for Sunday, May 18, Readings: Acts 7:55-60; Ps 31:1-5,15-16; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14
In one of the closing prayers for the Episcopal Sunday Liturgy (service/worship) we say to our Eternal God: ...you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood... and here, in the readings for this Sunday we are given a clear message that, with intention, we can crave, desire, and need the spiritual milk that we are offered to nourish and develop our souls and deepen our understanding of the Salvation we are offered. And, as it takes many stones to create a stable foundation, we are called as Living Stones for the spiritual temple of Christ and to build up the many dwelling places in the House of God. Our faith in Jesus is the starting point, let's milk it for all it's worth!
Let Us, God’s People, Pray
Leader: ~ Jesus, Purest Milk for our Spirits, Your Way, Your
Truth, and Your Life lead us to the fullness of God, our Creator. Grant us
sureness of footing and steadfastness of faith as we follow You to everlasting
salvation.
O Lord our Refuge and our
Foundation
Response: Shine Your loving Face upon us
~ Jesus, Purest
Milk for our spirits, the people of our world cry out in so many ways and
places because of the effects of war, hatred, poverty, and violence. Give us
courage to act in Your name in ways large, small, and intentional, to strengthen
the causes of peace, tolerance, and equality among all political leaders. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord our Refuge and our
Foundation
Shine Your loving Face upon us
~ Jesus,
Purest Milk for our spirits, deliver those who are seriously ill and those who
see to their care and comfort. Walk with
them as they seek shelter in the strong tower of Your love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord our Refuge and our
Foundation
Shine Your loving Face upon us
~ Jesus,
Purest Milk for our spirits, You promise us the gift of all Eternity with our
belief in You. Help us to find peace in the knowing that those we hold dearest,
who have left this life, now dwell in all the glory of God’s House forever. We
pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Lord our Refuge and our
Foundation
Shine Your loving Face upon us
~ Jesus,
Purest Milk for our spirits, as we walk together with those who lead Your
Church, we will commit ourselves to be as Living Stones with them in Your
spiritual temple. Grant our leaders the fortitude, the patience, and the desire
to help us all convert our lives to Your purpose, to be obedient to the Word,
and to foster stability of values in our community of faith. We pray especially
for: add your own petitions
O Lord our Refuge and our
Foundation
Shine Your loving Face upon us
The Celebrant adds: O God our Creator, while most of us will never be martyrs
for our faith in You, keep us from injuring our faith by inattention and
inaction. In times when we feel most rejected, point our Way to the Cornerstone
of all that is, seen and unseen, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior and
Your Most Holy Spirit who sanctifies our souls who reign together with You, 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.