Prayers of the People: These Eyes of Mine ~ The Presentation of Jesus '25 RCL Yr C

For Sunday, February 2, 2025, Readings: Malachi 3:1-4, Ps 27:7-10, Hebrews 2:14-18, Lk 2:22-40

Thus says…the Lord of Hosts…I am sending my messenger…For he is like a refiner’s fire…and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi…until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. [Malachi 3:1a, 2b, 3]

     Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. “Who is this King of Glory?” “The Lord, strong and mighty…The Lord of hosts…is the King of glory.” [Psalm 24:7-8a, 10]

    Since God’s children share flesh and blood Jesus himself shared the same things…he had to become like his brothers and sisters…that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God…Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested. [Hebrews 2:14a, 17a, 18]

     …when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him into his arms and praised God, saying…for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples…a light for revelation…and for glory…also a prophet Anna…she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem…The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. [Luke 2:22, 28, 30-32, 36a, 38]

      40 Days Later...  February 2, 40 days after Christmas, is packed with theological and liturgical significance. A special Feast day in the Church calendar, it is often overlooked when, as in most years, it falls on a weekday. The official name is: The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple. It is also recognized as The Purification of Mary because the Law of Moses required that she ~ like the Infant Jesus ~ participate in a rite of purification 40 days after childbirth. Its importance underscores that Mary and Joseph raised Jesus in faithful observance of his ancestral religion, a point of significance in his ministry to come. It also serves to reference the requirements of women and girls in childbirth and menstruation set out in brief in Leviticus 12:1-8. The Rite could be extended for the woman, to as long as 66 days, especially after giving birth to a girl-child, highlighting the ancient and often continuing implication that because of the blood, women and girls were/are more unclean and more sin-filled than their male counterparts.
   Some Christian calendars mark this as the official end of the Christmas season ~ because beyond the “12 Days of Christmas” between Christmas Day and the Epiphany ~ this day concludes the 40 Days of the Incarnation. In some practices, the day is also Candlemas, a traditional time to bless candles for liturgical use. And of course, the period of time of “40” in itself is frequently used throughout the Hebrew and Christian Testaments of The Bible and Christian practice to highlight auspicious activities such as the Israelites wandering 40 years before reaching the Promised Land, and the 40 days of Jesus in the wilderness to prepare for his active ministry. In some Christian denominations we employ 40 days of repentance and fasting in the period of Lent before the Resurrection [though importantly, those 40 days exclude Sundays…stayed tuned for more on that when Lent begins].
   The focus of today’s readings for us is the Infant's Presentation in the Temple in Jerusalem ~ a fulfillment of prophecy, a revelation. The prophet Simeon, whose name means “God has heard,” is an aged, righteous, and devout man waiting for the promised sight of the Messiah before he will know death. The Holy Spirit has guided him to this moment and as he takes this Child in his arms, his joy is palpable. In a modern translation his prayer, said in the Daily Office in the Book of Common Prayer [www.BCPonline.org], says:
 

Lord, you now have set your servant free

    to go in peace as you have promised;

For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,

    whom you have prepared for all the world to see:

A Light to enlighten the nations,

    and the glory of your people Israel.

 
    Another aged prophet, Anna, is present. She lived in the Temple full time worshipping, fasting, and praying. Her name means “full of grace,” and she breaks out in praise of God and tells everyone about this special Baby. We, too, can easily get caught up in this moment ~ remember the excitement of special births, baptisms or christenings in your family?
   Then in the midst of the all the elation, Simeon gives Mary a hint of things to come when he says, “This Child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel…a sign that will be opposed…a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Given all that Mary and Joseph have experienced so far ~ Angel announcements, the difficult journey to Bethlehem, the birth in less than ideal circumstances, shepherds, heavenly choruses, Wise Men, and prophetic dreams…one can barely imagine what the young new mother, Mary, is thinking. Perhaps Cornish poet Charles Causley’s words gives voice to Mary’s thoughts and to every parent’s hopeful yet anxious wish:
 

Vivid upon her tongue

Unspoken prayers

That she may not outlive

The life she bears.

