Good Evening Beloved Ones
Today is the Feast of St. John of the Cross and we remember the 9th anniversary of Sandy Hook and numerous acts of violence and sorrow. We are called on nights and days like this to keep vigil and pray. That is what we are going to do. I could talk about St. John of the Cross and "The Dark Night of the Soul" but that would only add to the headiness. So let us enter into a time of silence.
Spend up to 30 minutes doing this and then let us move on to our time of pondering and prayer.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Pause.
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.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Pause.
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.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Pause.
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.
Inhale.
Hold.
Exhale.
Pause.
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Here are our quotes to ponder.
"In the inner stillness where meditation leads, the Spirit secretly anoints the soul and heals our deepest wounds." ~ John of the Cross
"In the twilight of life, God will not judge us on our earthly possessions and human success, but rather on how much we have loved." ~ John of the Cross
"In the dark night of the soul, bright flows the river of God." ~ John of the Cross
"Silence is God's first language." ~ John of the Cross
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent." ~ John of the Cross
"Live in the world as if only God and your soul were in it; then your heart will never be made captive by any earthly thing." ~ John of the Cross
"Live in faith and hope, though it be in darkness, for in this darkness God protects the soul. Cast your care upon God for you are His and He will not forget you. Do not think that He is leaving you alone, for that would be to wrong Him." ~ John of the Cross
"God leads every soul by a separate path." ~ John of the Cross
"At the end of our life, we shall all be judged by charity." ~ John of the Cross
"The eternal tide flows hid in Living Bread. That with its Heavenly Life too be fed." ~ John of the Cross
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Today's #AdventWord is #exult. Let us meditate on this word.
From The Contemplative Cottage - Celtic Advent Calendar 2021.
Calendar Work for today!
December 14 Listen to some favourite music that makes you smile. The Magi move closer
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.
Call to remembrance, O Lord, your tender care
and the unfailing love
which you have shown from of old.
Do not remember the sins and offences of my youth:
but according to your mercy
remember me, Lord, in your goodness.
You O Lord are upright and good
therefore you show the path to those who go astray.
You guide the humble to do what is right,
and those who are gentle you teach your way.
All your ways are loving and sure
to those who keep your covenant
and your commandments.Psalm 25:5–9
Come let us hold sacred and loving space for one another.
Come let us be together in Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love during this holy season of Advent.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and those who are afraid are not perfected in love. We love because God first loved us. If anyone says, I love God, and hates his brother or sister, that person is a liar; for those who do not love their brothers and sisters whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:18-20
Bind up the broken-hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, the day of vengeance of our God.Isaiah 61:1–2
Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight. For the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together.Luke 3:4; Isaiah 40:5a
O Blessed Lord, accept this burning candle as a sign of my faith and love for you.
Like this candle, I am ready to be used in your service, without asking why and to what purpose.Even as this candle, I wish to stand in your presence to be consumed in the light and warmth of your love.Please hear my prayer and, if it be your will, grant my petition.Above all, make me loyal and faithful to you in all circumstances of my life.
Amen.
(www.stanthonysparish.com)
Light of the World Phos hilaron
O God, as light comes from this candle,
May the blessing of Jesus Christ come to us,
Warming our hearts and brightening our way.
May Christ our Savior
Bring life into the darkness of this world,
And to us, as we wait for his coming.
Amen.
(www.catholicnewsagency.com)
God and Creator of us all we pray and light our candles this night at a time where we are finding ourselves sorely divided one from another by a myriad of circumstances. We pray that we may start to learn from each other and place our egos and the need to be right at the door. We pray that we may use gentle speech and kind actions when we meet someone who differs from us. We pray that we may lovingly enfold them in our arms and extend to them radical hospitality and welcome. We pray that we may continually beat the weaponry of hate into ploughshares and turn the spears of division into pruning hooks and that we may grow into a peace-filled and loving world. We pray this night for all who are enduring any kind of pain that they may be comforted and that we may lovingly respond to their needs. We pray and ask this night for forgiveness of any action or word we have done or spoken this day and that we may turn away and repent of the wrongs we have done. We pray that we may spread God's light of love, peace, and learning to this world and that we may be beacons of hope, joy, love, and peace. We pray that we may follow Jesus and imitate him by being CALM (Compassionate, Accepting, Loving, and Merciful) and show the world that we are carried aloft by the Holy Spirit's Love Energy and that our Hearts and heart homes may be enlarged and that truly we may become one family of God and Love and brothers and sisters one to another. Amen.
