Prayers in Easter: Psalm 23 again, sort of...

 My Lord, Shepherd of my life,

    You hear me, You know me. When I am most alone I can speak to You and You listen. I can rest in You and my soul is calmed. You enjoy my happiest moments with me. When I am lost, You come to find me. When I am afraid, You embrace me. My Lord, Shepherd of my life, sometimes You are the only one who knows my voice. You feed my heart. You feed my soul. I will follow You everywhere.  amen.  

   Psalm 23 speaks to us in the simplest of terms that belie the intricacy of its depth. The symbolism in this well-known Psalm is far more complex and fascinating than just the obvious image of a guy walking down a lane with a big staff and a dog, or the pretty girl of nursery rhymes with a bow on her crook as the sheep dutifully follow.  Taken line by line we can see, feel, and almost hear Jesus, our Shepherd, here with us, reviving, caring, comforting, and anointing. Watching over us, preparing our table, restoring us.  Nothing we need is withheld.  

       The demands on real living shepherds are constant and endless.  Sheep are peculiarly needy and helpless creatures, quite restive, and even self-destructive at times. They can stand still for hours or bolt into stampede because an apple drops unexpectedly from a tree. The shepherd must keep continuous vigil against disease, insect infestations, predators, pecking order fights, escape artists, water, and food supplies. Sheep will NOT lie down unless they are completely contented and secure. A special oil mixture that the shepherd prepares and swabs (anoints) around each sheep's head and nose keeps deadly insects from burrowing and causing panic, disease, and injury, and the sheep is calmed for a little while. Then there are shearing and lambing seasons...*
         A Good Shepherd's job is never done.



*I commend to you a charming and interesting little book, A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23 by W. Phillip Keller, for a closer look at the connections between the Psalm's imagery and real life sheep farming.

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Prayers in Easter: 1, 2, 3 ~ All Together Now

God, our Creator ~ God, our Redeemer ~ God, our Sanctifier,
     You, 3 in 1, are simply yet complexly God.  It is to each, all, and only You that I pray at this moment. My head cannot understand or define You in Your three-in-one-ness, but if I could, then You could not be You. Let me not be too concerned with the depth and breadth of all the philosophical and theological stuff that others much smarter than me, like Your servant Athanasius, have argued over. Just help me to remember, that each day in my life, all I only need is You. amen.


Renowned, Significant, Profound, Influential  there are too few superlatives to fully contain the work of St. Athanasius of Alexandria (c. 296-373) who is celebrated today. At age 30 he became the 20th Bishop (or Archbishop or Patriarch) of Alexandria, Egypt with a tenure of 45 years. He is also known as  Athanasius the Great, Athanasius the Confessor and, primarily in the Coptic Orthodox Church, Athanasius the Apostolic. He has been named a Doctor of the Church by the Roman Catholic Church, Father of Orthodoxy by the Eastern Orthodox, and Father of the Canon by Protestant theologians.  
              Despite being exiled 5 times by 4 Roman Emperors for political and theological reasons, it is his Trinitarian theology that defines mainstream Christianity today.
             His first great theological struggle was against Arius, a priest from Libya, at the first Council of Nicaea in the year 325.  Arius denied the divinity of Christ and his "Arian" orthodoxy was the prevalent theology of the day. It was denounced and ultimately trounced by Athanasius who argued for the dual nature of Jesus ~ human AND divine ~ declaring that only one who was fully human could atone for human sin and only one who was fully divine could have the power to save us. He said, that "Those who maintain 'There was a time when the Son was not [divine]' rob God of his Word, like plunderers." Arianism is considered "heresy" today. 
             Athanasius' view of the Incarnation is what informed the structure of the Nicene Creed that is used today and he was the first to identify the 27 books that make up the New Testament canon in use today as well. Not without his detractors even today, nonetheless, even if you've never heard his name, if you are Anglican/Episcopal, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or Coptic Catholic ~ and any other Christian who reads the New Testament, you have the benefit of this man's work.  Diminutive in stature, a giant in the history of Christianity.




