Walk With me on Our Journey: Monday in Holy Week 2020

Good Evening Dearly Loved Ones!

It is time to begin our Holy Week journey! Let us begin with these quotes:

8 Holy Week Quotes!

"Holy Week is a privileged time when we are called to draw near to Jesus: friendship with him is shown in times of difficulty." ~ Pope Francis

"Holy Week challenges us to step outside ourselves so as to attend to the needs of others: those who long for a sympathetic ear, those in need of comfort or help. We should not simply remain in our own secure world, that of the ninety-nine sheep who never strayed from the fold, but we should go out, with Christ, in search of the one lost sheep, however far it may have wandered." ~ Pope Francis

"No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown." ~ William Penn

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

"Holy Week is a good occasion to go to confession and to take up the right path again." ~ Pope Francis

"Living Holy Week following Jesus means learning how to come out of ourselves to reach out to others, to go to the outskirts of existence, to be the first to move towards our brothers and sisters, especially those who are most distant, those who are forgotten, those who are most in need of understanding, consolation and help. There is so much need to bring the living presence of Jesus, merciful and full of love!" ~ Pope Francis

"Somehow we just don't make the same boisterous fun of Holy Week that we do of Christmas. No one plans to have a holly, jolly Easter." ~ Frederica Mathewes-Green

"It took time for the church to come to terms with the ignominy of the cross. Church fathers forbade its depiction in art until the reign of the Roman emperor Constantine.... Now, though, the symbol is everywhere: artists beat gold into the shape of the Roman execution device, baseball players cross themselves before batting, and candy confectioners even make chocolate crosses for the faithful to eat during Holy Week. Strange as it may seem, Christianity has become a religion of the cross--the gallows, the electric chair, the gas chamber, in modern terms." ~ Philip Yancey

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Come let us worship.

Joseph Barth: A Grace

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

Christ became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:8

All of us like sheep have gone astray, and we have turned to our own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. Isaiah 53:6

Jesus our Lord was given up to death for our misdeeds, and raised to life to justify us. Romans 4:25

The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28

Whoever serves me, must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; the Father will honour anyone who serves me. John 12:26

Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5:7

For as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26

Out of love for the world God gave the only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (adapted)

If while we were God’s enemies we were reconciled by the death of God’s Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Romans 5:10

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. John 3:14

‘Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights,’ says the Lord; ‘I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.’ Isaiah 42:1

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.

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.

We come together this night as one family in humanity and God and Love. We light our candles together so that we may pray and be united in hope, joy love, and peace. We pray together that this world may learn from us that to love one another is the key to having peace prevail upon earth.
We pray this night for an end to division, hatred, racism, bigotry, and terror. We pray for our family members throughout the world especially Syria and all nations affected by dis-ease, violence, terror, and injustice. We pray for our family members who are the least of these who are homeless, hungry, ill -clad and who feel invisible. We pray for the acutely and chronically ill and that they may find a release from pain and suffering. We pray together as one. We pray that we may be CALM (compassionate, accepting loving, and merciful ) even when the week's stresses are just beginning. We pray that we may be everyone's soft places in which to fall when they are needed. We pray together as one and light our candles as the united family of God and Love this night and always.

I make my prayer to you, O God; * be merciful to me.
I make my prayer to you, O God; be merciful to me.
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against you:
Be merciful to me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I make my prayer to you, O God, be merciful to me.

V. Create in me a clean heart, O God:
R. And renew a right spirit within me.

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.

CANTICLE 14

A Song of Penitence Kyrie Pantokrator

Prayer of Manasseh, 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-15

O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, *

God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

and of all their righteous offspring:

You made the heavens and the earth, *

with all their vast array.

All things quake with fear at your presence; *

they tremble because of your power.

But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; *

it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.

O Lord, you are full of compassion, *

long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.

You hold back your hand; *

you do not punish as we deserve.

In your great goodness, Lord,

you have promised forgiveness to sinners, *

that they may repent of their sin and be saved.

And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, *

and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.

I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, *

and I know my wickedness only too well.

Therefore I make this prayer to you: *

Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.

Do not let me perish in my sin, *

nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.

For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, *

and in me you will show forth your goodness.

Unworthy as I am, you will save me,

in accordance with your great mercy, *

and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.

For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, *

and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.

This week's prayer Focus From Industrial Christian Fellowship!