121 Levavi oculos
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5 The Lord himself watches over you; *
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.
8 The Lord shall watch over your going out and
your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.
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.
1 Kings 19:1-9
Elijah Flees from Jezebel
19Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, ‘So may the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’ 3Then he was afraid; he got up and fled for his life, and came to Beer-sheba, which belongs to Judah; he left his servant there.
4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die: ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’ 5Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, ‘Get up and eat.’ 6He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. 7The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, ‘Get up and eat, otherwise the journey will be too much for you.’ 8He got up, and ate and drank; then he went in the strength of that food for forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God. 9At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there.
Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’
The Song of Mary Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
John 16:12-22
12 ‘I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
Sorrow Will Turn into Joy
16 ‘A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me.’ 17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, ‘What does he mean by saying to us, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”; and “Because I am going to the Father”?’ 18 They said, ‘What does he mean by this “a little while”? We do not know what he is talking about.’ 19 Jesus knew that they wanted to ask him, so he said to them, ‘Are you discussing among yourselves what I meant when I said, “A little while, and you will no longer see me, and again a little while, and you will see me”? 20 Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is in labour, she has pain, because her hour has come. But when her child is born, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy of having brought a human being into the world. 22 So you have pain now; but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.
We Praise You, O God Te Deum laudamus
We praise you, O God,
we acclaim you as Lord;
all creation worships you,
the Father everlasting.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
the cherubim and seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you took our flesh to set us free
you humbly chose the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come to be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
Lord,
it is night.
The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.
The night is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness of the world and of our own lives
rest in you.
The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.
The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.
In your name we pray.
Amen.
Judge eternal, throned in splendor, who gave John of the Cross strength of purpose and faith that sustained him even through the dark night of the soul: Shed your light on all who love you, in unity with Jesus Christ our Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
For Monastic Orders and Vocations
O Lord Jesus Christ, you became poor for our sake, that we
might be made rich through your poverty: Guide and sanctify,
we pray, those whom you call to follow you under the vows
of poverty, chastity, and obedience, that by their prayer and
service they may enrich your Church, and by their life and
worship may glorify your Name; for you reign with the Father
and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Third Sunday of Advent
Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come
among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,
let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver
us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and
the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
God we pray that we may find our way back to having a childlike trust in you.
God we pray for all children young and old in all cities remembering our brothers and sisters who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown 9 years ago today, that they may be safe to night and that everywhere in this your fragile and broken world that all lives matter.
God we pray for all of our family members who are struggling and feeling overwhelmed.
God we pray for all who travel that they may be alert and safe whatever mode of transportation they take.
God we pray for ourselves and those who are coping with seasonal illnesses and all other illnesses of body, mind, and spirit.
God we pray for all children who are being abused, bullied, marginalized, and made to feel invisible because of any kind of disability.
God we pray for all those who grieve losses and those who are pre-grieving. May we be sources of compassion, comfort, and love.
God we pray for peace in this fragile and broken world. May wars, terror, and all division cease.
God we pray this night for all caregivers and especially our troops who protect our country both here and around the world. We pray also for all those who work for the Department of State.
God we pray for all those who are living with mental and memory related illnesses and those who care for them.
God we pray for the least of these who are our family members too. We pray that they may find shelter, clothing, and food. May we always see You in their eyes.
God we pray for all who are engaging in peaceful non-violent protests. May they be safe and may they know that this is what they are called to do.
God we pray for ourselves and on behalf of all our family members of love who have come to us asking for prayer____________________
We lift up these our prayers in the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.
God of joy, lighten our hearts this night and may we wake up joyfully and enlivened to do what you are calling us to do and to be.
God of joy, help us to be bringers of hope, peace, love, and joy to your broken and fragile world.
God of joy, take our hands and join them with one another in a prayer and circle of unity. May we hold these hands lovingly and with purpose.
God of joy, help us to give of ourselves without fear but with a joyful and light heart.
God of joy, help us not to take ourselves so seriously that we lose sight of all that is good and joyful in the world and sparkling in your Cathedral of Life.
