Good Evening Beloved Community!
Happy Wisdom Wednesday! Today we have the honor of celebrating many people and a speech that gave us the impetus to step up and be counted as children of God in the struggle. We celebrate Augustine of Hippo and Moses the Black who were African saints! Today is also "I Have a Dream" Day at Walk With Me On Our Journey. We remember Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic speech "I Have a Dream" given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial 56 years ago today. This speech is an ever present reminder and yardstick for all of us. Please click on the link and pray this speech and let it sink in. The text is from the National Archives. Tonight we have two sets of lessons and collects from which to choose.
To begin our time together let us ponder these quotes.
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"In a real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be... This is the inter-related structure of reality." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But... the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation and for those it calls enemy, for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers and sisters." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Commit yourself to the noble struggle for human rights. You will make a greater person of yourself, a greater nation of your country and a finer world to live in." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We must learn that to expect God to do everything while we do nothing is not faith but superstition." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men. It is the refusal to defeat any individual. When you rise to the level of love, of its great beauty and power, you seek only to defeat evil systems. Individuals who happen to be caught up in that system, you love, but you seek to defeat the system." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"The time has come for an all-out war against poverty. The rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop the underdeveloped, school the unschooled, and feed the unfed. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for "the least of these"." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"When our days become dreary with low hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows. Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Come let us worship.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
"A Christian is: a mind through which Christ thinks, a heart through which Christ loves, a voice through which Christ speaks, and a hand through which Christ helps." ~ Saint Augustine
"God of our life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and weigh us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening; when our lives have no music in them, and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, run our eyes to where the skies are full of promise; tune our hearts to brave music; give us the sense of comradeship with heroes and saints of every age; and so quicken our spirits that we may be able to encourage the souls of all who journey with us on the road of life, to your honor and glory." ~ Saint Augustine
"O Lord my God,
tell me what you are to me.
Say to my soul,
I am your salvation.
Say it so that I can hear it.
My heart is listening, Lord;
open the ears of my heart
and say to my soul,
I am your salvation.
Let me run toward this voice
and seize hold of you.
Do not hide your face from me:
let me die so that I may see it,
for not to see it would be death to me indeed." ~ Saint Augustine
"Our heart is restless until it rests in You." ~ Saint Augustine
"Give me yourself, O my God, give yourself back to me. Lo, I love you, but if my love is too mean, let me love more passionately. I cannot gauge my love, nor know how far it fails, how much more love I need for my life to set its course straight into your arms, never swerving until hidden in the covert of your face." ~ Saint Augustine
"There is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love Thee for Thine own sake, whose joy Thou Thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee, for Thee; this it is, and there is no other." ~ Saint Augustine
"Late have I loved you, O beauty ever ancient, ever new. Late have I loved you. You have called to me, and have called out, and have shattered my deafness. You have blazed forth with light and have put my blindness to flight! You have sent forth fragrance, and I have drawn in my breath, and I pant after you. I have tasted you, and I hunger and thirst after you. You have touched me, and I have burned for your peace." ~ Saint Augustine
"What art Thou then, my God? what, but the Lord God? For who is Lord but the Lord? or who is God save our God? Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful, yet most just; most hidden, yet most present; most beautiful, yet most strong; stable, yet incomprehensible; unchangeable, yet all-changing; never new, never old; all-renewing, and bringing age upon the proud, and they know it not; ever working, ever at rest; still gathering, yet nothing lacking; supporting, filling, and overspreading; creating, nourishing, and maturing; seeking, yet having all things." ~ Saint Augustine
"Charity is no substitute for justice withheld." ~ Saint Augustine
As it is the anniversary of the "I Have a Dream Speech" Let us pray this special Canon from the Brotherhood of Moses the Black
Canon for Racial Reconciliation
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
Tone 2
Ode I
Irmos: In the deep of old, the infinite power overwhelmed Pharaoh’s whole army, but the incarnate Word annihilated pernicious sin, exceedingly glorious is the Lord, for gloriously hath He been glorified.
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
Because “the Stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner”, the disparate races are conjoined again. (Ps 118:22)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Even as Christ commanded us to love the Lord thy God “with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength”, so He also called us to “love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mark 12:30), (Mark 12:31).
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The sum of humanity’s reconciliation to God is voiced in one acclamation. Theotokos. She who bears God.