Covid-19 - Praying for the World at Work
In these unprecedented circumstances, which have re-defined our experience of work, we have suspended our usual prayer updates. Instead we will seek to offer some weekly prayer reflections around the world of work, which you might include alongside your prayers for everyone affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

In every case, we encourage you to pray for all those in key occupations, those that are obvious and those that are not, as they seek to enable our communities to stay as safe and well as possible.

This week, we would particularly encourage you to pray for those involved in maintaining food production and availability - farmers to delivery drivers, volunteer distributors and everyone in between. Pray that they will be kept safe, might have the required ingenuity to adapt to emerging challenges, and that we will all learn to be grateful for what we have rather than concerned about what is not available to us. Jesus encourages us to pray 'Give us this day our daily bread' - this week we give thanks for those who make that provision available to us.

Our scheduled prayer focus this week is for those involved in the preservation, research and curating of history. While praying for all whose working lives have been disrupted in recent days, you are invited to particularly pray for those in this sector who are affected by current realities.

Last year's prayer focus!
Those who work in community health
God who made all of humanity, You call your people the body of Christ and so remind us that when one part suffers, all suffer. So we pray for those who seek to bring well-being to our communities, by caring for the health of those within them. Help us to work together and through learning and teaching, caring and healing, prevention and cure to reflect your concern to bring wholeness to all people. This we pray in the name of Jesus whose touch brought healing, whose words brought comfort and whose presence brought hope. AMEN

From The Resistance Prays

"Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your salvation to the upright of heart!
Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,
or the hand of the wicked drive me away."
- Psalm 36:5-11

Loving God, you are a God of grace and care, not of anger and smite; help us remember that in these days. Give us the wisdom to know how to help, the courage to keep asking for our neighbors, and peace to share with those who cannot find it alone. Amen.

This is what I have seen to be good: it is fitting to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of the life God gives us; for this is our lot. - Ecclesiastes 5:18

Jesus, our Great Physician, bring healing to your people all over the world, no matter how old or young, how rich or poor, or what their nationality is. Protect your workers and give them great joy in their service. Amen.

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, appealing to him and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible distress.” And he said to him, “I will come and cure him.” The centurion answered, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and the slave does it.” When Jesus heard him, he was amazed and said to those who followed him, “Truly I tell you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith”....And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you according to your faith." And the servant was healed in that hour. -Matthew 8:5-10, 13

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Jim Hughes’ song “Small Things, Great Love” expands on the famous statement by St. Teresa of Calcutta:

“Small things, great love

Jesus asks this of me

to do small things with great love

Jesus asks this of me

...

Comfort those who are sick or dying

Jesus asks this of me...

Then they brought the donkey to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. hen those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.” - Mark 11:7-11
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Each time you eat this week, say a prayer of thanks for every worker, with these words of labor rights leader Dolores Huerta in mind:

“Every single day we sit down to eat, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and at our table we have food that was planted, picked, or harvested by a farm worker. Why is it that the people who do the most sacred work in our nation are the most oppressed, the most exploited?”
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From Prayers of Power

OUR LITTLE LIVES - Howard Thurman

Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
The quietness in Your temple of silence again and again rebuffs us:
For some there is no discipline to hold them steady in the waiting,
And the minds reject the noiseless invasion of Your spirit.
For some there is no will to offer what is central in the thoughts—
The confusion is so manifest, there is no starting place to take hold.
For some the evils of the world tear down all concentrations
And scatter the focus of the high resolves.
We do not know how to do what we know to do.
We do not know how to be what we know to be.
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!
Pour out upon us whatever our spirits need of shock, of life, of release
That we may find strength for these days—
Courage and hope for tomorrow.
In confidence we rest in Your sustaining grace
Which makes possible triumph in defeat, gain in loss, and love in hate.
We rejoice this day to say:
Our little lives, our big problems—these we place upon Your altar!

Prayers of Herbert F. Vetter

THE SACRAMENT OF SILENCE

In the silence, O God, You constantly surround our growing life.

We know You in the silence of the healing wound, the muteness of tenderness, the quiet growth within the sleeping child, the unspoken bonds uniting friend and friend, the still intensity of meditation, the soundless splendor of our changing seasons.

We know You in the sacred silence of our bodies: the secret movement of the hidden cells, the noiseless restoration of the tissues’ balance, the unheard ebb and flow within each artery and vein.

