Walk With me on Our Journey: Tonight's friendly reminder is? Please come on in see and be at prayer and be at peace

Good Evening Dear Family of Love!

I cannot believe that it is 6:42 p.m. and I'm starting the blog early! God is Good. Tonight we are going to use the lessons from the Feast of St. Scholastica as our scriptural grounding. We will get a lot out of these lessons and spend time in silence and meditation. I'm hoping that we are all getting enough Sabbath rest. I know that I am. I find that I am having to bank energy and readjust my daily activities. Dealing with a chronic illness can be debilitating but at the same time a way to connect with the holy and become a type of monastic individual. Don't let yourself become ragged! Honor your body, Listen to what God and your body is telling you to do. If God says "Rest!", then rest, "Go and do and be sent", then say "Yes and Here I am Send Me!" Listen, Honor, and Respect the you that God created and made. I'm doing this! Shouldn't you? So let us begin.

A friendly reminder "Take care of your health, that it may serve you to serve God." ~ Saint Francis de Sales

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

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

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

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

Pondering these quotes today!

"To give thanks in solitude is enough. Thanksgiving has wings and goes where it must go. Your prayer knows much more about it than you do." ~ Victor Hugo

"By my monastic life and vows I am saying no to all the concentration camps, the aerial bombardments, the staged political trials, the judicial murders, the racial injustices, the economic tyrannies, and the whole socioeconomic apparatus which seems geared for nothing but global destruction in spite of all its fair words in favor of peace." ~ Thomas Merton

"Solitude is the furnace of transformation. Without solitude we remain victims of our society and continue to be entangled in the illusions of the false self." ~ Henri Nouwen

"Monastic life thus became a living protest against the secularization of Christianity, against the cheapening of grace." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Work is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness." ~ George MacDonald

"Solitude is the place of purification." ~ Martin Buber

"Solitude is a way to defend the spirit against the murderous din of our materialism." ~ Thomas Merton

"Anything that doesn't lead us to that - to better know and serve God - is a waste of time." ~ Charles de Foucauld

"I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." ~ Helen Keller

"The curse should no longer rest upon the world itself, but upon that which is sinful in it, and instead of monastic flight from the world the duty is now emphasized of serving God in the world, in every position in life." ~ Abraham Kuyper

"Martyrdom does not consist only in dying for one's faith. Martyrdom also consists in serving God with love and purity of heart every day of one's life" ~ St. Jerome

"Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily." ~ Saint Francis de Sales

"We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship." ~ C. S. Lewis

"In Benedictine spirituality, work is what we do to continue what God wanted done....God goes on creating through us. Consequently a life spent serving God must be a life spent giving to others what we have been given." ~ Joan D. Chittister

"We serve God by serving our fellow man; kids are suffering from malnutrition. People are going to the fields hungry. If you are a Christian, we are tired of being mistreated." ~ Fannie Lou Hamer

"Being 'poor in spirit' (a Christian virtue) means being detached from things - being able to possess goods without being possessed by them. It means putting people ahead of possessions - and seeing material things only as instruments for serving God and the needs of others." ~ James Stenson

"We shall never want to serve God in our real and secret hearts if He looms in our subconscious mind as an arbitrary Dictator or a Spoil-sport, or as one who takes advantage of His position to make us poor mortals feel guilty and afraid. We have not only to be impressed by the "size" and unlimited power of God, we have to be moved to genuine admiration, respect, and affection, if we are ever to worship Him." ~ John Bertram Phillips

"It is impossible to serve God without serving one another." ~ Alistair Begg

"I do not know how to love God except by loving the poor. I do not know how to serve God except by serving the poor.... Here, within this great city of nine million people, we must, in this neighborhood, on this street, in this parish, regain a sense of community which is the basis for peace in the world." ~ Dorothy Day

"The world of men has forgotten the joys of silence, the peace of solitude, which is necessary, to some extent, for the fullness of human living. Man cannot be happy for long unless he is in contact with the springs of spiritual life which are hidden in the depths of his own soul. If man is exiled constantly from his own home, locked out of his spiritual solitude, he ceases to be a true person." ~ Thomas Merton

Come let us worship.

The righteous will be remembered for ever: the memory of the righteous is a blessing. Psalm 112:6; Proverbs 10:7

"Love God, serve God; everything is in that." ~ Clare of Assisi

When anyone is united to Christ, there is a new world; the old order has gone, and a new order has already begun. 2 Corinthians 5:17

"He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands." ~ Benedict of Nursia

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

"Listen and attend with the ear of your heart." ~ Benedict of Nursia

You Lord will surely comfort your people. You will make their deserts like Eden, their wastelands like a garden. Joy and gladness will be found among them, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. Isaiah 51:3 (adapted)

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.