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Prayers in Easter: Follow the Leader

      Saints Philip and James are on the Church calendar today, two of the original 12 Apostles called directly by Jesus to follow Him (see Mark 3:13-19). We are told that Philip lived in Bethsaida, in Galilee, the same town as Peter and Andrew. After meeting Jesus, Philip told Nathaniel that Jesus is "the one about whom Moses and the Prophets wrote" (see John 1:43-51). 
            We don't know much about James except that he is the son of Alphaeus and he is called James the Lesser ~ and he is not the son of Clopas, nor is he James the son of Zebedee who is known as James the Greater, nor is he considered to be the author of the Letter of James in the New Testament.  
          We do know that they were pretty ordinary guys called to follow an extraordinary man. It appears from some of the discussions all the Apostles had with Jesus at one time or another that they weren't always swift on the uptake. Jesus was a bit impatient at times with their lack of "getting it" (see John 14:8-9a) but they ultimately understood and, as Jesus said they would, they received the power to heal, and preach, and teach in His name. They were each an integral part of the foundation that Jesus laid and He, the Cornerstone, called them, and us, to continue the work after His resurrection.

Jesus, Fisher of Souls,
       You called these everyday men to give up their ordinary lives to follow You, and they did.  Without completely understanding all that You were about, they trusted, they believed, and they grew into all that You wanted them to be. Even though there was uncertainty, they sometimes squabbled, asked frustrating questions, and they were occasionally fearful, You reached their hearts, and minds, and bodies. You molded them into Your earthly legacy that comes down to us today.  
       Thank You, Lord, for the example of these men. They remind me that, as an ordinary everyday person who doesn't always understand everything, with You as the Cornerstone, I am also a small part of building on the foundation they began. In this Easter season, help me to know You more clearly, love You more dearly, and follow You more nearly, each and every day.  amen.  







Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: The Butler Did It

God and one woman 

            make a majority.                             ~ Josephine Butler*  [1828-1906]

       God of Women and Men and our Children, God of Earth and God of Heaven, God of all that is, Seen and Unseen,
         Your Servant Josephine led the way in her own time to courageously and relentlessly advocate on behalf of women as fully human persons. From campaigning for higher education, pushing legislation to increase the age of sexual consent, and to succeed in having laws repealed that diminished and exploited women, especially those engaging in prostitution, Mrs. Butler was a force beyond our comprehension for her time. Help us realize that we must continue her valiant efforts. Let us not avert our eyes to the very real, very prevalent issues of sexual violence in our own times ~ in the worst parts of the world, and in the nicest parts of our comfortable lives. Rape as a political weapon, human trafficking for greed and lust, domestic violence, child pornography and prostitution ~ all are symptoms of a dissolving social ethic that only benefits the few who have power, and all thrive when we, good people, look away. Help us, Lord, to do the work You have given us to do and actively see to it that all Your children are safe and loved.  amen. 

 *A feminist from an early age, Josephine Butler became more involved in serious social issues about women after being devastated by the death of her young daughter. Early on she was co-founder of the North of England Council for Promoting the Higher Education of Women and, although a dedicated and committed Christian married to a Church of England clergyman, she also became a resolute advocate for the welfare of prostitutes. She believed that the double standard of sexual morality led to the exploitation of women with no consequences for men. Josephine was tireless in her efforts to have the Contagious Disease Acts repealed. They were intended to thwart the spread of venereal diseases yet only women were being victimized by the requirements which often led to their imprisonment if infected, but men were not. In a public meeting she referred to some of the practices authorized by the Acts as "surgical rape" ~ a shocking remark that resulted in her desired outcome, the Acts were repealed in  England, Ireland, and British Raj India.  Josephine also successfully undertook to have the age of sexual consent raised from 13 to 16 to reduce child prostitution.
       At a time when women didn't have the vote, Mrs. Butler's efforts were compelling and considerable. Honored on the Church of England Calendar of Lesser Festivals, she is also portrayed in a window in the Anglican Cathedral of Liverpool with Queen Victoria and other notable women of the time. A College at the University of Durham is named for her and she has been remembered and honored in many other ways and places in England. It is past time for her to be known much farther afield as her influence continues to this day. 