Ode III
Irmos: By establishing me on the rock of faith, Thou hast enlarged my mouth over my enemies, and my spirit rejoices when I sing: There is none holy as our God, and none righteous beside Thee, O Lord.
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
Putting behind the Noahic curse (Gen 9:26), we press “toward the mark for the prize of high calling of God in Christ Jesus”, by seeing the mark of God upon each face. (Phil 4:14)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Splintered by callous condemnation, Noah’s sons split the races in three. But the blood of the Second person of the Trinity filled the divide, restoring a common humanity in Christ.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
The Theotokos not only joined man to God but also began the process of reconciling man to man and race to race.
Sedalion, tone 4
O Lord, when You close all the loftily divisive and distracting worldly windows, bring us to the doors of repentance.
By the left door of remorse, let us bring our hearts, broken and humbled. By the right door of resolve, let us bring our minds wholly redirected by your Holy Spirit to the throne of Christ.
Bring us to that table where all may find a place.
For all the races of humanity can be found in your garden, where each of us is one of your beloved flowers.
Ode IV
Irmos: From a Virgin didst Thou come, not as an ambassador nor as an angel, but the very Lord himself incarnate, and didst save me the whole man. Wherefore I cry to Thee: Glory to Thy power O Lord.
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
Putting behind the pain of his brother’s murder, St Dionysius applied the fruit of familial repentance. He applied the forgiving balm of Christ to the repentant soul of his brother’s murderer. He gave him the sacrament of absolution after the man sincerely confessed his sins.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The three Hypostases, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, regard the heart, not the might nor the melanin. Alas I will trust in Him Who has made all things, sees all things, hears all things and feels all things, great and small.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
O compassionately loving Mary, full of grace and mercy, teach us to love one another, even if love is not initially returned.
Ode V
Irmos: Thou who are the light of those lying in darkness, and the salvation of the despairing, O Christ my Savior, I rise early to pray to Thee, O King of Peace. Enlighten me with Thy radiance, for I know no other God beside Thee.
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
Putting behind the mark of Cain, we strive to see past our neighbor’s specks and concentrate on our own remarkably large beams of sin that need unceasing prayer.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The consubstantial Trinity in God glorified seeks the restoration by adoption of all mankind. Yet all must come to the throne of grace by free will. How wonderful is our God.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Sweet Mother of the Merciful God, your raiment has threads from the four corners of the earth. All generations bless you.
Ode VI
Irmos: Whirled about in the abyss of sin, I appeal to the unfathomable abyss of Thy compassion: from corruption raise me up, O God.
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
Putting behind the memories of being sold into slavery, Joseph acknowledged that it was God and not his apologetic brothers who “did send me before you to preserve life” (Gen 45:5). So also let us acknowledge the fulfillment of God’s ineffable will.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one in essence and undivided. Man, though created, has been granted everlasting salvation by partaking of the body and blood of Christ. Thus, is man reunited to God and to man.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Rejoice O Virgin, for He who made thy womb more spacious than the Heavens, has come to reconcile Man to God and Man to Man.
Kontakion, tone 4
For the weak, let us share strength. For the strong in Christ, let us forego condemnation. For the strong can bear the infirmities of weak in Christ; through Him all things can be done, for the Trinity alone is Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.
Ode VII
Irmos: When the golden image was worshipped in the plain of Dura, thy three children despised the godless order, thrown into the fire, they were bedewed and sang: blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
As all races may build the bridge of reconciliation through a sharing of the fruits of repentance, so relationship is reformed. While the Prodigal Son can give the fruit of humility, the Big Brother can give the fruit of patience and forgiveness.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Putting behind the cries of betrayal, Christ carried forward his cross. By love and obedience, not by nails, did He remain on the cross, trampling death by death.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Putting behind the crucifying cries, the Holy Virgin endured pain worse than the travail of birth. By love, she gave birth to love. By faith, she went from strength to strength. By hope, she watched the Light of Light, slip into Hades and then soar back to the Heavens.
Ode VIII
Irmos: O ye works, praise the Lord God, who descended into the fiery furnace with the Hebrew children and changed the flame into dew, and supremely exalt Him unto all ages.
