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by John Armstrong  The disputes which divided the Western Church in the 16th-century are being resolved. We have not solved all of them (for sure) and we will not certainly solve them all at once. Long standing family issues that divide families are never resolved without profound effort. But slowly and effectively we are finding ways to resolve our past hostilities and we are learning to live faithfully with our remaining doctrinal differences. The modern ecumenical movement began in the late 19th-century but the biggest boost clearly came in 1906 in Edinburgh. Missionary leaders from around the world gathered to address the pressing question of how to resolve the scandal of Christian disunity on the mission field where non-Christians saw the fruit of our division and rejected the Good News accordingly. These leaders felt it was time to work for visible oneness in the church. Their efforts launched a movement. This movement became global when Vatican II issued a decree on ecumenism that marked out a new path to follow in seeking oneness between baptized Christians. As you listen to various Christians talk about the Reformation today you hear two sets of responses regarding the 500th anniversary. One set follows the narrative that the Reformation was not only needed, but any departure from its specific language and polemical arguments is a denial of the gospel. I once adopted this language, at least for a decade or so of my life. The other set of responses falls into the category of “commemorating the anniversary” as a time for both repentance and thanksgiving. In the 1980s I began to consider this second response and by the 1990s I saw it for myself. What altered my perspective? In one word: mission. But agreement on prayer, mission and common cause does not mean there are no sticking points in our present context. Let me explain. In 1999 the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ) paved the way for new insights and dialogues about one of the central disagreements of the 16th-century. This document suggests that much of the disagreement was a matter of word choice and emphasis. Lutherans stressed that faith alone saves us. Catholic insisted that we cooperate with grace by living good lives. By refining the debate around the meaning of justification language the churches drew up confessions that rigidly stood in contrast to one another. This debate has been falsely called the “faith vs. works” divide. For some it remains the greatest divide of all. I fell into the camp that this was the really important reason for division until the 1990s. But JDDJ clarifies some of the (muddled) language of the 16th-century and affirms that we are truly saved by faith alone, but this faith is not alone because good works are the result and sign of a living and real faith. This document, which is well worth reading if you’ve not seen it, was formally agreed upon by both the Lutheran World Federation and the Catholic Church. This year the Catholic Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America agreed on a joint way forward called: Declaration on the Way: Church, Ministry and Eucharist. Another huge step forward has been taken. This declaration is a unique ecumenical text that draws on 50 years of Lutheran-Catholic dialogue in preparation for the 500th Reformation anniversary. As happened in the formation of the JDDJ, there is a mutual reinforcement between global and local conversations, including those held within the United States. The heart of this Declaration is the Statement of Agreements that draws together a litany of 32 consensus statements, where Catholics and Lutherans already have said there are not church-dividing differences between them. An elaboration of these agreements grounds them in the dialogues’ work. Finally, a more tentative section identifies some “remaining differences” – not intending to be comprehensive but suggesting some ways forward. The Declaration does not solve all our disagreements. But it demonstrates just how far Lutherans and Catholics have come together on three crucial topics: church, ministry and eucharist. It clearly indicates much ground that does not need to be retraced again. It also offers these formal Agreements to the churches to be received into their common life. In this way it helps inspire continuing work toward the visible Christian unity, which is Christ’s prayer. The theologians who worked on these documents crafted them to “help us to respect the teachings of both Churches,” says Bishop Denis Madden. Both sides agree that we need the encounter of dialogue. When this happens, as it began to happen for me nearly thirty years ago, I began to understand that the other person, and other Christian communions, had something that was of value for me to hear and receive. Not all communions have signed this agreement. The Methodists have signed the JDDJ but the Reformed have not, at least not yet. Baptists and Pentecostals remain major groups of churches that have not responded as positively but they are not at all outside this ongoing work for unity, at least informally. The light of love which guides us toward unity is not limited to documents and formal denominational efforts, thus we should pray for more light and love to fall on all of us in the days ahead. John Armstrong is a friend of A2J. You can read more of his work here
