Good Evening and Afternoon !

Happy New Year ! Happy First Sunday of Advent! Happy 14th day of Celtic Advent, and the Feast of King Kamehameha and Queen Emma of Hawaii and lest we forget the feast of Hanukkah! I'm sure that I have missed many other special days! It's a beautiful day on Chumash land. Today we begin our meditations featuring #AdventWords2021. Today we begin with the word Promise. We will meditate upon the following quotes on the words promise and Advent! Here is the #AdventWord Schedule for 2021. The languages are mixed up on purpose.

Optional work : Journaling our Advent Journey using the format from A Disciple's Prayer Book.

Reflect and Respond to the Gospel and or #AdventWord of the Day

1. What word(s), idea(s), or sentence(s) stand out for

you in the Gospel of the Day?

(Reread the Gospel.)

2. What is Jesus (the Gospel) saying to you?

(Reread the Gospel.)

3. What is Jesus (the Gospel) calling you to do?

Now let us continue with our Celtic Advent Calendar Work:

Ideas for Living Joyfully Forty Days of Celtic Advent & the Twelve Days of Christmas 2021

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. Annie Dillard

November 28

Four-week Advent begins How is Jesus being born in you?

Let us meditate upon the following quotes on the words promise and Advent.

"Listen to the long stillness:

New life is stirring

New dreams are on the wing

New hopes are being readied:

Humankind is fashioning a new heart

Humankind is forging a new mind

God is at work.

This is the season of Promise" ~ Howard Thurman

"Every year we celebrate the holy season of Advent, O God. Every year we pray those beautiful prayers of longing and waiting, and sing those lovely songs of hope and promise." ~ Karl Rahner

"Let God's promises shine on your problems." ~ Corrie Ten Boom

"The Lord is coming, always coming. When you have ears to hear and eyes to see, you will recognize him at any moment of your life. Life is Advent; life is recognizing the coming of the Lord" ~ Henri Nouwen

"I promise myself that I will enjoy every minute of the day that is given me to live." ~ Nhat Hanh

"The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear." ~ John Lennon

"Advent increases our hope, a hope which does not disappoint. The Lord never lets us down." ~ Pope Francis

"The future is as bright as the promise of God." ~ William Carey

"In the silence of a midwinter dusk, there is a sound so faint that for all you can tell it may be only the sound of the silence itself. You hold your breath to listen. You are aware of the beating of your heart. The extraordinary thing that is about to happen is matched only by the extraordinary moment just before it happens. Advent is the name of that moment." ~ Frederick Buechner

"Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime." ~ Martin Luther

"Advent is patience it's how God has made us a people of promise, in a world of impatience." ~ Stanley Hauerwas

"Love always creates, it never destroys. In this lie's man's only promise." ~ Leo Buscaglia

"A prison cell, in which one waits, hopes...and is completely dependent on the fact that

the door of freedom has to be opened from the outside, is not a bad picture of Advent." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"I honestly do not know if civil disobedience has any effect on the government. I can promise you it has a great effect on the person who chooses to do it." ~ Martin Sheen

"Advent creates people, new people." ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"I will light candles this Christmas, Candles of joy, despite all sadness, Candles of hope where despair keeps watch. Candles of courage where fear is ever present, Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days, Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens. Candles of love to inspire all my living, Candles that will burn all the year long." ~ Howard Thurman

"Follow the grain in your own wood." ~ Howard Thurman

+++

Prayers for the Tender Souls

We pray this night for our mental health professionals and all of our mentally ill family members who have fallen through the cracks.

We pray for better early interventions for those with mental illnesses and that everyone will be able to listen for their unspoken cries for help.

We pray for the marginalized who feel outcast. May we lovingly bring them into the circle and show them how You love us.

We pray for all of our Family members who have PTSD that they may receive care and the necessary services that will help them prosper and live productive lives.

We pray for our homeless family members who live outdoors. We pray that there may be adequate shelters and a variety of places to live that will meet their needs. We pray that we may be sensitive to their needs when we see them as we walk, shop, and are in our cars.

We pray for the safety of all the vulnerable members of our society.

We pray for better gun laws that will both protect our family members in our community and the persons who aren't suitable gun owners.

We pray that all churches may be truly sanctuaries for everyone and that there won't be a litmus test required to belong. We pray that all faith leaders will give the least of these the the security and feeling that they are loved, accepted, and that their dignity is respected regardless of who they are. Help everyone know who they are and whose they are!

