Prayers of the People: Finding The Epiphany! ~ Sunday of the Epiphany '26 Yr A

For Sunday of the Epiphany, January 4, 2024, Readings: Isaiah 60:1-6, Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14; 

Ephesians 3:1-12, Matthew 2:1-12

  Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you…Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. [Isaiah 60:1, 3]

  For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, and the oppressed who has no helper.  [Psalm 72:12]

  Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace…This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. [Ephesians 3:7a,11-12]

  “Go and search diligently for the child…” When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. [Matthew 2:8b, 10]

    Although technically this Sunday is the 2^nd Sunday of Christmas, because of its close proximity ~ 2 days ~ to the feast of The Epiphany of Our Lord, January 6, The Epiphany will be celebrated by many non-Orthodox Christian denominations on this Sunday. The Orthodox Christians around the world, however, will celebrate Christmas either on January 6^th or 7^th [see* below], while Orthodox Epiphany is also celebrated later, as the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus. Back in the olden days when I was, ahem, young-er, Epiphany was known as “Little Christmas” in my Roman Catholic upbringing, perhaps a nod to our orthodox brothers and sisters, and it seems to have gotten lost to many along the way. With its depiction of the Magi, or Three Wise Men, in many Nativity scenes on Christmas, it’s just become a non-event with all the hype for Christmas shopping stealing the scene as early as September. For me the cultural change explains, sadly, the appearance of a few leftover Halloween skeletons with Santa hats, and large lawn balloon figures of Darth Vader, dinosaurs, unicorns, etc., from Thanksgiving until perhaps as late as February. Not screaming “Christmas” to me, rather, in a piece I wrote recently, it’s more crissmiss. 

    The Epiphany is meant to be a bright shiny and HOLY Revelation. It IS the continuing and the expanding of the celebration of the birth of our Messiah, and His importance to us all! But perhaps we are worn down after the four weeks of anticipation in Advent, the hustle and bustle of preparation for gifts and food and gatherings, the familiar rush of the time of year, followed by the pageantry and the glorious music, and then the usual “let down.” Perhaps Epiphany, the 12^th Day of Christmas, has become an anti-climax, the end of the story, yet it is meant as a beginning.    

   We open new chapters of the swiftly moving Lectionary Story that will take us from Jesus the Baby, to Christ our Redeemer. While we celebrate the birthday with great fanfare, the Epiphany moves us into the reason for which this Child was born of a woman, the revelation of God’s eternal purpose is upon us. A “theophany” ~ the manifestation of God visible to humans ~ a re-discovery now. One definition of “epiphany” is “a sudden insight or intuitive understanding.”

   While dates are relative to a given denomination or organization, at the Nativity of Jesus, Luke tells us that the angels appeared to the shepherds who received the good news of great joy, but Luke never mentions the Three Kings. Matthew never mentions the shepherds or even the birth itself except for a brief phrase: "...until she had borne a son; and he [Joseph] named him Jesus." But Matthew did tell us of the "...wise men from the East..." They saw a great star revealing to them the need for a journey to pay homage to a new born king of the Jews. Herod gets involved and we begin to see the ominous cloud moving in to shadow the glorious star. But having heard this story so very many times perhaps we’ve tuned it out. Generally arriving on a week day rather than a Sunday, when Christmas is over and the work and school weeks are back in swing, Epiphany is not what it has meant in the past.  It’s time, as a new year begins, to be re-awakened to the wonder and to ponder what it might mean for each of us in our own time? What sudden insight or understanding might come?  

   These three “Kings” weren’t likely kings at all but rather astrologers and astronomers. Possibly, as they have been called, they were Magi, priests of Zoroastrianism** from ancient Persia, who saw a sign to follow in the famous star. Traveling as many as a thousand or more miles, their journey would likely have taken months, not days, and they would have had an entourage carrying food, tents, supplies, etc. At last they found King Herod to tell him, and us all, of the significance, power, and majesty this Child brings. And as the Magi left by another road to avoid Herod, we learn in later verses we don’t read on this day, that Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus fled to Egypt. Emigrants, perhaps illegal, being warned of the acts of Herod murdering male children trying to kill the One. They didn’t return until after Herod’s death.