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
Putting behind the memories of Israel, Daniel kept his sight on God, though he was a stranger in a strange land.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Even as repentance is more than being sorry, so racial reconciliation is more than having the oppressor offer an apology. The fruit of repentance may vary in form and fashion. The Prophet David would offer a psalm. St Zaccheus would offer a four fold restoration. St John Maximovitch would offer his fasting and an orphanage. St Menas would offer his martyr’s blood. St Luke would offer his icons and healing counsel. St Herman would leave familiar surroundings and bring Orthodoxy to America. St Thais would offer her thankful, heartfelt and tearful prayers. St Moses would offer his humble bag of spilling sand.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
O Joy of All Who Sorrow, sanctify us by your intercession before your Son and our Saviour. For He, who sat upon your arm, is strong and mighty, True God of True God. Help us to reunite together in love, patient co-suffering and unspeakable joy.
Ode IX
Irmos: God the Word, who came forth from God, and who by ineffable wisdom came to renew Adam after his grievous fall to corruption through eating, and who ineffably took flesh from the Holy Virgin for our sake, Him do we the faithful with one accord magnify with hymns.
Glory to God for all the flowers in His garden
Putting behind the sorrow of racial division, let us see the good and commonality of one another in Christ. For the garment of gladness is the same.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Let God be glorified from above and from united voices below. Let those with much share so there would be none with little. Let the daily loaves that the Lord sends be split generously, so that the races will no longer be prone to splitting.
Both now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Yea, Holy Mother, Awesome Reconciler who cannot be put to shame, help us to heal our wounds of race, class, gender and nationality with the binding balm of the all-embracing Christ, who shall come again with glory, and whose manifold united kingdom will have no end.
Dismissal
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Let us meditate upon Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream Speech August 28, 1963
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen +
Let us light this unity and Ubuntu candle as we celebrate "I Have a Dream" Day !
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.
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.
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
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.
For the Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo
87 Fundamenta ejus
1 On the holy mountain stands the city he has founded; *
the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
2 Glorious things are spoken of you, *
O city of our God.
3 I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me; *
behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia:
in Zion were they born.
4 Of Zion it shall be said, "Everyone was born in her, *
and the Most High himself shall sustain her."
5 The Lord will record as he enrolls the peoples, *
"These also were born there."
1 On the holy mountain stands the city he has founded; *
the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
2 Glorious things are spoken of you, *
O city of our God.
3 I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me; *
behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia:
in Zion were they born.
4 Of Zion it shall be said, "Everyone was born in her, *
and the Most High himself shall sustain her."
5 The Lord will record as he enrolls the peoples, *
"These also were born there."
6 The singers and the dancers will say, *
"All my fresh springs are in you."
Hebrews 12:22-29
22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23and to the assembly* of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
25 See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! 26At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.’ 27This phrase ‘Yet once more’ indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe;29for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
25 See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! 26At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven.’ 27This phrase ‘Yet once more’ indicates the removal of what is shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe;29for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
John 14:6-15
6Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will know*my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.’
8 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’9Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me* for anything, I will do it.
Lord God, the light of the minds that know you, the life of the souls that love you, and the strength of the hearts that serve you: Help us, following the example of your servant, Augustine of Hippo, so to know you that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may fully serve you, whose service is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
8 Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.’9Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, “Show us the Father”? 10Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works.11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If in my name you ask me* for anything, I will do it.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
15 ‘If you love me, you will keep* my commandments.Lord God, the light of the minds that know you, the life of the souls that love you, and the strength of the hearts that serve you: Help us, following the example of your servant, Augustine of Hippo, so to know you that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may fully serve you, whose service is perfect freedom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
For the Feast of Moses the Black
86 Inclina, Domine
1 Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me, *
for I am poor and in misery.
2 Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful; *
save your servant who puts his trust in you.
3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God; *
I call upon you all the day long.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant, *
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, *
and great is your love toward all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, *
and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, *
for you will answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord, *
nor anything like your works.
9 All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord, *
and glorify your Name.
10 For you are great;
you do wondrous things; *
and you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
and I will walk in your truth; *
knit my heart to you that I may fear your Name.
12 I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, *
and glorify your Name for evermore.
13 For great is your love toward me; *
you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.