We know You in the magic silence of our minds: the mystery of memory, retaining afterimages of childhood, youth, and later years; the miracle of imagination, whereby we behold our visions of the city unattained; the marvel of attention, when the mind is focused to absorption on some needful task.

We know You in the hidden silence of our hearts: the never uttered depths of love between a man and a woman, a teacher and a student, a parent and a child; the art of being altogether for another; the faith restoring fact that someone else is utterly for you.

We know You in the fateful silences of faith. We know You in the sacrament of silence.

TAME MY HEART

Tame my heart, O God.
Trim my illusions.
Subdue these wild desires that lead to nowhere:

The desire to seem much wiser and much better than I am;
The desire to win, win, win, and never lose;
The desire to retreat when life cries for advance.

This is my prayer to You and to myself:
I pray for inward honesty, for disciplines of soul;
I pray that You will shatter my illusions and tame my restless heart.

BENEDICTION

May we forever hope in the possibilities of life;
May we forever share the adventures of ideas;
May we know peace through not expecting the impossible;
May we know joy through helping what is possible come true.

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PRAYER OF THE FARM WORKERS’ STRUGGLE
Show me the suffering of the most miserable;
So I will know my people’s plight.
Free me to pray for others;
For you are present in every person.
Help me take responsibility for my own life;
So that I can be free at last.
Grant me courage to serve others;
For in service there is" true life.
Give me honesty and patience;
So that I can work with other workers.
Bring forth song and celebration;
So that the Spirit will be alive among us.
Let the Spirit flourish anti grow;
So that we will never tire of the struggle.
Let us remember those who have died for justice;
For they have given us life.
Help us love even those who hate us;
So we can change the world.
Amen.
Written by Cesar E. Chavez, UFW Founder (1927-1993)
Cesar E. Chavez Foundation 1741 s. Harvard Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90006
213-733-6346 e-mail <chavezfdtn@igc.apc

69 Salvum me fac

1 Save me, O God, *
for the waters have risen up to my neck.

2 I am sinking in deep mire, *
and there is no firm ground for my feet.

3 I have come into deep waters, *
and the torrent washes over me.

4 I have grown weary with my crying;
my throat is inflamed; *
my eyes have failed from looking for my God.

5 Those who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
my lying foes who would destroy me are mighty. *
Must I then give back what I never stole?

6 O God, you know my foolishness, *
and my faults are not hidden from you.

7 Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me,
Lord God of hosts; *
let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me,
O God of Israel.

8 Surely, for your sake have I suffered reproach, *
and shame has covered my face.

9 I have become a stranger to my own kindred, *
an alien to my mother's children.

10 Zeal for your house has eaten me up; *
the scorn of those who scorn you has fallen upon me.

11 I humbled myself with fasting, *
but that was turned to my reproach.

12 I put on sack-cloth also, *
and became a byword among them.

13 Those who sit at the gate murmur against me, *
and the drunkards make songs about me.

14 But as for me, this is my prayer to you, *
at the time you have set, O Lord:

15 "In your great mercy, O God, *
answer me with your unfailing help.

16 Save me from the mire; do not let me sink; *
let me be rescued from those who hate me
and out of the deep waters.

17 Let not the torrent of waters wash over me,
neither let the deep swallow me up; *
do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.

18 Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind; *
in your great compassion, turn to me."

19 "Hide not your face from your servant; *
be swift and answer me, for I am in distress.

20 Draw near to me and redeem me; *
because of my enemies deliver me.

21 You know my reproach, my shame, and my dishonor; *
my adversaries are all in your sight."

22 Reproach has broken my heart, and it cannot be healed; *
I looked for sympathy, but there was none,
for comforters, but I could find no one.

23 They gave me gall to eat, *
and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Lamentations 1:1-12

Lamentations

The Deserted City

1How lonely sits the city
that once was full of people!
How like a widow she has become,
she that was great among the nations!
She that was a princess among the provinces
has become a vassal.

2 She weeps bitterly in the night,
with tears on her cheeks;
among all her lovers
she has no one to comfort her;
all her friends have dealt treacherously with her,
they have become her enemies.

3 Judah has gone into exile with suffering
and hard servitude;
she lives now among the nations,
and finds no resting-place;
her pursuers have all overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.