We pray that there may be social service ministries in our urban centers that are non-threatening and available 24/7/365. May we be guided to think outside the box and minister to our family members who need these services.

We pray for compassionate immigration reform and that families may be kept together.

We pray for all of our medical professionals who work in the ER this night and those who work in the Mortuary and Hospice ministries.

We pray for an end to violence against women and children.

God we pray for Standing Rock and all places where there are protests. We pray for all sacred lands and waters.

God help us to be better at listening, watching, and being family to those who are different that ourselves.
May we see you in their eyes and love them as you love us.

God we lift up these our prayers and the prayers that we have been requested to pray this day to you !
Amen.

+++

Let us light our 14th Candle of Celtic Advent and pray for unity among all people and that we may strive to be as one in heart, mind, and spirit.

Our God and Savior now draws near: O come let us worship.

Come let us worship and adore him.

Joseph Barth: A Grace

We give thanks for Being;
We give thanks for being here;
We give thanks for being here together.

Howard Thurman

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.

Lord, Open unto me - Howard Thurman

Lord, open unto me
Open unto me – light for my darkness.
Open unto me – courage for my fear.
Open unto me – hope for my despair.
Open unto me – peace for my turmoil.
Open unto me – joy for my sorrow.
Open unto me strength for my weakness.
Open unto me – wisdom for my confusion
Open unto me – forgiveness for my sins.
Open unto me – love for my hates.
Open unto me – thy Self for my self.
Lord, Lord, open unto me!

Because you sent your beloved Son to redeem us from sin and death, and to make us heirs in him of everlasting life; that when he shall come again in power and great triumph to judge the world, we may without shame or fear rejoice to behold his appearing.

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

‘Heaven and earth will pass away,’ says the Lord, ‘but my words will not pass away.’Mark 13:31

Watch at all times, praying for the strength to stand with confidence before the Son of man.Luke 21:36

Look up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.Luke 21:28

In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.Isaiah 40:3

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all the world shall see it together.Isaiah 40:5

Prepare the way of the Lord, make the paths straight, and all the world shall see the salvation of God.Luke 3:4, 6

Restore us again O God: show us the light of your face and we shall be saved.Psalm 80:3

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.Isaiah 40:5

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.Matthew 32

The Son of man is to come with the angels in the glory of the Father.Matthew 16:27a (adapted)

Let us light one candle, a candle for hope!

O Gracious Light Phos hilaron

O gracious Light,

pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,

O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,

and our eyes behold the vesper light,

we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,

O Son of God, O Giver of life,

and to be glorified through all the worlds.

THE LIGHTING OF THE CANDLES - Anonymous

Lest we forget the great traditions of freedom and faith which are the heritage of humanity; lest we forget the pioneers, the statesmen, the bridge builders, the artists; and lest we forget You, the God of our fore bears who is our God also:

We 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:

We light this candle of consecration.

May the flame upon the altar of free faith shine in our hearts al ways, reminding us of the dark places to which we may carry light and strengthening us in every moment of doubt and discouragement with unwavering faith in You whom we serve and whose we are.

Psalm 134 Ecce nunc

Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, *

you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.

Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD; *

the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

Psalm 141:1-3,8ab Domine, clamavi

O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *

hear my voice when I cry to you.

Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *

the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,

and guard the door of my lips; *

let not my heart incline to any evil thing.

My eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *

in you I take refuge.

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

Confession of Need

Let us confess our need for God’s healing grace.

Silence

Compassionate God,

we confess our weaknesses and our need for your

strengthening touch.

We confess that some illnesses stem from our own fault,

while others are beyond our control.

We turn to you, source of life,

and ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ

for the gifts of true healing and life in you. Amen.

May the God of love visit us in our times of trial and weakness,

and raise us to newness of life, through Jesus Christ, in the

power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

For the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.

"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love?' These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will be many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." - Henri Nouwen

"We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral leadership. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better." ~ Thurgood Marshall

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.

"Where refugees seek deliverance that never comesAnd the heart consumes itself as if it would live,Where children age before their timeAnd life wears down the edges of the mind,Where the old man sits with mind grown cold,While bones and sinew, blood and cell, go slowly down to death,Where fear companions each day's life,And Perfect Love seems long delayed.CHRISTMAS IS WAITING TO BE BORN:In you, in me, in all mankind." ~ Howard Thurman

Howard Thurman Prayers

I LAY BEFORE YOU

The concern which I lay bare before You today is:

Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me— I would seek the root or cause of such disaffection, and with the illumination of Your mind, O God, to understand it.

