A moment of contemplation for yourself or on behalf of others on everything from the life-altering to the mundane.


Prayer: A conversation with The Higher Other who lives within each of us. An invitation to vent, to re-think, to ask, and to rest.

Monday, November 11, 2024

Prayers of the People: Our Role as Stewards ~ 6th Sunday in the Season of Creation '24

For Sunday, November 17, 2024, Readings: Deuteronomy 26:1a, 2, 4, 8-11; Psalm 16; 
Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations*, Mark 12:38-44

So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground, that you, O Lord, have given me…set it down before the Lord your God and bow before the Lord… [Deuteronomy 26:10] 

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge…As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight. Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips. The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot…I bless the Lord who gives me counsel.  [Psalm 16:1, 3-5, 7a]

 The Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee shall be mentors of the people for all time. The thickness of their skin shall be seven spans; which is to say that they shall be proof against anger, offensive action, and criticism…Neither anger nor fury shall find lodging in their minds, and all their words and actions shall be marked by calm deliberation.*

[Jesus] called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” [Mark 12:43-44]

The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. For more information see:  

https://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2018/10/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html 

    We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used are posted with an asterisk.

Week VI's Theme is:

Our Role as Stewards

     Any of us who attend a church regularly and considers themself as a “member” or a “parishioner” or a “congregant” has heard and understands what is meant by Stewardship. The dictionary defines it as: the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving. Inside the building where the Church is housed, much is needed to support the staff, the worship, the physical plant, with all the elements of church (small “c”) that we Episcopals call time, talent, and treasure. Of course money is an integral part of the running and maintenance of any organization, not least of all the Church. Your seat in a pew has a weekly price tag, whether or not you are sitting in it or supporting it financially or otherwise, yet there is much more to being Church than its residence. Outside the walls, the needs are exponentially greater. All and each of us are called by Our Lord to give of our selves significantly from what God has given us. Money, or treasure, of course, is what we hear as foremost on the list of needs and wants for inside and outside. Yet there is much more to our role as stewards within the Body of Christ.
     The Rev. Eric Law, in his book Holy Currencies: 6 Blessings for Sustainable Missional Ministries, shows us a different way to think about the flow of currencies in our lives. Within the usual offerings of time, talent, and treasure is contained a breadth and depth of re-imagining and discovering our personal gifts for ministry that take us well beyond the scope of a seasonal directive. Stewardship ~ Missional Ministry ~ is not merely a specific program for a specific time of year, but rather it is a way of life through which we continue to fulfill our Baptismal, Confirmation, and/or less formal vows to be faithful to God.
     As John Wesley said, "Not, how much money will I give to God, but how much of God's money will I keep for myself?" And that equation works equally well with the other two elements of the stewardship trio: time and talent. A faith community needs our help as it builds us up and sends us out to do the work of Christ we called to do. The CHURCH is not a building, it is whatever we do together and on our own to be true, faithful witnesses as part of the Body of Christ by every thought, word, and action. That said, the physical space of a Church is where we gather to be spiritually refueled to take on all that is outside. It does require ongoing sources of funding as well as other resources for all of the seen and unseen support it provides.
      The more we strive to be generous of spirit, to be good Stewards of Creation in all of its forms and faces, the more God will strengthen us.  I don't know what tomorrow will bring for my Church, my community, my country, or this world, but I will pray without ceasing for the faith, the energy, the mindset, to be a continuously generous person, to be the Church [capital "C"] as a Christian in the world with many stewarding roles. Jesus reminds us, that this widow gave all she had. The story is known widely as the widow’s mite, mite being a word once frequently used to describe a very small contribution or amount of money.
     We, in the Episcopal Church USA, and other denominations elsewhere, generally use the word steward with regard to our relationship with our planet, its creatures, its vegetation, its water resources, etc., and of course, we human beings. One definition of steward is: “a person who manages another's property or financial affairs; one who administers anything as the agent of another or others.” Stewardship can be defined as: the responsible overseeing and protection of something considered worth caring for and preserving. Our Role as Stewards IS exactly THIS: overseeing, protecting, caring, and preserving God’s gifts in and of Creation, as we give our Time, Talent, and Treasure in mite-y and various ways. We, who ARE the Church, will be spiritually and continually fed through all we are called to be as the ministers Christ has called.