   Today, it is a new dawn, another chance to read these Scriptures, not only on this day, but each Sunday (and weekdays, too!), especially the Gospel, and to hear, feel, and know the message deeply within. In the compression of time given in the Gospels and the Church calendar, it is a short season indeed before we begin the unfolding of the ministry, miracles, teaching, sacrificial execution, and resurrection of Jesus. It is time again to rediscover the astonishment, the amazement, the true adoration in this event.

   Hear the story as if for the very first time ~ know that we have been given an extraordinary gift in Jesus, our Christ, Our Lord, who has been born to us! Let us be overwhelmed with joy! Let us search diligently for the Child within us and around us. Epiphany is a time to seek the Magi-cal gifts in my own life that call me to pay homage, follow, and live into the light and life of Christ in boldness and confidence through faith in him. Isaiah seems almost to be shouting: Arise, shine; for your light has come! It is time for each of us to experience finding The Epiphany again or for the first time.

* https://www.holidayscalendar.com/event/orthodox-christmas-day/

** https://www.britannica.com/topic/Zoroastrianism

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, as we arise in the shining Light of your glory, help us to come together as your people, to seek the joy that you bring to us again and again, and to share in your eternal promise.

                                                     Jesus, Light of Heaven                              

RESPONSE:               Our Strength and our Redeemer 

~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, guide all nations and all leaders of governments to be drawn to the brightness of Your dawning. Let us each model the very compassion and peace needed in the world to reverse the damage of oppression, violence, and injustice in our own time. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                      Jesus, Light of Heaven

                                                      Our Strength and our Redeemer

~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, deliver from distress all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and comfort all who give them support. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                      Jesus, Light of Heaven

                                                      Our Strength and our Redeemer

~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, lift the hearts of those lost in grief as those we love now receive the boundless treasures of eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                      Jesus, Light of Heaven

                                                      Our Strength and our Redeemer

~  Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of 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, Light of Heaven

                                                      Our Strength and our Redeemer          

~ Holy Messiah, Heartbeat of God, lavish special blessings upon the wise women and men who lead us in Your Church, as they prayerfully bring us Your words, works, and wonders on our life’s path toward Redemption. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Jesus, Light of Heaven
                                                       Our Strength and our Redeemer          

The Celebrant adds:  Most Holy Child, God’s Eternal Purpose, grant us the willingness to become a servant to You, our guiding star in the dark moments of life, and our rising and sustaining sun in each and every day. We ask with deep humility grounded in our Almighty Creator of all that is, and in the Holy Spirit, the Wisdom of our souls; who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.

 

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Prayer for Grieving at Christmas

Prayer for Grieving at Christmas

For All Who Mourn, Worry, or Feel Lost 

Silent Morn, Holy Morn

Sometimes I wonder

Why I was born.

I wake in the darkness and can't see the light.

All I want is the end of the night.

Take this grief from me, Lord

Please take this grief from me, Lord.

Silent Noon, Holy Noon

All songs I sing, are out of tune.

I’ve been looking for right words to pray

Nothing I’ve found yet, has shown me the way.

Help me find my voice, Lord

Please, help me find my voice.

Silent Day, Holy Day,

All's not calm, on my way.

In my life, so much does not seem,

to be close to what I once dreamed.

Help me trust in Your Peace, Lord.

Please, help me trust in Your Peace.

Silent Night, Holy Night

Finally calm, finally bright

With Your love so vast and yet mild

Now I can rest as I’m also Your child

I found some peace in this night, Lord,

Heaven-sent Peace in this night.

