Prayers of the People: Going and Coming, 4th Sunday of Advent '16 Yr A

For Sunday, December 18, 2016, 4^th Sunday of Advent, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 7:10-16; Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19; 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]

       Restore us, O Lord God of Hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved. [Psalm 80:7]

       ...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]

      The Season of Advent is nearly over again. As the waiting time is going, the activity level in many households frenetically escalates in anticipation of the Coming. For young children, the anticipation of the coming is about Santa/Father Christmas, presents, colorful lights, sparkling decorations, and sugary delights. For many of us adults, the preparatory time is about the planning, the shopping, the baking, the cooking, and the celebration with friends and family. 
       Quite a few years ago, a gentleman playwright, as an Artist in Residence, wrote a Christmas musical play for the parochial elementary school my daughters attended - sort of Our Town [the classic small town America play by Thornton Wilder] meets the True Meaning of Christmas - and all of the several hundred students were in the play, with a few having key roles, of course. 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 being the name of the central character in Our Town. If you don't know that play you can get a very quick summary by clicking here: "Our Town" summary ]. A very short description of the premise is that Emily's Birthday is a huge annual event. Emily, who has died, arrives, not quite 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 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 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. 
       With but a few days left, let our going concern be more about the Coming. Emmanu-el, whose name means "God (El) is with us," who is our Christ ("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. CHRISTmas is Coming!
  

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Emmanuel, Emmanuel, God with us, in these few days before our Holy Child is born, prepare us to be as Mary, a sacred vessel that carries You into our world, the conscious reflection of Your Exquisite Love in every thought and action of our lives.

                                               

                                                  O God of Hosts 

RESPONSE:         Restore our delight in Your Love

~ Emmanuel, Emmanuel, infuse those who govern in this world, in our nation, and in our community, with the compassion, tolerance, and mercy that are the hallmarks of Your birth and life. Encourage us to pursue justice and truth for every person on this Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Hosts

                                                Restore our delight in Your Love

                                                               

~ Emmanuel, Emmanuel, free all who suffer from pain, loneliness, and fear, and renew the vitality of those who attend to their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                O God of Hosts

                                                Restore our delight in Your Love

               

~ Emmanuel, Emmanuel, walk with those weighed down by sorrow until the time and place when suffering and grief are no more, and the joy of eternity embraces us all. We pray especially for:  add your own petitions

                                                O God of Hosts

                                                Restore our delight in Your Love

~ Emmanuel, Emmanuel, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Hosts

                                                Restore our delight in Your Love

               

~ Emmanuel, Emmanuel, we lift up to You, all who lead us in Your Church, that they may always feel the depth of You in themselves and impart to us the mystery of Your breadth in our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Hosts

                                                Restore our delight in Your Love

                                                                                                                                           

The Celebrant adds:  Dear God of Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Always, help us to set aside the frantic activity that distracts us, and quietly breathe into the present moment. Let us savor the anticipation with prayerful, expectant patience as we await our Messiah, the only true Gift of any season. We ask through Jesus, the Sacred Incarnation of Love, and the Holy Spirit, the Divine Repository of our Faith, who together with You are One God, Holy, Mighty, and Eternal. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to 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.

Prayers of the People: Rosy Respite, Third Sunday of Advent Yr A

For Sunday, December 11, 2016, 3^rd Sunday of Advent, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 35:1-10, Ps 146:4-9, Luke 1:46b-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]

       We light the 3^rd candle in the Advent Wreath as our anticipation and expectation of the birth of Jesus accelerates. But, there's a notable change. This week, instead of a penitential purple candle or a blue candle of hope, some Traditions use a rose colored (or pink) candle and perhaps even vestments and hangings. Why change color in the middle of the season? Advent, from its inception, was traditionally a penitential season, as is Lent, with somber readings and admonishments to fast and pray to be ready and worthy for Christ's coming. With the Revised Common Lectionary and newer scholarship, there has been more of an emphasis in remembering the Joy that is to come – which isn’t to say we should not also be prayerful or penitent as we wait!  