*A reading from Haudenosaunee of the Six Nations [from “Wisdomkeepers” by Steve Wall and Harvey Arden]: Brothers, listen to the words of the Creator given to the first United Nations, the Haudenosaunee, over one thousand years ago. The Chiefs of the Haudenosaunee shall be mentors of the people for all time. The thickness of their skin shall be seven spans; which is to say that they shall be proof against anger, offensive action, and criticism. Their hearts shall be full of peace and good will and their minds filled with a yearning for the welfare of the people. With endless patience, they shall carry out their duty. Their firmness shall be tempered with a tenderness for their people. Neither anger nor fury shall find lodging in their minds, and all their words and actions shall be marked by calm deliberation. In every Nation there are wise and good men. These should be appointed Chiefs. They should be the advisers of their people and work for the good of all people, and all their power comes from the “Great Peace”. A chief must never forget the Creator of mankind, never forget to ask Him for help. The Creator will guide our thoughts and strengthen us as we work to be faithful to our sacred trust and restore harmony among all peoples, all living creatures, and Mother Earth…We were instructed to carry a love for one another and to show a great respect for all beings of this earth…In our ways, spiritual consciousness is the highest form of politics…When people cease to respect and express gratitude for these many things, then all life will be destroyed, and human life on this planet will come to an end These are our times and our responsibilities. Every human being has a sacred duty to protect the welfare of our Mother Earth from whom all life comes. In order to do this we must recognize the enemy – the one within us. We must begin with ourselves.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord our God, re-awaken us to the bounty of Your Creation, the miracle of this earth and the lives we have been given to live. Let us, and all who reside among us, celebrate and offer ourselves as Your grateful stewards giving as we are able in times of plenty and in times of hardship.

                                                  O God of Refuge and Counsel           
    RESPONSE:                    We bow with glad hearts and rejoicing souls          

~ O Lord our God, we lift up our prayers for all who lead this World, this Country, and this Community by election, fiat, or inheritance. Implant in their souls a spiritual consciousness and faithful commitment to their sacred trust, for undeniable integrity, and for the restoration of harmony for all peoples everywhere. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Refuge and Counsel
                                                We bow with glad hearts and rejoicing souls

~ O Lord our God, nestle the aching, the fearful, and the desperate in Your loving embrace, and revitalize all who support their needs. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Refuge and Counsel
                                                We bow with glad hearts and rejoicing souls      

~ O Lord our God, console those stricken by grief with a foretaste of the goodly heritage for all who are alive again, in the glory of Your Eternal Land with fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                O God of Refuge and Counsel
                                                We bow with glad hearts and rejoicing souls

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

                                                O God of Refuge and Counsel
                                                We bow with glad hearts and rejoicing souls                      

~ O Lord, our God, quicken the spirits of those called and ordained to speak Your Words and celebrate Your Sacraments, inspiring us all to live lives of selfless patience and tenderness for others in this earthly life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                O God of Refuge and Counsel
                                                We bow with glad hearts and rejoicing souls

The Celebrant adds: O Lord our chosen Portion and our Cup, dissolve our reluctance and embolden us to go from faithful hearing of Your Word into generous action, striving first and always, for the good in every part of Your Kingdom, and forever blessing Your holy Name. We ask through Christ Jesus, our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit our Advocate; who together with You are our One, Holy, and Mighty God, now and forever. Amen.




All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com


Monday, November 4, 2024

Prayers of the People: How We Mite ~ Proper 27, 25th Sunday after Pentecost '24 Yr B

For Sunday, November 10, 2024,  Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17, Psalm 127, Hebrews 9:24-28, 
Mark 12:38-44

I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. [Ruth 3:1b] 

Children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a gift. [Psalm 127:4]

Christ…will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those eagerly waiting for him. [Hebrews 9:28]

 Jesus said, "Beware of the scribes who like to...be greeted with respect in the marketplaces ...They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation... Truly I tell you, this poor widow...has put in more than...all of them contributing out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had... [Mark 12:38-40, 43-44]

   The Gospel appointed for this week is the story of the impoverished widow who gives her last two coins to the local treasury, in what we’ve come to know as “the widow’s mite.” A mite is a very small contribution. When I was a kid in Catholic school we were given “mite boxes” in Lent to give our coins to one cause or another. The contrast here is made between this widow giving her very last two coins and those who give large sums out of their wealth with plenty to spare. The wealthy, of course, ran no risk of hunger or homelessness as this piece implies about the unnamed widow. Whatever became of her ~ was she cared for by neighbors, did she truly lose everything in a last moment of supreme generosity? We don’t know. But, perhaps trusting it would be for good, she gave all she had.