   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: Beginning ~ 1st Sunday after Christmas '25 RCL Yr A

For Sunday, December 28, 2025; Readings: Isaiah 61:10-62:3, Ps 147, Galatians 3:23-25, 4:4-7; 

John 1:1-18

   For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations…I will not keep silent…I will not rest…until the nations see Your vindication. [Isaiah 61:11, 62:1a, 2a]

   Hallelujah! How good it is to sing praises to our God!...He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds…The Lord lifts the lowly, but casts the wicked to the ground...Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion… [Psalm 147:1a, 3, 6, 13][

   God sent his Son, born of a woman…so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying, "Abba, Father!"  So you are no longer a slave but a child…then also an heir through God. [Galatians 4:4b-7]

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God...What has come into being was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it...And the Word became flesh and lived among us...From his fullness we have all received grace upon grace. [John 1:1-2, 3b-5,14a, 16]

      Still in the thrall of Christmas, we are on the cusp of the end of one year and beginning of another. The music, lights, the food, and the now unwrapped presents are all still claiming our senses though perhaps our attention is slightly on the wane. We’re not quite out of the holiday mood even if all the necessities of action in daily life are creeping in. Yet there is time enough to breathe deeply and inhale the air still electric with excitement for the Sacred and Holy Infant's birth and the high expectations for the coming of a New Year. We fill our lungs with our God-given breath and it disperses throughout our own life’s blood. Let us exhale the doubts and fears of uncertain faith, and inhale deeply again to set our course for a new start, a new birth in and for ourselves, an awakening, a fresh awareness of the presence Christ within us and everyone around us.
     For some of us, it is an important moment to breathe in the hope for those who are no longer in this life, and with whom our mutual love will live forever, that their journey is fulfilled as promised, as they live again in a joyous eternity.
     John tells us in today’s Gospel that Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. As the Spirit of Jesus lives in our hearts by God's gift, let us radiate that light from within by being the change we want to find in others and living into our faith through daily prayer-filled practice and action. Let us live into and out of what we say we believe through the grace upon grace received from the Incarnation of Jesus, our Christ, the Word made flesh who lived among us. And, may this be our first Resolution of the New Year: Begin at the Beginning and follow the Light. As John says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus, our Redeemer Christ, let us begin again with You. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ Abba! Lord! You have revealed all life through Christ who was born of a woman to redeem us as Your children, Your heirs. Grant us the faith and courage to live every day in wisdom and in strength, through the Spirit of Christ that You have sent into each of our hearts.
 
                                                    Jesus, God’s Holy Word             
        RESPONSE:                Center our hearts and minds on You
 
~ Abba! Lord! Keep us from rest and silence in seeking Your righteousness and peace among all nations and all leaders, everywhere. Activate the changes to spring up in ourselves that we seek in others, through our faith-filled daily prayers, thoughts, and actions. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word
                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You
 
~ Abba! Lord! Lift the lowly from their distress and bind up the wounds of all hurting bodies and souls as you renew the energy of all who give care and support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions
 
                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word
                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You
 
~ Abba! Lord! Heal the hearts broken by grief as those we love are alive again, swathed in the glory and rejoicing of the exquisite bliss of Eternity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word
                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You
 
~ Abba! Lord! We pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
 
                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word
                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You
             
~ Abba! Lord! May Your Holy Spark forever blaze through the souls of those anointed to lead us on our journey toward everlasting redemption through Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       Jesus, God’s Holy Word
                                                       Center our hearts and minds on You
             
The Celebrant adds: Jesus, God’s Ever-Present Glory and Truth, You came as God’s flesh and blood among us in Your humanity; in Your divinity, You are our grace upon grace. As You have clothed us in the garments of Salvation, guide us to be Your Light in our world that the darkness of evil cannot overcome. We ask through God, our Divine Creator; who together with You and the Holy Spirit, the ever-Flowing Fire of our souls; are One God, now and forever. Amen. 

 

 

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Prayers of the People: Christmas Eve & Christmas Day '25 RCL Year A

For December 24/25, 2025, Readings: Christmas Eve ~ Luke 2:1-20 at Creche, Isaiah 9:2-7, 

Ps 96, Titus 2:11-14; Christmas Day ~ Isaiah 52:7-10, Ps 98, Hebrews 1:1-12, John 1:1-18

 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light...For a child has been born for us, a son given to us...and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Isaiah 9:2a, 6] How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” [Isaiah 52:7]

     Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the whole earth. Sing to the Lord and bless his Name; proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day. [Psalm 96:1-2]

      Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things…In righteousness shall he judge the world and the peoples with equity. [Psalm 98:1, 10]