        Within the aspect of a strictly penitential season, all the candles, hangings, and vestments were Lenten purple, and the rose color was a symbol of a respite in the seriousness. There is, apparently, no truth to the rumor that Mary was secretly hoping for a girl. So let us, in the midst of the solemn and sedate, stop, breathe, and experience JOY for the coming Nativity. 

        Historically, the Latin name for this Sunday is Gaudete (gow-day-tay), Latin for “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, beloved, and blessed. We still have to be patient, there’s still some time before THE DAY, but we can smile as we wait – our future in Christ is Rosy, indeed!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God of Jacob, Mary, and the Baptizer, strengthen our hearts and awareness of Your Presence in the comfortable times, and grant us prayerful patience through the desert moments in our lives, as we await the abundant blossoming of the Joy of Christ within us.

                                                   O Lord our God                                                

RESPONSE:         Set us upon Your Holy Way

~ O God of Jacob, Mary, and the Baptizer, guide the spirits of all who now, and soon will, hold political office in this world, our nation, and our community. May they embrace empathy and equity in governing, especially for the marginalized and oppressed peoples in our own streets and across Your whole Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Lord our God

                                                Set us upon Your Holy Way

               

~ O God of Jacob, Mary, and the Baptizer, bestow Your healing mercies upon all who are chronically ill, depressed, or in fearful life circumstance, and perseverance on those who love and give them care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Lord our God

                                                Set us upon Your Holy Way

~ O God of Jacob, Mary, and the Baptizer, refresh the hearts of all who mourn that their sorrow and sighs will flee away, as Heaven alights in joyful celebration for the arrival of all we hold so dear. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Lord our God

                                                Set us upon Your Holy Way

~ O God of Jacob, Mary, and the Baptizer, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                O Lord our God

                                                Set us upon Your Holy Way

               

~ O God of Jacob, Mary, and the Baptizer, be generous in blessing those who lead us in Your Church as they guide us toward the eternal Light of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O Lord our God

                                                Set us upon Your Holy Way

                                                                                                                                           

The Celebrant adds:  God of Majesty and Glory, look with favor and prepare us for the Coming of our Savior, who ransoms us through Your boundless mercy. Fill us with rejoicing that our own souls may also magnify and proclaim the greatness of Your love. We ask through Jesus, the Redeemer Christ, and the Holy Spirit of Truth, who together with You are One God, from the beginning, in the now, and forever shall be. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to 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.

Prayers of the People: Branching Out, Second Sunday of Advent, Yr A

For Sunday, December 4, 2016,  Second Sunday of Advent, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 11:1-10; Ps 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

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

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

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

       Isaiah begins this week's readings with: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”  Having not grown up with a "Jesse Tree" tradition, the reading would usually zip through my ears with no particular impact until I decided to look deeper into this hint of family history.

     There's been a serious uptick in the field of genealogy over the last decade or so with online access to family records and even DNA kits that allow one to explore geographical heritage. Discovering the branches of one's family tree is fascinating, even addicting, and can also be frustrating when one limb is missing or the records stop short of fully revealing the information sought. Yet even the smallest detail can add depth and connectedness to the relationship with those who have gone before us. And so it is with the family tree of Jesus. 

      Jesse was the grandson of Ruth (of “whither thou goest, I will go” fame) and her husband, Boaz. We first hear of Jesse in the Book of Ruth [Ruth 4:13-18] as the son of their son, Obed. Jesse grows to be a farmer with eight sons [1 Samuel 16], the youngest of which is David who becomes King of the Israelites. It is through Jesse’s family tree that this root, this Branch, flowers into Jesus. 

     The secular spectacle of christmas [intentional lower "c"] has, for so many, replaced the spiritual celebration and worship in Christ's Mass with the frenzy of over-shopping, garish outdoor decorating with clashing colors of lights, and inflated cartoon characters on lawns that go flat in the morning, as a sort of metaphorical anti-climax.  