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Prayers in Easter: The Doctor is In

       To show the love that we have for Him, we ought to serve and love every rational creature and extend our charity to good and bad -- as much to one who does us ill service and criticizes us as to one who serves us. For, His charity extends over just men and sinners. ~St. Catherine of Siena*   [1347-1380]


Our Risen Lord Christ, 
       We need Your help to live into Catherine's description of Your Great Commandment. Keep us conscious of the lives we touch and the impact we have whether intended or not. When we love and forgive with You in our hearts, it is the right place, and the right time, to remember the Salvation You give to us all.  amen.


*Catherine was a Third Order member of the Dominicans (a lay person, not a vowed member of the community but an adherent to its principles and rules), a Scholastic Philosopher, and Theologian. Named a Doctor of the Church (one who has shown significant importance in theology and doctrine) by Pope Paul VI in 1970 along with Teresa of Avila, the first two women so named to one of the Roman Church's highest honors. Only 33 at her death, Catherine's profound spiritual writings and tremendous political influence were highly exceptional for her times and she remains greatly respected today.

















Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers in Easter: On Your Mark...

Readings: Isaiah 52:7-10, Psalm 2 or 2:7-10, Ephesians 4:7-8,11-16, Mark 1:1-15 or Mark 16:15-20 

St. Mark

Jesus said to them: 

And for those who have sinned I was handed over to death, that they may return to the truth and sin no more, that they may inherit the spiritual and imperishable glory of righteousness that is in heaven.*




       Whether or not the above is an actual part of the Gospel of Mark** and whether or not Jesus said those exact words is irrelevant. As we begin the 2nd week in Easter, we need to find ways to remember all that Easter is about - not just now, but every day.  All we have to do is ask.

Risen Lord,
     As this new week begins, we need a little extra grace to keep You, and the reason You suffered, died, was buried, and resurrected, alive in our consciousness. As the ordinary of life rolls on it is easy to lose track of what being a Christian is all about. In this Easter season, as we celebrate Your glorious resurrection, help us reinforce our spiritual foundation so that even when we are distracted, we won't stray for too long.  Let us run a good race to restore, keep, and live into our faith.  Ready?  On your Mark, get set...   amen. 


*Part of one possible ending for the Gospel of Mark from an ancient authority. 

**The Gospel of Mark is thought to be the earliest of the four canonical Gospels despite its second place in the New Testament. It has the flavor of a Reader's Digest Condensed/No Frills Book as it chronicles the highlights of the life of Jesus without much of the detail of the others. Biblical scholars disagree on a variety of aspects of this Gospel, especially the ending, and the identity and biography of the attributed author, Mark. Whoever and whatever, the words tell the story of the One we choose to follow. The details in and about the Gospel of Mark make for interesting reading and engaging conversations.  

St. Mark is remembered on liturgical calendars of many Christian denominations on April 25.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People, Seeing is Believing... but... : 2nd Sunday of Easter

Second Sunday of Easter, April 27, 2014, Readings: Acts 2:14-41, Ps 16, 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31

   Thomas, the one who wouldn't believe without tangible proof, gets much of the attention here. And yet we seem to forget that the rest of the disciples also dismissed the accounts of Jesus being alive. Thomas only said what they had been thinking before they themselves saw Jesus. How much convincing would you have needed? How much do you still need? 
    On this Low Sunday (after the build-up and then the "high" of Easter Day), are you ready to live into and proclaim the Good News? 

Let Us, God's People, Pray

Leader:   ~ Risen Jesus, our Lord and Messiah!  How often have we walked through the penitence of Lent, the celebrations and passion of Holy Week, and Your miraculous Resurrection, and taken it all for granted because it happens for us every year?  Let us now truly REJOICE, as if for the first time, with the knowledge that You have suffered, died, and Resurrected for each of US. Thomas saw and believed, let us simply believe. 
                    You pour Your Eternal Spirit upon us
Repsonse:   Your Presence fills us with gladness

~ Risen Jesus, our Lord and Messiah! The wars and conflicts continue from Your own earthly life. The great and powerful leaders are much the same. Grant us courage to renew our faith in the eternal rather than the temporal, while we work to challenge our leaders to provide a just, merciful, and equitable life for all of Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                      You pour Your Eternal Spirit upon us