I give myself to Your scrutiny that, whatever there may be in me that is responsible for what has happened, I will acknowledge.

Where I have wronged or given offense deliberately or without intention, I seek a face-to-face forgiveness.

What I can undo I am willing to try; what I cannot undo, with that I seek to make my peace.

How to do these things, what techniques to use, with what spirit— for these I need and seek Your wisdom and strength, O God.

Whatever disaffection there is between me and those who are or have been very close to me, I lay bare before You.

A LITANY OF THANKSGIVING

In Your presence, O God, we make our Sacrament of Thanksgiving.

We begin with the simple things of our days:
Fresh air to breathe,
Cool water to drink,
The taste of food,
The protection of houses and clothes,
The comforts of home.
For all these we make an act of Thanksgiving this day!

We bring to mind all the warmth of humankind that we have known:

Our mothers’ arms,
The strength of our fathers,
The playmates of our childhood,
The wonderful stories brought to us from the lives of many who
talked of days gone by when fairies and giants and diverse kinds
of magic held sway;
The tears we have shed, the tears we have seen;
The excitement of laughter and the twinkle in the eye with
its reminder that life is good.
For all these we make an act of Thanksgiving this day

From the Arusha Call to Discipleship:

Loving God, we thank you for the gift of life in all its diversity and beauty. Lord Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we praise you that you came to find the lost, to free the oppressed, to heal the sick, and to convert the self-centered. Holy Spirit, we rejoice that you breathe in the life of the world and are poured out into our hearts. As we live in the Spirit, may we also walk in the Spirit. Grant us faith and courage to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus: becoming pilgrims of justice and peace in our time. For the blessing of your people, the sustaining of the earth, and the glory of your name. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

O God our shield and armor of light, whom we adore with all the angelic host: defend us from evil; watch over any who are in danger this night and give your angels charge over them; and grant that we may always rejoice in your heavenly protection and serve you bravely in the world; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. (EOW)

Our lessons for the First Sunday of Advent Year C!

From Howard Thurman
“May the sounds of Advent stir a longing in your people, O God. Come again to set us free from the dullness of routine and the poverty of our imaginations. Break the patterns which bind us to small commitments and to the stale answers we have given to questions of no importance. Let the Advent trumpet blow, let the walls of our defenses crumble, and make a place in our lives for the freshness of your love, well-lived in the Spirit, and still given to all who know their need and dare receive it. Amen” (The Mood of Christmas).

Psalm 25:1-9

Ad te, Domine, levavi

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;

my God, I put my trust in you; *

let me not be humiliated,

nor let my enemies triumph over me.

2 Let none who look to you be put to shame; *

let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes.

3 Show me your ways, O Lord, *

and teach me your paths.

4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, *

for you are the God of my salvation;

in you have I trusted all the day long.

5 Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, *

for they are from everlasting.

6 Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *

remember me according to your love

and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.

7 Gracious and upright is the Lord; *

therefore he teaches sinners in his way.

8 He guides the humble in doing right *

and teaches his way to the lowly.

9 All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness *

to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

Jeremiah 33:14-16

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The Lord is our righteousness."

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.

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you face to face and restore whatever is lacking in your faith.

Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you. And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

A Song of Faith

1 Peter 1:3-4,18-21

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
by divine mercy we have a new birth into a living hope;

Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *
we have an inheritance that is imperishable in heaven.

The ransom that was paid to free us *
was not paid in silver or gold,

But in the precious blood of Christ, *
the Lamb without spot or stain.

God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory *
so that we might have faith and hope in God.

Luke 21:25-36

Jesus said, "There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

The Song of Zechariah Benedictus Dominus Deus

Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel, *
you have come to your people and set them free.

You have raised up for us a mighty Savior, *
born of the house of your servant David.

Through your holy prophets you promised of old
to save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us,

To show mercy to our forebears, *
and to remember your holy covenant.

This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

Free to worship you without fear, *
holy and righteous before you,
all the days of our life.

And you, child, shall be called the prophet
of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,

To give God’s people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

To shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

The Lord’s Prayer or the alternative is said. 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.