 
         We know what is coming in the life of Jesus. May our prayers be spoken through our thoughts, words, and actions, bringing consolation, courage for the tests we shall encounter, and the light of salvation to enlighten the world around us in service to our God in Christ. May these of eyes of our hearts, our minds, and our souls, stay present to, with, and in the love of Christ, for God, for others, and for ourselves as we have been so commanded.
 
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader: ~ Jesus, the Light to Enlighten the Nations, we present ourselves to You as pilgrims on the Way seeking favor as Your servant messengers. Fill our hearts, minds, and souls with the joy of Simeon, for the constant presence of Your wisdom and strength. Guide our feet, our hands, and our mouths, to live Christ’s Mission and Ministry, in caring for all God’s people, acting and speaking with words of peace to all we meet.
 
                                                         O Lord, Strong and Mighty
RESPONSE:                             Refine and purify our faith
 
~ Jesus, the Light to Enlighten the Nations, grant us continuing perseverance through our faith in you, to inspire the rising of those who govern to establish God’s promised peace, and to faithfully rule with mercy, justice, and sustenance, as a voice for the vulnerable, and all the people of Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Lord of Hosts
                                                       Refine and purify our faith                                                    
 
~ Jesus, the Light to Enlighten the Nations, we ask Your healing and hope for all who are tested through illness, fear, or desperation, and stamina for those who tend to their needs. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Lord of Hosts
                                                       Refine and purify our faith
          
~ Jesus, the Light to Enlighten the Nations, grant peace in our deserts of sorrow, as the ones whose loss we mourn, enter the everlasting doors of Heaven, welcomed by our wise and Loving Lord. We pray especially for… add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Lord of Hosts
                                                       Refine and purify our faith
 
~ Jesus, the Light to Enlighten the Nations, 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 of Hosts
                                                       Refine and purify our faith
                     
~ Jesus, the Light to Enlighten the Nations, enlighten and excite Your anointed prophets and disciples of our own day, who pray with and for us, baptize and confirm us, and instruct, encourage, and travel with us through our earthly sojourn. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
  
                                                       O Lord of Hosts
                                                       Refine and purify our faith                                                                                              
The Celebrant adds: O Lord, King of Glory, we, the humble stewards of Your message of salvation, rejoice with Simeon and Anna, Mary and Joseph, and prepare ourselves for the many risings and fallings yet to come in our own lives. Faithfully, freed from the fear of earthly death, we re-dedicate ourselves to You on this day and ask Your blessings for strength and integrity through Jesus, our Christ and our Redeemer; and the Holy Spirit, our Divine Guide; who live and reign with You as one God, now and for eternity. 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: Now Presenting ~ Feast of The Presentation, WLWC* '25 Yr C

For Sunday, February 2, 2025; Readings: Leviticus 12:1-8, Psalm 48:1-3, 9-14; 1 John 5:1-5, Luke 2:22-38, WLWC*

  On completing the days of her purification for a daughter or a son she shall bring a yearling lamb for a burnt offering ~ and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering ~ to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting…Then he shall offer it before the FIRE of SINAI…and the priest shall make atonement on her behalf and she shall be restored. [Leviticus 12:6-7a, 8a,c]

  Great is the AGELESS GOD and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God is God’s holy mountain...We contemplate your faithful love God…Your right hand is filled with righteousness…For this God is our God, our God forever and ever. She will be our guide until we die. [Psalm 48:1, 9a, 8, 14]

  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah is born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child of the parent…For the love of God is this, that we keep God’s commandments [which] are not difficult…anything born of God conquers the world…this is the victory…that conquers our faith Who…conquers the world…the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. [2 Corinthians 5:1, 3-5]

  Now when the days of their purification were fulfilled according to the teaching of Moses, they brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Holy One...There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon…righteous and devout…It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had seen the Messiah of the Most High God…When the parents brought in the child Jesus…Simeon took him in his arms and praised God saying…”You release now your slave in peace, Master…for my eyes have seen your salvation…” There was also a prophet Anna…of great age…She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she…began to praise God, and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.  [Luke 2:22, 25-30, 36a, 37b-38]