                      Your Presence fills us with gladness

~ Risen Jesus, our Lord and Messiah!  Give refuge to those who are very ill, frightened, or worried and to those who give them care. Soothe their hearts and hold them all in Your healing embrace. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                      You pour Your Eternal Spirit upon us

                      Your Presence fills us with gladness

~ Risen Jesus, our Lord and Messiah!  Our joy at Your resurrection is tempered with our grief at the loss of those we love.  We cling to our faith that they are with You in the miracle of their own resurrections into Your eternal promise.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                      You pour Your Eternal Spirit upon us

                      Your Presence fills us with gladness

~ Risen Jesus, our Lord and Messiah!  Refresh those who guide us in Your Church and renew their delight in preaching the Good News of the miracle of our salvation by You and the message of Your pure love for us all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                      You pour Your Eternal Spirit upon us

                      Your Presence fills us with gladness

The Celebrant adds: Jesus, our Living and Eternal Hope, all praise, and honor, and glory is Yours who was freed from death to free us from sin.  Help us follow Your path of life and know the fullness of joy in Your Presence.  We ask this through our Loving Creator, who with You and the Glorious Spirit reign, one God, forever and for eternity.  Amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Easter: He's what? Oh, right, sure..., Easter Saturday

Readings: Acts 4:13-21, Psalm 118:14-18 or 118:19-24, Mark 16:9-15,20

But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table...  
                                               [Mark 16:11-13, 14a]

O Jesus,
      Some days I question everything. I can definitely understand why the disciples didn't believe the reports they heard that You had been seen alive. We're all a skeptical lot. Even though You told them, even though they loved and trusted You, still, it was beyond their experience and their realm of possibility. And now, today, more than 2000 years later I believe it when I read it - after all, these accounts have lasted for all this time. But I need help sometimes. While I can imagine You sitting at my table, when my heart hurts or my head isn't on straight, imagining doesn't always relieve me. Today, I'm fine, my faith is strong and so is my willingness to proclaim the Good News. Tomorrow or next week? Please, in those times, remind me to read again, to believe, and to proclaim that You are risen! Indeed! amen.


Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Easter: Gone Fishin', Easter Friday

Readings: Acts 4:1-12, Psalm 116:1-8 or 118:19-24, John 21:1-14

Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast."    [John 21:10-12]

 A glorious morning for fishermen. This time a week ago it was fear, horror, and devastating grief. And now, the One who was lost is miraculously preparing breakfast on the beach. What would you give for one more breakfast with....

Dearest Fisher of People,
        Fishing advice and breakfast after You've come back from the dead - what an amazing way to care for Your friends!  And, as just one of the guys You show us how easy it is to be with You whether casually on the beach, walking down the road, or just having dinner. A moment of ease before our real work begins anew. Thank You for reminding us that we can always rest and share breakfast or lunch or any moment with You, and be renewed for the work You have given us to do. Please, help us experience Your peace inwardly so that we may bring it to all we do and all those we meet.  amen.




Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Easter, Now Appearing... : Easter Thursday

Readings:  Acts 3:11-26, Psalm 8 or 114 or 118:19-24, Luke 24:36b-48

Has it only been one week since we remembered the Last Supper, the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter? We stripped the altar, left in silence and, some, waited in vigil and prayed with Jesus. Now we are hearing about You meeting with the disciples after Your resurrection. What was that first moment like?


Dear Jesus,
     Time goes so quickly I can barely keep track of it.  It doesn't seem possible that it has been a full week since we were reading about the Last Supper with all of its complexities. And, of course, the Resurrection is the most significant event for any Christian. But in reading about Your appearances to the disciples, I want to know what those moments were truly like in their time. It's hard for me to capture the essence of that immediacy of Your presence. I can imagine it, I can think about it, I can picture it, but I don't quite know how to experience it. Each day that passes takes my attention farther away from all that I felt just days ago in Holy Week. Of course I must pay attention to my every day life, but I also want to keep You as the focus in each day. Help me experience You. Keep me from being swept up in the insignificant.
       Dear Jesus, with You in my waking, in my walking, and in my sleeping, all that I am and all that I do will be a reflection of that experience.  Give my soul Your perfect health and guide my heart toward Your perfect love.  All this I ask through God as Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. amen.








Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Easter, Go for a walk?: Easter Wednesday

Readings:  Acts 3:1-10, Psalm 105:1-8 or 118:19-24, Luke 24:13-35

Road to Emmaus by Daniel Bonnell

And [Peter] took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. (Acts 3:7-8)
                                 *****
As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. (Luke 24:28-31)


Dear Jesus, our Risen Lord,
    How many times have I walked downcast on a lonely road of life, feeling alone and sad and never recognized that You were with me?   How many other times have I been elated, happy, (momentarily) care-free and never recognized that You were with me?  And here I am, right now, praying to You as if You were 'way out there somewhere when You are with me, right here, right now.  Can we go for a walk?  I have a lot to talk to You about.....amen.



Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Easter, Lost and Found: Easter Tuesday

The Gospel of John 20:11-18

Mary Magdalene stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

O My God in Heaven,
       I can feel Mary's despair, I've known it so deeply it is yet in my bones. But I am heartened by Jesus' return to her, to all of us. The Living Hope that is the Son of God is mine, an eternal gift from You. Help me to transform my grief into joy in the knowledge that all whom I have lost are found again, alive in Your eternity, and when my earthly days are complete, I will be with them and with You forever. Thank You, Lord. Thank You, Lord. O My God in Heaven, thank You. amen.  




Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Easter, All Your Eggs in One Basket?: Easter Monday

Readings: Acts 2:14,22-32, Psalm 16:8-11 or 118:19-24, Matthew 28:9-15

Now what? 

          What a week!  From big celebrations to fear, torture, death, and then RESURRECTION!  So all our work of Lent and Easter are over and we can get back to normal while we finish up the peeps, jelly beans, and what's left of the chocolate bunnies, right? 

  

Holiest Risen Lord!
          Where do we go from here?  Life seemed so much simpler when Easter was just a day for a big dinner like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Suddenly I feel as though I have more to do, more to be. It's a huge responsibility, following You. People might get the wrong impression of You if I do something that isn't Christ-like and actually I'm not sure I'm up to the task.  But okay, it's a new week, it's a new season, maybe even it's a new me as in "new creation."  I'll give it a go. All of my (faith) eggs are in one basket, Yours. I believe that You are all I need but I could use some help here, please. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, You know how I feel. amen.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers of the People: Easter Day!

April 20, 2014, Readings: Acts 10:34-43; Ps 118:1-2, 14-24; Colossians 3:1-4; Mt 28-1-10

           
        But the angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

O Triumphant, Radiant, Lord Most High,

          The dazzling splendor of Your Resurrection has illuminated our sight, amplified our hearing, and enraptured our souls. There are no words ecstatic or jubilant enough to express our profound joy in this moment. Our forty long days of waiting have finally ended, the somber darkness of the crucifixion has lifted, Your conquest over earthly death is complete and we are redeemed by You!

Leader:           Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

Response:      Jesus is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!

O Triumphant, Radiant, Lord Most High,

            Your entire ministry was fraught with political manipulation by those whose minds and hearts were small and feared the power of Your prophetic witness for peace. Let us, with joy and purpose, take up Your mantle with enthusiasm and determination to arouse compassion, peace, cooperation, justice, and mercy in our political leadership. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                         Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                         Jesus is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!

O Triumphant, Radiant, Lord Most High,

              Always and especially in this glorious moment, lavish Your grace and healing on those we love who are ailing in body, mind, or spirit, and on those who give them daily care. Enfold them in comfort and dissuade their fear and discouragement.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                         Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                         Jesus is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!

                    

O Triumphant, Radiant, Lord Most High,

                Your resurrection has destroyed the power of death.  Let us learn to rejoice in spite of our mourning for those we have lost who are now enveloped in Your eternal glory.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                         Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                         Jesus is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!

O Triumphant, Radiant, Lord Most High,

                Embolden the leaders of Your Church to be as the earthquake that moved the stone to reveal the emptiness of The Tomb. Enjoin us again to set our minds on all that is in God above and not on the emptiness of the earthly life that entombs us here below. Release us from all that binds us to the temporary and shallow instead of to Your eternal glory. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                               Hallelujah! Christ is Risen!

