A moment of contemplation for yourself or on behalf of others on everything from the life-altering to the mundane.


Prayer: A conversation with The Higher Other who lives within each of us. An invitation to vent, to re-think, to ask, and to rest.

Monday, November 28, 2022

Prayers of the People: The Root of Love ~ 2nd Sunday of Advent '22 Yr A

For Sunday, December 4, 2022: Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72: 1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13,
Matthew 3:1-12

       A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  [Isaiah 11:1-2]

          Give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King’s son…to defend the needy…[and] rescue the poor.  [Psalm 72:1, 4]

           May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another...May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. [Romans 15:5a, 13]

           In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.'" [Matthew 3:1-3, 11b]

Oh, come O Rod of Jesse's stem,
From ev'ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow'r to save,
Bring them in vict'ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

      The beautiful prose of this passage of Isaiah begins this week's readings with: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”  Having not grown up with a "Jesse Tree" tradition, the reading would usually zip through my ears with no particular impact until I decided to look deeper into this hint of family history.
     There's been a serious uptick in the field of genealogy over the last decade or so with online access to family records and DNA kits that allow one to explore both lineage and geographical heritage. Discovering the branches of one's family tree is fascinating, even addicting, and can also be frustrating when one limb is missing or the records stop short of fully revealing the information sought. Yet even the smallest detail can add depth and connectedness to the relationship with those who have gone before us. And so it is with the family tree of Jesus. 
      Jesse was the grandson of Ruth (of “whither thou goest, I will go”) and her husband, Boaz. We first hear of Jesse in the Book of Ruth [Ruth 4:13-18] as the son of their son, Obed. Jesse grows to be a farmer with eight sons [1 Samuel 16], the youngest of which is David who becomes King of the Israelites. It is through Jesse’s family tree that this root, this Branch, ultimately flowers into Jesus. The coming of Jesus is the reason we contemplate in Advent, celebrate at Christmas, and rejuvenate in Lent.
     The secular spectacle of christmas [intentional lower "c"] has, for so many, replaced the spiritual celebration and worship in Christ's Mass with the frenzy of over-shopping, garish outdoor decorating with clashing colors of lights, and inflated cartoon characters on lawns that go flat in the morning in a metaphorical anti-climax. Yet even in this environment Isaiah tells us that this ...root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples...Paul wants us to abound in hope, and the Gospel of Matthew brings us the very direct and un-shy voice of John the Baptist. 
      This is the first appearance of John, cousin to Jesus, with his prophesying voice in the wilderness. In his own time, he was unconventional in many ways and then, as now, his message is at once compelling and disturbing. Nonetheless, it is John who ushers in the public ministry of Jesus and takes the Pharisees and Sadducees to task for their faithless presumptions of self-importance. Calling them vipers was more than just name-calling, it was a serious slur! Likening people to animals in those times was akin to calling them heathens or pagans ~ that is, having no accepted/biblically based religion. While his warnings are dire, our hopeful understanding is that the possible unquenchable fire will only be for those who deem any form of remorse as unnecessary  in their lives. Our merciful God of steadfastness and encouragement knows our hearts and gives us every opportunity to adjust our intentions to bear fruit worthy of repentance however well we accomplish or fail in our life’s mission.
      And so we light the second candle of Advent, the candle of Love. New Testament scholar, theologian, and author Marcus Borg tells us that Advent…is a season of anticipation, yearning and longing for a different kind of life and a different kind of world. In this second week of Advent, one way to prepare the way of the Lord is by contemplating: What kind of life, what kind of world am I longing for? Where is God, where is Jesus, in my family tree? Am I too far out on a limb or can I decorate my branch with hope, peace, joyful anticipation, and, of course, unending Divine Love? Jesus is indeed the reason for the season; the reason for our Christ-mas - our act of worship of the One we call Messiah, the Anointed Son of God, the very embodiment and root of Love itself. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them… [Isaiah 11:6]

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Blessed Lord God, we restlessly await the branch that shall come again from the roots of Jesse. Open us to hear and heed the wilderness voice, as we prepare the way within ourselves, bearing fruit worthy of repentance.