4 The roads to Zion mourn,
for no one comes to the festivals;
all her gates are desolate,
her priests groan;
her young girls grieve,*
and her lot is bitter.

5 Her foes have become the masters,
her enemies prosper,
because the Lord has made her suffer
for the multitude of her transgressions;
her children have gone away,
captives before the foe.

6 From daughter Zion has departed
all her majesty.
Her princes have become like stags
that find no pasture;
they fled without strength
before the pursuer.

7 Jerusalem remembers,
in the days of her affliction and wandering,
all the precious things
that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the foe,
and there was no one to help her,
the foe looked on mocking
over her downfall.

8 Jerusalem sinned grievously,
so she has become a mockery;
all who honoured her despise her,
for they have seen her nakedness;
she herself groans,
and turns her face away.

9 Her uncleanness was in her skirts;
she took no thought of her future;
her downfall was appalling,
with none to comfort her.
‘O Lord, look at my affliction,
for the enemy has triumphed!’

10 Enemies have stretched out their hands
over all her precious things;
she has even seen the nations
invade her sanctuary,
those whom you forbade
to enter your congregation.

11 All her people groan
as they search for bread;
they trade their treasures for food
to revive their strength.
Look, O Lord, and see
how worthless I have become.

12 Is it nothing to you,* all you who pass by?
Look and see
if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
which was brought upon me,
which the Lord inflicted
on the day of his fierce anger.

A Song of Lamentation
Lamentations 1:12,16; 3:19,22-24,26
Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? *
Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,
Which was brought upon me, *
inflicted by God’s fierce anger.
For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears, *
for a comforter is far from me, one to revive my courage.
Remember my affliction and my bitterness, *
wormwood and gall!
The steadfast love of God never ceases, *
God’s mercies never end.
They are new every morning; *
great is your faithfulness.
“God is my portion,” says my soul, *
“therefore will I hope in God.”
It is good that we should wait quietly *
for the coming of God’s salvation.

2 Corinthians 1:1-7

THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO THE
Corinthians

Salutation

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is in Corinth, including all the saints throughout Achaia:

2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul’s Thanksgiving after Affliction

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ. 6If we are being afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; if we are being consoled, it is for your consolation, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we are also suffering. 7Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our consolation.

A Song of Jonah
Jonah 2:2-7,9
I called to you, O God, out of my distress, and you answered me; *
out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.
You cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, *
and the flood surrounded me;
all your waves and billows passed over me.
Then I said, “I am driven away from your sight; *
how shall I ever look again upon your holy temple?”
The waters closed in over me, the deep was round about me; *
weeds were wrapped around my head at the roots of the mountains.
I went down to the land beneath the earth, *
yet you brought up my life from the depths, O God.
As my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, O God, *
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
With the voice of thanksgiving, I will sacrifice to you; *
what I have vowed I will pay, for deliverance belongs to the
Lord!

Mark 11:12-25

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14He said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard it.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple

15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves; 16and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17He was teaching and saying, ‘Is it not written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”?
But you have made it a den of robbers.’
18And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 19And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples* went out of the city.
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree

20 In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21Then Peter remembered and said to him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.’ 22Jesus answered them, ‘Have* faith in God. 23Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea”, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. 24So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received* it, and it will be yours.

25 ‘Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.’*

A Song of Our Adoption
Ephesians 1:3-10
Blessed are you, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
for you have blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
Before the world was made, you chose us to be yours in Christ, *
that we should be holy and blameless before you.
You destined us for adoption as your children through Jesus Christ,
*
according to the good pleasure of your will,
To the praise of your glorious grace, *
that you have freely given us in the Beloved.
In you, we have redemption through the blood of Christ,
the forgiveness of our sins,
According to the riches of your grace *
which you have lavished upon us.
You have made known to us, in all wisdom and insight, *
the mystery of your will,
According to your good pleasure which you set forth in Christ, *
as a plan for the fullness of time,
To gather together all things in Christ, *
things in heaven and things on earth.

Eucharistic Readings

Psalm 36:5-11

Dixit injustus

5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep; *
you save both man and beast, O Lord.
7 How priceless is your love, O God! *
your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast upon the abundance of your house; *
you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the well of life, *
and in your light we see light.
10 Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
and your favor to those who are true of heart.
11 Let not the foot of the proud come near me, *
nor the hand of the wicked push me aside.

