Pray With Us

Fast from anger; feast on patience

 

 

Leader: Peace be with you.

All:       And also with you.

Leader: Life rises in our midst, sometimes hard-won life.  It

surprises us when it blossoms at unexpected times & in

unexpected places. It comes with power stronger than

death: life born of faithfulness, born of courage, born

of God.

All:       Thanks be to God.     

Please join in the hymn

 

Godhead here in hiding whom I do adore,

Masked by these bare shadows, shape & nothing more,

See Lord at thy service low lies here a heart

Lost all lost in wonder at the God thou art.

On thy cross thy Godhead made no sign to men;

Here thy very manhood steals from human ken;

Both are my confession, both are my belief;

And I pray the prayer of the dying thief.

 

O thou our reminder of Christ crucified,

Living bread, the life of us for whom he died,

Lend this life to me then; feed & feast my mind,

There be thou the sweetness we were meant to find.

Jesu whom I look at shrouded here below,

I beseech thee send me what I long for so,

Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light

And be blest for ever with thy glory’s sight.

 

 

Please listen to the psalm 109 being read after saying the antiphon together.

 

All:            The Lord will send forth your sceptre of power with

                  The splendour of the saints.

Reader:     The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, till

I make your enemies your footstool.’ The sceptre

of your power the Lord will stretch forth from

Sion: ‘Rule in the midst of your enemies. Yours is

the princely power in the day of your birth, in holy

splendour; before the daystar, like the dew, I have

begotten you.’ The Lord has sworn and he will not

relent; ‘You are a priest forever, according to the

order of Melchizedek.’

All:            Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the

                  Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now and ever

                  shall be, world without end, Amen.

All:            The Lord will send forth your sceptre of power with the splendour of the saints.

 

Please sing the second psalm & antiphon as indicated.

 

Cantors:    We worship the one God

Who made heaven & earth.

Cantors:     It is not to our name that praise is due,

But to yours, eternal God of Love,

All:            For you are faithful & kind & merciful,

                 Surpassing us all in wisdom & care.

Cantors:   Our idols are silver & gold,

The gods of money rule in our land.

All:           They have mouths & offer platitudes.

                 They have eyes & see not the poor.

Cantors:    They have ears but hear no cries of pain,

They have noses & keep themselves clean.

All:            Their hands touch no-one with love,

                  Their feet never walk the streets.

Cantors:    Keep us from growing to be like them,

May we put no trust in possessions.

All:            Renew our trust in you, O God:

                  Give us courage to face our enemies.

Cantors:    You remember us & you bless us,

You bless all who hold you in honour.

All:            Creator of the universe, God beyond Gods,

                  You give us the earth to care for.

Cantors:    You are far beyond our imagining,

Yet you bless each one of your little ones.

All:            Those who are dead to your love do not praise you,

                  Nor those who are gripped by one of the powers.

Cantors:    Keep our love & our freedom alive,

That we may praise you with joy & delight.

All:            Glory be to the Father and to the Son,

                  And to the Holy Spirit,

As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be,

                  World without end, Amen.

All:            We worship the one God

                  Who made heaven & earth.

 

Please sing the special Lenten canticle & antiphon as indicated.

 

Cantors:    God did not spare his own son

But gave him up for us all.

Cantors:    Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example

That you should follow in his steps.

All:             He committed no sin, no guile was found on his lips.

                 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return.

Cantors:    When he suffered, he did not threaten;

But he trusted to him who judges justly.

All:            He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree

                 That we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

All:           Glory be to the Father and to the Son,

                 And to the Holy Spirit,

                 As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be      

                 World without end, Amen.

All:           God did not spare his own son

                 But gave him up for us all.

 

Reading (Romans 8 & Mark 9), followed by a pause for silent reflection.

If God is for us, who can be against us? God who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who was raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters-one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

 

Please join in the Magnificat refrain if you wish.

 

Magnificat sings my soul, Magnificat! (Light Divine CD)

 

 

My soul rejoices in God, & my spirit sings to my saviour,

The almighty has worked such marvels for me, holy is his name -Magnificat sings my soul, Magnificat!

 

His mercy is from age to age on those who follow his way.

He has scattered the mighty & the proud, & raised the lowly high -Magnificat sings my soul, Magnificat.

 

He has filled the hungry with good things,

Sent the rich away with empty hands.

He has helped his servant, Israel, as he promised long ago.

My heart rejoices in God & my spirit sings to my saviour,

And my soul glorifies the loving Lord, holy is His name.

Magnificat sings my soul, Magnificat.

Magnificat sings my soul, Magnificat.

 

Intercessions: (anyone to read any of the intercessions ad lib)

We give thanks to Christ. Let us pray to him with trust & humility for he served all people & was good to everyone ………. pause …….. let us pray,

All:  Lord, it is good for us to be here.

Teach us to care for others and for ourselves ………. pause ……..let us pray,

All:  Lord, it is good for us to be here.

Help us to form human community where each one can feel at home. ……….pause …….. let us pray,

All:  Lord, it is good for us to be here.

Let today’s gospel remind us to be aware of God’s presence ………. pause …….. let us pray,

All: Lord, it is good for us to be here.

Reader:     We pray for people who have died today & for those who will die tonight.  We also remember in prayer those in our parishes and community whose anniversaries of death occur tomorrow in particular:

 

Pause for people to add silently or aloud any further intentions.

 

Leader begins the Our Father….

 

Leader:  You bid us listen to your son, the well-beloved.  Nourish our hearts on your word, purify the eyes of our mind, & fill us with the vision of your glory. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.                       

All:        Amen.

All:        Let us go in faith, as we have done so often before. Let us go in love as we have tried to be loving towards others.  May we go in peace, the peace which is beyond our understanding, & may God go with us, the God who has never left us or forsaken us over many years, the God who travels with us until the end of time, our Creator, Sustainer & Redeemer. Amen.