God of joy, help us to be loving to the least of these our family members and may we always see you in them.
God of Joy, heal all those who have any kind of illness. God we pray for the continued healing of our bodies, minds, and spirits.
God of joy and love, wrap all of us your children who are grieving the loss of loved ones and special people in our lives.
God of Joy, we pray for all those who are dying and who have died today. Let your perpetual light shine upon them and show them your gentle and loving light and to those who are transitioning into the Thin Places.
God of joy, we pray for those who have requested our prayers and those who are afraid to ask us for prayers. We remember especially ____________________
God of joy, we pray for all the faith communities, leaders, and members who are preparing for worship this night and as they worship tomorrow.
God of Joy, we lift up these our prayers in the name of your Son Jesus the Christ who by His birth brought joy, healing, and salvation to the world. Amen.
[Here is additional material from another blog! -This is meant for all of us not just the little ones!]
Dear fellow children of God-
Today and for the past few days I have been thinking about many things and not as in ALICE IN WONDERLAND," To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax--Of cabbages--and kings--" that we should be teaching our children and we ourselves need to be reminded of. Here is my list and maybe you have your own list.
We all need to instill in our children empathy and sympathy and teach them compassion. This starts early.
We must teach them how to be compassionate, learn to forgive, learn how to say they are sorry with sincerity.
We must teach them not to fear others who are different than themselves.
We all need to teach our children attitudes of gratitude and not be given to a sense of entitlement.
We all need to teach and show our children how to care and be gentle to all of God's living creatures.
We must teach our children to be helpers and compassionate and caring givers.
We all need to teach our children how to look on the least of the these as family members.
We need to teach them how to be kind and gentle.
We need to give them courage to have curiosity.
We need to teach them and show them to appreciate God's Cathedral of Life and play outdoors.
We need to show them that they don't need to rely solely on technology and to think for themselves and give them as in the Episcopal Baptismal Rite in one of the prayers found on page 308 of the BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER " Give them
an inquiring and discerning heart, the courage to will and to
persevere, a spirit to know and to love you, and the gift of joy
and wonder in all your works. Amen."
We all must care for every child as if they are our own and protect them from harm for we were children too.
We all must recapture imagination and dreaming and yes find our way back into childhood.
We must teach our children and ourselves to see and treat everyone with dignity, respect, inclusion, and acceptance. No Need to Teach and instill fear, hate, mistrust, and prejudice.
We all must give into whimsy, play, and fun. Live, Love, Laugh!
We all must practice being thankful and giving thankfully. Give from the heart !
We all must respect each other from a place of where we are, and who we are, and that we are the beautiful children God created us to be.
We must take time to re-unite and re-connect with our loved ones who have fallen through the cracks.
We all must not be self-focused and teach our children the same by speaking not I but We and We not they.
We must teach ourselves and our children to learn how to ask for help, companionship, and courage to speak up for themselves and others.
If we are in a faith community we need to tell our young ones about how our faith sustains us and live by example.
We must show our children and all our family members how to love, receive love, and love themselves as we love them with a heart that is joyful, loving, hopeful, peaceful, generous, and most of all compassionate and accepting.
What is on your "Teach the Children Well" List? Here is a reminder from the musical "South Pacific"
Mandy Patinkin- You've got to be carefully taught]
Thou knowest better than I myself
that I am growing older and will someday be old.
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking
I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.
straighten out everybody’s affairs.
helpful but not bossy.
it seems a pity not to use it all;
but Thou knowest, Lord,
that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details;
give me wings to get to the point.
they are increasing, and love of rehearsing them
is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
but for a growing humility and a lessening cock-sureness
when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.
is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places
and talents in unexpected people;
and give, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
Amen.
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us
through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole
human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which
infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us;
unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and
confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in
your good time, all nations and races may serve you in
harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
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.
“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 Ávila
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.
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one
accord to make our common supplication to you; and you
have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two
or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the
midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions
as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of
your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.
believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Romans 15:13
Good Night Family of Love!. May our heart, spirits, and souls join together in love, peace, hope, joy, and harmony. I love you and give thanks to God for you this night and always.
Love, blessings, hope, peace, and joy be always yours!
Sara
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