Collects of the the Day

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP)

Creator God,
We praise you for your love in coming to us,
unworthy though we are.
Give us grace to accept the Christ who comes in your name,
and the courage to be Christ for others.(ANZPB)

We praise and thank you, Creator God,
for you have not left us alone.
Each year you come to us, Emmanuel,
God with us in a manger.
Each time you come to us
in the broken bread and the cup we share.
In time or out of time you will be revealed
and we shall see you face to face. (ANZPB)

Give us courage, God our strength,
to see your Christ in all who suffer,
to be hands to the helpless,
food for the hungry,
and rescue for the oppressed.(ANZPB)

God of hope,
When Christ your Son appears
may he not find us asleep or idle,
but active in his service and ready;
through the same Jesus Christ our Redeemer.
Amen. (ANZPB)

God as we begin our season of Advent and preparation for your Son' Jesus's birth may we be united again with him and each other.

God as we await joyfully this most special day of days may we see Jesus in the eyes of each other and hold the Christ light for then.

God may we be sensitive to the needs of our family members nearby and far away.

God may we learn to have patience, slow down, and be.

God may we take time to be at one with You and each other.

God may we take away any label that divides us and that we may only be we and only have our names to identify each other.

God may peace prevail upon Earth beginning with ourselves, just like pebbles in a pond.

God may we step up and show love and compassion to those who mourn.

God may we learn to serve our fragile family members without fear and lovingly respond to their needs.

God we pray for the healing of our bodies, minds, and spirits and all of our family members who are ill.
God fill our hearts with love to overflowing so that everyone will know that we are your children and truly the Family of Love and at one with each other.

God we pray for __________________________

God we offer our thanksgivings ____________________

God we celebrate this day _______________________

God help us to remember___________________________

God lift up these our prayers in the name of your son Jesus our redeemer, healer, reconciler, master, brother, and friend. Amen.

or these

Let us be at prayer:

Gracious and loving Father and Mother God and Creator of the Universe and the nurturing parent of us all may we take this time to be present with you and quiet our hearts and minds as we take time in this oasis of prayer.

God we have been given many prayer requests from our family members and we pray for ourselves as well. May we boldly ask and graciously have time to be in conversation with you as we pray for:

Your children of all ages who are ill and suffering .We remember especially babies who are ill and their parents who stay with them.

We pray for all our family members and their children who are waiting patiently with them when they are hospitalized.

We pray for all those who are suffering addictions of any kind may they find the courage to become sober and go into the proper rehab facility for treatment.

We pray for all of us who have cancer and that when we have bad weeks we may lay low and rest and when we have good weeks we may have energy to work, play, and do tasks and at the same time honor what you and our bodies are telling us.

We pray for all who are in transition and looking for work may they find patience to wait and may they find the employment they are seeking.

We pray for all who are going or are on pilgrimage to the many sacred places in this world. May they travel safe and feel your presence with them in every step.

We pray for all who travel and may they be safe and secure and that your presence will surround them as they go.

We pray for all who are dying and who have died remembering also our family pets.

We pray for all those who have gone missing and are featured in Amber Alerts, We especially remember all victims of human trafficking.

We pray for peace and justice in the world. We pray for an end to all the violence, oppression, injustices, and that dignity, respect, equality, and acceptance will roll down like justice. We pray that we may continue to Do Justly, Love mercy, and Walk Humbly with our God.

We pray for rain in the drought parched areas of our country and in the world.

May we take time for our personal prayers and reflection and put on the timer for what ever time you choose.

Please add prayers, thanksgivings, remembrances, and any kind of things that you are celebrating.

Please add:

Those with mental illnesses

Alzheimer's and dementia patients and their family members and caregivers.

Caregivers

Those who are ill and those who are trying to work while ill.

For our medical professionals.

For our troops and law enforcement personnel.

EMTS and Firemen

For people seeking employment and new life paths

Clergy, religious leaders of all faith communities and the people they serve and pastorally care for. We pray especially those who are discerning vocations to ministry and for courage to accept and follow God's Call to wherever it leads.

To be good stewards of our environment and natural resources. May we learn to be good a conservation.

God we lift up these our prayers to you and ask in the name of your Son Jesus. 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.

