Peace, Love, Gratitude: a special Circle of the utmost CALM (Compassion, Acceptance, Love, and Mercy)

Good Evening Family!

Happy Being Thoughtful and Thankful Thursday! What have you to be grateful for? What or whom made you smile, laugh, and feel like you mattered today? These are our meditation questions for this hour. I'm going to try to make this a brief blog due to having my pneumonia shot today and my flu shot yesterday. The arms are a bit achy. BTW it is that time of the year where we need to go and get our yearly vaccinations to keep ourselves and others healthy. Next week be looking out for our annual wellness blog. Tonight's featured saint of the day is St. Matthew The Evangelist!  Let's see what kind of God news are in tonight's lessons.  Let us join together in a healing circle of love and gratitude. 
To prepare ourselves for prayer and vigil time let us do a virtual labyrinth using our mouse as our feet.

Tonight we enter this special healing circle in peace, love, and gratitude in hopes of finding ourselves in a special circle of the the utmost CALM (Compassion, acceptance, love, and mercy). We enter this circle in the presence of God and each other. We enter this circle as one holy family made in the image and likeness of God who is love. God is love, We are love, our neighbors are love.

God is Love Let us love God and One another.

God is Love Let us love God and One.

God is Love Let us love God.

God is Love Let us love.

God is Love.

God is.

God.

Peace be still

Peace be.

Peace.

God is Love Let us love God and One another.
God is Love Let us love God and One.
God is Love Let us love God.
God is Love Let us love.
God is Love.
God is.
God.

Peace be still
Peace be.
Peace.

God is Love Let us love God and One another.
God is Love Let us love God and One.
God is Love Let us love God.
God is Love Let us love.
God is Love.
God is.
God.

Peace be still
Peace be.
Peace.

Anthem at the candle lighting.


Let the righteous rejoice * in the presence of God.
Let the righteous rejoice in the presence of God.
Let them be merry and joyful:
In the presence of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let the righteous rejoice in the presence of God.
V. Their sound has gone out into all lands:
R. And their message to the ends of the world


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.

We must start practicing every day the CALM principle; Be Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful..

Tonight's virtual candlelight vigil is this :

Let us light our candles and be at prayer. This night let us pray that we may love and be kind to one another. Let us pray that peace, love, and gratitude may prevail upon earth and each other. 

Let us light one single candle for our family members in Mexico, Puerto Rico, The U.S. Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida, and all other places in the world affected by hurricane,earthquake, fire, and flood. Let us pray for all aid agencies meeting their needs. Let us pray that each of these disasters in some way lead us to unity and tenderness of heart and spirit, not only in words but in deeds. Give us courage to reach out to one another as family members and see God in each other. May this be a time where we see no borders but a seamless landscape where all families dwell. We pray this in the name of  God who has many names and who is love. Amen. 

Let us now pray  to God who is Love.

God of Love we pray that in this year to come we may practice random acts of kindness and love radically and more fully than we ever have before.

God of  Love we pray that we may not hate, troll, bully, snipe, or be mean in social media and elsewhere.

God of Love we pray that we may practice being CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful)

God of Love help us to use right behavior and manners with one another keeping kindness and love uppermost in our minds.

God of Love we pray that we may love one another not half-heartedly but fully and with out  fear.

God of Love we  pray for the healing of divisions throughout our land in war-torn nations. May love and peace prevail in this your fragile and broken world.

God of Love we pray for the healing of those who are ill in body, mind, and spirit. We remember ______________________ and all of our family members and those who have asked us to pray for.

God of Love we pray for all those who are homeless, hungry, and have nowhere to lay their heads in this cold weather. May they have courage to seek shelter and the many warming centers that are available. Protect them and keep them safe from harm.

God of Love we pray for all pets and all animals who aren't being protected from the all kinds of weather. May the owners of their pets show loving concern for their fluffy family members.

God of Love we pray for justice, universal human rights and the courage to lovingly respond to those who are voiceless and need us to speak truth to power.

