Prayers of the People: All Stirred Up! ~ 3rd Sunday of Advent '21 Yr C

For Sunday, December 12, 3^rd Sunday of Advent, Readings: Zephaniah 3:14-20, First Song of Isaiah/Canticle 9, Philippians 4:4-7, Luke 3:7-18

    The Lord, your God, is in your midst...he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love. [Zephaniah 3:17]

   Surely it is God who saves me; I will trust in him and not be afraid…the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, and he will be my Savior... [Canticle 9/Isaiah 12:2, 5]

   Rejoice in the Lord always…The Lord is near. Do not worry...And the peace of God, that passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:6]

   Bear fruits worthy of repentance…One who is more powerful than I is coming…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. [Luke 3:8a, 16b,c]

      In the midst of this otherwise reverently penitential Advent, our season of waiting for the Nativity of Jesus, we come to the Sunday of Rejoicing. The rose candle, the symbol of joy, will be lighted as a sign of our call to be joyous in the nearness of God, in the coming of Christ. This is time to experience the excitement that in Christ we will be baptized with the Holy Spirit and the fire to spark our faith into action. Paul, in this portion of his letter to the Philippians is quite specific by saying Do not worry about anything, because the Lord is near with the peace that surpasses all understanding. It’s hardly easy to relax and not worry in a world seemingly mad with fear and anger, division and hate. Yet all the readings for today exhort us to rejoice, exult, and sing ~ even John the Baptizer, while issuing some serious warnings ~ proclaimed the good news to the people about the One who is coming. Paul did believe, for a while, that he and his followers would know the full Second Coming of Christ in their time. Succeeding generations through millennia have felt the same yet, of course, we do not know when it will happen, only that our faith assures us that it will happen.

     While enjoying the joy, we must also take the Baptizer’s message to heart and take some prayerful time to contemplate our sins. That winnowing fork of Jesus, John speaks of, will gather the faithful but send the chaff that doesn't bear good fruit ~ the unrepentant ~ to burn with unquenchable fire. As I race to hang the stockings with care, I need to consider how am I actually living into the faith that I claim? From these readings it sounds as if my murmurs of familiar words on Sunday morning aren’t quite enough to keep me out of that burning refuse. Church of England Bishop John R.H. Moorman wrote in The Path to Glory in 1960:

“Perhaps the greatest obstacle to reformation of life is fear of what other people will think. If we start to pray, will they think we are getting pious? If we try to be honest, will they think us fussy? If we show forgiveness, shall we be thought weak? And so on. But the ‘baptism of repentance’ demands courage. It is part of the testing and the judgment which is going on all the time in the human soul.”

    Although this is the third Sunday of Advent, it’s a fresh, new moment in time. A chance to begin again, to discover that our God, our Christ, our Holy Spirit is truly in our midst, present, teaching, renewing us in love, and filling us with holy fire. Let us turn our focus toward our God ~ that is, to bear fruits worthy of repentance ~ to refresh our minds and hearts by worship, praise, and prayer. It is time to reconcile who we are in faith with who we want to become. What must I do differently to be thankful, joyful, and live faithfully? This is the time to look through rose-colored glasses to see the joy that lights up the darkness.

      In the Episcopal Tradition, this Sunday is nicknamed “Stir Up Sunday” which comes from the Opening Collect in the Liturgy: “Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever.”

     Together in faith we become a spiritual orchard bearing only good fruit, gathered by Christ, our Savior, stirred up in Faith, and brought Home. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice! [Philippians 4:4]

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ O God, our Stronghold, stir up our faith that our trust in You will free us from fear and worry. Renew us by Your love as we give You thanks with great rejoicing, exalting Your name by every part of our lives.
 
                                                     O Lord, our Sure Defense              
RESPONSE:                         Guard our hearts and minds in Christ         
 
~ O God, our Stronghold, infuse us with such joy that we may turn the tide of hatred and division into the calm waters of Your peace. Guide us to inspire all who design or impose their political pathways on this world, this nation, and this community, toward compassion, justice, and mercy. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                      O Lord, our Sure Defense
                                                      Guard our hearts and minds in Christ         
 
~ O God, our Stronghold, restore health and hope for all afflicted with serious illness, addiction, or despair, and strengthen all who give them love and support. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions
 
                                                      O Lord, our Sure Defense
                                                      Guard our hearts and minds in Christ         
 