Hymn
Hail, gladdening Light, of God’s pure glory poured,
Who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of holies, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Now we are come to the sun’s hour of rest,
The lights of evening round us shine,
We hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine.

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung,
With undefilèd tongue,
Son of our God, Giver of life, alone!
Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.

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.

Let us light our candles and enter into God's loving presence as we meditate, make vigil, and be at prayer!

INVOCATION -St. Augustine

O Love of God, descend into my heart;

Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling,

And scatter there Your cheerful beams.

Dwell in the soul that longs to be Your temple;

Water that barren soil overrun with weeds and briars

And lost for lack of cultivating.

Make it fruitful with Your dew.

Come, dear Refreshment of those who languish;

Come, Star and Guide of those who sail amidst tempests.

You are the Haven of the tossed and shipwrecked.

Come now, Glory and Crown of the living,

As well as the Safeguard of the dying.

Come, Sacred Spirit;

Come, and make me fit to receive You.

LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES (Anonymous Prayers)

Lest I forget the great traditions of freedom and faith which are the heritage of humanity; lest I forget the pioneers, the statesmen, the bridge builders, the artists; and lest I forget You, the God of our forebears who is our God also: I light this candle of remembrance.

For the hope of a better world, in which righteousness and peace shall prevail among the people of the earth, and to create which is the task of the generations in which we stand, as well as for the courage and faith we shall need if we are to carry on this unfinished work: I light this candle of consecration.

May each flame upon the altar of freedom’s faith shine in our hearts always, reminding us of the fearful places to which we may carry light and strengthening us in moments of doubt and discouragement with unwavering faith in You whom we serve and whose we are.

WALK WITH JOY - From Prayers for Today

O God, who turns into morning the shadows of the night; may we be children of the light and of the day. Enlighten our reason, make clear our conscience, and purify our affections. We give ourselves to You this day, praying that we may be so governed by You that faithless distrust and all evil thoughts may be driven from our minds; that we may walk with joy in the light of Your countenance.

YOU HAVE LOVED US FIRST -Soren Kierkegaard

Great Companion, You have loved us first.

May we never forget that You are love,

So that this sure conviction might triumph in our hearts

Over the whirling of the world,

Over the inquietude of the soul,

Over the anxiety for the future,

Over the fright of the past,

Over the distress of the moment.

May this conviction discipline our soul

So that our hearts might remain faithful and sincere

In the love which we bear to all those we love as ourselves.

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

A Smudging Prayer

Creator, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. We confess that we are weak and broken images of you. We pray for the forgiveness and healing you give in Jesus Christ. May his Spirit clean our spirits, minds, hearts, and bodies. We pray that your Holy Spirit will help us to worship in spirit and truth. We pray in the name of Jesus, so that his Spirit will carry our prayers to you. Amen.

These are the lessons for St. Scholastica

34 Benedicam Dominum

1 I will bless the Lord at all times; *
his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

2 I will glory in the Lord; *
let the humble hear and rejoice.

3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; *
let us exalt his Name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me *
and delivered me out of all my terror.

5 Look upon him and be radiant, *
and let not your faces be ashamed.

6 I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *
and saved me from all my troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *
and he will deliver them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; *
happy are they who trust in him!

Acts 4:32�35

The Believers Share Their Possessions

32 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Matthew 6:24�33

Serving Two Masters

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.*

Do Not Worry

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.

Help us, O God, to love one other as sisters and brothers, and to balance discipline with love, and rules with compassion, according to the example shown by your saints Scholastica and Benedict. All this we ask for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen.

These are the lessons for St. Benedict

Psalm 119:129-136
Pe Mirabilia

129 Your decrees are wonderful; *
therefore I obey them with all my heart.

130 When your word goes forth it gives light; *
it gives understanding to the simple.

131 I open my mouth and pant; *
I long for your commandments.

132 Turn to me in mercy, *
as you always do to those who love your Name.

133 Steady my footsteps in your word; *
let no iniquity have dominion over me.

134 Rescue me from those who oppress me, *
and I will keep your commandments.

135 Let your countenance shine upon your servant *
and teach me your statutes.

136 My eyes shed streams of tears, *
because people do not keep your law.

Proverbs 2:1-9

2My child, if you accept my words

and treasure up my commandments within you,

2 making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding;

3 if you indeed cry out for insight,

and raise your voice for understanding;

4 if you seek it like silver,

and search for it as for hidden treasures—

5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,

8 guarding the paths of justice

and preserving the way of his faithful ones.