      Yet even in this environment Isaiah tells us that this ...root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples...Paul wants us to abound in hope, and the Gospel of Matthew brings us the very direct and not shy voice of John the Baptist. Jesus is indeed the reason for the season; the reason for our Christ-mas - our act of worship of the One we call Messiah, the Anointed Son of God.

      New Testament scholar, theologian, and author Marcus Borg tells us that Advent…is a season of anticipation, yearning and longing for a different kind of life and a different kind of world. In this second week of Advent, one way to prepare the way of the Lord is by contemplating: What kind of life, what kind of world am I longing for? Where is God, where is Jesus, in my family tree? Am I too far out on a limb or can I decorate my branch with hope, peace, and joyful anticipation? 

       

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Encouraging and Steadfast God, in restless anticipation, we await the flower of our Salvation that will bloom again from the Root of Jesse. Give us the courage to recognize and repent of our sins, and sweep away the debris of intolerance, despair, and judgment from our hearts and souls.

                                                               

RESPONSE:         Most Holy, Lord Christ

     Let us prepare the Way of Your Kingdom

~ Encouraging and Steadfast God, we pray for those who govern on this Earth, in our Country, and in this Community.  Grant them wisdom, good counsel, and knowledge, so that we all may live in harmony and peace. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy, Lord Christ

                                                Let us prepare the Way of Your Kingdom

                                                               

~ Encouraging and Steadfast God, bless and heal all who are ill or downhearted that all their pain and distress may be relieved; and strengthen those who provide needed care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy, Lord Christ

                                                Let us prepare the Way of Your Kingdom

               

~ Encouraging and Steadfast God, teach us to give the gift of listening and comfort to all who mourn, as we lift up with thanksgiving, all who now live again with You in Eternal Glory. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy, Lord Christ

                                                Let us prepare the Way of Your Kingdom

~ Encouraging and Steadfast God, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, aloud or silently… add your own petitions

                                                Most Holy, Lord Christ

                                                Let us prepare the Way of Your Kingdom

               

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

                                                Most Holy, Lord Christ

                                                Let us prepare the Way of Your Kingdom

                                                                                                                                           

The Celebrant adds:  O God of Harmony and Hope, open us to hear again Your call for repentance and conversion, to prepare ourselves for the Way of Truth and Mercy, with all the joy and peace of believing. We ask through Jesus, our Present and Coming Savior, and the Holy Spirit, the Fire of our Faith, who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to 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.

Prayers of the People: The Unexpected Wilderness of Plenty, First Sunday of Advent, Yr A

For Sunday, November 27, 2016, 1st Sunday of Advent, Year A, Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44

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

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

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

       The name of our new liturgical season, Advent, comes from the Latin adventus which means coming, and that comes to us from the Greek parousia [pa-roo-see-a] which is a term used for the Second Coming of Christ. It is also the beginning of the new liturgical year of the church in many denominations in the west. Typically, Advent is a season of preparation for the Nativity of Jesus through repentance and joyful expectation. 

       In a series of group-study booklets called Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton, editors Jonathan Montaldo and Robert G. Toth, writing in the Advent and Christmas volume, First Week of Advent session, say that Advent disposes us to conversion and further describe Advent as a time for judging the choices we make for living our lives. The season is a ritual moment for confronting discomforting truths. It catches us in the act of living unconnected from the Gospel... 

       Thomas Merton, quoted in the same session from his 1966 book "Raids on the Unspeakable" says, We are numbered in the billions and massed together...worked to the point of insensibility, dazed by information, drugged by entertainment, surfeited with everything...there is no room for thought. There is no room for attention, for the awareness of our state... What would he think of the excess and indulgences of this day and age?! It all speaks to me of being exiled in a wilderness of plenty where too much is still not enough and we are unexpectedly unconscious of all that we have and all that we are, or, are not.        

       In this Advent, it is now the moment to wake and discover the faith choices we have yet to make. NOW, for as Jesus reminds us that day and hour no one knows...Therefore you must also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour. Get busy, Jesus is coming! Happy New Year. 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord God Almighty, wake us from the sleep of contentment and bring us out from our wilderness of plenty to a conscious quest for Christ’s salvation. Fill us with the urgency of expectation for the unknown hour when we will be called to answer for the paths we chose or ignored in this life.