   This small slice of Mark’s Gospel comes on the heels of Jesus warning about those who cannot be trusted, those who seek only honor for themselves and devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. Jesus is quick to say in effect, that God knows what we carry in our hearts and minds and the mere appearance of faithfulness will not help in the end.
    In the letter to the Hebrews, the writer is clear that Christ will come again ~ not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him as, we are told, Jesus is faithful to those who live in faith and trust.
    As part of the collection of writings for this week, the first sets the stage for the others as often happens. Ruth was a widow with no children to carry on their family lineage.  Because of Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi, her loving mother-in-law, Naomi saw to it that Ruth found a new husband, conceived a child, and through her love Naomi becomes baby nurse and surrogate grandmother. Ruth trusted Naomi and was rewarded in many ways. Her child became the grandfather of King David, in the lineage of Jesus.
   The Psalm tells us plainly that Children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a gift. While not all wombs give birth to children, all of us are the children of parents present or not, good or bad, and of the always-present God who created us. We each are a gift from God called to live in faithfulness and to care for one another. It is not we who determine our lineage, who will become great, who will not. It is not up to us to decide which child, young or old, is worthy, as God lives within us all. We are to seek, expect, and honor the spark of God in everyone.
   Monday, November 11, 2024, is the 106th Anniversary of the Armistice that formally ended WWI, the momentary peace in the world that has never lasted long because we humans deny God’s lineage in ourselves and in others. Abundance of wealth and privilege is not an antidote to the poverty of self-importance. When we fail to embrace the fullness of the Gospel message in how we live our lives, we may discover too late that very much is not enough. How we mite or much from what we don’t or do have and why, only we and God can know.     

 LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord our God, children are our heritage from You, the fruit of those wombs where hope blossoms in every birth and Your light shines through every tiny face. Guide us to live in ways that honor the You who lives deeply within all the children in this world, in each other, and especially in ourselves as the children of You that we are.

                                                    Holy and Faithful God

RESPONSE:               We put our trust in You 

~ O Lord our God, keep our hearts fearless to carry the words and actions of peace and equity to the halls of government in our World, our Nation, and our Community, to establish for all time that the rights and privileges of some are the rights and privileges of all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Faithful God

                                                       We put our trust in You

~ O Lord our God, lay Your healing hand upon those weary of the pain, anguish, or fears of this life, and hold fast to those who offer caring help. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Faithful God

                                                       We put our trust in You

~ O Lord our God, may our grief be calmed as we send our loved ones Home to the eternal splendor of new life in Christ. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Faithful God

                                                       We put our trust in You

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

                                                       Holy and Faithful God

                                                       We put our trust in You    

~ O Lord our God, ease the path of all who are anointed to call us to Your Word and Sacraments and who inspire us to serve in this world together in Christ’s holy name, until His return. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Holy and Faithful God

                                                       We put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: Creator Lord, Spirit of Hope, 106 years ago tomorrow, Your people breathed a collective sigh of peace and promise for the future, as the misery of World War I was signed, sealed, and finished. But restive humans, never satisfied, keep destroying one another through wars on battlefields and wars of racial, religious, and economic divisiveness and violence. Release us from the poverty of self-importance and complacence, to joyfully accept the abundance of and openly embracing Christ’s Gospel of peace, truth, and justice for all, with all, every day, and everywhere. We ask through Jesus, our Divine Teacher; and through the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom Guide; who together with You are One, Infinite, Eternal God, now and forever.  Amen.   