   40 Days Later...  February 2, 40 days after Christmas, is packed with theological and liturgical significance. A special Feast day in the Church calendar, it is often overlooked when, as in most years, it falls on a weekday. The official name is: The Presentation of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple. It is also recognized as The Purification of Mary because the Law of Moses required that she ~ like the Infant Jesus ~ participate in a rite of purification 40 days after childbirth. Its importance underscores that Mary and Joseph raised Jesus in faithful observance of his ancestral religion, a point of significance in his ministry to come. It also serves to reference the requirements of women and girls in childbirth and menstruation set out in brief in Leviticus 12:1-8. The Rite could be extended for the woman having given birth, especially to a girl-child, to as long as 66 days, highlighting in the Leviticus reading the required burnt offering and sin offering of the woman, the ancient and often continuing implication that women and girls, because of the blood, were/are more unclean and sin-filled than their male counterparts. That said, Dr. Gafney tells us that while the practice sounds harsh for the woman, it likely also offered some time for healing and rest as well as maternal bonding with her newborn.

   In one sense, it’s very much like The Churching of Women once used widely in Catholic and Anglican churches. Women refrained from returning to church for 4-6 weeks after childbirth. In those times women didn’t even attend the baptism/christening of their children and experienced isolation in the terms of being unchurched if only temporarily. When they returned, after offering a prayer of thanksgiving,  they were given a blessing. This ritual has, mercifully, fallen into disuse.

   Some Christian calendars mark this as the official end of the Christmas season ~ because beyond the “12 Days of Christmas” between Christmas Day and the Epiphany ~ this day concludes the 40 Days of the Incarnation. In some practices, the day is also Candlemas, a traditional time to bless candles for liturgical use. And of course, the period of time of “40” in itself is frequently used throughout the Hebrew and Christian Testaments of The Bible and Christian practice to highlight auspicious activities such as the Israelites wandering 40 years before reaching the Promised Land, and the 40 days of Jesus in the wilderness to prepare for his active ministry. In some Christian denominations we employ 40 days of repentance and fasting in the period of Lent before the Resurrection [though importantly, those 40 days exclude Sundays…stayed tuned for more on that when Lent begins].

   The focus of today’s readings for us is the Infant's Presentation in the Temple in Jerusalem ~ a fulfillment of prophecy, a revelation. The prophet Simeon, whose name means “God has heard,” is an aged, righteous, and devout man waiting for the promised sight of the Messiah before he will know death. The Holy Spirit has guided him to this moment and as he takes this Child in his arms, his joy is palpable. In a modern translation his prayer, said in the Daily Office in the Book of Common Prayer [www.BCPonline.org], says:

Lord, you now have set your servant free
    to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,
    whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations,
    and the glory of your people Israel. 

    Another aged prophet, Anna, is present. She lived in the Temple full time worshipping, fasting, and praying. Her name means “full of grace,” and she breaks out in praise of God and tells everyone about this special Baby. We, too, can easily get caught up in this moment ~ remember the excitement of special births, baptisms or christenings in your family?
   Then in the midst of the all the elation, Simeon gives Mary a hint of things to come when he says, “This Child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel…a sign that will be opposed…a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Given all that Mary and Joseph have experienced so far ~ Angel announcements, the difficult journey to Bethlehem, the birth in less than ideal circumstances, shepherds, heavenly choruses, Wise Men, and prophetic dreams…one can barely imagine what the young new mother, Mary, is thinking. Perhaps Cornish poet Charles Causley’s words give voice to Mary’s thoughts and to every parent’s hopeful yet anxious wish:

Vivid upon her tongue

Unspoken prayers

That she may not outlive

The life she bears. 

   We know what is coming in the life of Jesus. May our prayers be spoken through our thoughts, words, and actions, bringing consolation, courage for the tests we shall encounter, and the light of salvation to enlighten the world around us in service to our God in Christ. May these of eyes of our hearts, our minds, and our souls, stay present to, with, and in the love of Christ, for God, for others, and for ourselves as we have been so commanded.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader: ~ O FIRE of SINAI, we present ourselves to You to fill our hearts, minds, and souls with the joy of Simeon and the constant presence of Your wisdom and strength. Guide our feet, our hands, and our mouths, to live Christ’s Mission and Ministry, in caring for all God’s people, acting and speaking with words of peace to all we meet.