~ O God, our Stronghold, soothe the grieving with the comfort of knowing that You have gathered those we love into the blissful splendor Your Eternal Home. We pray especially for: add your own petitions 
 
                                                      O Lord, our Sure Defense
                                                      Guard our hearts and minds in Christ         
 
~  O God, our Stronghold, 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, our Sure Defense
                                                      Guard our hearts and minds in Christ         
             
~ O God, our Stronghold, grant special grace and enduring eagerness to all anointed to serve You in Your Church, as they draw us to You on our journey to salvation. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Lord, our Sure Defense
                                                       Guard our hearts and minds in Christ         
             
 
The Celebrant adds:  Most Holy God Who is always in our midst, revive our desire to bear good, worthy, and faith-filled fruit in our souls. Turn us always in Your direction, that we may receive and experience the depth of Your peace that passes all understanding. We ask through the Good News of Jesus our Christ; and the Holy Spirit, the Fire of our faith; who together with You reign as One God, in glory, 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: Un-Trap from the Wrappings ~ 2nd Sunday of Advent, ‘21 Year C

For Sunday, December 5, 2021, Readings: Baruch 5:1-9, Canticle 16/Song of Zechariah/Luke 1:68-69, Philippians 1:3-11, Luke 3:1-6

     For they went out from you on foot, led away by their enemies; but God will bring them back…carried in glory, as on a royal throne. [Baruch 5:6]

    In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death... [Canticle 16/Luke 1:78-79a]

  I thank my God every time I remember you…And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight…so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless… [Philippians 1:3, 9, 10b]

     [A]s it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight...'" [Luke 3:4]

             "Slow down you move too fast, got to make the [moment] last..." sang Simon and Garfunkel once upon a long time ago. But at this time of the year we seem to be in warp speed. We get mired and wrapped up in the clock ticking, the dates on the calendar flying, there's so much to do, to get from the attic, to buy, to decorate, to cook, to clean, to prepare, to finish in time...so how is THIS supposed to be the season of waiting? The clear question arises ~ for what is it, exactly, are we waiting? Of course we’re (supposed to be) preparing for the coming of Jesus, the birth of the Child raised up by God as our Mighty Savior, as we hear in the Song of Zechariah. John, first cousin of Jesus and the son of Zechariah, as the voice crying in the wilderness, came as Isaiah foretold, to proclaim a baptism of repentance and remind us to prepare the way of the Lord.

      Advent is time again to set aside the habits that have crept in over the last year(s), to think new thoughts about the whys of what must be done; a time to be conscious about the true gift of this life that is to prepare us for the next life; time to take a break from the ordinary hurry and worry and make ourselves ready for the Christ who saves our souls. Yet by habit and culture, we make this time excessively stressful by self-imposed earthly expectations that we accept on behalf of this holiday season rather than making a time for a focus on this holy season. 

      Waiting in these few weeks exacerbates the multiple frustrations of life. There are lines everywhere ~ at the Post Office, the grocery store inside or pick-up, in traffic, the doctor's office, and even the resurging malls! But instead of caving to irritation and anger, we can use it to take long, slow, deep breaths and reflect on our actions of the day, the week, or whatever time frame we choose; the moments that were good, bad, or just indifferent. How often do I remember to look for God in any of those moments and offer a brief prayer, a petition, a thanksgiving? 

       How might a little waiting time with God adjust my perspective during my short time in this world? One minute now, 5 later, in the shower, just after turning out the light...just before opening my eyes in the morning, on the way to work or errands...I can make those times breathing times and God-awareness-moments and the more of those I have, the less stress I will have, or at least the stronger I’ll feel in the midst of it all.

      Another suggestion I’ve seen is to start Dec 1 and read one chapter of Luke per day so that by Christmas Eve we will have read the entire life of Jesus. Perhaps we’ll arrive at a deeper understanding of the meaning of Christmas itself. Even the decorations take on a new vibrancy, as if we prepare our homes for the arrival of an amazingly special guest, the One on whom our entire life depends. So, even though this is the second Sunday of Advent, there's time to catch up and prepare our own way for the Lord.