2 Chronicles 28:8-15
Intervention of Oded
8 The people of Israel took captive two hundred thousand of their kin, women, sons, and daughters; they also took much booty from them and brought the booty to Samaria. 9But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, ‘Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven. 10Now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. But what have you except sins against the Lord your God? 11Now hear me, and send back the captives whom you have taken from your kindred, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.’ 12Moreover, certain chiefs of the Ephraimites, Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai, stood up against those who were coming from the war, 13and said to them, ‘You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring on us guilt against the Lord in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.’ 14So the warriors left the captives and the booty before the officials and all the assembly. 15Then those who were mentioned by name got up and took the captives, and with the booty they clothed all that were naked among them; they clothed them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed them; and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought them to their kindred at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.Luke 23:39-43
39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding* him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah?* Save yourself and us!’ 40But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ 42Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into* your kingdom.’ 43He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
Almighty God, whose blessed Son guides our footsteps in the way of peace: Deliver us from paths of hatred and violence, that we, following the example of your servant Moses, may serve you with singleness of heart and attain to the tranquility of the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Prayer to St. Moses (From the Brotherhood of Moses the Black)
You forsook temporal riches, earthly fame, and fleshly pleasure and freely chose a life of poverty and deprivation to become rich in spirit. Having tasted the momentary sweetness of sin, you foresaw the bitter end that awaits a life of self-indulgence. Having stained your hands with the blood of your brother, you foretasted the anguish of hell. From this pit, you cried out to God Who raised you up as a testimony of His almighty power. In your ascent to near the Living God you did not spare yourself but willfully endured a life of hardship and struggle. By following the path of the Cross, your soul was empowered by the might of the Holy Spirit, your mind was illumined with the understanding of things divine, and your heart was filled with the burning love of God for thy fellow man. And though you lived in ancient times and in a distant land, today we find ourselves faced with the same struggle to overcome the evil that lies within us. In these perilous times, we call on your prayers—help us! For our brothers and sisters are dying daily and our children are born hopeless in a world barren of Christian love. Amidst these trials, we waver because our faith is weak and we know not how to endure suffering courageously. Pray that we be strengthened to live uprightly, walking in the light of the holy Gospel, ever seeking to do the will of God. And in the dreadful Day of Judgment, pray that we may be received with His Unoriginate Son, and His most holy and life creating Spirit, to whom belongs all glory, honour and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering prayers I wrote 5 years ago today and tomorrow when I was undergoing chemotherapy.
Lord Jesus as we prepare to dedicate our time of meditation of prayers,meditation, and empowerment to the Holy Spirit, may we always remember that you are continuing to heal and are our Blessed Savior who came to forgive us all our sins and that remind us that we are all family members.
Jesus, we pray for all those who travel this weekend and pray for traveling mercies for everyone.
Jesus, we pray for all those who sit vigil at bedside and we pray for peace and comfort of all concerned. We pray that those we witness may find comfort and peace.
Jesus, we pray for all those who are planning to raise funds for any disease or condition. We pray that people may give generously from their hearts and not by guilt.
Jesus, we pray for peace in this broken world and that all may be able to end their violent divisions.
Jesus, may we become peace makers, light shiners, hope bearers, and love bringers and show ourselves as lights of the world and the salt of the Earth.
Jesus, bring us rain that will heal this parched earth of ours.
Jesus, we pray for all those who are preparing to undergo medical tests and are awaiting test results.
Jesus, we continue to pray for justice, peace, mercy in our land and in all places around the world.
A Prayer attributed to St. Francis
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
We join our hands and hearts in love and pray for peace. God may we with you become peace makers.
We join our hands, feet, eyes, ears, and voices in service to you God.
We join our voices to speak truth to power and to speak out for the least of these.
We join our minds to help become the educated Children of God.
We join our hands and hearts in prayers for those who have come to us asking for prayers on behalf of others.
We join our hearts in prayer with those who mourn and those who are keeping vigil at the bedside of their loved ones who are transitioning into the glorious Heavenly Thin Places.
We join our voices, hands, feet, and minds to speak out for health care, human rights, the homeless, the hungry and the lost, Help us to feed these hungry hearts with courage and love.
We join our prayers for those who are dying and those who have died today.
We join our bodies to help become stewards of God's Cathedral of life.
We join our hearts in love and pray for an end to hate and violence.
We join together to pray that there may be an end to war and terror in this Your Fragile and broken world O God.
We join together to add our prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances to you now O God. Accept these our prayers in the Name of your only Son Jesus. Amen.