                                                Our God and Guide Forever and Ever

                                                Purify and Restore Us

~ O FIRE of SINAI, grant us continuing perseverance with our faith in Jesus, our Messiah born of You, whose provocation within us may inspire the rising of leadership that grants mercy, sustenance, and justice, as a voice for the vulnerable and all the people of Your Creation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions          

                                                Our God and Guide Forever and Ever

                                                Purify and Restore Us

~ O FIRE of SINAI, we ask Your healing and hope for all who are tested through illness, fear, or desperation, and stamina for those who tend to their needs. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Our God and Guide Forever and Ever

                                                Purify and Restore Us

~ O FIRE of SINAI, grant peace in our deserts of sorrow, as the ones whose loss we mourn, enter the everlasting doors of Heaven, welcomed by our wise and loving Lord. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Our God and Guide Forever and Ever

                                                Purify and Restore Us

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

                                                Our God and Guide Forever and Ever

                                                Purify and Restore Us

~ O FIRE of SINAI, enlighten and excite Your anointed prophets and disciples of our own day, who pray with and for us, baptize and confirm us, and instruct, encourage, and travel with us through our earthly sojourn. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Our God and Guide Forever and Ever

                                                Purify and Restore Us

The Celebrant adds: O Jesus, God’s Light of Revelation and Glory, we, the humble stewards of Your message of salvation, rejoice with Simeon and Anna, Mary and Joseph, and prepare ourselves for the many risings and fallings yet to come in our own lives. Faithfully freed from the fear of earthly death, we re-dedicate ourselves to You on this day and ask Your blessings for strength and integrity through Jesus, our Christ and our Salvation; and the Holy Spirit, our Divine Wisdom; who live and reign with You as one God, now and for all eternity. Amen. 

 

*Readings for our Parish in this Year C are from The Rev. Dr. Wilda [Wil] Gafney, Womanist biblical scholar, and the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church Yr C, and others in her series, and translator of its biblical selections. I definitely commend her book for the complete readings, to Clergy and Laity, for her Text Notes, and “Preaching Prompts” whether or not you will use them in your Liturgies/Services/Preaching. There is much to learn from her work to inform every facet of our lives in Christ.  To learn more about her and her work, see her website: https://www.wilgafney.com/

 

 

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: Breathe In Breathe Out ~ 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany WLWC* Yr C

For Sunday, January 26, 2025; Readings: Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 119:10-18, 1 Peter:22-25,

Luke 4:38-44

   Let us go and ascend the mountain of the HOLY ONE of SINAI, to the home of the God of Jacob [of the line of Rebekah]…” God shall judge between the nations, and shall decide justly for many peoples; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [Isaiah 2:3b,4]

  With my whole heart I seek you; let me not stray from your commandments.  In my heart I treasure your word, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you AGELESS ONE; teach me your statutes…With my lips I recount all the judgements of your mouth. [Psalm 119:10-12]

   Through Christ you have come to faith in God who raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are upon God… from a pure heart love one another persistently…You have been born again… through the living and enduring word of God… The grass withers…but the word of the Living God abides forever. [1 Peter 1:21, 22c, 23a,c; 24a,c; 25]

   Jesus entered Simon’s house…Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever… Jesus stood over her and rebuked the fever and it left her…all the women and men who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him and he laid his hands on each of them and healed them...Then Jesus said to them…To the other cities must I proclaim the Good News of the realm of God also; for this purpose I was sent. And he preached in the Judean synagogues. [Luke 4:38-39,40, 43]