      The theme for this week is Love. As we light the second candle on the Advent Wreath, take a long, slow deep breath and remember what this preparation time is truly about. Light your own candle and read two chapters in Luke this week (there is time enough) to catch up! Slow down. Don’t move too fast. Let us listen and hear the voice of one crying out in the wilderness reminding us to prepare the way of the Lord within ourselves. Let us un-trap ourselves from the temporary, fragile, and externally imposed wrapping of this life to give Love first, last, and always. We can wrap up in the truer Love we receive when remember that the best gift ever is knowing The Lord is with us always.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY 

Leader:  ~ God of Glory and Praise, calm our rush in preparations for the earthly celebration ahead, that we may take time now to prepare ourselves for Christ, Your True Gift for our life and soul. Overflow us with Your love as we make way for the coming of our Savior in each and every day.

                                                      O Lord, our God

RESPONSE:               Guide us to Your Peace 

~ God of Glory and Praise, for all who cry out from the wilderness of hunger, separation, and fear, urge us to exhort all who govern on this Earth, in this Nation, and in this Community, to deliver the distressed from the shadow of death into the brightness of safety and abundance. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God

                                                    Guide us to Your Peace

~ God of Glory and Praise, shine Your healing light and love on those who dwell in the darkness of chronic illness or spiritual isolation, and sustain the energy of all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God

                                                    Guide us to Your Peace

~ God of Glory and Praise, hold fast to those traveling the rough way of grief as You embrace our loved ones, now forever clothed with the glory of the Everlasting. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God

                                                    Guide us to Your Peace

~ God of Glory and Praise, 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, our God

                                                    Guide us to Your Peace  

           

~ God of Glory and Praise, grant continuing renewal and unlimited energy to all who guide us in our faith and worship, teach us Your words, and share our journey to eternal life. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       O Lord, our God
                                                    Guide us to Your Peace

The Celebrant adds: O God of the Eternal Dawn and Endless Love, guide us to accept and proclaim a new baptism of repentance as we strive to put our life in Christ above all worldly pursuits, that if suddenly called, we will be ready to account for our time in this brief earthly journey. We ask through Jesus the Christ, our Glorious Savior; and the Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier; who together with You are One God, forever and ever. 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: With the End in Mind ~ 1st Sunday of Advent '21 Yr C

For Sunday, November 28, 2021, Readings: Jeremiah 33:14-16, Ps 25: 1-9, 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13, 

Luke 21-25-36

      In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. [Jeremiah 33:15]

       To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul…I put my trust in you…let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes…Show me your ways and teach me your paths. [Psalm 25:1a, 2b, 3]

       Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you. [1 Thessalonians 3:11]

    …my words will not pass away. Be on guard that your hearts are not weighed down with…the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly like a trap. [Luke 21:33, 34]

Happy New Year! That is, a New Church Year.  The four-week liturgical season of Advent begins this Sunday in many denominations of Christianity. We also begin the 3rd year in a 3 year cycle of appointed readings from Scripture. These four weeks of Advent are a time of soulful preparation through self-reflection, repentance, and the expectant waiting for the Nativity, the birth, of Jesus. It is a time for us to start over, to unburden our hearts from the weight of worldly worries, and to renew our commitment to a regular pattern of prayer, worship, and sincere Christian action. It is time to remember to answer the call to increase and abound in love for one another, to restore our faith, and to be ready for that day that will come for us all. If we are not alert, that day may arrive unexpectedly, like a trap, and catch us unprepared. Too often we are caught up in the earthly distractions of the tinsel and trappings, the busy and the bustling of celebrating as if THAT DAY, the one in which we are each called on account, will never happen.