    The grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce…worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly… [Titus 2:11-12]

    [God] has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful words. [Hebrews 1:2]

      In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see I am bringing you good news of great joy...to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah...and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God... [Luke 2:8-11, 13]

   In the beginning was the Word…What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it…The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world…And the Word became flesh and lived among us… [John 1:1a, 3b-5, 9, 14a]

    There is something almost magical or perhaps enchanting is a better word, that occurs within me when I hear the words from Luke 2, especially when we get to: In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night... I become expectant. I become my 7 year old self, hearing the resonant voice of a familiar TV narrator in the annual retelling of the Christmas story on tv with marionettes. I am hope-filled. All is right in the world...for this moment. 

     My older self is revels in the mystical phrases of John’s opening of In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… and the entirety of this passage that fills me from the inside out as I breathe in the familiar ending of And the Word became flesh and lived among us…

    Every year someone asks, "If only we could stay this way all year." The spell cast by the words and the music of a glorious Liturgy as a prelude or the follow up to the early morning glitter of ornaments and lights, and the chatter of little ones and bigger ones ripping paper to reap the rewards, breaks all too soon. Our precious Infant has a far and difficult road to travel in only the few months between now and Easter. Including, as too many today, a dangerous race into another country out of fear. What part of it will we travel with him as the moment spins into what we call reality? What part of the reality of others in our community and in the world at large ~ poverty, violence, war, greed, and disasters, natural or human made ~ do we shun, dismiss, ignore or, throw money to, all while decrying the lack of Christ in Christmas?

    Most of the readings for this sacred season are so familiar that even non-Christians will know them. Yet what stands out for me every year, is the short lesson from the Letter of Paul to Titus, that often gets lost in the sparkle of the others. In particular, I am engaged by a phrase in the first of this only two-sentence reading: The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly… [emphasis added]. Jesus, our personal trainer, in our own time! We are so often bedazzled by the glamor and excitement of this season, in stark contrast to the humble surroundings of the birth of our Redeemer, that I am completely drawn to the concept of Jesus training us. The Gospels give us more than just advice, more than just reminders, more than just checklists of nice things to do. Jesus is our trainer, the one that gives instruction and direction to keep us on track, pushing us to go beyond the comfortable, to reach a potential of faith in action that we didn’t ever consider or because we fear the risks in renouncing, or at the very minimum reducing our dependence on all that is earthbound. It is no easy path, but with Christ as my trainer-in-residence, my faith will begin to shape up, become toned and strengthened into becoming a fully-fledged, faith-filled member of The Body of Christ. For me, now, the question isn’t “what is Christmas all about” but rather “when do I allow Christmas to begin in my life?”

     Christ is always in CHRISTmas...let's remember to keep Christ in Mondays, Thursdays, in February, and August. Let us truly Sing to the Lord and bless his name and proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day to ourselves first! Let our lives truly reflect what we say we believe in mindset and in practice. Feel the JOY! The Light shines again and always. Suit up, the training begins NOW! 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

 Leader:  ~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, a great light shines in the darkness and our joy, at long last, is unbounded by the arrival of You, our Messiah, come to redeem our sins and mark us as Your own forever. Hallelujah! Christ our Savior is born!

                                                         Glory to God in the Highest

               RESPONSE:               And Peace to God’s People on Earth

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, infuse our souls with Your powerful word that we may stand in Your grace before the earthly powers of our world, our nation, and our community, to renounce impiety and worldly passions. Let us sing to all a new song of great joy as we radiate and model Your Good News of peace, love, and mercy for all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                            Glory to God in the Highest

                                                            And Peace to God’s People on Earth

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, send healing and renewed hope to all who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit, and comfort those who give them support. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                            Glory to God in the Highest

                                                            And Peace to God’s People on Earth 

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, especially now, surround all grieving hearts with the solace that brightens the darkness, as the high vaults of heaven explode in jubilance and glory for our loved ones entering the gates of eternity. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                            Glory to God in the Highest

                                                            And Peace to God’s People on Earth

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions

                                                            Glory to God in the Highest

                                                            And Peace to God’s People on Earth                  

~ Holy Infant, Lord at thy birth, for our own Shepherds in this sacred field we give great thanks as they keep watch and guide us toward the ultimate pasture of Your salvation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 