      Present and Coming Christ
                        RESPONSE:     Bind us together in peace

~ Blessed Lord God, impose justice and righteousness on the hearts of all who govern in this World, this Nation, and this Community, that they may decide with equity for the meek, defend the needy, and rescue the poor, and us all, from oppression and evil. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                        Present and Coming Christ
                                                       Bind us together in peace              

~ Blessed Lord God, relieve pain and distress from all who are ill or downhearted, and strengthen all who give needed care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       Present and Coming Christ
                                                       Bind us together in peace       

~ Blessed Lord God, help us to be calmly present with those who mourn even as we rejoice with all who now live again in Your Eternal Glory. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       Present and Coming Christ
                                                       Bind us together in peace

~ Blessed Lord God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                       Present and Coming Christ
                                                       Bind us together in peace                      

~ Blessed Lord God, enfold and guide those who lead Your Church as they walk in faith with us, into uncertain, ever-changing tides and times. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Present and Coming Christ
                                                       Bind us together in peace                                                

The Celebrant adds: Steadfast, Encouraging God, grant us harmony and hope and turn us toward You again, to follow the Way of Truth and Mercy. Fill us with all the joy and peace of believing in the glory that is and is to come. We ask through Jesus, our Living Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, the Fire of our Faith; who together with You are One God, now and forever.  Amen. 

 

 


 





All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact:
Leeosophy@gmail.com


Monday, November 21, 2022

Prayers of the People: Fresh Awakening ~ 1st Sunday of Advent '22 Yr A

For Sunday, November 27, 2022, Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord...that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths...He shall judge between the nations...they shall beat their swords into ploughshares...neither shall they learn war any more. [Isaiah 2:3b,4]

    Now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem…built as a city that is at unity with itself…Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  [Psalm 122:2-3, 6a]

       You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first became believers...let us live honorably...put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. [Romans 13:11, 13a, 14]

       Jesus said to the disciples, "But about that day and hour no one knows...Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour." [Matthew 24:36a, 44]

       It’s a brand new Liturgical year in the denominations using the Revised Common Lectionary [RCL]. In the RCL we have a schedule of 4 readings appointed for each Sunday in the Liturgical/Church year, and for the 2-year Daily Lectionary. We use an Old Testament reading, a Psalm, an Epistle, and a Gospel specific to a liturgical season of the year. Last Sunday we completed the appointed readings for Year C in the three-year Sunday cycle and begin again now with Year A. 
      The name of our new season, Advent, comes from the Latin “adventus” which means coming, and that derives from the Greek parousia [pa-roo-see-a] which is a term used for the Second Coming of Christ. Advent is a season of preparation for the Nativity of Jesus through repentance and joyful expectation. 
       In a series of booklets for group study called Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton, editors Jonathan Montaldo and Robert G. Toth, writing in the Advent and Christmas volume, say that Advent disposes us to conversion...
Conversion? That's a term, a thought, a sensation which often makes more than a few of us who were born into Christianity uncomfortable. After all, I don’t need to be converted if I already believe – or, do I? Montaldo and Toth say further that Advent is a time for judging the choices we make for living our lives. This season is a ritual moment for confronting discomforting truthsIt catches us in the act of living unconnected from the Gospel... It would appear that a little refreshment of our conversion is in order. 
       The Trappist Monk, author, and mystic Thomas Merton, said, We are numbered in the billions and massed together...worked to the point of insensibility, dazed by information, drugged by entertainment, surfeited with everything...there is no room for thought. There is no room for attention, for the awareness of our state... What would Merton, who died in 1968, think of the excess and indulgences of this day and age, the addiction to smart phones and social media, 24 hours of non-stop, never-ending everything?! It all speaks to me of being exiled in a wilderness of plenty where too much is still not enough and we are unexpectedly unconscious of all that we have and all that we are, or, are not.        
       In this Advent, now is the moment to wake and discover the faith choices we have yet to make NOW, for as Jesus reminds us that day and hour no one knows...Therefore you must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. As Paul also reminds us in this week's excerpt from the Letter to the Romans, “Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light…live honorably…” With Christ as our armor of light, hope is more than fantasy. Hope shines on the path ahead and propels us toward the House of God. 
     It’s time for a fresh awakening ~ get busy, prepare yourself. Jesus is coming!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord our God, jolt us awake from contented sleep and expose us in our self-imposed wilderness of plenty. Set us on a conscious and urgent quest for Christ’s Salvation, expecting that in an unknown hour, we will be called to answer for the paths we choose, or ignore, in this life. 

                                                             Jesus, Son of Man                        
RESPONSE:                     Grant us Your Armor of Light

~ O Lord our God, awaken and restore goodness to the souls of those who do evil in this world, and prod all leaders of this Planet, globally and locally, into the dignity and decency necessary to govern for and prosper all. We pray especially for: Joseph, our President; Kamala, our Vice-President; Tom, Chris, and Lisa, our Members of Congress; John, our Governor; Matt, our County Executive; and Mike, our Mayor.