        In this season, the word advent is from the Latin adventus which means coming, and we will mark each week by the lighting of a candle in an Advent Wreath with a prayerful reflection before the Liturgy (the Mass or the Service) begins. Each candle represents a theme from the readings of that week. Some people will also use an Advent Calendar or wreath at home to mark each day of the week with a special prayer or meditation on the theme. Advent is the opportunity to be more intentional about preparing for the arrival of Jesus, our Savior.
        This week’s theme is Hope. In yet another year that the lives of millions and the planet itself have been upended and decimated across the world by pandemic, torrential rains, earthquakes, horrific fires, and the devastating violence wrought by humans, it does give pause and perhaps a sharp inhalation of breath and wonder about what could be next. The readings for this day may cause some fear and trepidation as if they hit “too close” to our own time. Some in every generation think “THIS IS IT” as they believe they can interpret the signs. The apocalyptic images in the Gospel are those with which the followers of Jesus would recognize from Zechariah and Daniel in the Hebrew/Old Testament and Jesus used them to make his point about being ready. It didn’t come to pass in that time, nor has it in the millennia since, obviously. And yet, we of faith believe that it most certainly will and as we do not know the day or the hour [Matthew 25:13], keeping ourselves prepared isn’t about fear, but rather it is about faith. Each of us will meet our Maker whether the Earth falls in our time or not. Christ will come again, and/or I will get there before he comes here ~ will I be ready either way? Never have we needed hope or self-preparation more than now.
        As in every liturgical season of the Church, each of our readings gives us insight and instruction to ponder and enlighten us for the week ahead. This week Jesus tells us that his words will never pass away no matter what else happens. Through prayer and attention to our call, we will be ready to stand before the Son of Man. Our Hope truly is in the name and substance of the Lord, and, in our willingness to turn the thoughts and actions of our lives toward the light of God's presence now and going forward. 
        It's definitely not easy to get and stay on the correct course, especially at this time of year with all the false glitter that obscures our inner vision and diverts us from our good intentions. But our path forward begins to clear when we are sincere in our desire to dedicate our lives to Christ, and made easier being actively involved in faith-filled communities, earnest in preparation for his return. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all the darkness.” We light this week’s candle of Hope to brighten the way ahead and to know that All the paths of the Lord are love and faithfulness to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies [Psalm 25:9]. Hope is on first and we begin with the end in mind.

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ Gracious and Upright Lord, lift up our souls, our hearts, and our minds from the lowest valley of earthly worries to the highest vault of heavenly grandeur. Teach us the prayers, the patience, and the trust to stay alert, unafraid, and ready for our salvation through Christ.

                                                        Lord of Love and Faithfulness    

RESPONSE:                 Direct our way to You

~ Gracious and Upright Lord, bring gifts of truth, righteousness, and justice to those who govern across the breadth and depth of Your Creation, globally and locally, and let the treacherous be disappointed in their schemes. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                       Lord of Love and Faithfulness

                                                       Direct our way to You

~ Gracious and Upright Lord, soothe and heal all who suffer with chronic illness and renew those who have lost all hope. Grant respite and refreshment to all caregivers as we now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions

 
                                                       Lord of Love and Faithfulness
                                                       Direct our way to You

~ Gracious and Upright Lord, comfort the bereaved with a foretaste of the glory in everlasting Salvation where our loved ones live again and always. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

 
                                                       Lord of Love and Faithfulness
                                                       Direct our way to You

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

 
                                                       Lord of Love and Faithfulness
                                                       Direct our way to You            

~ Gracious and Upright Lord, quicken the energy and spirit of those anointed to deepen our faith, on our journey together, with strength of heart and love for all.  We pray especially for: add your own petitions

 
                                                       Lord of Love and Faithfulness
                                                       Direct our way to You

The Celebrant adds:  Most Holy Jesus, as we enter this season of preparation and waiting, fill us with Your forever words, and keep us open to Your Presence now and in the promise of Your Coming. We ask through Jesus, the Son of Man; and the Holy Spirit, Seat of All Wisdom; who together with You are One 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 Cosmic Christ ~ 7th Sunday in the Season of Creation '21 [Yr B]

For Sunday, November 21, 2021, Readings: Poem by Chelan Harkin*, Psalm 93, Revelation 1:4b-8,

 John 18:33-37

  God had a secret she just couldn’t keep…She set truth to dancing…with her only real ordinance: Make your love visible. [poem by Chelan Harkin*]

  Your testimonies are very sure, and holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever and for evermore. [Psalm 93:6]

   Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness…”I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God… [Revelation 1:4b, 5a, 8a]

  Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world…I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” [John 18:36a, 37b]

   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 asterisk.

                                                                 Week VI's Theme is: 

                                                                   The Cosmic Christ

*A Reading from the Poetry of Chelan Harkin: God had a great secret that She just couldn’t keep and one day Her Heart exploded with the Big Bang. Her inability to contain Herself became galaxies She poured Her Heart out and it slowly began sorting itself out into the universe She spilled the beans (the stars) so completely Her repressed blushing became sunsets She whispered Her secret music into the heart of every atom and the electrons could not help but giddily dance All creation became a chatter box gossiping to each other nonstop about the wild, loving mysteries She’d shared with them Evolution was what happened as the story of ecstatic wonderment was passed through life from ear to ear changing slightly with each iteration She set truth to dancing with the whirl of Her planets and kissed the nucleus of everything with her only real ordinance: “Make your love visible.” ❤Copyright 2018, Chelan Harkin

       We have arrived at the final Sunday in the Season of Creation (SoC) and also the Last Sunday after Pentecost in the Lectionary season, both of which celebrate Christ the King. Coming next week we begin the Season of Advent, a time of heart and soul preparation for the birth of the Child in whom the fullness of God is pleased to dwell.