                                                            Glory to God in the Highest

                                                            And Peace to God’s People on Earth 

The Celebrant adds: Wonderful Counselor, God’s Word Made Flesh, so activate our wills, so engage our very beings, that we will consciously and intentionally live into Your saving grace each and every day of our lives. On bended knees, and with worshipful hearts, we ask this of You as our Prince of Peace, the exact Imprint of God’s very being; and of the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier and the Breath of our souls; who together with You, reign in glory as One God, now until the end of forever. Hallelujah! Christ our Savior is Born!  Amen.

 

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Prayers of the People: Called to Belong ~ 4th Sunday of Advent, ‘25 RCL Yr A

For Sunday, December 21, 2025, Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16, Psalm 80: 1-7, 16-18; 

Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25

    Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. [Isaiah 7:14]

     ...stir up  your strength and come to help us. Restore us, O Lord God of Hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved…give us life, that we may call upon your Name. [Psalm 80:2b, 7, 17b]

    …Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace…to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles…including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ… [Romans 1:4b-6] 

    …an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to call him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." [Matthew 1:20b-22]

     This Season of Advent is nearly over and the 4^th Advent candle, signifying Love, is lighted. As the waiting time is extra short now, the activity level in many households frenetically escalates in anticipation of the Coming. For young children, the glee-filled anticipation of the coming is about Santa/Father Christmas, prettily wrapped presents, colorful lights, sparkling decorations, and sugary delights as for an extra-special birthday party. For many of us adults, the preparatory time is about the planning, the shopping, the wrapping, the baking, the cooking, and the celebration with friends and family, the post-Christmas cleanup, and then the exhaustion.

    Again, and again, we hear and we think we know what Christmas is all about. And year after year we fall into the same traps of cultural, familial, and especially commercially designed expectations. We know of, and many of us contribute money, time, and gifts for, those far less privileged as we continue on with our “traditions” of celebration, but for which: crissmiss, or Christ’s Mass? AND, we try to remember that this date is truly meant as a symbolic celebration as we have no idea of an actual date or season of the year for the birth of Jesus. As the apostles didn’t know and as the Gospels were written decades after the Crucifixion there’s nothing in any of them or anywhere else with a date. Most likely as the apostles traveled, and later Paul, the numbers of Jesus followers grew, so somewhere along the line, those now deemed Christians took advantage of the regular and numerous ancient winter festivals, and grabbed December 25^th as the time to celebrate the birth of the Child, who became Christ. It has even been suggested that Jesus, as the Lamb of God, may have been born in the spring as are most lambs around the world. We just don’t know.

   Then, moving to the appointed readings from Isaiah and the Psalm, it may be surprising that they are neither happy nor merry, forcing us to remember and honor the penitential part of Advent. God tells Ahaz of Judah, the signs are all there, all he has to do is ask God for them. But the ever-Kingly Ahaz says "Oh-No-I-don't-want-to-test-God" with the false humility of a leader who is really saying, "I can't be bothered." 

Isaiah's frustration is palpable when he says, in effect – oh puh-leeze!  The Lord Himself is telling you that there's a young woman with child from the House of David, and you'll be out of here before he's old enough to know good from evil. Isaiah’s message foreshadows what later came to pass, the exile and scattering of the tribe of Judah.

    The Psalmist’s lament gives a clear plea to God to come to help us…give us life and Restore us…and we shall be saved. Paul’s opening in the Letter to the Romans is definitively setting up the important Davidic lineage of Jesus as the grace we have received. He reminds us that our call is to belong to Christ and spread the Gospel message.

    But a question remains: is Christmas merely a birthday celebration with extra-great liturgical music before our other parties?