   The passage from Isaiah is familiar to many people who’ve never been to a church or read a bible, at least from the phrasing of beating swords into plowshares (or ploughshares for British-English spellers) and spears into pruning hooks…and some may know the rhyming phrase of neither shall they learn war any more. A plow may be more recognized by inner city dwellers who’ve never strayed far from the streets. A pruning hook is simply a hand-held plant trimmer. What I find particularly fascinating is that if you look at Micah 4:1-3, it is nearly identical to that of the person writing as “First” Isaiah, son of Amoz. Scholars have no way of knowing who wrote it first as Micah and this Isaiah were contemporaries. Further, it may have been a locally-known oracle, not necessarily a person but perhaps a wise or inspirational saying without a clear notion of its origin.  It is an uplifting hopeful thought that many will come to the mountain… that God may teach us God’s ways… Dr. Gafney tells us that the word teach in this piece from Isaiah and in the Psalm verses 12 and 18, is the root for Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible which is generally more of a teaching tool than a set of laws. But let us catch the first phrase again of Isaiah again: And it will be in the coming days… How long are these days likely to be coming? We’re still waiting.

   Psalm 119, if you have not noticed, is the longest psalm, stretching for 176 verses. I marvel at those silent, except for liturgy/prayer services, monastic communities that recite the full psalter from memory over a week or so. This excerpt is self-explanatory and as with many of the psalms, relatable as a personal prayer. Dr. Gafney also reminds us that slavery is ubiquitous in the Bible. There were a variety of types of enslavement in the ancient world as well as in the more recent times from medieval to American slavery that began to be documented in and around the year 1619. Dr. Gafney says, also, that for some it was identification with someone more powerful than they as a means of self-abasement and common in the psalms as in verse 17 identifying as a slave of God.

   First Peter is relating to a community, a family, yet in this case, not by blood but a community of grace through faith and hope through Christ, an eternal life by our new birth into God’s own family. Even as grass withers, the word of the Living God abides forever.

   This account in Luke of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law has parallels with slight variations in Mark 1: 29-31, and Matthew 8:14-15. As part of the religious ministry of Jesus, Dr. Gafney explains, acts of service and hospitality extends beyond the healing itself. She also expresses a need for us to take care not to find reading about such healings difficult for our own lives and times where many are sick and perhaps with little hope. The Gospel promise isn’t one to be construed as a promise for a full and healthy life, but rather, that our faith and our hope in God in Christ with the Holy Spirit transcends earthly illness and death.

   All in all, in hearing and reading through these texts, we discover that God is made present in each passage through the word whether it is from the prophet’s nudge to metaphorically ascend God’s mountain in our own life, or through meditating on the words of the psalm, perhaps in 1^st Peter’s view of life eternal by being born again into a divine family, and Jesus preaching and healing in Luke’s Gospel. The arrangements of these mere letters into words, phrases, and sentences encompass the living and enduring word of God. They are as the very breath of God in Christ with the Holy Spirit that can give an empty or wounded soul or heart the hope to move through another hour, another day. I’m suddenly reminded of the hymn by Breathe on Me.** [see below]

   Breathe well, breathe often, breathe in the peace and breathe out what isn’t.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader: ~ HOLY ONE of SINAI, fill our souls, our hearts, and our minds with longing to ascend your mountain daily through our prayer. Teach us all how to proclaim the Good News of your realm, and to walk in your paths by our words and works. Grant us individual selflessness and communal caring, with your love always on our lips.

                                                Blessed AGELESS ONE

         Response:                 Through Christ, our Faith and our Hope are in You

~ HOLY ONE OF SINAI, as you decide justly for many peoples, guide especially all who lead the nations of this world, this country, and this community to paths of peace. May they, and we, beat the swords and spears of our collective words and actions into plowshares and pruning hooks for safe and affordable housing and healthcare, healthful and plentiful nutrition, responsible care for our planet, and true justice and mercy for all of Your Creation and its humanity. We pray especially for: add your own petitions         

                                                Blessed AGELESS ONE

                                                Through Christ, our Faith and our Hope are in You

~ HOLY ONE OF SINAI, relieve the pain of those who suffer from chronic illness, anxiety, or depression, and refresh all who provide care and comfort. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Blessed AGELESS ONE

                                                Through Christ, our Faith and our Hope are in You

~  HOLY ONE OF SINAI, lift the heavy weight from all who mourn, as those who have now left us in this life, rejoice and dance in Your everlasting light. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Blessed AGELESS ONE