                               Jesus is risen indeed!  Hallelujah!

The Celebrant adds: Glorious Jesus, the Christ of our imagining, the Christ of our wonder and of our desire, You have defied the limits of a temporal death, risen to the heights of eternal glory, and claimed salvation for each of our souls. Let us claim life in You on this day that the Lord has made for us.  Let us truly rejoice and be glad in it!  Hallelujah, the Lord is Risen!  The Lord is risen, indeed!  Hallelujah!

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Lent, Holy Saturday in Holy Week

Readings: Job 14:1-14 or Lamentations 3:1-9, 19-24; Psalm 31:1-4, 15-16; 1 Peter 4:1-8; Matthew 27:57-66 or
John 19:38-42



Jesus, our Holy Redeemer,
          The silence of the Tomb engulfs us.  We are still and hear only the beating of our sorrowful hearts. The night is long and dark and cold. We will be with You. Be with us, Lord, we are at last awake to hear Your call.  Embrace us in the mercy of Your redemption, and when we have returned our souls to You, take us with You into the Kingdom of Your Glory. Amen. 










Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Prayers for Lent, Urban Stations, Good Friday

                On this Good Friday, April 18, 2014, in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, members of seven congregations of various denominations will gather to walk the city streets in procession using places at 8 different stops as the Stations of the Cross. These prayers by this writer are being used for each of the 8 Stations that form part of the overall Service.
               If you cannot join us or have never experienced the Stations of the Cross, pray with us on a virtual walk through the last hours of the earthly life of Jesus. 

Participating Churches in Wilmington, Delaware:

*The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew

*Tabernacle Full Gospel Baptist Church

*Wilmington Friends Meeting

*Old Asbury Church

*Bethel AME Church

*Ezion Mt. Carmel Church

*First & Central Presbyterian Church

1^st Station:  Jesus is condemned to die

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

How quickly this week has turned from exultation to murderous rebuke.  Let us bear the slanders and endure the anger, as You have, for those who are so quick to condemn a human life to death. Give us strength to pray for those who truly do not understand all that they inflict upon others, as well as for those who do. Grant us the courage to withhold our own judgment and condemnation and, in all humility, take this long walk with You and for You.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

2^nd Station: Jesus takes up his cross

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

You are no more truly human than at this moment, dragging a massive piece of rough-hewn timber laid across Your body, through the mean streets, amidst the jeers and tears of bystanders.  Fill us with Your acceptance and willingness to bear any burdens that life gives. Help our understanding that You ask no more of us than You have done for us.  Let us remember that our load is always lightened by our trust in You.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

3^rd Station: Jesus falls the first time

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

You buckle under the strain of the enormous burden this world has placed on Your shoulders.  For all that we do that weighs so heavily on You, we beg Your forgiveness. Grant us the fortitude to face our own sinfulness and the determination to overcome the weaknesses that turn us away from Your love. As You rise up in obedience to the call of God, let us follow Your example to stand again and move forward toward You after every fall and every stumble.  

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

4^th Station: Jesus Meets His Mother

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

O Mother of us all – to meet Your Son in such a plight as this – our hearts weep for Mother and Son in their mutual sorrow.  Change us, Dear Jesus, that we might never abandon those we love in time of need out of selfishness or inconvenience.  Let us see You with a mother’s heart and love You with a father’s joy and strive to love each other as You love us all even through the pain and the suffering that we have laid upon You.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

5^th Station: The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

Behold Simon, who is not one of us, pressed into taking Your Cross onto his own shoulders.  How often have we let others share our burdens or offered to share another’s, especially someone different from ourselves?  We bless Simon for helping You. And we give thanks to You for the example so that we might be Simon for someone else, without judgment, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or beliefs.  Let us walk together and share the weight of the cross with You.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

6^th Station: Jesus and the women of Jerusalem

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

Our mourning is often for ourselves and the pain we feel for another’s anguish. These women mourn for You and You care for them in the midst of all You suffer, knowing that their lives will not be easier.  Help us to look beyond ourselves and into the faces of others with love rather than pity, with hope rather than despair, with justice tempered with mercy, and with true contrition for our own sins of commission and omission.   