All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com


Prayers of the People: The World at Peace ~ 5th Sunday in the Season of Creation*

For Sunday, November 10, 2024; Readings: Micah 4:1-4, Psalm 85**, Rosemary Power***, 
Matthew 5:1-17

[T]hey shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not life up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore… [Micah 4:3b]

  Turn, revive us, nourish our joy…I listen to God speaking, “I…speak peace, peace to my faithful people who turn their hearts to me…Love and faithfulness embrace, peace and justice kiss…** 

  Creator Lord of the unclaimed place and of clashing claims, of no one’s land where some have homes, in danger zones, in human souls, in nations’ claims: we are all guilty. We build barriers to hide what we fear to see, we draw lines in other people’s hearts, we trample underfoot what others hold dear, we wear wounds unhealed with anger, we defend ourselves from other people’s rights. Drive out the demons that divide neighbours. [Seven Days, Rosemary Power] ***

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn…the meek…those who hunger and thirst…the merciful…the pure in heart…the peacemakers…the persecuted…You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others… [Matthew 5:1-17]

*The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. We use Biblical and other readings, chosen locally, that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used are posted with asterisk. 

Click here for more information about: Season of Creation ~ In The Beginning

Week V's Theme is: 
The World at Peace

    The World at Peace.  Of course! Who doesn't want that? Yet the concept is exponentially large and is well beyond the scope of my abilities to achieve alone. It then remains a mere concept, too big to be a goal, and reduced to a conversational platitude. Or, is it? When you think of world peace how do you define it? Is it merely the end of all war on the planet or are there other considerations? A few formal definitions describe it as the absence of war, a cessation of hostilities, and/or tranquility. In an ironic construct, whole armies are deployed ostensibly to achieve peace by ending war ~ where am I in that? The words of Rosemary Power say it clearly: We build barriers to hide what we fear to see, we draw lines in other people’s hearts, we trample underfoot what others hold dear, we wear wounds unhealed with anger, we defend ourselves from other people’s rights. Of course no army is ever really deployed to make peace but rather for power and control, domination, and/or subjugation. It’s so much easier, isn’t it, when war or violence or riots are far away from me and, after all, what could I possibly do to help? In watching or just reading the news, a day doesn't go by when my anxiety and frustration levels aren't challenged even by headlines or political comments on social media, and I find myself, also ironically and sadly, highly intolerant of the intolerance of others as my blood pressure rises.
    Others wiser than me have said that peace begins within oneself. And so I must earnestly search to find some peace within myself, somewhere. Perhaps by breathing very deeply in and out regularly, stepping away from the noise of all that disturbs a tranquil moment. Listening to the birds ~ even when they’re fighting ~ calms me. The laughter of children makes me laugh; as puppies and kittens and butterflies, and turtles sunning on a rock warm my heart. Even in the depth of winter's cold, there is the peaceful quiet of a snowy day. 
    As I breathe deeply again, the feisty, feckless, fuming, and fraying world is still there, but within it I can find a small moment of inner peace that remains. Yet I must not simply live into a false peace-filled denial in which I only love those who love me. It is the quietly, steadily, holding fast within myself, that calls me to return to a place of quiet regularly, in prayer, meditation, and in simple moments of beauty, and then I must give it out so that I can offer a smile, a kind word, and some serious restraint in response to a severe difference of opinion. World Peace, it seems, does, frighteningly, begin within me, at least in some ways. We must have peace ~ and hope and joy ~ at our core that centers and steadies us. We can support, defend, write, march, care about and join organizations that give us useful tools to at least help those who are in the midst of war whether in their homes, on our streets, or far across the globe.
    Yet first I and you must each invite the Lord to build a house within us, to seek and sustain the joy that helps us to radiate God’s Eternal Light from the windows of our souls. Let us follow the teaching we are given in Matthew’s Gospel for today ~ The Sermon on the Mount ~ to find even small ways to mingle a moment of peace-filled breath with all the air that flows around this fragile Earth, our island home.**** Will we end war ~ sadly, no. But from me, peace is in my hands for one person, one moment, one less argument, one less angry retort, one full moment of intention and attention to breathe the breath of God toward and for another may be all the peace and perfection we have to give; and to give that is what we are called to do. We are Christ’s ambassadors of continuing hope, inner joy, and the peace that surpasses all understanding [Philippians 4:7] and for each and every phrase of The Sermon for all and everyone, evil and good, righteous and unrighteous ~ as it still and always not ours to judge who is worthy. Within myself and out into the ether I say:

You cannot take my hope away
  nor steal my inner joy
  no matter all the plots and schemes
  no matter intent or ploy.
My peace will continue
  to grow and to give
  to all I encounter
  each day that I live.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O God-Within-Us at schools, shopping malls, and borders, in anger, complacency, and peril, energize us to discover and embody Your Peace within ourselves so fully, that it radiates through us to reveal Your love-without-end to all.