God of Love be with our family members who grieve losses that are new and those that are ongoing.
Give us compassionate hearts to love them through dark times and show them the light of your love.

God of Love we pray for all of our family members who live in the Thin Places where eternal joy and light are to be found.

God of Love we pray for all our family members who have children returning to school this week and those who have a little while longer to wait.

God of Love we pray for the protection of our most vulnerable family members remembering children, elderly, differently-abled, those with memory disorders.

God of Love we pray for all our family members who are awaiting surgery and who are hospitalized.

God of Love we pray for ___________________________

God of Love we give thanks for______________________

God of Love we celebrate____________________________

God of Love we remember___________________________

We lay these our prayers at the feet of Jesus who is Love incarnate and in His Most Holy Name. Amen.

Psalm 119: 33-40

He Legem pone
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, *
and I shall keep it to the end.

34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep your law; *
I shall keep it with all my heart.

35 Make me go in the path of your commandments, *
for that is my desire.

36 Incline my heart to your decrees *
and not to unjust gain.

37 Turn my eyes from watching what is worthless; *
give me life in your ways.

38 Fulfill your promise to your servant, *
which you make to those who fear you.

39 Turn away the reproach which I dread, *
because your judgments are good.

40 Behold, I long for your commandments; *
in your righteousness preserve my life.

A Song of Our True Nature
Julian of Norwich

Christ revealed our frailty and our falling, *
our trespasses and our humiliations.
Christ also revealed his blessed power, *
his blessed wisdom and love.
He protects us as tenderly and as sweetly when we are in greatest need; *
he raises us in spirit
and turns everything to glory and joy without ending.
God is the ground and the substance, the very essence of nature; *
God is the true father and mother of natures.
We are all bound to God by nature, *
and we are all bound to God by grace.
And this grace is for all the world, *
because it is our precious mother, Christ.
For this fair nature was prepared by Christ
for the honor and nobility of all, *

and for the joy and bliss of salvation

Proverbs 3:1-6

3My child, do not forget my teaching,
   but let your heart keep my commandments; 
² for length of days and years of life
   and abundant welfare they will give you. 

³ Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
   bind them round your neck,
   write them on the tablet of your heart. 
⁴ So you will find favour and good repute
   in the sight of God and of people. 

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
   and do not rely on your own insight. 
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
   and he will make straight your paths.

2 Timothy 3:14-17

¹⁴But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, ¹⁵and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶All scripture is inspired by God and is^*useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

A Song of Judith

Judith 16:13-16

I will sing a new song to my God, *

for you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible.

Let the whole creation serve you, *

for you spoke and all things came into being.

You sent your breath and it formed them, *

no one is able to resist your voice.

Mountains and seas are stirred to their depths, *

rocks melt like wax at your presence.

But to those who fear you, *

you continue to show mercy.

36

No sacrifice, however fragrant, can please you, *

but whoever fears the Lord shall stand in your sight for ever

Job 28:12-28

¹² ‘But where shall wisdom be found?
   And where is the place of understanding? 
¹³ Mortals do not know the way to it,^*
   and it is not found in the land of the living. 
¹⁴ The deep says, “It is not in me”,
   and the sea says, “It is not with me.” 
¹⁵ It cannot be bought for gold,
   and silver cannot be weighed out as its price. 
¹⁶ It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
   in precious onyx or sapphire.^* 
17 Gold and glass cannot equal it,
   nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold. 
¹⁸ No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
   the price of wisdom is above pearls. 
¹⁹ The chrysolite of Ethiopia^* cannot compare with it,
   nor can it be valued in pure gold. 

²⁰ ‘Where then does wisdom come from?
   And where is the place of understanding? 
²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
   and concealed from the birds of the air. 
²² Abaddon and Death say,
   “We have heard a rumour of it with our ears.” 