9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice

and equity, every good path;

Philippians 2:12-16

12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

14 Do all things without murmuring and arguing, 15so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world. 16It is by your holding fast to the word of life that I can boast on the day of Christ that I did not run in vain or labour in vain.

Luke 14:27-33

²⁷Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it?²⁹Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” ³¹Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? ³²If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. ³³So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

Everlasting God, we give you thanks for the purity and humility with which you endowed your servant Benedict: Grant us grace, in union with his example and prayers, to hallow and conform our souls and bodies to the purpose of your most holy will; through Christ our Lord.

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Collects from A New Zealand Prayer Book and Book of Common Prayer for the 5th Sunday After Epiphany!

Merciful God,

in Christ you make all things new;

transform the poverty of our nature

by the riches of your grace,

and in the renewal of our lives

make known your heavenly glory;

through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. (ANZPB)

Jesus our Lord,

you have taught us that judgment begins at the house of God;

save us from our self-satisfaction, rigidity and corruption,

so that we may stand ready to do your will. (ANZPB)

Jesus, when you call us to challenge authority,

help us to follow closely your example,

that we may be ready to suffer for the truth,

and to give whatever glory there may be to God. (ANZPB)

Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany

Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us

the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known

to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns

with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and

for ever. Amen. (BCP)

Hymn

God be in my head, and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes, and in my looking;
God be in my mouth, and in my speaking;
God be in my heart, and in my thinking;
God be at my end, and at my departing.

From A New Zealand Prayer Book

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. 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.

Lord,
it is night.

The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.

It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.

The night is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives
rest in you.

The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.

The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.

In your name we pray.
Amen. (ANZPB)

Reconciliation and Forgiveness

God of compassion, you have reconciled us in Jesus Christ who is our peace: Enable us to live as Jesus lived, breaking down walls of hostility and healing enmity. Give us grace to make peace with those from whom we are divided, that, forgiven and forgiving, we may ever be one in Christ; who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns for ever, one holy and undivided Trinity. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

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 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.

Matthew 5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Sermon on the Mount; The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the [a]mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,

3 “[b]Blessed are the [c]poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the [d]gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours.”

― Teresa of Ávila

God we pray that as we take time to go deeper into the silence may we find ourselves one with you.

God we pray that in the silence we may be still and know.

God we pray for peace in the world and that we may be peacemakers in our acts of silent prayers and quiet deeds.

God we pray for all who are ill that they may be healed according to your will.

God we pray for all our loved ones who are dying and especially those who have entered the Thin Places.

God we pray for all those who are living on the margins may we by your guidance O God serve them and see you reflected in their eyes.

God we add our own prayers and thanksgivings especially ___________________________

God we pray this day for an end to violence of any kind.

God we pray for all those who were single, widowed, divorced on Valentine's day that they may find peace in their hearts and in your time find love and meaningful relationships again.

We lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus your Son, Amen.

or these

God you fixed the night and the day may we find energy during the day and rest at night.

God make us mindful of the needs of others and all those who we are having on our hearts at this very moment .

God thank you for calling all your creation into being and may we never take it for granted.

God we pray for all who are ill that they may be healed in body, mind, and spirit.

God take away all bitterness of hate and division so that we all may be one with you .

God give to us peace of mind, peace of heart, and peace of soul so that we may be better equipped to serve you and all our family members.

God make us ready to comfort and console those who are mourning and pre-grieving.

God help us know that love is the key to peace in this world and that we must learn to show, give, and be love to all of our family members even those who wish us harm.

God we add our own prayers and thanksgivings now________________.

God we lift up these our prayers in the name of Jesus your Son. Amen.

We conclude our sacred time with 5 Prayers from Thich Nhat Hanh by AwaKin.org

Five Prayers, by Thich Nhat Hanh

IN GRATITUDE, I BOW TO ALL GENERATIONS OF ANCESTORS IN MY BLOOD FAMILY.

I see my mother and father, whose blood, flesh, and vitality are circulating in my own veins and nourishing every cell in me. Through them I see my four grandparents. I carry in me the life, blood, experience, wisdom, happiness, and sorrow of all generations. I open my heart, flesh, and bones to receive the energy of insight, love, and experience transmitted to me by my ancestors. I know that parents always love and support their children and grandchildren, although they are not always able to express it skillfully because of difficulties they encounter. As a continuation of my ancestors, I allow their energy to flow through me, and ask for their support, protection, and strength.