                                                Through Christ, our Faith and our Hope are in You

~  HOLY ONE OF SINAI, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions

                                                Blessed AGELESS ONE

                                                Through Christ, our Faith and our Hope are in You

~  HOLY ONE OF SINAI, we give You thanks and praise for all who are anointed to guide our lives and souls in Your Church, opening the paths to understanding and living Your Word, and journeying with us toward the fulfillment of Your purpose. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Blessed AGELESS ONE

                                                Through Christ, our Faith and our Hope are in You

The Celebrant adds: O God of Jacob, of the line of Rebekah, we are loved by you as your own children raised together, yet across time and space. May we love persistently with pure hearts, through your living and enduring Word in  the teaching, preaching, and physical and spiritual healing of Christ. We ask through the name of Jesus, our Salvation; and the Holy Spirit, our soul-spark of Wisdom; who  together with You are our One, Holy, and Ever-Living God, from the Beginning, Now, and Forever. Amen.

 

*Readings for our Parish in this Year C are from The Rev. Dr. Wilda [Wil] Gafney, Womanist biblical scholar, and the Right Rev. Sam B. Hulsey Professor of Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth, Texas. She is the author of A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church Yr C, and others in her series, and translator of its biblical selections. I definitely commend her book for the complete readings, to Clergy and Laity, for her Text Notes, and “Preaching Prompts” whether or not you will use them in your Liturgies/Services/Preaching. There is much to learn from her work to inform every facet of our lives in Christ.  To learn more about her and her work, see her website: https://www.wilgafney.com/

**Breathe on Me Breath of God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmkzSjs9eAw

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: This Holy Year ~ 3rd Sunday after the Epiphany '25 RCL Yr C

For Sunday, January 26, 2025; Readings: Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, 

Luke 4:14-21

    Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding.  

[Nehemiah 8:2a]

    By [the statutes of the LORD] also is your servant enlightened...cleanse me from my secret faults...O LORD my strength and my redeemer. [Ps 19: 8a, 11 a, 12 b, 14b]

   Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body ~ Jews or Greeks, slaves or free ~ and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. [1 Cor 12:12-13]

    [Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit,] stood up to read, and the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah was given to him. He  and unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor...proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind..."  [Luke 4:14a, 16b, 17-18a]