                                                            Jesus, Son of Man
                                                            Grant us Your Armor of Light

~ O Lord our God, grant peace and quietness to all in chronic pain of body, mind, or spirit, and renew the strength of those who provide support. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need…  add your own petitions

                                                            Jesus, Son of Man
                                                            Grant us Your Armor of Light        

~ O Lord our God, as our own salvation is nearer to us each moment, we rejoice for those now on the highest mountain, inside the gates of Your House, in glory forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                            Jesus, Son of Man
                                                            Grant us Your Armor of Light

~O Lord our God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                            Jesus, Son of Man
                                                            Grant us Your Armor of Light                   

~O Lord our God, inspire and refresh our Pastoral Guides as they teach us to transform this temporal life through Christ’s eternal Gospel. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                            Jesus, Son of Man
                                                            Grant us Your Armor of Light                             

The Celebrant adds: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, excite our souls as we begin again to prepare ourselves for Your Kingdom. Make us ready to transform weapons of dominance into implements of peace, to confront ourselves in repentance, and experience the joy of conversion anew. We ask through the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom; and the Lord, the God of Jacob, who together with You are the One Eternal God, now and forever. Amen








All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com

Monday, November 14, 2022

Prayers of the People: The Cosmic Christ ~ 7th Sunday in the Season of Creation '22 Yr C

For Sunday, November 20, 2022, Final Sunday in the Season of Creation*
Readings: Colossians 1:15-20, Psalm 24, Matthew Fox**,  John 1:29-34

Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…in him all things hold together…in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. [Colossians 1:15a, 17b, 19]
  
They shall receive a blessing from the Lord and a just reward from the God of their salvation. [Psalm 24:5]

  Come Children, drink of my waters…Drink of my wisdom from your own unique well…Create harmony and healing together…Celebrate, praise, and thank together. [Matthew Fox: The Coming of the Cosmic Christ]

  John saw Jesus coming toward him and declared: “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  [John 1:29]

*The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. For more information see: https://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2018/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html    We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used are posted with asterisks.

Week VII's Theme is: The Cosmic Christ

      We have arrived at the final Sunday in the Season of Creation (SoC) and it is also the Last Sunday after Pentecost in the Lectionary season, both of which celebrate Christ the King. Coming next week we begin the Season of Advent, a new “Church Year,” a time of heart and soul preparation for the birth of the Child in whom the fullness of God is pleased to dwell  [Colossians 15:19].
      All of the readings chosen for this last Sunday of SoC have a mystical quality to me. The Letter to the Colossians lays out clearly the various names, titles, and roles of Jesus the Risen Christ, not easily understood in our “modern” times as they also were not in their own time. I think we can understand firstborn of all creation and head of the body, the church, and also he is the beginning. How do you understand firstborn of the dead? Looking at various translations, I found it expressed as of the dead, from the dead, from among the dead, etc. For me, the most relatable is in a translation from “J.B. Phillips New Testament” which says: Life from nothing began through him, and life from the dead began through him, and he is, therefore, justly called the Lord of all. Check any translation(s) you have on hand or online and discover what speaks to you. An online source I use often is www.biblegateway.com as it contains quite a large variety of translations and paraphrases that are useful and interesting.
      Psalm 24, was likely sung or recited as an entrance processional. Verse 1 opens with a declaration that the earth and all that is in it belongs to the Lord and follows by saying that the world and all who dwell therein is also God’s, referencing the first part in what is called a parallelism, that is, the wording parallels or repeats the first; synonymous. Every one of the 150 psalms contains at least one parallelism. Verse 2 also proclaims God as Creator. From there the psalm describes how humans enter God’s domain in verses 3-6 and in the final verses, we learn how God enters our human space and it is by way of Lift up your heads, that is by lifting up our heads to acknowledge one greater than ourselves, as we are our own gatekeepers opening or closing to allow God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to enter, or not.
     The Gospel of John is one of the most mystical of all. In this passage, the anonymous author of John’s Gospel is referring to John the Baptist naming Jesus as The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  While some of these words and phrases may be somewhat familiar to anyone who regularly reads the Christian/New Testament and/or hears them read in a church setting, they may, as said above, also seem irrelevant in the scheme of daily living in today’s world. Yet we, who would be counted as faithful Christians might take heed and examine more closely. It is in this daily life in this, our time that we may easily lose track of our allegiances and settle in more with the temporary earthly powers than with the everlasting divine Kingship of Christ.
     In his book, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, author, developer, and teacher of Creation Spirituality, Dr. Matthew Fox, writes: Listen to the Cosmic Christ, to Cosmic Wisdom calling all the children of God together: “Come children, drink of my waters which are all common waters. They are free and available to all my children. Drink of my wisdom from your own unique well.”
    Although Jesus has told us that his kingdom is not from here [John 18:36], it is here, in this time and place, where we encounter him, if we seek him, and if we choose to follow.