                                                      O Lord, in Safety and in Danger 
RESPONSE:               We put our trust in You

~ O God-Within-Us, as you come into our midst, impel us to vigorously witness for peace to every governing authority on this Planet, in this Nation, and in every Community. May our own words and actions break down all walls of separation, that hide only what we fear to see, to flood your love through us to the whole of Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                      O Lord, in Safety and in Danger
                                                      We put our trust in You

~ O God-Within-Us, lay Your healing hand upon those weary of unhealed wounds, fear, and isolation, and hold fast to those who offer caring help. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                      O Lord, in Safety and in Danger
                                                      We put our trust in You 

~ O God-Within-Us, turn our grief to joy for those we have sent Home to never die again and now raised in eternal splendor to new life in Christ. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                      O Lord, in Safety and in Danger
                                                      We put our trust in You

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

                                                      O Lord, in Safety and in Danger
                                                      We put our trust in You              

~ O God-Within-Us, ease the path of all who are anointed to call us to Your Word and Sacraments, inspiring us to serve in this world together in Christ’s holy name. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                      O Lord, in Safety and in Danger
                                                      We put our trust in You

The Celebrant adds: Creator Lord, Spirit of Hope, 106 years ago tomorrow, Your people breathed in the promise for the future at the official end of World War I. Yet we restive humans continue wars on battlefields, social media, in parking lots, and in threats about benches; wars of racial, gender, religious oppression, and more. Hold us closely as we strive to fill the needs of our neighbors, cry out for justice for the downtrodden, and work to flourish the peace, truth, and the universal love in Christ’s Gospel for all of us, every day, everywhere. We ask through Jesus, our Divine Example; and the Holy Spirit, our Wisdom Guide; who together with You are One God, now and forever. Amen.  

 

**Psalm 85:7-14: Turn, revive us, nourish our joy. Show us mercy, save us, Lord. I listen to God speaking: “I, the Lord, speak peace, peace to my faithful people who turn their hearts to me.” Salvation is coming near,  glory is filling our land. Love and faithfulness embrace, peace and justice kiss. Fidelity sprouts from the earth,  justice leans down from heaven. The Lord pours out riches, our land springs to life. Justice clears God’s path,  justice points the way.    [From The Psalter: A faithful and inclusive rendering, Liturgy Training Publications (International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.), 1994.]

***2nd Reading: Seven Days

   Creator Lord of the unclaimed place and of clashing claims, of no one’s land where some have homes, in danger zones, in human souls, in nations’ claims: we are all guilty. We build barriers to hide what we fear to see, we draw lines in other people’s hearts, we trample underfoot what others hold dear, we wear wounds unhealed with anger, we defend ourselves from other people’s rights. Drive out the demons that divide neighbours.
   Jesus, in the land where your feet were tired, where you carried the oppressor’s burden, broke the chains of the prisoners, demolished walls, made wounded lives blossom, and set our hearts free to turn and to serve: may you be the potter in our lives’ neutral zones; in divided land, may justice return.
   Spirit of hope, may those who build houses live in them, those who plant olive trees harvest them, may they shelter under fig trees, give water to strangers, tell stories to children, keep Covenant with God.   
   As we honour the graves of our neighbours may we face those we fear, cry justice for the oppressed, tell of love without end: may peace flourish till the moon fails.

~ Rosemary Power, From Seven Days - Stories and reflections for the World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel by members of the Iona Community, 2018

****The phrase this fragile Earth, our island home, is from Eucharistic Prayer C, in the US Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, 1979. See bcponline.org, page 370





All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com


Monday, October 28, 2024

Prayers of the People: The Saints Among Us ~ 4th Sunday in the Season of Creation '24

For Sunday, November 3, 2024; Readings: Revelation 7:9-17, Psalm 24, Sr. Joan Chittister,* John 11:32-44

      Painting is "Multitude of Worshippers" 
                       by Gregory Staton
  They will hunger no more; the sun will not strike them…for the Lamb at the center…will be their shepherd…and God will wipe every tear from their eyes. [Revelation 7:16-17]

   Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who have not pledged themselves to falsehood, nor sworn by what is a fraud…shall receive blessing from the Lord, and a just reward from the God of their Salvation. [Ps 24:4-5]

 They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps… [Sr. Joan Chittister]

 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go." [John 11:44]

The Season of Creation originated in the Anglican Church of South Africa and was formalized in 2008. It is designed for us to explore our faith from a Creation perspective. For more information see: https://prayersofthepeople.blogspot.com/2024/09/prayers-of-people-in-beginning-1st.html We use Biblical and other readings that pertain to the specific theme of each of the 7 weeks of the Season. Alternate readings used are posted with asterisk.

Week IV's Theme is: 
The Saints Among Us

Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. What comes to mind when you think of a Saint? For many of us, I expect, the mind-image that arises is of someone many centuries and continents removed from our everyday place and time in this world; someone who is an example of complete perfection in every facet of life that is unattainable for us mere mortals, and, if we're honest, living a life undesirably difficult for us to accomplish. The word “saint” comes from the Greek word hagios [hay-gee-ose], which means “consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious.” Yet many saints and Saints, the ordinary and the officially designated, are/were flawed humans with real human frailties and struggles, even, shockingly for some, a few sins, large and small, along the way. When and how then did their lives become so exemplary? The best discussion I have found is from Sister Joan Chittister*, which follows. This piece offers us some food for prayerful thought on ways we might discover our inner saint and seek to, at the very least, support the very basic tenets of the Greatest Commandment [Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-34, Luke 10:25-28].

       *"For centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception, perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the world."

          Sr. Joan has not painted an easy picture of a lifestyle for our time-limited journey in earthly existence. There are choices to be made and sooner rather than later though there’s always an opportunity for us to seek God first above all else, to receive a blessing from the Lord and a just reward from the God of our Salvation. It requires some dedication, some intention, and some significant transformation. Jesus calls us to come out from our self-imposed tombs and unbind ourselves from the temptations that lock us away from our divine endowment. In that release we can change not only ourselves but the culture we live in. Author Parker Palmer** says it best, [We] can transform our culture only as we are inwardly transformed. So, let us begin, again, together.

*Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among others.  The excerpt is from: A Passion for Life: Fragments of the Face of God, Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996

**Parker J. Palmer is an author, educator, and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He is the founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal.


LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ O Lord of Hosts, O King of Glory, in these times of trial and travail, strengthen us to arise each day with inner peace, purity of heart, and complete trust in You. Fill us with humility, humanity, and hope by following the example and the actions of the Saints who have gone before, and the saints who live among us now.

                                                      O God of our Salvation                                                  
RESPONSE:               Help us to unbind our faith  

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, fill us with the trust that You make all things among us new again. Endow and galvanize us, who abide with You in love, with continued perseverance to exhort Local, National, and Global Leaders not to pledge to falsehoods nor swear to frauds but to move toward the just reward of all who work on Christ’s behalf. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                     O God of our Salvation
   Help us unbind our faith

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, deliver from distress all those in anguish from illness of body, mind, or spirit, and infuse those who give them care with gentle and peaceful hearts. We now join our hearts together to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                     O God of our Salvation
   Help us unbind our faith

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, as You wipe the tears of all who mourn, keep us all in the knowledge that earthly death will be no more with the joy and gladness of all who live again in Your Communion of Saints now and forever. We pray especially for… add your own petitions

                                                     O God of our Salvation
   Help us unbind our faith

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

                                                     O God of our Salvation
   Help us unbind our faith                    

~ O Lord of Hosts, our King of Glory, inspire the hearts, minds, and souls of all who lead us in Your Church, who encourage and remind us, through Word and Sacrament, how to lead faithful lives in and through Your grace and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                     O God of our Salvation
   Help us unbind our faith

The Celebrant adds: God of us all, saints and sinners together, set our hearts free from the prison of hate, the emptiness of self-importance, and the mindlessness of earthly privilege. Guide us each to claim our divine endowment of hope, grace, and mercy, as we strive toward ascending the hill of the Lord to drink forever from the water of life. We ask through Jesus, our Saving Lamb; in the Unity of the Holy Spirit; who together with You are One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 




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