thy wounds, as Thomas saw, I do not see;
Yet Thee confess my Lord and God to be;
Make me believe Thee evermore and more;
In Thee my hope, in Thee my love to store.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

O Thou memorial of our Lord's own dying!
O living bread, to mortals life supplying!
Make Thou my soul henceforth on Thee to live,
Ever a taste of heavenly sweetness give.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

O loving Pelican!  O Jesus Lord!
Unclean I am, but cleanse me in Thy Blood!
Of which a single drop, for sinners split,
Can purge the entire world from all its guilt.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.

Jesus, whom, for the present, veil'd I see,
What I so thirst for, oh! vouchsafe to me;
That I may see Thy contenance unfolding,
And may be blest Thy glory in beholding.

Ave Jesu, Pastor Fidélium;
Adáuge fidem ómnium in te credéntium.


Proverbs 7:1–4

7My child, keep my words
   and store up my commandments with you; 
2 keep my commandments and live,
   keep my teachings as the apple of your eye; 
3 bind them on your fingers,
   write them on the tablet of your heart. 
4 Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister’,
   and call insight your intimate friend,

100 Jubilate Deo

1 Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

2 Know this: The Lord himself is God; *
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

4 For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

Malachi 3:16-18

16 Then those who revered the Lord spoke with one another. The Lordtook note and listened, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who revered the Lord and thought on his name. 17They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, my special possession on the day when I act, and I will spare them as parents spare their children who serve them.18Then once more you shall see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.


Grant Me Grace - St. Thomas Aquinas

Grant me grace, O merciful God, 
to desire ardently all that is pleasing to Thee, 
to examine it prudently, 
to acknowledge it truthfully, 
and to accomplish it perfectly, 
for the praise and glory of Thy name.

Amen.




Acts 16:11-15

11 We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, 12and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district* of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. 13On the sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. 14A certain woman named Lydia, a worshipper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. 15When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.’ And she prevailed upon us.


2 Corinthians 6:1–10

6As we work together with him,* we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2For he says,
‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you,
   and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! 3We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labours, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8in honour and dishonour, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.


Matthew 6:24–33

24 ‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.*

25 ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink,* or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?* 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” 32For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God* and his* righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Luke 8:1-3

8Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them* out of their resources.



Filled with your Holy Spirit, gracious God, your earliest disciples served you with the gifts each had been given: Lydia in business and stewardship, Dorcas in a life of charity and Phoebe as a deacon who served many. Inspire us today to build up your Church with our gifts in hospitality, charity and bold witness to the Gospel of Christ; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

   Almighty God, you have enriched your Church with the singular learning and holiness of your servant Thomas Aquinas: Enlighten us more and more, we pray, by the disciplined thinking and teaching of Christian scholars, and deepen our devotion by the example of saintly lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  

O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, that we, inspired by the devotion of your servants, Thomas, may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

 Prayers of St. Thomas Aquinas
Grant Me, O Lord

Grant me, O Lord my God,
a mind to know you,
a heart to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
conduct pleasing to you,
faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
and a hope of finally embracing you.

Amen.

The Cross is my sure salvation.
The Cross I ever adore.
The Cross of my Lord is with me.
The Cross is my refuge.

I Thank You Holy Lord

I thank you, O holy Lord, 
almighty Father, eternal God, 
who have deigned, 
not through any merits of mine, 
but out of the condescension of Your goodness, 
to satisfy me a sinner, 
Your unworthy servant, 
with the precious Body and Blood of Your Son, 
our Lord Jesus Christ. 
I pray that this Holy Communion 
be not a condemnation to punishment for me, 
but a saving plea to forgiveness. 
May it be to me the armor of faith 
and the shield of a good will. 
May it be the emptying out of my vices 
and the extinction of all lustful desires; 
an increase of charity and patience, 
of humility and obedience, and all virtues; 
a strong defense against the snares of all my enemies, 
visible and invisible; 
the perfect quieting of all my evil impulses of flesh and spirit, 
binding me firmly to You, the one true God; 
and a happy ending of my life. 
I pray too that You will deign to bring me, a sinner, 
to that ineffable banquet where You with Your Son and the Holy Spirit, 
are to Your Saints true light, 
fulfillment of desires, eternal joy, 
unalloyed gladness, and perfect bliss. 
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christ Has No Body. Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which he looks. Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world. - Teresa of Avila 