    Quite a few years ago, a local gentleman playwright, as an Artist in Residence, wrote a Christmas musical play for the parochial elementary school my daughters attended ~ sort of an Our Town, the classic prize-winning small-town-USA play by Thornton Wilder, meets the True Meaning of Christmas ~ and all of the several hundred students were in the play as a choir, with a few having key speaking roles. I regret to say that I cannot recall the exact name of the play, or the playwright's name, but the message remains clear to me. For the moment we'll call the play Emily's Birthday Emily is the central character in the original Our Town. If you don’t know the play, for a quick summary click here: Our Town and scroll to Act 3: . The premise in this version is that “Emily's Birthday” is a huge annual event in the town. Emily, who has died, arrives not realizing that she has died, to participate in the celebration of the anniversary of her birth. She finds a grand occasion in the entire town, with glittering decorations, large scale family meals, and many many gifts being exchanged, all because it's Emily's Birthday! As we see her in her own family home with each family member happily greeting each other and everyone with "Happy Emily's Birthday," Emily realizes that no one is thinking of her at all, there is no gift for her, nor is there even a place at the table for her. 

    While I'm convinced that this message was directed more to us adults, the kids – without any blatant or obvious statement in the script – GOT IT: What is this Birth Day Celebration really all about? It's time for all of us to "get it," again. 

   Joseph got quite a message in his dream in Matthew’s Gospel about who was coming into his life. With but a few days left, let our primary thoughts be more about the  Coming. Emmanu-el, spelled with either an Emm or an Imm, whose name means "God (El) is with us," who is our Christ – the anointed one/Messiah – Jesus, will shine His light upon us and we shall be saved. Let us revel in the Hope, the Peace, the Joy, and the Love that these four Sundays of Advent represent. And then let us truly celebrate by preparing ourselves for and remembering the significance, especially in these times, of the Birth of Jesus, the only true GIFT, God's Love Incarnate for our salvation. The celebration of CHRISTmas is coming quickly! We are to called to belong to Christ, to go about His business in this life that we have been given to live. Jesus IS the reason for the season.

O come, O King of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid all our sad divisions cease
and be yourself our King of Peace.*

*O come, O come, Emmanuel, verse 6, Hymn 56, 1982 Hymnal, Church Publishing, Incorporated, New York

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

~ O Lord God of Hosts, restore our souls with fresh anticipation for the birth of the Holy Child, our Messiah, Christ. Release us from the frantic activity that distracts us from this waiting time, to savor the last few moments in child-like anticipation, opening us to receive the only Gift we will ever need.

                                                      O Come, O Come Emmanuel

RESPONSE:                O Come, let us adore You

~ O Lord God of Hosts, shine forth upon those who govern in this World, in this Nation, and in this Community, that we all shall be saved. Stir up Your strength and help them to seek Divine truth and relentlessly pursue justice with compassion, tolerance, and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Come, O Come Emmanuel

                                                    O Come, let us adore You

~ O Lord God of Hosts, relieve all who suffer from pain, loneliness, and fear, and renew the energy of those who attend to their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Come, O Come Emmanuel

                                                    O Come, let us adore You

~ O Lord God of Hosts, walk with those weighed down with sorrow as You joyously welcome all who live again with You, where suffering and grief are no more. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O Come, O Come Emmanuel

                                                    O Come, let us adore You

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

                                                       O Come, O Come Emmanuel

                                                    O Come, let us adore You

~ O Lord of Hosts, grant special grace to those who are anointed in Your Name to lead us in Your Church. With their help and together may we re-dedicate ourselves to the obedience of faith and accept the call to belong to Jesus Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Come, O Come Emmanuel

                                                    O Come, let us adore You

The Celebrant adds: Restore us, O God, as we quietly breathe into the present moment, prepare us again to be Christ-Bearers of the One with us and within us, as through His Life we are given life to share His love and light to all we meet. We ask through Jesus, the Incarnation of Love; and the Holy Spirit, our Divine Wisdom; who together with You are One God, beyond 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

Prayers of the People: Joy Break ~ 3rd Sunday of Advent '25 Yr A

For Sunday, December 14, 2025, Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, Canticle 15: The Song of Mary, [Magnificat, Luke 1:46-55]; James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11

  The wilderness and dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice...like the crocus it will blossom abundantly...He will come and save you...A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way...the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return...and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. [Isaiah 35: 1-2a, 4b, 8a, 9b, 10a-b]

   My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant...he has remembered his promise of mercy... [Luke 1:46-48, 54b]

   Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. Strengthen your hearts for the coming of the Lord is near.  