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

7^th Station: The Crucifixion

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

A once living tree now makes the beams of a horrible death.  With Your own agony and the torment of Your appeals, You show us how to give our lives entirely to God.  And as Your life ebbs with excruciating slowness, Your compassion for us all and one who hangs next to You is overwhelming.  Grant us such compassion that we might not return injury for insult but rather reflect Your love and peace in the actions of our lives.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

8^th Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

O Dearest Lord Jesus,

The silence of the Tomb engulfs us.  We are still and hear only the beating of our sorrowful hearts. The night is long and dark and cold. We will be with You. Be with us, Lord, we are at last awake to hear Your call.  Embrace us in the mercy of Your redemption, and when we have returned our souls to You, take us with You into the Kingdom of Your Glory.

Oh Jesus, our Savior

Your cross redeems us all.

Please feel free to request a prayer to be composed for a particular concern or topic for posting in this space. You may leave your request in the comments section or contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Requestors will remain anonymous.

Meditations in Lent: Thursday in Holy Week '20

Readings: Ex 12:1-4, (5-10), 11-14; Ps 116:1, 10-17; 1 Cor 11:23-26; Jn 13:1-7, 31b-35

           For the Passover, God, through Moses and Aaron, promised protection to all whose homes displayed the blood of a sacrificed lamb and proclaimed it a day of remembrance forever.
         On this night, Jesus knew his earthly life was coming to an end. In his Last Supper with the Disciples, he gave us the mystery of the sacrament of His Body and Blood ~ the Eucharist ~ as a New Covenant with God, a perpetual remembrance of Him as the blood sacrifice for the redemption of us. On this night, Jesus surprised his Disciples by washing their feet, as a servant would do, to show them humility. And on this night, he told them that Judas would betray him, and, that Peter would deny him 3 times.
               The name for this day varies with Christian worship traditions: Holy Thursday, Great and Holy Thursday, or even Thursday of Mysteries. The Anglican/Episcopal tradition calls it Maundy Thursday which some think may come from the Latin mendicare for beg or, from mandatum for mandate or command. We now enter the solemn Easter Triduum [trid-oo-um] , a period of three days, that in its fullest extent, begins with a Liturgy tonight, reaches its high point in Easter Vigil on Saturday night, and concludes with Evening Prayer on Easter night. In this time of Covid 19, our attention and our prayers, even at a distance from one another, are as important as any other year, perhaps more so now. 
              However you choose to name it, on this night, Jesus said, I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
           

Jesus, Lamb of God,

         Gathering for Holy Eucharist is our primary remembrance of You. Yet in these times we must receive and remember You in our hearts, our thoughts, and through our prayers for the safety of one another and ourselves. Tonight, let us remember You in the Garden of Gethsemane with the disciples who could not stay awake with You for even one hour. It's hard to imagine having to find a way to stay awake all night, in fear, outside, to watch someone else pray for something you don't quite understand. Would I have had the prayer words I'd need? Do I have them now? How much time are we willing to give on this night, and in any day or night, to remember You in fear, in joy, or in everyday activity?  

           Lord Jesus, my Savior, thank You for all You have done for me and for all of us. Help me to be a reflection of Your love and humility in this world so that I may rightly be known as a disciple, as a Christian. As a small token of remembrance before I turn to sleep, whatever the day has brought, I offer these words Lord Jesus, Son of God, and as I breathe out, Have mercy on me, a sinner.  amen. [I'll try to remember to repeat until sleep arrives and any/all other times breathing occurs]

           And, Lord Christ, bless and keep all those who stay awake whole nights and days at a time caring for the sick and fearing for themselves and their own families as we hold them in prayer. Also, let us remember and pray for those who at risk working in areas we all take for granted ~ grocery stores, gas stations, delivery drivers, postal carriers, and trash collectors. Keep us ever aware and mindful of all the people and all the little things of life that we have usually overlooked in our recent "normal" times. Let us love one another in every day close in and at a distance, family, friends, and strangers alike. Let us love You by who we are and how we are in this world. Amen.

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used or adapted with attribution as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. Feel free to contact me directly at Leeosophy@gmail.com