Meditation  Prayer: My God and My All

St. Francis of Assisi

Cross-Yellow

You are holy, Lord, the only God,
and Your deeds are wonderful.
You are strong.
You are great.
You are the Most High.
You are Almighty.
You, Holy Father are King of heaven and earth.
You are Three and One, Lord God, all Good.
You are Good, all Good, supreme Good,
Lord God, living and true.
You are love. You are wisdom.
You are humility. You are endurance.
You are rest. You are peace.
You are joy and gladness.
You are justice and moderation.
You are all our riches, and You suffice for us.
You are beauty.
You are gentleness.
You are our protector.
You are our guardian and defender.
You are our courage. You are our haven and our hope.
You are our faith, our great consolation.
You are our eternal life, Great and Wonderful Lord, 
God of All, Merciful Saviour


For Monastic Orders and Vocations

O Lord Jesus Christ, you became poor for our sake, that we
might be made rich through your poverty: Guide and sanctify,
we pray, those whom you call to follow you under the vows
of poverty, chastity, and obedience, that by their prayer and
service they may enrich your Church, and by their life and
worship may glorify your Name; for you reign with the Father
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for 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.

Tonight let us pray for the least of these and our family members who are feeling lost and alone.

Jesus, we come to you this night asking you to lift up the lonely, lost, and those who feel unloved and outcast. Help us to draw them into  your circle of love and fellowship where they will find peace and a loving family waiting for them.

Jesus, we pray for peace in the holy places where you walked, preached, healed, were there for those who  were outcast, blind, and not welcome in any town. We pray for peace in all of the Holy Land  and a return to holiness and we pray for the leaders of  Israel, Palestine, Syria, and Iraq that they may remember that they are all family members under Abraham and the awesome responsibility that comes with that.

Jesus, help us to be there for our family members even when it seems difficult to do so. 

Jesus, heal all  of our family members who are ill and we name them now before you with love________________

Jesus, help us to grow in the Fruits of the Spirit and reap abundantly the harvest that you have planted.

Jesus, help us to sow seeds of faith, hope, and love and that we may may show these throughout our lives and  in our daily living.

Jesus, help us to be good stewards of God's Cathedral of Life.

Jesus, we pray for all refugees, strangers, immigrants of any kind and especially the unaccompanied children who have been set on a dangerous road to freedom.

Jesus, help us to be lights to this broken world and to each other.

Jesus, be with those who mourn  and we pray that we may follow your example of compassion, love, and yes even weep as you wept at the tomb of Lazarus.

Jesus, may we rest gentle in your arms this night and always .

We lift up these our prayers to in Jesus' Name . Amen.

Or this 

                                           A Litany of Saints for Social Justice
                                               All Saints Living and Departed

There is no time like the present to pray and give thanks for our family members who have stood firm on the side of social justice both living and departed. This litany is based on the Litany of Saints it is a work in progress.

Lord, have mercy on us.
CHRIST, have mercy on us.
LORD, have mercy on us.

CHRIST, hear us.
CHRIST, graciously hear us.
GOD, THE FATHER OF HEAVEN, have mercy on us.
GOD THE SON, REDEEMER OF THE WORLD, have mercy on us.
GOD THE HOLY GHOST, have mercy on us.
HOLY TRINITY, ONE GOD, have mercy on us.
HOLY MARY, pray for us.
HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, pray for us.
HOLY VIRGIN OF VIRGINS, pray for us.
ST. MICHAEL, pray for us.
ST. GABRIEL, pray for us.
ST. RAPHAEL, pray for us.
ALL  HOLY ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS, pray for us.
ALL  HOLY ORDERS OF BLESSED SPIRITS, pray for us.
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST, pray for us. ST. JOSEPH, pray for us.
ALL HOLY PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS, pray for us.
ST. PETER, pray for us.
ST. PAUL, pray for us


After the names are spoken aloud our response is this :