God of Love, give us courage to live out and listen to your words you spoke through you son Jesus on the sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:1-12New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Beatitudes

5 When Jesus[a] saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

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

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

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

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

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

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

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

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely[b] on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Holy Wisdom, in your loving kindness you created and restored us when we were lost: inspire us with your truth, that we may love you with our whole minds and run to you with open hearts, through Christ our Savior. Amen. (source: Alcuin of York, Mass of Wisdom)

God our rock and refuge: keep us safe in your care and strengthen us with your grace, that we may pray to you faithfully and love one another boldly, following the example of Jesus, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives for ever and ever. Amen. (source: Veronese Sacramentary)

Loving Jesus: Protect and sustain us with your hand. Open the door of your love that, sealed with your wisdom, we may be free to serve you with joy. Amen. (a prayer of St. Gertrude)

Jesus, you are the way through the wilderness: show us your truth in which we journey, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit be in us the life that draws us to God. Amen. (source: F.B. McNutt, The Prayer Manual [London: Mowbray, 1961], p. 29, adapted)

For Travelers

O God, our heavenly Father, whose glory fills the whole

creation, and whose presence we find wherever we go: Preserve

those who travel [in particular _______________]; surround

them with your loving care; protect them from every danger;

and bring them in safety to their journey's end; through

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Christ Has No Body.

by Teresa of Avila.

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.

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or
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

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake
we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

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 of love and mercy,

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

+++

God set our bodies, minds, spirits and feet upon this holy year of pilgrimage that our hearts may be ever fixed on You and in your service to all our family members.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

God we pray that we may spread the Good News to all People with love, faith, and without fear.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

God give us grace and courage to speak truth to power during this holy year of pilgrimage and stand up for the marginalized and their need for universal human rights.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

God we pray that we may listen to where you call us to go during this time of holy pilgrimage.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

God help us to have times of oasis and refreshment and learn that being a pilgrim also involves being on retreat.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

God we pray for all those who are ill and in need of healing. Help us to go and be sent to care for them with healing hands and hearts of love.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

God we pray that we as pilgrims may also become peacemakers at home and throughout the world.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

God we lift up these our prayers to you in the name of Jesus who taught us how to be pilgrims. Amen.

+++

A Bonus Closing!

We close our vigil with these prayers:

The Woke Prayers of St. Francis

Help us O God to be woke!

Woke as your peacemakers, change makers, heart changers, and love energy bringers!

Woke to the hatred so that we may sow seeds of love.

Woke to the injury so that we may heal the hurt and cease the harm.

Woke to the divisiveness that we may be eager to heal and unite as one neighborhood and family.

Woke to uncertainty that will lead us to be renewed in faith.

Woke to the despair of all our neighbors so that we may sow seeds of radical hope, love, hospitality, and inclusion.

Woke to the knowledge that we are God's beloved children. Help us to be woke to sing the words of "Light One Candle"

LIGHT ONE CANDLE

Peter Yarrow

Light one candle for the Maccabee children

With thanks that their light didn't die

Light one candle for the pain they endured

When their right to exist was denied

Light one candle for the terrible sacrifice

Justice and freedom demand

But light one candle for the wisdom to know

When the peacemaker's time is at hand

chorus:

Don't let the light go out!

It's lasted for so many years!

Don't let the light go out!

Let it shine through our love and our tears.

Light one candle for the strength that we need

To never become our own foe

And light one candle for those who are suffering

Pain we learned so long ago

Light one candle for all we believe in

That anger not tear us apart

And light one candle to bind us together

With peace as the song in our hearts

(chorus)

What is the memory that's valued so highly

That we keep it alive in that flame?

What's the commitment to those who have died

That we cry out they've not died in vain?

We have come this far always believing

That justice would somehow prevail

This is the burden, this is the promise

This is why we will not fail!

(chorus)

Don't let the light go out!

Help us to be woke enough not to think of ourselves being the comforted, help us be the comforters and wounded healers.

Help not to be know it alls and be woke to understand what is plaguing our inner beings, neighbors, neighborhoods, the least of these, our family members.

God wake us up to be Woke to your agape love so that we may love everything that you have made. Wake us to be Woke to Radical Love, Hospitality, and inclusion.

Help us to know that being truly woke means being open to radical and random acts of kindness and giving. Where the giver is given and receives much by acts of giving.

Help us to be woke enough to forgive and then find ourselves being actually forgiven

God Wake us Up to Be Woke to know that death isn't the end but only the beginning of a new birth in your heavenly Kindom. Amen and let it be so!

Respond to these petitions with: May we all be one and comfort one another with love, kindness and gentleness God hear our prayers!

God of all comfort be with us this night as we pray for peace in this world and that we may live into our baptismal covenant with you and each other.