[James 5:7a, 8b]

   Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A prophet?...Yes, I tell you...This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you'...among those born of women no one has risen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." [Matthew 11:7a, 9, 11]

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,

Who ordered all things mightily,

To us the path of knowledge show,

And teach us in her ways to go.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to you, O Israel!* 

*O come, O come, Emmanuel, verse 2, Hymn 56, 1982 Hymnal, Church Publishing, Inc., New York

 

   As we light the 3^rd candle in the Advent Wreath our anticipation and expectation of the birth of Jesus accelerates. However, there is a notable change. This week, instead of a purple candle of repentance or a blue candle of hope, some traditions use a rose colored (or pink) candle and perhaps rose vestments and altar hangings. Why change color in the middle of the season?

  Advent has traditionally been a penitential season of waiting, as is Lent, with somber readings and admonishments to fast and pray to be ready and worthy for Christ's coming. Yet, historically, the Latin name for this Sunday is Gaudete (gow-day-tay), which translates as “REJOICE!”  It comes from an Introit (opening) of the Liturgy. We hear the Joy, the Rejoicing, the Hope, and the excitement in the readings. We'll be ransomed from sorrow and sadness, lifted up, healed, beloved, and blessed. When our God in Christ comes, we will walk on the Holy Way, safe from lions and ravenous beasts. 

   Within the aspects of a strictly penitential season, all the candles, hangings, and vestments previously were Lenten purple. More recently, vestments have become blue to lighten our walk while still reminding us that we are in a season of prayer and penitence ~ a time for some spiritual housecleaning. But on this Sunday, the rose color was and is a symbol of a respite in the midst of the serious. 

   With the Revised Common Lectionary and newer scholarship, there has been more of an emphasis placed on remembering the Joy that is to come. All of this day’s readings are filled with hope and joy ~ which, of course, is not to say that we should not also be prayerful and repentant as we wait. 

    So let us, in the midst of the holiday flurry of gift selections, wrappings, food shopping and preparations, regularly stop to breathe, to pray, and to experience JOY for the coming Holy-Day of the Nativity. 

   May our souls proclaim the greatness of the Lord as our spirits rejoice with Mary, even as James reminds us that troubling times are part of every life and we are to be patient…and do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. In Matthew’s Gospel passage, Jesus is clear that while no human had risen greater than John the Baptist, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

   Yet with the gift of the coming ~and always present~ Lord Christ, our souls may smile in happy times and rest easier in the trying times as we move forward each day, until our time to journey on the Heavenly Holy Way, with singing and 

everlasting joy upon our heads.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ LORD of the Holy Way, grant us strength of heart and prayerful patience as we discover that the voice in the wilderness is our own. Keep us without fear as we await the everlasting joy of Christ’s coming.

                                                      O God our Savior

            RESPONSE:               Look with favor upon us 

~ LORD of the Holy Way, as You scatter the proud in their conceit, guide the hearts of all who govern on this Earth, in this Nation, and in our Community, that they may rule with equity, mercy, and justice. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God our Savior

                                                       Look with favor upon us

~  LORD of the Holy Way, lift up all who suffer with chronic illness, addiction, or severe life circumstance, and energize all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O God our Savior

                                                       Look with favor upon us

~  LORD of the Holy Way, may the sorrow and sighs flee away from those who mourn, as Heaven is ablaze in joy and gladness for the arrival of all we hold so dear. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                       O God our Savior

                                                       Look with favor upon us

~  LORD of the Holy Way, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                       O God our Savior

                                                       Look with favor upon us

~  LORD of the Holy Way, refresh and invigorate those who endeavor in Your Church to prepare us for the coming of Christ through Your Word and Sacraments. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O God our Savior

                                                       Look with favor upon us

The Celebrant adds: God of Glory and Majesty, as we await the Messiah who ransoms us from sin and death, fill us with continuing rejoicing that our souls may also magnify and proclaim the greatness of Your love. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer Christ, and the Holy Spirit of Truth, who together with You are One God, forever and ever. 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