                                                God of Hope

RESPONSE:             Let us live and act for Christ

~ Lord God Almighty, exhort the leaders of this World, this Nation, and this Community to govern for all peoples, to beat swords and weapons of war into ploughshares, and work together for the prosperity and well-being of everyone. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Hope

                                                Let us live and act for Christ

                                               

~ Lord God Almighty, grant peace and comfort to all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit, and renew the strength of those provide support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                God of Hope

                                                Let us live and act for Christ

           

~ Lord God Almighty, release the hearts of all who are trapped in the bondage of grief, and turn us all toward the time when there is no death but only the glory of Life everlasting. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Hope

                                                Let us live and act for Christ

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

                                                God of Hope

                                                Let us live and act for Christ

           

~ Lord God Almighty, inspire and refresh our Pastoral Leaders whose life work strives to teach us Your ways, and to transform our lives, through the message of the Gospel. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                God of Hope

                                                Let us live and act for Christ

                                                                                                        

The Celebrant adds:  Lord of Love and Mercy, excite our souls as we begin again to prepare for the coming of Salvation. Grant us courage to confront ourselves in repentance and the willingness to experience the joy of conversion anew. We ask through Jesus our Redeemer, the Son of Man, and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom and our Strength, who together with You are our One Eternal God, now and forever. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to 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.

Prayers of the People: Christ, King, Last Sunday after Pentecost '16 Yr C

For Sunday, November 20, 2016, Last Sunday after Pentecost, Year C, Readings: Jeremiah 23;1-6, Psalm 46, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23: 33-53

       Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock...and I will bring them back to their fold and they shall be fruitful and multiply.  [Jeremiah 23:3]

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

      May you be made strong...and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins... [Colossians 1:11-13, 15a]

Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise. [Luke 23:43]

         As usual I put a few verses of the appointed readings above this space to highlight what stood out for me and influenced my language for these prayers. It was difficult to choose as all three readings have been wafting through my brain over the last week as well as the readings from the other set of these prayers that I have written for the Season of Creation, that have been used in my home parish for the last 7 Sundays, especially one from Teilhard de Chardin [see The Cosmic Christ post]. What hasn't particularly grabbed me is the Gospel for this week - Luke 23:33-43. Because of the setting - Jesus on the Cross with the 2 thieves - I can only speculate that it was placed here in the 3rd of the 3 year reading cycle simply because it mentions the mocking of the soldiers and the sign of King of the Jews. Even the often gloomy and depressing Jeremiah spoke loudly and hopefully to me along with the Psalm and the entire piece from the Letter to the Colossians. Given the results of the presidential election here in the U.S., the country is divided first, by jubilance or devastation, and second, by too many things you already know about. Yet I am heartened that all of us are called into the kingdom of [God's] beloved Son, in whom we have redemption. The language of these readings resound with God's presence: The LORD is our righteousness; God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble; God is in the midst of the city; God will help; The LORD of hosts is with us; Be still, and know that I am God! If I but put my fear on the back burner and when it flares turn again and again to the Kingdom of Christ to live the Gospel each day, seek the Light of Christ in everyone, expect to be disappointed but strive on to do all I can in the place where I am, then this Gospel will speak to me as I hear Jesus say to me at my last, Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord God, our Refuge and Strength, gather us again into Your fold whenever we tremble at earthly, temporal tumult. Turn us again toward the Kingdom of our Christ, the flower of Your Love, in whom we have redemption, and forgiveness of sins.

