Good Evening One and All!
We have returned and we are now settling in on our Candlemas prayer vigil. We make this vigil time a time of prayer, reflection, and renewal. Tonight we ponder the word purification as this is the other name for the feast day we are celebrating. There are 3 names associated with this day: Candlemas, The Feast of the Presentation of our Lord in the Temple, and The Feast of the Purification. Lots to chew on there, isn't it. Let us take time to set the mood for our vigil time and then return and ponder the quotes below.
"Such is the grace and power of baptism; not an overwhelming of the world as of old, but a purification of the sins of each individual, and a complete cleansing from all the bruises and stains of sin. And since we are double-made, I mean of body and soul, and the one part is visible, the other invisible, so the cleansing also is twofold, by water and the Spirit; the one received visibly in the body, the other concurring with it invisibly and apart from the body; the one typical, the other real and cleansing the depths." ~ Gregory of Nazianzus
"The spiritual journey is one of continuous learning and purification. When you know this, you become humble." ~ Sogyal Rinpoche
"Hiddenness is the place of purification. In hiddenness we find our true selves." ~ Henri Nouwen
"Solitude is the place of purification." ~ Martin Buber
"All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well." ~ Julian of Norwich
"Civil disobedience can only lead to strength and purity." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
"To a pure heart all hearts are pure." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
"Solitude is the place of purification and transformation, the place of the great struggle and the great encounter." ~ Henri Nouwen
"In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and direct action." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Pure motives can never justify impure or violent action." ~ Mahatma Gandhi
"We too often forget that faith is a matter of questioning and struggle before it becomes one of certitude and peace. You have to doubt and reject everything else in order to believe firmly in Christ, and after you have begun to believe, your faith itself must be tested and purified. Christianity is not merely a set of forgone conclusions. Faith tends to be defeated by the burning presence of God in mystery, and seeks refuge from him, flying to comfortable social forms and safe convictions in which purification is no longer an inner battle but a matter of outward gesture." ~ Thomas Merton
Come let us worship!
Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have
caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the
knowledge of your glory in the face of your son Jesus Christ
our Lord.
Light and peace, in Jesus Christ our Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Dear people of God, forty days ago we celebrated the joyful feast of the
incarnation of Jesus. Today we recall the day on which he was presented
in the temple, fulfilling the law of Moses. Led by the Spirit, Simeon and
Anna came to the temple, recognized the child as the Christ, and
proclaimed him with joy. United by the same Spirit, we now enter the
house of God, where we shall recognize Christ in the breaking of bread.
Let us pray.
O God, source of all light, today you revealed to the aged Simeon
your light which enlightens the nations. Fill our hearts with the
light of faith, that we who bear these candles may walk in the
path of goodness, through Jesus Christ the Light of the World.
Amen.
LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES (Anonymous)
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.
Let us go forth in peace.
In the name of Christ. Amen.
We have waited in silence on your loving-kindness, O Lord, in the
midst of your temple. Your praise, like your Name, O God, reaches
to the world's end; your right hand is full of justice.
A PRAYER FOR GOD’S LIGHT
Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
INVOCATION
Come out of the dark earth
Here where the minerals
Glow in their stone cells
Deeper than seed or birth.
Come under the strong wave
Here where the tug goes
As the tide turns and flows
Below that architrave.
Come into the pure air
Above all heaviness
Of storm and cloud to this
Light-possessed atmosphere.
Come into, out of, under
The earth, the wave, the air,
Love, touch us everywhere
With primeval candor.
- May Sarton
84 Quam dilecta!
1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! *
My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
2 The sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; *
by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
3 Happy are they who dwell in your house! *
they will always be praising you.
4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you! *
whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.
5 Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, *
for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.
6 They will climb from height to height, *
and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.
7 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; *
hearken, O God of Jacob.
8 Behold our defender, O God; *
and look upon the face of your Anointed.
9 For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, *
and to stand at the threshold of the house of my God
than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.
10 For the Lord God is both sun and shield; *
he will give grace and glory;
11 No good thing will the Lord withhold *
from those who walk with integrity.
12 O Lord of hosts, *
happy are they who put their trust in you!
Malachi 3:1-4
The Coming Messenger
3See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. 2But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; 3he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness.* 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.
A Song of the Wilderness
Isaiah 35:1-7,10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, *
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
It shall blossom abundantly, *
and rejoice with joy and singing.
They shall see the glory of the Lord, *
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weary hands, *
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to the anxious, “Be strong, do not fear! *
Here is your God, coming with judgment to save you.”
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, *
and the ears of the deaf be unstopped.
Then shall the lame leap like a deer, *
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness *
and streams in the desert;
The burning sand shall become a pool *
and the thirsty ground, springs of water.
The ransomed of God shall return with singing, *
with everlasting joy upon their heads.
Joy and gladness shall be theirs, *
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Hebrews 2:14-18
14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters* in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.
The Song of Mary Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 2:22-40
Jesus Is Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord’), 24and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons.’
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon;* this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.* 27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon* came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon* took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
29 ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant* in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.’
33 And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34Then Simeon* blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed 35so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
36 There was also a prophet, Anna* the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshipped there with fasting and prayer night and day. 38At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child* to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Return to Nazareth
39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him.
A Song of Our Adoption
Ephesians 1:3-10
Blessed are you, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
for you have blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Before the world was made, you chose us to be yours in Christ, *
that we should be holy and blameless before you.
You destined us for adoption as your children through Jesus Christ,
*
according to the good pleasure of your will,
To the praise of your glorious grace, *
that you have freely given us in the Beloved.
