Prayers of the People: On the Road Again, 3rd Sunday in Easter

for Third Sunday in Easter, May 4, 2014 ~ Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Ps 116:1-3, 10-17; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

       Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem and talking with each other about all these things that had happened....When he was at 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 24:13-14, 30-31 NRSV]

      Two regular guys are walking down the road talking about the irregular events of the past days. This other guy shows up and seems unaware of these events and their importance. They explain it and even invite him home to dinner. Suddenly the stranger is hosting the meal and even more suddenly, he's gone. Then they realize who He was.        
       Several messages here ~ obviously things/people aren't always what they seem. But more importantly you don't have to be part of the Inner Circle to have a place at the table.  All of us are invited to celebrate the breaking of the Bread ~ friends, strangers, young, old, etc., it makes no difference. We, too, will experience Christ's unseen Presence, not only in the Eucharist but also in every facet of our lives ~ once we let our eyes be opened.

Let Us, God's People, Pray 

Leader:   ~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, we blindly follow the way of the world without seeing that You are there with us in every step. Open our hearts that we may know Your Presence, open our eyes that we may see Your Path of Life Eternal, and open our souls to receive Your gift of Salvation.

                      Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

Repsonse:   You ransomed us all from sin and death

~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, guide our vision towards those whose daily lives are filled with hardship and dire circumstance. Please give us the mettle, the words, and the voice to turn the hearts of those in political power in our world to Your justice, peace, and mercy.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

                   You ransomed us all from sin and death

~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, some of our very own are lost in serious illness, emotional upheaval, and hopelessness. Walk more closely with them and with those who give them care, to ease their journey with hope and healing.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

                   You ransomed us all from sin and death

~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, You returned to see, touch, and inspire Your disciples after Your terrible death.  How many of us would long for such a moment with those we’ve lost?  But while saddened, we are also touched and inspired knowing that our loved ones share eternity with You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

                   You ransomed us all from sin and death

~ Lord Jesus, our Companion on the Road, we ask Your special blessings on those who have heard the call to lead us along Your Path. Bestow renewed energy and vitality to their spiritual quest, so that together we can strengthen the mission of Your church. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                        Jesus, our Lord and Messiah

                   You ransomed us all from sin and death

The Celebrant adds:   Son of God, Messiah of all People, You do incline Your ear to us whenever we call upon You. Remind us that in good times and in difficulty all we need to do is turn in Your direction. We give thanks and praise for this living blessing through our Creator, our Sanctifier, and You, our Redeemer, who live and reign as one God, always, forever, eternally. 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: 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.

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: 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.




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: 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. 














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 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.