IN GRATITUDE, I BOW TO ALL GENERATIONS OF ANCESTORS IN MY SPIRITUAL FAMILY.

I see in myself my teachers, the ones who show me the way of love and understanding, the way to breathe, smile, forgive, and live deeply in the present moment. I see the Buddha or Christ or the patriarchs and matriarchs as my teachers, and also as my spiritual ancestors. [...] I open my heart and my body to receive the energy of understanding, loving kindness, and protection from the Awakend Ones, their teachings, and the community of practice of many generations. I vow to practice to transform the suffering in myself and the world, and to transmit their energy to future generations of practitioners. My spiritual ancestors may have had their own difficulties and not always been able to transmit the teachings, but I accept them as they are.

IN GRATITUDE, I BOW TO THIS LAND AND ALL OF THE ANCESTORS WHO MADE IT AVAILABLE.

I see that I am whole, protected, and nourished by this land and all the living beings that have been here and made life worthwhile and possible for me through all of their efforts. I see Chief Seattle, Thomas Jefferson, Dorothy Day, Cesar Chavez, Martin Luther King, Jr., and all the others known and unknown. I see those who have worked hard to build schools, hospitals, bridges, and roads, to protect human rights, to develop science and technology, and to fight for freedom and social justice. I see myself touching my ancestors of Native American origin who have lived on this land for such a long time and know the ways to live in peace and harmony with nature, protecting the mountains, forests, animals, vegetation, and minerals of this land. I feel the energy of this land penetrating my body and soul, supporting and accepting me. I vow to cultivate and maintain this energy and transmit it to future generations. I vow to contribute my part in transforming the violence, hatred, and delusion that still lie deep in the consciousness of this society so that future generations will have more safety, joy, and peace. I ask this land for its protection and support.

IN GRATITUDE AND COMPASSION, I BOW DOWN AND TRANSMIT MY ENERGY TO THOSE I LOVE.

All the energy I have received I now want to transmit to my father, my mother, everyone I love, and all who have suffered and worried because of me and for my sake. I know I have not been mindful enough in my daily life. I also know that those who love me have had their own difficulties. They have suffered because they were not lucky enough to have an environment that encouraged their full development. [...] I want all of them to be healthy and joyful. I pray that all ancestors in my blood and spiritual families will focus their energies toward each of them, to protect and support them. I am one with those I love.

IN UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSION, I BOW DOWN TO RECONCILE MYSELF WITH ALL THOSE WHO HAVE MADE ME SUFFER.

I open my heart and send forth my energy of love and understanding to everyone who has made me suffer, to those who have destroyed much of my life and the lives of those I love. I know now that these people have themselves undergone a lot of suffering and that their hearts are overloaded with pain, anger, and hatred. [...] I pray that they can be transformed to experience the joy of living, so that they will not continue to make themselves and others suffer. I see their suffering and do not want to hold any feelings of hatred or anger in myself toward them. I do not want them to suffer. I channel my energy of love and understanding to them and ask all my ancestors to help them.

"All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well." ~ Julian of Norwich

"Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me." ~ Clare of Assisi

O God of love and mercy,

grant us, with all your people, rest and peace.

Let us bless The Lord, each other, and all living things that God has created.

Thanks be to God.

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Our Celtic gems from the Northumbria Community:

This week’s Rule reflection

We are called to be available for participation in MISSION of various kinds according to the calling and initiatives of the Spirit

Sunday – The Ita Compline

Ita, who died in about 570, was abbess of a women’s community in Killeedy, County Limerick in Ireland. She ran a school for boys where she taught:

Faith in God with purity of heart; simplicity of life with religion; generosity with love.

Among those schooled by Ita was Brendan, who honoured her as his foster-mother and adviser. The Compline that follows is named after her because of its emphasis on examination of the heart, and the prayers of care and protection for each soul who crosses our path.

If this Compline is being used in a group setting the * notation indicates a change of reader; words in bold are said all together; words in bold italic are said by each person in turn; and + indicates where you might make the sign of the cross.

+ (silently)

The Sacred Three
to save
to shield
to surround
the hearth
the home
this night
and every night.

* Search me, O God, and know my heart.
Test me and know my thoughts.

* See if there is any wicked way in me
and lead me in the way everlasting.