**A Reading From the Writings of Matthew Fox: “Listen to the Cosmic Christ, to Cosmic Wisdom calling all the children of God together: “Come children, drink of my waters which are all common waters. They are free and available to all my children. Drink of my wisdom from your own unique well. Let the Taoists drink and the Muslims drink; let the Jews drink and the Buddhists drink; let the Christians drink and let the native peoples drink. And then tell me: What have you drunk? How deeply have you imbibed my refreshment? What wet and running wisdom drips from inside you to the outside? What have you to share with others of my wisdom and harmonious living, of the dripping of the oils of compassion and the lubricants of your common anointings as my images, my other “Christs,” my co-creators of wisdom on earth? I am tired of your religious wars, your sectarian divisions, your crusading spirits that arise from disharmony. I long for harmony. If there must be competition, let it take place at the level of shared gifts and bountiful outpouring of wisdom. Pray together. Create harmony and healing together. Celebrate, praise, and thank together. Cease using religion to divide. Use it for its purpose, to reconnect to Mother Earth, to blessings, to the underground river that I am and that you all share. And cease scandalizing the young by your indifference to these awesome blessings, by your competition, and your boredom. Praise one another. Praise the earth. In doing so, you praise me.” ~ Matthew Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, Harper and Row, San Francisco, 1988.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord God Almighty, in our fleeting mortality turn us always to Christ in whose Kingdom, now and forever, we are forgiven and saved by Your Holy Lamb, for in Him all things hold together.

                                                          Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
RESPONSE:                     Let us Drink of Your Wisdom

~  Lord God Almighty, for all who are governed by power or throne, by force or dominion by grant, on our Planet, in our Country, and in our Community, we implore You to infuse the wisdom, sanity, and humanity of Jesus into all who lead Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                            Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                            Let us Drink of Your Wisdom

~ Lord God Almighty, send healing grace to all who suffer in spirit, in mind, or in body, and grace-filled endurance to all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                            Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                            Let us Drink of Your Wisdom  

~ Lord God Almighty, lighten our grieving hearts with joy, as the souls of our cherished departed are with you today, in the ceaseless joy of Your Eternal Paradise. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                            Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                            Let us Drink of Your Wisdom

~ Lord God Almighty, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions


                                                            Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                            Let us Drink of Your Wisdom 

~ Lord God Almighty, excite the souls of those chosen to lead us through Your Word and Sacraments, keeping us eager to create harmony and healing together among all God’s People. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                             Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                            Let us Drink of Your Wisdom                                                                                            

The Celebrant adds: Most Holy Christ, Image of the Invisible God, arouse us from our daily complacence to rediscover the fullness of God in Your Presence in ourselves. Teach us to celebrate, praise, and give thanks together in Your Church and in Creation at large, through our Mother Earth and all the Life she contains. Grant us clean hands and a pure heart to receive Your blessing as we seek Your face in all others. We ask through the Holy Spirit, the very Breath of Love; and our Omnipotent Creator; who together with You, are One God, for ever and for evermore.  Amen. 

 


 




All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com


Prayers of the People: Christ the King ~ Last (24th) Sunday of Pentecost '22 Yr C

For Sunday, November 20, 2022, Readings:  Jeremiah 23;1-6, Psalm 46, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23: 33-53

     Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord...So I will attend to you for your evil doings…Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock...and I will bring them back to their fold and they shall be fruitful and multiply. [Jeremiah 23:1, 2c, 3]

    God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change...though the mountains tremble with its tumult. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city... [Psalm 46:1-2a,3b-5a]

 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…He is himself before all things and in him all things hold together. For in him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell… [Colossians 1:15a, 17, 19a]

        Father forgive them for they know not what they do…Then [one of the criminals] said, “Jesus, remember me…” and [Jesus] replied, “Truly I tell you , today you will be with me in Paradise.” [Luke 23:34, 42a, 43]