        This week the prophet Nehemiah tells us that the people of Israel were gathered together to hear a long reading of the law of Moses which God had given. The assembled were people who had forgotten or had even become contemptuous of God’s Covenant and for 3 generations, 70 years, they and their descendants had been exiled to captivity in Babylonia. Now returned home at last, Ezra read the law of God, with interpretation and the sense of it given so the people understood. The people listened and then bowed their heads in worship with their faces to the ground as an act of recognizing their own failings; yet the Levites tell them it is a day holy to the Lord and they are not to mourn or weep. God has not forgotten them and it is God who has brought them home. They then went on their way, with the joy of the Lord as your strength, being told to send portions of their feast to those for whom nothing is prepared. 
      The Psalmist tells us the heavens declare the glory of God and reminds us that God's law is perfect and God's statutes are just and rejoice the heart. And there is verse 14 from the Psalm that we hear often as some of our preachers begin their sermons: Let the meditations of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. It is a verse we can all use as a beginning to prayer and especially as we prepare to meet and greet others. 
      Comforted and bolstered by the knowledge of the Lord's presence within us, we can imagine the members of the Church in Corinth gathering to listen to Paul's letter. He begins with the reminder that we were all baptized into one body...and made to drink of one spirit. 
      Continuing on from last week's reading of the gifts of the Spirit, Paul takes us further into the anatomy of the Body of Christ as created by God. He dissects our non-hierarchical arrangement of parts, well, except for God giving the greater honor to the inferior member. So very many members ~ digits, organs, and limbs ~ all created in the image of God, and all one body ~ all ordinarily the same and each extraordinarily different. ALL parts of the body ~ individually and corporately, locally and planetarily ~ are created and arranged by God, the ultimate and pre-eminent Architect, Electrical, Chemical, Plumbing, and Systems Engineer. We are endowed from before birth with different gifts that are not our own, but in our human lives are to be given out to and received from each other, so as to have the same care for another...if one member suffers, all suffer...if one member is honored, all rejoice together in it. 
      And then, in the Gospel, we move to the gathering in the Synagogue as Jesus returns to his hometown, to his home congregation, and was asked to read the words of Isaiah [61:1-2a+] that were, interestingly and coincidentally (?!), appointed for that day. Quite an honor? Perhaps a test? In those days, as now, the synagogues in Palestine were not staffed by professional rabbis. Members, men of the congregation, read the Scripture lesson and were perhaps asked to explain them or apply them to everyday life. It was not uncommon to ask a visitor, who seemed knowledgeable, to read as a new voice and who might have a fresh understanding of the reading to share.
     Jesus unrolled the scroll, read from it, and then rolled up the scroll...and sat down. Everyone was watching him and so he told them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Today is the key word, the principal concept. He had read Isaiah's words The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me... Jesus had just announced his ministry, designating himself as the One about whom Isaiah was speaking, to the congregation where he grew up. Is that an audible gasp travelling through the millennia? 
     As we gather together to listen to God's Law and Word, let us, who hear with understanding, be conscious of the Spirit within us. Let us seek the gifts that are unique to us as individuals and honor the gifts of others. The waters of Baptism flow in a variety of ways and directions and the entire Body has been given the waters of the Spirit to hydrate our souls, to cleanse our hearts even of its secret faults, and to purify our intentions whether known or unknown to the other members. Each time we provide hope for the dispossessed, or offer help to those in need or trouble, we are making a day, as is our Sunday as our primary worship day, that is to be joyful, with our heads unbowed and our faces looking up, holy to our Lord and proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor. Let us gather often to drink deeply of one Spirit, experience the Good News and strive for the greater gifts as living members of the Body of Christ. Let every year be proclaimed and dedicated as This Holy Year in the Favor of the Lord.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ O Lord of Joy and Glory, revive our souls with the power of Your Good News, as we carry it to all we meet and live it through our words and actions. Enlighten and cleanse us from our secret faults and engage the workings of our bodies, minds, and souls as mindful instruments of Your honor and love.
 
                                                        O Christ, our Teacher    
               RESPONSE:              We are Your Hands, Your Feet, and Your Voice
 
~ O Lord of Joy and Glory, now, more than ever, grant us words so effective that they move the hearts and minds of all who govern the countries of our world, our nation, and our community. Endow those in seats of power and judgement with soul-filled compassion and courage to act now on behalf of the poor, the blind, the sick, and free those who are oppressed and held captive by misguided power, authority, debt-slavery, and so much more. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ, our Teacher
                                                       We are Your Hands, Your Feet, and Your Voice
 
~ O Lord of Joy and Glory, relieve the pain of those who suffer from chronic illness, anxiety, or depression, and refresh all who provide care and comfort. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ, our Teacher
                                                       We are Your Hands, Your Feet, and Your Voice
 
~ O Lord of Joy and Glory, lift the heavy weight of mourning, as those who have now left us in this life, rejoice and dance in Your everlasting light. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ, our Teacher
                                                       We are Your Hands, Your Feet, and Your Voice
 
~ O Lord of Joy and Glory, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials, aloud or silently…add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ, our Teacher
                                                       We are Your Hands, Your Feet, and Your Voice
             
~ O Lord of Joy and Glory, we give You thanks and praise for all who are anointed to guide our lives and souls by Your Church, opening the scrolls of Your Word, and journeying with us toward the fulfillment of Your purpose. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ, our Teacher
                                                       We are Your Hands, Your Feet, and Your Voice
             
The Celebrant adds:  O Lord our Strength and our Redeemer, overflow us with the desire to drink deeply of the Spirit, as we strive to find even greater gifts within us to use for Your purpose. Teach our hearts, again, to care for and honor each other as the Body of Christ as we proclaim and dedicate this year, and every year, to Your favor. We ask through Jesus, Prince of Peace; and the Holy Spirit, our Source of  Wisdom; who together with You are One God, forever, and for ever. Amen.

 

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