²³ ‘God understands the way to it,
   and he knows its place. 
²⁴ For he looks to the ends of the earth,
   and sees everything under the heavens. 
²⁵ When he gave to the wind its weight,
   and apportioned out the waters by measure; 
²⁶ when he made a decree for the rain,
   and a way for the thunderbolt; 
²⁷ then he saw it and declared it;
   he established it, and searched it out. 
²⁸ And he said to humankind,
“Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
   and to depart from evil is understanding.” 

A Song of the Heavenly City

Revelation 21:22-26, 22:1-4

I saw no temple in the city, *

for its temple is the God of surpassing strength and the Lamb.

And the city has no need of sun or moon to light it, *

for the glory of God shines on it, and its lamp is the Lamb.

By its light the nations shall walk, *

and the rulers of the world lay their honor and glory there.

Its gates shall never be shut by day, nor shall there be any night; *

into it they will bring the honor and glory of nations.

I saw the clean river of the water of life, bright as crystal, *

flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

The tree of life spanned the river, giving fruit every month, *

and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of nations.

All curses cease where the throne of God and the Lamb stands,

and all servants give worship there; *

there they will see God’s face, whose Name shall be on their foreheads

Matthew 9:9-13

9 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he got up and followed him.

10 And as he sat at dinner^* in the house, many tax-collectors and sinners came and were sitting^* with him and his disciples. ¹¹When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax-collectors and sinners?’ ¹²But when he heard this, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. ¹³Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.’

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. Matthew 13:44-52 44 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; 46on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 47 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; 48when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. 49So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous 50and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 51 ‘Have you understood all this?’ They answered, ‘Yes.’ 52And he said to them, ‘Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.’ ++++ We thank thee, heavenly Father, for the witness of your apostle and evangelist Matthew to the Gospel of your Son our Savior; and we pray that, after his example, we may with ready wills and hearts obey the calling of our Lord to follow him; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. We pray the words of the Beatitudes  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. For Peace Almighty God, kindle, we pray, in every heart the true love of peace, and guide with your wisdom those who take counsel for the nations of the earth, that in tranquillity your dominion may increase until the earth is filled with the knowledge of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. For those who Influence Public Opinion Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayer of Self-Dedication Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to thee, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly thine, utterly dedicated unto thee; and then use us, we pray thee, as thou wilt, and always to thy glory and the welfare of thy people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 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. Prayers to God who is the Heart Healer God you who are the heart healer of us all, make our hearts if they are hurting in any way whole and healed from anxiety, fear, distress, and broken. God you who are the heart healer of us all,heal the brokeness of  your fragile world and that peace may prevail. God you who are the heart healer of us all, heal our bodies, minds, and spirits and all of our family members who are ill. Give us courage and strength to meet each day with joy and hope. God you who are the heart healer of us all, take from us every root of bitterness and division that we may all be one. God you who are the heart healer of us all, may we have courage to live authentically into our truth as the beautiful children you have made us to be in your image and likeness.  God you who are the heart healer of us all, may we do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you as we become and are the voices for the voiceless and speak truth to power. God you who are the heart healer of us all, make our bodies strong so that we may serve you and follow where you lead. God you who are the heart healer of us all, we  pray for _______________ and give thanks for____________ for ourselves and on behalf of others. God you who are the heart healer of us all, we pray for those who are in mourning and pre-grieving  may we lovingly respond with compassion. God you who are the heart healer of us all, we pray for all who are dying and who have died today that they may have a gentle transition into the Thin Places. Jesus, accept these our prayers in your most Holy Name. Amen. The Song of Simeon Nunc dimittis Luke 2:29-32 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. 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) +++++ Good Night Family! I love you lots! I give thanks to God for you this day and always. May you find peace, love, and gratitude dwelling within you as you rest.  With love and blessings, Sara Resources: Enriching Our Worship Book of Occasional Services Book of Common Prayer Satucket Lectionary for Lessons and the Saint of the Day: St. Matthew - Apostle and Evangelist

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