       This week our first reading is a fanciful and joy-filled poem from the self-described “Mystic Poet” Chelan Harkin who reminds us that God’s only real ordinance is to make your love visible.

       For its original audience, today’s Psalm proclaimed the power and eternity of the Creator yet in our Christian sense of it today the language, The Lord is King, applies equally to Christ as King.

       The Book of Revelation is always filled with mysterious and almost abstract descriptions that are difficult to comprehend for most modern, western minds. The sacred number 7 is introduced, the symbol of wholeness and perfection that is important to the structure of the Book itself. The phrase the seven spirits may be a reference to the 7 archangels in later Judaism. The word witness is often used to denote martyrs and verse 7 draws on the imagery of Daniel 7:13 and here is applied to Christ’s Second Coming. While some of these words and phrases may be somewhat familiar to anyone who regularly reads the Christian [New] Testament and/or hears them read in a church setting, they may also seem irrelevant in the scheme of daily living in today’s world. How does one concretely grasp God, the Almighty who is and was and is to come, the Alpha and the Omega, from everlasting? Or, Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, the faithful witness, firstborn of all creation and also of the dead, ruler of the kings of the earth? Yet we, who would be counted as faithful Christians, should take heed and examine more closely. It is in this daily life in this time that we may easily lose track of our allegiances and settle in more with the temporary earthly powers than in the everlasting divine Kingship of Christ. Although Jesus says his kingdom is not from here, it is here, and in this time and place, where we encounter him, if we seek him, and if we choose to follow.

       For me, the crux of this Sunday’s lessons is the moment in John’s Gospel when Jesus tells Pilate that everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice [John 18:37b]. Are we listening? Do we hear it? Even more interestingly to me, what comes next is not in our appointed reading and I wish it was. Perhaps because, especially in these fraught times, it is even more difficult for us to understand. In the next verse, 38: Pilate asked him, "What is truth?" How do you answer?

      For we who endeavor to follow, Christ is our only King and shows us the way to the true and everlasting Kingdom. The question for each of us is: to what truth do we listen and choose to belong? The “easy” answer is: Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to [Christ’s] voice. How, then, do we live it?

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
 
Leader:  ~ O King Everlasting, fill us daily with the wonders of this Universe and turn us always toward Christ in whose Kingdom we are forgiven and saved. Teach our hearts again, to make Your love visible in all we are and all we do.
 
                                                      O Christ of the Cosmos
              RESPONSE:                 Keep us in Your Truth
 
 ~ O King Everlasting, for all who are governed by power or throne, by force or dominion, on our planet, in our country, and in our community, we implore You to infuse the wisdom, sanity, and humanity of Jesus into all who lead Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ of the Cosmos
                                                       Keep us in Your Truth
 
~ O King Everlasting, send healing grace to all who suffer in spirit, mind, or body, and compassion to all who give them care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need… add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ of the Cosmos
                                                       Keep us in Your Truth
 
~ O King Everlasting, ease the grief of those who mourn, as the souls of our cherished departed arise from earthly death into the ceaseless joy of Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ of the Cosmos
                                                       Keep us in Your Truth
 
~ O King Everlasting, 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 of the Cosmos
                                                       Keep us in Your Truth
             
~ O King Everlasting, empower the spirits of those who lead us in Your Church, through Your Word and Sacraments, with the peace, unity, and truth of Christ’s all-encompassing love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
 
                                                       O Christ of the Cosmos
                                                       Keep us in Your Truth
             
The Celebrant adds: Christ of All Peoples, our Alpha and Omega, rescue us from the power of darkness and transform our anxieties into fruitful action. Keep us striving toward Your purpose as we offer our labors to soothe the sufferings of humanity near and far. We ask through Jesus our Christ, the Faithful Witness; and the Holy Spirit, the very Breath of Love, who together with You are our One God, for ever and for evermore. 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