You forsook temporal riches, earthly fame, and fleshly pleasure and freely chose a life of poverty and deprivation to become rich in spirit. Having tasted the momentary sweetness of sin, you foresaw the bitter end that awaits a life of self-indulgence. Having stained your hands with the blood of your brother, you foretasted the anguish of hell. From this pit, you cried out to God Who raised you up as a testimony of His almighty power. In your ascent to near the Living God you did not spare yourself but willfully endured a life of hardship and struggle. By following the path of the Cross, your soul was empowered by the might of the Holy Spirit, your mind was illumined with the understanding of things divine, and your heart was filled with the burning love of God for thy fellow man. And though you lived in ancient times and in a distant land, today we find ourselves faced with the same struggle to overcome the evil that lies within us. In these perilous times, we call on your prayers—help us! For our brothers and sisters are dying daily and our children are born hopeless in a world barren of Christian love. Amidst these trials, we waver because our faith is weak and we know not how to endure suffering courageously. Pray that we be strengthened to live uprightly, walking in the light of the holy Gospel, ever seeking to do the will of God. And in the dreadful Day of Judgment, pray that we may be received with His Unoriginate Son, and His most holy and life creating Spirit, to whom belongs all glory, honour and worship, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Remembering prayers I wrote 5 years ago today and tomorrow when I was undergoing chemotherapy.
Lord Jesus as we prepare to dedicate our time of meditation of prayers,meditation, and empowerment to the Holy Spirit, may we always remember that you are continuing to heal and are our Blessed Savior who came to forgive us all our sins and that remind us that we are all family members.
Jesus, we pray for all those who travel this weekend and pray for traveling mercies for everyone.
Jesus, we pray for all those who sit vigil at bedside and we pray for peace and comfort of all concerned. We pray that those we witness may find comfort and peace.
Jesus, we pray for all those who are planning to raise funds for any disease or condition. We pray that people may give generously from their hearts and not by guilt.
Jesus, we pray for peace in this broken world and that all may be able to end their violent divisions.
Jesus, may we become peace makers, light shiners, hope bearers, and love bringers and show ourselves as lights of the world and the salt of the Earth.
Jesus, bring us rain that will heal this parched earth of ours.
Jesus, we pray for all those who are preparing to undergo medical tests and are awaiting test results.
Jesus, we continue to pray for justice, peace, mercy in our land and in all places around the world.
Jesus, we pray for the leaders of the nations that they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.
Jesus, we pray for the least of these our family members that they may be welcomed in all places of sanctuary and that their needs may be met. May we show them love, compassion, and recognize you Lord Jesus in each face.
Jesus, accept these our prayers and those prayed on behalf of others in you most Holy Name. Amen
And this one
Holy Spirit, enliven us with your spirit so that we may bring love, peace, hope, and joy to this broken world.
Holy Spirit, heal our weary bodies, minds, and spirits that we may be wholly whole and spread the Good News of God in Christ to those who are in need of love, compassion, and acceptance.
Holy Spirit, bring your comforting spirit to all those who mourn and have been affected by tragedies.
Holy Spirit, quicken our minds that we may think aright and that our thoughts, words, and deeds may heal, comfort, and speak truth to power and that justice and peace may prevail upon Earth,
Holy Spirit, may we be soothed by the Waters of Life coursing through our veins and may we never thirst but thirst after righteousness.
Holy Spirit,empower us to practice random acts of kindness and to what is pleasing in God's Sight.
Holy Spirit, may we respond with a resounding yes! to God's Call for our lives.
Holy Spirit, empower us to speak for and serve the powerless.
Holy Spirit, may we feel your energizing presence that we may be guided to do all the things that God is having us do and to be.
God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit may our prayers be acceptable as we lift them to you and lay them gently in your holy and gracious arms. Amen.
Holy Spirit, heal our weary bodies, minds, and spirits that we may be wholly whole and spread the Good News of God in Christ to those who are in need of love, compassion, and acceptance.
Holy Spirit, bring your comforting spirit to all those who mourn and have been affected by tragedies.
Holy Spirit, quicken our minds that we may think aright and that our thoughts, words, and deeds may heal, comfort, and speak truth to power and that justice and peace may prevail upon Earth,
Holy Spirit, may we be soothed by the Waters of Life coursing through our veins and may we never thirst but thirst after righteousness.
Holy Spirit,empower us to practice random acts of kindness and to what is pleasing in God's Sight.
Holy Spirit, may we respond with a resounding yes! to God's Call for our lives.
Holy Spirit, empower us to speak for and serve the powerless.
Holy Spirit, may we feel your energizing presence that we may be guided to do all the things that God is having us do and to be.
God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit may our prayers be acceptable as we lift them to you and lay them gently in your holy and gracious arms. 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.
Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)
Christ Has No Body
Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.