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

RESPONSE:          Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord God, our Refuge and Strength, keep those who govern across Creation, in all Nations and local Communities, aware of Your constant Presence in their midst. Guide those who lead us to cease wars and promote justice, mercy, and deal wisely for all people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord God, our Refuge and Strength, embrace and encourage all who suffer chronic illness, difficult treatments, or emotional torment to keep strong and patient; and grant endurance and fortitude to all who give them care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord God, our Refuge and Strength, may those who grieve be comforted by a supportive community around them, as those we have sent before us, awaken to the joyful new day in Your Holy Habitation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord God, our Refuge and Strength, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud… add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord God, our Refuge and Strength, sustain the spirits of our pastoral shepherds as they endeavor to keep us eager to live the Gospel each day, and be impassioned pursuers of the Divine Light of Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

The Celebrant adds:  Jesus, Firstborn of all Creation, our Great High Priest, rescue us from the power of darkness and transform our anxieties into fruitful action. Keep us striving toward Your purpose, and enable us to share in the full inheritance of the saints in the light. We ask through the Holy Spirit, the very Breath of Love, and the Almighty LORD of Righteousness, who together with You are our One God, now and forever. Amen.

Requests for prayers or meditations for this space or private use may be sent to 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.

Prayers of the People: The Cosmic Christ, 7th Sunday in the Season of Creation '16

For Sunday, November 20, 2016, The Cosmic Christ, Season of Creation VII ‘16**, Readings: Daniel 7:13-18, Psalm 46, Colossians 1:11-20, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Hymn of the Universe*

      As I watched...I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was...given dominion and glory and kingship that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. [Daniel 7:13-14]

      God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in the time of trouble...the God of Jacob is our stronghold...The Lord of Hosts is with us...There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation...God is in the midst of her... [Psalm 46:1, 4, 5, 6a]

      May you be made strong ...prepared to endure everything with patience...He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins...He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. [Colossians 1:11,13-15]

       I, your priest, will make the whole earth my altar and on it offer you all the labors and sufferings of the world...Grant me the remembrance and the mystic presence of all those whom the light is now awakening to the new day...I call before me the whole vast anonymous army of living humanity...through their vision of truth despite their error, truly believe in the progress of earthly reality and who today will take up again their impassioned pursuit of the light...This restless multitude, confused or orderly, the immensity of which terrifies us; this ocean of humanity...Yet in the very depths of this formless mass you have implanted...a desire, irresistible, hallowing, which makes us cry out, believer and unbeliever alike: 'Lord, make us one.' [de Chardin**]

      I offer above, as always, the snippets of the readings, chosen or appointed for the particular Sunday, that have influenced my thoughts and writing the most for each set of prayers. This week, as happens amazingly often, the readings chosen months ago for this last Sunday in the Season of Creation also resonate for me because of the anxiety surrounding the results of the election here in the U.S. Whether one is jubilant or devastated, we are all still called directly into the Kingship of Christ, the Universal - Cosmic - Son of God, the Firstborn of all Creation, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. The words of Teilhard de Chardin [a powerfully spiritual contemporary mystic that I urge you to discover more of if you have not already], which follow below the prayers, have been reverberating through my head over the last week as I have been reading and re-reading them. Taken together with the other three readings, it has been one of my more difficult weeks to extract and distill from them as the they all stand so well and beautifully together. I have found it daunting to insert my own renderings of these pieces into small tidbits of prayer. There is one piece of the de Chardin I didn't place above though the concept continues to expand within me. De Chardin prays to God: But the offering you really want, the offering you mysteriously need every day to appease your hunger, to slake your thirst is nothing less than the growth of the world borne ever onwards in the stream of universal becoming.

      As we approach the preparatory Season of Advent, let us make the Creation we inhabit the altar upon which to offer all of life's triumphs, tragedies, labors, and sufferings. As we go forth in Christ, in the stream of universal becoming, as believers or unbelievers, with faith strong or weak or non-existent, let us cry out, with and for each other: Lord, make us one! 

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Lord of Hosts, Ancient of Days, keep us from collapsing in fear, whenever we, Your restless multitude, tremble at earthly, temporal tumult. Turn us again toward the Kingdom of our Christ, the flower of Your Love, in whom we have redemption, and forgiveness of sins.