Isaiah 42:1-9

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be crushed
until he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to idols.
See, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth,
I tell you of them.

Hebrews 9:11-15

When Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!

For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant.

John 12:1-11

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

The Lord's Prayer

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 the alternative form. From A New Zealand Prayer Book
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 from The Book of Common Prayer and A New Zealand Prayer Book

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Jesus, you suffered on the cross for our redemption;
help us, if we are called to suffer,
to be like you:
to forgive and to trust
in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, Son of God, our true and only Saviour:
you died on the cross, a criminal under a curse;
you are God who forgives.
You died helpless, a failure and in pain.
You are God with whom there is hope;
you showed us the greatest love there is;
for you died for us with the Passover lambs.

Help us to forgive as you have forgiven us.
Help us to trust you, even when hope is failing.
Help us, if we are called to suffer,
to take up our cross
and to follow you in your redeeming work.

God of our salvation,
in this eucharist
you have renewed us in your covenant.
Help us to follow in the path of him
who came to open the eyes of the blind
and bring prisoners out of darkness.

Almighty and eternal God,
you have restored us to life
by the triumphant death
and resurrection of Christ.
Continue this healing work within us.
May we who partake of this mystery
never cease to give you dedicated service

Let us pray in the words attributed to St. Francis and Teresa of Avila.

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

The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3–12

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. (5:3)

Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted. (5:4)

Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. (5:5)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be filled. (5:6)

Blessed are the merciful: for they will be shown mercy. (5:7)

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God. (5:8)

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called children of God. (5:9)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (5:10)

Now let us pray for peace and unity among all people and nations!

God who made us and makes us one we pray for unity among all people and nations
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one lead us to put away all hindrances that divide us
May we be one and love one another

God who made us and makes us one give us the courage to see you in the eyes of all who are our enemies and wish us harm.
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one we pray for all who are ill in body, mind, and spirit. Heal them and make them whole and may we lovingly respond to their needs.
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one we pray for the protection of those who are protesting using peaceful non-violence.
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one we pray for the protection of all our most vulnerable family members. Help us to ourselves and you in their eyes and love them as you have taught us and to serve them as you have taught us to serve.
May we be one and love one another.

God who made us and makes us one. we give thanks for all those celebrating birthdays and anniversaries this day.

God who made us and makes us one may we be with those who are pre-grieving and mourning any loss.

God who made us and makes us one we pray for all who are dying and have died may they find loving, joy, and oneness with you in the Thin Places.

God who made us and makes us one we offer these our prayers and thanksgivings in the most Holy Name of your Son Jesus.

May we be one and love one another. Amen.

Stay here for awhile and pray for all our family members who have unspoken prayers and remember to pray for all the families of those who seek to do evil that they may find solace and help in time of need. Remember that everyone is not excluded from our prayers even our enemies and those who wish us harm.

Beacon Song and Service Book: The Work of the World

Wondrous giver of all things, this world is full of Your riches. We thank You for the splendor of nature and for Your bountiful provision for our human needs. May we not waste Your gifts nor needlessly ignore the welfare of others in our use of them. We seek to do our part in the work of the world, and so enter into fellowship with all who toil and all who create. We would recognize the right of every human being to share in what You give. We would help to make our planet a true home for all of Your children, where each may have an equal opportunity both for work and for the rewards of work.

Diann Neu: Blessed Be Our Hands

Blessed be the work of our hands.

Blessed be these hands that touch life.

Blessed be these hands that nurture creativity.

Blessed be these hands that hold pain.

Blessed be these hands that embrace with passion.

Blessed be these hands that tend gardens.

Blessed bed these hands that close in anger.

Blessed be these hands that plant new seeds.

Blessed be these hands that harvest ripe fields.

Blessed be these hands that clean, wash, mop, scrub.

Blessed be these hands that become knotty with age.

Blessed be these hands that wrinkle and scar from doing justice.

Blessed are these hands that reach out and are received.

Blessed are these hands that hold the promise of the future.

Blessed be the works of our hands and hearts.

Peter Marshall: FOR WORLD NEIGHBORLINESS

O God, we pray for a broader vision of the needs of humanity, and a deeper compassion to fill those needs; for a planting of the seeds of concern for all humanity in our hearts; for a tapping of the wells of generosity.