Let us pray in the Key of Jesus and Ring the Bells of El Camino Real for those who fought for justice, peace, and equality.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for Martin Luther King Jr. and his witness to all of our family members who were longing for justice in this their distant home and land that we take for granted.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for Martin Luther King Jr. and his witness to all of our family members who were longing for justice in this their distant home and land that we take for granted.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for Mahatma Gandhi who taught us how to protest non-violently Help us to follow Your and His Model and use our words to make peace and cry out for the voiceless.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for all who gave their lives in the Stonewall riots to help pave the way for LGBTQ rights and the rights of those who are afraid to live authentically. May we see God in each of us who are in the LGBTQ community, who are family, allies, and friends , be enfolded into the mainstream community with out fear and labeling.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for Elizabeth Cady Stanton and all of our sisters who fought for the rights of women so that they would no longer be property but full and perfect members of society and examples of citizenry to their sons and daughters. We pray that all of our sisters may have full protection and rights securely given them.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for all of our family members who were interned in the Japanese internment camps at Manzanar and Santa Anita. We pray for their contributions to our society and ask for their forgiveness for the wrongs we may have done out of fear and mistrust.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for the witness of all our Native and Indigenous Martyrs who were here in their homelands of origin in this country We pray for forgiveness for the wrongs we have done to them and remember the trail of tears that took them away from places they call home and became refugees in strange and distant lands. We remember this night all of our family members who are refugees. We pray that they may one day return home as You , Mary, and Joseph left Egypt for Nazareth.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for Malala and all children who speak truth to power. We pray for all our children that they may be protected from harm. May all of our youth look to Malala for hope and a role model of what one child can do. We pray this in the Key of Jesus!
Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for Cesar Chavez and all those who fought for the farm worker and for the rights and protection of those who put food on our tables.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for those who have died in the struggle for justice, equality, inclusion, and universal human rights.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for all the many witnesses that we have not named but you know them all may we remember them now_____________________________
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
Jesus we pray and give thanks for this night especially for ________________________
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Justice for all of our family members now.
We pray this in the Key of Jesus! Ring out the Bells of Forgiveness,Justice, Peace, Human kindness, and most especially love, for all of our family members now. We pray this in the name of Jesus who came to unite us in love, forgiveness, and serve to and speak for the least of these. Amen.
or these:
We Join together in prayer
We join our hearts with all of our brothers and sisters all over the world God as your family of love, peace, and mercy to pray for our family members who have become refugees, outcasts, and the persecuted.
We join our hands and hearts in love and pray for peace. God may we with you become peace makers.
We join our hands, feet, eyes, ears, and voices in service to you God.
We join our voices to speak truth to power and to speak out for the least of these.
We join our minds to help become the educated Children of God.
We join our hands and hearts in prayers for those who have come to us asking for prayers on behalf of others.
We join our hearts in prayer with those who mourn and those who are keeping vigil at the bedside of their loved ones who are transitioning into the glorious Heavenly Thin Places.
We join our voices, hands, feet, and minds to speak out for health care, human rights, the homeless, the hungry and the lost, Help us to feed these hungry hearts with courage and love.
We join our prayers for those who are dying and those who have died today.
We join our bodies to help become stewards of God's Cathedral of life.
We join our hearts in love and pray for an end to hate and violence.
We join together to pray that there may be an end to war and terror in this Your Fragile and broken world O God.
We join together to add our prayers, thanksgivings, celebrations, and remembrances to you now O God. Accept these our prayers in the Name of your only Son Jesus. Amen.
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.
Or
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.
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.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more
than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to
generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever.
Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
St. Augustine's Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.
God’s Blessing be with you,
Christ’s peace be with you,
the Spirit’s outpouring be with you,
now and always. Amen.
(source: Celtic)
What you hold may you always hold.
What you do, may you always do and never abandon.
But with swift pace, light step and unswerving feet,
so that even your steps stir up no dust,
Go forward, the spirit of our God has called you.(St. Clare)
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 Beloved Ones! Let us intently listen to God and what God is calling us to do and to be. I love you. May you all have a blessed and restful night.
Love and blessings!
Sara
Resources:
A New Zealand Prayer Book
Book of Common Prayer
Enriching Our Worship
Satucket for lessons and Biographies of our Saints of the Day Moses the Black and Augustine of Hippo
Walk With Me On Our Journey.
Metis Aboriginal Ministries
In Lak 'Ech- Luis Valdez
Other resources as noted.
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