O Father, O Son, O Holy Spirit,
forgive me my sins.
O only-begotten Son of the heavenly Father,
forgive.
O God who is one,
O God who is true,
O God who is first,
O God who is one substance,
O God only mighty,
in three Persons, truly merciful,
forgive.

* O God of life, this night,
O darken not to me Thy light.

* O God of life, this night,
close not Thy gladness to my sight.

* Keep Your people, Lord,
in the arms of Your embrace.
Shelter them under Your wings.

* Be their light in darkness.
Be their hope in distress.
Be their calm in anxiety.

* Be strength in their weakness.

* Be their comfort in pain.

* Be their song in the night.

In peace will I lie down, for it is You, O Lord,
You alone who makes me to rest secure.

* Be it on Your own beloved arm,
O God of grace, that I in peace shall awake.

Be the peace of the Spirit
mine this night.
Be the peace of the Son
mine this night.
Be the peace of the Father
mine this night.
The peace of all peace
be mine this night
+ in the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Today’s Meditation

Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart,

and try to love the questions themselves

as if they were locked rooms

or books written in a very foreign language.

Do not search for the answers, which could not be given to you now,

because you would not be able to live them.

And the point is to live everything.

Live the questions now.

Perhaps then, someday far in the future,

you will gradually,

without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.

Rainer Maria Rilke

Tomorrow's Celtic Saint of the Day-

Caedmon (?-680) February 11th

Caedmon loved to listen. Music thrilled him, and other people’s stories and songs carried him along as helplessly as a small boat on a rising tide. But he couldn’t play a note on the harp. Nor could he sing a note in tune. Besides, he could never remember any words. He couldn’t even tell a joke and get it right. So a night where everyone shared a song, a story or a joke was torture for him. Heaven and hell, that’s what it was. To hear a song, to listen to the music of the harp as it was strummed by one, touched gently by another – nothing could be sweeter. But the nearer it came to Caedmon’s turn, the more a sickness rose from his stomach and his bowels stirred uneasily. At the last possible moment he ran out of the hall.

All this took place at the monastery in Whitby, ruled over by the kindly Hild (see November 17th). On one occasion he ran straight to the cattle shed to check on his beasts and then threw himself down there and passed into fitful sleep. He began to dream, and a man asked him to sing for him. Caedmon protested that he was in the cattle shed precisely because he could not sing. But the man encouraged him, and when Caedmon asked what he should sing about, the man suggested the creation. In that dream Caedmon sang a song so beautiful it almost made him cry.

When he awoke, the song was still with him, and he sang it for God and for himself. He sang it for the steward of the abbey lands, and when the steward told Abbess Hild about it, he sang for her as well. She persuaded him to sing the song for all the people in the abbey, and then for the people of Whitby and those in the countryside around. Now Caedmon had a new calling and someone else tended the cattle. Those who could read aloud translated the Scriptures for Caedmon and each night he sang aloud the things he had heard. Then a new song was prepared, explaining the Bible to his people in their own language. And for the rest of his life his mouth spoke out the truths that filled his heart. These were songs not to delight people, but to be useful to their souls.

He seemed to know when he was about to die. At the beginning of his illness he asked for his bed to be made in the part of the hospital assigned to the dying. On the day, he and the attendant, and the brothers who came to join them, talked and joked until after midnight. Then Caedmon asked for Communion, and as he took it into his hands he asked if the hearts of all present were at peace with him. They all replied that they were, with no anger towards him, and they asked him to be at peace with them. He replied, ‘My heart is at peace, little children, with all God’s servants.’ Then he received the bread and wine and asked the brothers how long it was until Matins. When they told him he said, ‘Good, then let us wait for that hour.’ He signed himself with the cross, laid down his head, slept for a while, and so ended his life happily, at peace and in silence.

Father God, show us how we may use the talents You have given us to reveal Your praise and Your love. Reveal to us talents we do not know we already have. Teach us, too, how to live in peace with all people and with Your creation, that, when the time comes for us to pass into Your eternal presence, we may do so happily and in peace. Amen.

++++++

Good Night Family of Love! I love you!

With Love and Blessings,

Sara

Watch this space as we join the Good Book Club and read Romans for the season of Epiphany!

The Good Book Club

Romans Readings -Good Book Club

Tomorrow:

ROMANS 12:1-2

THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Forward Movement - Romans 101

What Makes Romans so Powerful -Wesley Hill

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Episcopal Peace Fellowship -Litanies

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Book of Occasional Services

Northumbria Community

Harvard Square Library Prayers forToday!

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Satucket Lectionary Page (NRSV)