       We have arrived at the Last Sunday after Pentecost in the Lectionary season to celebrate Christ the King. Next week we begin the Season of Advent, preparing our hearts and souls for the birth of the Child in whom the fullness of God is pleased to dwell.
        As we look at the readings for this week, first up the often gloomy Jeremiah has a strong message from God of woe for the destructive shepherds who scatter God’s people through their evil doings!  The psalmist follows immediately with the calming message for us, the sheep, that God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of trouble… Regardless of the struggles through natural disasters or the nations who will make much ado, we are reminded to Be still, thenthe Lord of hosts is with us…and is our stronghold.
       The readings from Colossians had some mysterious descriptions of God in Christ that are as difficult to comprehend for most modern, western minds as they were for the minds of their time. While they also may be somewhat familiar to anyone who regularly reads the Christian [aka New] Testament and/or vaguely hears them read in a church setting, these words may seem irrelevant in the scheme of daily living in today’s world. For example, how do you understand the concepts such as Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, firstborn of all creation and also of the dead? Yet we, who would be counted as faithful Christians, should take heed and examine more closely. Looking at various translations, I found firstborn of the dead expressed as of the dead, from the dead, from among the dead, etc. For me, the most relatable is in a translation from “J.B. Phillips New Testament” which says: Life from nothing began through him, and life from the dead began through him, and he is, therefore, justly called the Lord of all. Check any translation(s) you have on hand or online and discover what speaks to you. An online source I use often is www.biblegateway.com as it contains quite a large variety of translations and paraphrases which are useful as well as interesting.
       Although Jesus has told us that his kingdom is not from here [John 18:36], it is here and, in this time and place, where we encounter him, if we seek him, and if we choose to follow. It is in this daily life in this time that we may easily lose track of our allegiances and settle in more with the temporary earthly powers than in the everlasting divine Kingship of Christ.
       From the above readings and given the imminent onset of Advent, it does seem strange, at first, that as we celebrate Christ as King, we end our readings this week with this passage from the Gospel of Luke at the Crucifixion. Yet, without the Crucifixion and Resurrection of what purpose is Advent or Christmas? But the reverse is also true: no Christmas = no Easter. For me, the crux of this Sunday’s lessons is the moment in Luke’s Gospel where the contrast is made between the hard-hearted criminal and that of the repentant one. In his response to the “Good Thief,” as he has been called, Jesus gives us the path to freedom from the darkness of sin and fear. For we who endeavor to follow, Christ is our unearthly King in this earthly world who shows us the way to the true and never-ending Kingdom, Paradise, in the next. The question for each of us is: do we choose to be led astray by the hard-hearted and haters, by those who would scatter us through evil doings in our brief sojourn in this place, or follow him who loves us and freed us from our sins by the blood of his cross? The answer, of course, is to seek the path where: In him all things hold together. No easy task with strong faith let alone for those of us who falter in our faith and doubt many times. The gift of the readings for this Sunday is that they are as timely today as when they were first written down. May [we] be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may [we] be prepared to endure everything with patience… [Colossians 11:1a] 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader:  ~ Lord God Almighty, in our fleeting mortality turn us always to Christ in whose Kingdom, now and forever, we are forgiven and saved, for in Him all things hold together.

                                                Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
RESPONSE:         Let us Drink of Your Wisdom

~  Lord God Almighty, for all who are governed by power or throne, by force or dominion by grant, on our Planet, in our Country, and in our Community, we implore You to infuse the wisdom, sanity, and humanity of Jesus into all who lead Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                Let us Drink of Your Wisdom 

~ Lord God Almighty, send healing grace to all who suffer in spirit, in mind, or in body, and grace-filled endurance to all who give them care. We now join our hearts to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                Let us Drink of Your Wisdom    

~ Lord God Almighty, lighten our grieving hearts with joy, as the souls of our cherished departed are with you today, in the ceaseless joy of Your Eternal Paradise. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                Let us Drink of Your Wisdom 

~ Lord God Almighty, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                Let us Drink of Your Wisdom    

~ Lord God Almighty, excite the souls of those chosen to lead us through Your Word and Sacraments, keeping us eager to create harmony and healing together among all God’s People. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Holy Jesus, Firstborn of All Creation
                                                Let us Drink of Your Wisdom                                

The Celebrant adds: Most Holy Christ, Image of the Invisible God, arouse us from our daily complacence to rediscover the fullness of God in Your Presence in ourselves. Teach us to celebrate, praise, and give thanks together in Your Church and in Creation at large, through our Mother Earth and all the Life she contains. Grant us clean hands and a pure heart to receive Your blessing as we seek Your face in all others. We ask through the Holy Spirit, the very Breath of Love; and our Omnipotent Creator; who together with You, are One God, for ever and for evermore.  Amen. 




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