SPEAK MY NAME, I WILL LIVE FOREVER."
Festo Kivengere
 Nelson Mandela 
 Malala
 Anne Frank
 Raoul Wallenberg
 Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, William Wilberforce, John Newton, Alex Haley, ROOTS 
Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Oskar Schindler
Elie Wiesel. The Albanian Muslims who Saved the Jews in World War II
Johnathan Myrick Daniels 
James Chaney
Andrew Goodman
Michael Schwerner
Martin Luther King Jr.
Sacheen Littlefeather 
St. Theresa of Calcutta
Fr. Damian of Molokai
The Martyrs of Japan
The Martyrs of Memphis
The Martyrs of Uganda
The Martyrs of lynching in our country past and present
The Dakota 38
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Our Japanese family members who were sent to internment camps
Our family members who died in the Nazi Concentration camps
Our family members who practice civil disobedience and peaceful-non violent protest
John Lewis
Clara Barton
Florence Nightingale
Thich Nhat Hanh
All Transgender Martyrs who have been murdered for living authentically.
Black Elk
Chief Seattle
Florence Li Tim Oi
 The Dalai Lama
Leonart Pelletier
 Harvey Milk
 Mahatma Gandhi
Oscar Romero
 Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin
 Our indigenous family members who walked Trail of Tears
 The Righteous Gentiles
 Madame C.J. Walker
Margaret Sanger
 Gabby Giffords
Francis Perkins 
All God's children who have died and survived Gun Violence
The Charleston 9 
 The Orlando 49
 The Martyrs of Stonewall
Ryan White
Matthew Shepherd 
 Malcolm X,  Mohammed Ali, Salam Al Maryati, 
 Cesar Chavez
Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Katherine Lee Bates, Marie Curie, The Philadelphia 11, Barbara Harris, Katharine Jefferts Schori 
Seneca Falls Conference.
 Christine Jorgenson, Billy Tipton, Renee Richards
 Sally Ride, Billy Jean King, Sheila Kuehl, 
 Your heroes of social justice.
Triangle Shirt Factory Fire Victims.
 Dorothy Day
 Jane Addams 
Addie Mae Collins
Cynthia Wesley
Carol Roberson
Denise McNair
Indira Gandhi
Benazir Bhutto
Those who have spoken and speak with prophetic voices.
We name before God the names of others who are on your hearts this day________________
"IF YOU SPEAK MY NAME, I WILL LIVE FOREVER."

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you


O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us, thy humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Collect for Saturdays 

O God, the source of eternal light: Shed forth your unending
day upon us who watch for you, that our lips may praise you,
our lives may bless you, and our worship on the morrow give 
you glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

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

Deep peace I breathe into you, 
O weariness, here: 
O ache, here! 
Deep peace, a soft white dove to You; 
Deep peace, a quiet rain to you; 
Deep peace, an ebbing wave to you! 
Deep peace, red wind of the east from you; 
Deep peace, grey wind of the west to You; 
Deep peace, dark wind of the north from you; 
Deep peace, blue wind of the south to you! 
Deep peace, pure red of the flame to you; 
Deep peace, pure white of the moon to you; 
Deep peace, pure green of the grass to you; 
Deep peace, pure brown of the earth to you; 
Deep peace, pure grey of the dew to you, 
Deep peace, pure blue of the sky to you! 
Deep peace of the running wave to you, 
Deep peace of the flowing air to you, 
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you, 
Deep peace of the sleeping stones to you! 
Deep peace of the Yellow Shepherd to you, 
Deep peace of the Wandering Shepherdess to you, 
Deep peace of the Flock of Stars to you, 
Deep peace from the Son of Peace to you, 
Deep peace from the heart of Mary to you, 
And from Briget of the Mantle 
Deep peace, deep peace! 
And with the kindness too of the Haughty Father 
Peace! 
In the name of the Three who are One, 
Peace! And by the will of the King of the Elements, 
Peace! Peace!

(From "The Dominion of Dreams. Under the Dark Star 
by Fiona Macleod (William Sharp,1895))


God to enfold me,
God to surround me,
God in my speaking,
God in my thinking.

God in my sleeping,
God in my waking,
God in my watching,
God in my hoping.

God in my life,
God in my lips,
God in my soul,
God in my heart.

God in my sufficing,
God in my slumber,
God in mine ever-living soul,
God in mine eternity.

(Ancient celtic oral traditions - carmina gadelica)



May God who dwells in us and through us, keep  us in God's abiding and loving presence be among us  this (Day/Night) Always.  The Blessing of God our Creator, Jesus our Redeemer, and The Holy Spirit the Holy Comforter, Advocate and Guide be upon us and give us peace. Amen.

++++



Good Night Beloved Community! Rest gentle and know that you are loved and that every hair on your head is counted and you're precious in God's sight. Keep the faith and know that this is a holy and healing circle of love and you are family.

With love and blessings,

Sara


Resources:
A to Z Quoates : Thomas Aquinas
Goodreeds: Quote from Teresa of Avila
Online Book of Common Prayer - Prayers
Satucket Lectionary collects and lessons for the Saints of the Day - Thomas Aquinas, Phoebe, Lydia, and Dorcas.
Celtic Prayers and Blessings
Quote Sites for Thomas Aquinas Prayers 
Enriching our worship








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