May we live together as people who have been forgiven a great debt.

May we be gentle, walking softly with one another.

May we be understanding, lest we shall add to the world’s sorrow or cause to flow needless tears.

May we be as anxious for the rights of others as we are for our own.

May we be as eager to forgive as we are to seek forgiveness.

May we know no barriers of creed or race or sex, that our love may be like Yours—a love that sees all people as Your children and our kin.

May we be ministers of humanity.

Paul Gerhardt: Evening

The duteous day now closes;

Each flower and tree reposes;

Shade creeps o’er wild and wood.

Let us, as night is falling,

On You, our Maker calling,

Give thanks to You, the Giver good.

Now all the heav’nly splendor

Breaks forth in starlight tender

From myriad worlds unknown;

And we, Your marvel seeing,

Forget our selfish being

For joy of beauty not our own.

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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)

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

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Good Night Dear Ones! Remember that you are loved and matter. I love you!

Peace, love, and prayers,

Sara

In case you have trouble sleeping or are stressed out give these a try.

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

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

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

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

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

Peace be still.
Peace be.
Peace.

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Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that God is Love.
Be still and know that You are Love.
Be sill and know that I Am Love.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

Slowly inhale.
Hold.
Slowly exhale
Pause. Count to 10.

Breathing Exercises with Thich Nhat Hanh

“*Breathing in, I know this is my in-breath.
Breathing out, I know this is my out-breath.*

It's very simple, but very effective. When we bring our attention to our in-breath and our out-breath, we stop thinking of the past; we stop thinking of the future; and we begin to come home to ourselves...Don't think this practice doesn't apply to you. If we don't go home to ourselves, we can't be at our best and serve the world in the best way... Our quality of being is the foundation for the quality of our actions.

*Breathing in, I'm aware of my whole body.
Breathing out, I'm aware of my whole body.*

Breathing mindfully brings us back to our bodies. We have to acknowledge our bodies first because tension and suffering accumulate in the body. Breathing in this way, we create a kind of family reunion between mind and body. The mind becomes an embodied mind.
...We can't do our best if we don't know to release the tension and pain in ourselves.

*Breathing in, I'm aware of the tension in my body.
Breathing out, I'm aware of the tension in my body.*

When we look at the suffering around us, at poverty, violence, or climate change, we may want to solve these things immediately. We want to do something. But to do something effectively and ethically, we need to be our best selves in order to be able to handle the suffering...
*Breathing in, I am aware of a painful feeling arising.
Breathing out, I release the painful feeling.*

This is a nonviolent and gentle way to help our bodies release tension and pain. It is possible to practice mindful breathing in order to produce a feeling of joy, a feeling of happiness. When we are well-nourished and know how to create joy, then we are strong enough to handle the deep pain within ourselves and the world.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, Good Citizens: Creating Enlightened Society
The Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh: A Litany for Peace

As we are together praying for Peace, let us be truly with each other.
Silence
Let us pay attention to our breathing.
Silence
Let us be relaxed in our bodies and our minds.
Silence
Let us return to ourselves and become wholly ourselves.
Silence
Let us be aware of the Source of Being common to us all and to all that is.
Silence
Evoking the presence of the Great Companion, let us fill our hearts with our own compassion—towards ourselves and toward all living beings.
Silence
Let us pray that all living beings realize that they are all nourished from the same Source of Life.
Silence
Let us pray that we ourselves cease to be the cause of needless suffering.
Silence
Let us pray that we may live in a way which will not needlessly deprive other living beings of air, water, food, shelter, or the chance to live in health.
Silence
With reverence for Life and with awareness of the sufferings that are going on around us, let us pray for the establishment of peace in our hearts and on earth.

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Homework from Walk2Connect:

Make a loose commitment to NOT drive anywhere within ONE MILE of your home or workplace. Replace practical trips to the grocery store, post office, neighborhood park, recreation center, local cafe and more by walking. It roughly only takes 15-20 minutes to walk for one mile.

Some of the many benefits to this behavior change:– Sift through thoughts and tasks of the day
– Connect with neighbors, family and friends
– Burn calories
– Reduce vehicle costs and emissions
– Improve neighborhood safety with more eyes on the streets
– Build new relationships with local business owners
– Take in fresh air and nature
– Connect to change in seasons, cloud color, sunsets and neighborhood gardens