In you, we have redemption through the blood of Christ,
the forgiveness of our sins,
According to the riches of your grace *
which you have lavished upon us.
You have made known to us, in all wisdom and insight, *
the mystery of your will,
According to your good pleasure which you set forth in Christ, *
as a plan for the fullness of time,
To gather together all things in Christ, *
things in heaven and things on earth.
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 BookOur 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.
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.
now and for ever. Amen.
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 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.
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.
now and for ever. Amen.
Almighty and everliving God, we humbly pray that, as your only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple, so we may be presented to you with pure and clean hearts by Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
O God, you have made this day holy by the presentation of
your Son in the Temple, and by the purification of the
Blessed Virgin Mary: Mercifully grant that we, who delight in
her humble readiness to be the birth-giver of the Only begotten,
may rejoice for ever in our adoption as his sisters
and brothers; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
We have waited in silence on your loving-kindness, O Lord,
in the midst of your temple. Your praise, like your Name, O
God, reaches to the world’s end; your right hand is full of
justice.
God we thank you for creating us in your image and likeness.
We pray for those who feel invisible and out of touch. Help us to know who we are and whose we are.
God we thank you for creating us out of love and may we love like you.
We pray for all who are unloving. May we love the unlovable.
God we thank you for making us worthy of your promises.
We pray that we may be worthy and up to the tasks that you call us to do.
God we thank you that you have counted each hair on our heads and made us precious.
We pray for the least of these and our most vulnerable family members. We remember all those who are facing another night in the bitter cold.
God we thank you that you have made us a family and your beloved children.
We pray for all children and animals who are in need of loving and forever homes.
God we thank your for allowing us to bring ourselves and our gifts to you your table.
We pray that we may allow all of our family members to bring themselves and their gifts to the table without judgement.
God we thank you for empowering us to be a vital presence to others and our family members.
We pray that we may speak truth to power and do justice, love, mercy and be a voice for the voiceless.
God we thank you for giving us hearts to love and heart homes to hold our family members tightly
We pray for all who are mourning, ill, and in need. May we give them love and along with you hold them lovingly with compassion.
God we thank you for giving us the courage to be authentically who we are.
We pray for an end to all bullying of all of our family members.
God help us to make peace, bring joy, bear hope , and shine lights.
All this we ask in Jesus' most holy name. Amen.
The following are prayers by Soren Kierkegaard:
WORKS OF LOVE
How could anything rightly be said about love if You were forgotten,
O God,
You from whom all love comes;
You who holds back nothing but gives Yourself in love;
You who are love, so the lovers are only what they are through being
in You?
How could anything rightly be said about love if You were forgotten,
You who manifests what love is,
You who reminds us to love as we are loved;
You who are everywhere present and never without the works of love,
the acts of love?
How could anything rightly be said about love if You were forgotten,
O Love Eternal?
WE BELONG TO YOU
O God, when at times our strength is taken from us, when sorrow overcomes us like a kind of fog in which our vision is plunged as into a dark night; when our hearts do tremble with our loss: then teach us and strengthen the conviction in our hearts that in death, no less than in life, we belong to You.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
...To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman
night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive
far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your
law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having
done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may,
when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. 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.
We pray for those who feel invisible and out of touch. Help us to know who we are and whose we are.
God we thank you for creating us out of love and may we love like you.
We pray for all who are unloving. May we love the unlovable.
God we thank you for making us worthy of your promises.
We pray that we may be worthy and up to the tasks that you call us to do.
God we thank you that you have counted each hair on our heads and made us precious.
We pray for the least of these and our most vulnerable family members. We remember all those who are facing another night in the bitter cold.
God we thank you that you have made us a family and your beloved children.
We pray for all children and animals who are in need of loving and forever homes.
God we thank your for allowing us to bring ourselves and our gifts to you your table.
We pray that we may allow all of our family members to bring themselves and their gifts to the table without judgement.
God we thank you for empowering us to be a vital presence to others and our family members.
We pray that we may speak truth to power and do justice, love, mercy and be a voice for the voiceless.
God we thank you for giving us hearts to love and heart homes to hold our family members tightly
We pray for all who are mourning, ill, and in need. May we give them love and along with you hold them lovingly with compassion.
God we thank you for giving us the courage to be authentically who we are.
We pray for an end to all bullying of all of our family members.
God help us to make peace, bring joy, bear hope , and shine lights.
All this we ask in Jesus' most holy name. 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.
weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who
sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless
the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the
joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
The Wisdom of God
the Love of God
and the Grace of God
strengthen you
to be Christ’s hands and heart in this world,
in the name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
(source: Celtic)
Live without fear: your Creator has made you holy, has always
protected you, and loves you as a mother. Go in peace to follow
the good road and may God’s blessing be with you always. Amen.
(source: from Saint Clare)
O God,
the well-spring of life,
pour into our hearts the living water of your grace,
that refreshed by you,
we may live this day in steadfast reliance
on the strength you give;
through our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the peace of God
which passes all understanding
keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.
PRAYERS FOR OTHERS
Christ, as a light
illumine and guide me.
Christ, as a shield
overshadow me.
Christ under me;
Christ over me;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Be in the heart of each to whom I speak;
in the mouth of each who speaks unto me.
This day be within and without me,
lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.
Christ as a light;
Christ as a shield;
Christ beside me
on my left and my right.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you,
wherever He may send you.
May He guide you through the wilderness,
protect you through the storm.
May He bring you home rejoicing
at the wonders He has shown you.
May He bring you home rejoicing
once again into our doors.
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