                                 Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

RESPONSE:          Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord of Hosts, Ancient of Days, keep those who govern in all Nations, Kingdoms, and Communities, aware of Your constant Presence in their midst and throughout all of Creation. Guide the hearts and minds of those who lead, that they may cease war, and promote justice, well-being, and abundance across all the Earth. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord of Hosts, Ancient of Days, help all who suffer chronic illness, difficult treatments, or emotional torment to keep strong and patient; and grant endurance and fortitude to all who give them care. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord of Hosts, Ancient of Days, may those who grieve be comforted by a supportive community around them, as those we have sent before us, awaken to the new day of gladness in the eternal life of Your Holy Habitation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord of Hosts, Ancient of Days, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt intentions and petitions, silently or aloud… add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

~ Lord of Hosts, Ancient of Days, sustain the spirits of our pastoral shepherds as they endeavor to keep us eager to live the Gospel, and be impassioned pursuers of the Divine Light of Christ in each day. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                    Holy Jesus, Christ of the Cosmos

                                    Our Stronghold and our Salvation

The Celebrant adds:  God our Refuge and Our Strength, rescue us from the power of darkness and transform our anxieties into fruitful action. Earth is an altar upon which we offer You the labors and sufferings of all humanity. Keep us striving toward Your purpose, as we cry out: Lord, make us one. We ask through Jesus our Christ, the Firstborn of all Creation, and the Holy Spirit, the very Breath of Love, who together with You are our One God, now and forever. Amen.

*A reading from  – from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Hymn of the Universe  (read by two or more alternating voices)

     Since once again, Lord — though this time not in the forests of the Aisne but in the steppes of Asia — I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar, I will raise myself beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the real itself; I, your priest, will make the whole earth my altar and on it will offer you all the labors and sufferings of the world.

     Over there, on the horizon, the sun has just touched with light the outermost fringe of the eastern sky. Once again, beneath this moving sheet of fire, the living surface of the earth wakes and trembles, and once again begins its fearful travail. I will place on my paten, O God, the harvest to be won by this renewal of labor. Into my chalice I shall pour all the sap which is to be pressed out this day from the earth’s fruits.

     My paten and my chalice are the depths of a soul laid widely open to all the forces which in a moment will rise up from every corner of the earth and converge upon the Spirit. Grant me the remembrance and the mystic presence of all those whom the light is now awakening to the new day. 

     One by one, Lord, I see and I love all those whom you have given me to sustain and charm my life. One by one also I number all those who make up that other beloved family which has gradually surrounded me, its unity fashioned out of the most disparate elements, with affinities of the heart, of scientific research and of thought. And again one by one — more vaguely it is true, yet all-inclusively — I call before me the whole vast anonymous army of living humanity; those who surround me and support me though I do not know them; those who come, and those who go; above all, those who in office, laboratory and factory, through their vision of truth or despite their error, truly believe in the progress of earthly reality and who today will take up again their impassioned pursuit of the light.

     This restless multitude, confused or orderly, the immensity of which terrifies us; this ocean of humanity whose slow, monotonous wave-flows trouble the hearts even of those whose faith is most firm: it is to this deep that I thus desire all the fibers of my being should respond. All the things in the world to which this day will bring increase; all those that will diminish; all those too that will die: all of them, Lord, I try to gather into my arms, so as to hold them out to you in offering. This is the material of my sacrifice; the only material you desire.

     Once upon a time men took into your temple the first fruits of their harvests, the flower of their flocks. But the offering you really want, the offering you mysteriously need every day to appease your hunger, to slake your thirst is nothing less than the growth of the world borne ever onwards in the stream of universal becoming.

     Receive, O Lord, this all-embracing host which your whole creation, moved by your magnetism, offers you at this dawn of a new day. This bread, our toil, is of itself, I know, but an immense fragmentation; this wine, our pain, is no more, I know, than a draught that dissolves. Yet in the very depths of this formless mass you have implanted — and this I am sure of, for I sense it — a desire, irresistible, hallowing, which makes us cry out, believer and unbeliever alike: 

‘Lord, make us one.’ 

**for more information on the Season of Creation and the Earth Charter see:  http://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2016/10/prayers-of-people-very-beginning-1st.html




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