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Sharing by Father Raniero Cantalamessa during the Vigil – CCR Golden Jubilee 2017  From the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 2: Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. And they were amazed and wondered, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:5-13) This scene is repeating itself among us today. We too have come “from every nation under heaven,” and we are here to proclaim together “the mighty works of God.” There is, however, something else to discover in this part of the story of Pentecost. Since ancient times it has been understood that the author of Acts—and this means first of all the Holy Spirit!— through this insistence on the phenomenon of tongues, wanted to make us understand, that at Pentecost something takes place that reverses what happened at Babel. The Spirit transforms the linguistic chaos of Babel into a new harmony of voices. This explains why the account of Babel in Genesis 11 is traditionally inserted among the biblical readings for the Pentecost Vigil. The builders of Babel were not, as it was once thought, wicked people who intended to defy God, a kind of equivalent of the Titans of Greek mythology. No, they were pious and religious people. The tower they wanted to construct was a temple to the divinity, one of those temples with layered terraces called ziggurat, whose ruins can still be found in Mesopotamia. What then was their sin? Let us listen to what they said among themselves when they started to work on it: “They said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth’” (Gen 11:4). Martin Luther makes an illuminating observation about these words: “Let us build ourselves a city and a tower”: let us build it for ourselves, not for God. . . . “Let us make a name for ourselves”: let us do it for ourselves. The people take no concern for the name of God to be glorified; they are concerned with making their own name great. In other words, God is being exploited; he must serve their desire for power. They perhaps thought, according to the mindset at that time, that by offering sacrifices from a great height they could win victories from the divinity over the neighboring peoples. This is the reason God was forced to confound their languages and derail their project.  This suddenly brings the matter of Babel and its builders very close to us. How many of the divisions among Christians have been due to a secret desire to make a name for ourselves, to elevate ourselves above others, to relate to God from a superior position in comparison to others! How many have been due to the desire to make a name for ourselves or for our own church more than for God! This is where our Babel comes from! Let us turn now to Pentecost. Here too we see a group of men, the apostles, who are preparing to build a tower that goes from earth to heaven, the Church. At Babel they still spoke one single language, but at a certain point people no longer understood one another; at Pentecost all the people are speaking different languages, but everyone understands the apostles. Why? It is because the Holy Spirit had brought about a Copernican revolution in them. Before this moment the apostles were also preoccupied with making a name for themselves, and they often discussed “who among them was the greatest.” Now the Holy Spirit has shifted their focus away from themselves and refocused them on Christ. The heart of stone has been shattered, and in its place beats “a heart of flesh” (Ezek 36:26). As Jesus had promised before leaving them, they were “baptized in the Holy Spirit” (see Act 1:5-8), that is, they were completely submerged in the ocean of God’s love that was poured out upon them (see Rom 5:5). They are dazzled by the glory of God. Their speaking in diverse languages can also be explained by the fact that they were speaking with their eyes, with their faces, with their hands, with the amazement of people who have seen things too lofty to put in words. “We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” The reason they all understood the apostles is that they were no longer speaking about themselves but about God! God is calling us to bring about that same conversion in our lives: a conversion from ourselves to God, from the smaller unity of our parish, our movement, our own church, to the greater unity that is the unity of the whole body of Christ, indeed of all of humanity. It is the bold step that Pope Francis is urging us Catholics to take and that representatives of other churches assembled here demonstrate they want to share! St. Augustine had already made it clear that ecclesial communion takes place by degrees and can occur on different levels: from a full degree which consists in sharing both the sacraments and the interior grace of the Holy Spirit, to a partial degree that consists in sharing the same Holy Spirit. St. Paul included in his communion “all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours” (1 Cor 1:2). This is a formula that we perhaps need to rediscover and go back to appreciating. Today that communion also includes our brothers and sisters who are Messianic Jews. The Pentecostal and charismatic phenomenon has a specific vocation and responsibility in regard to the unity of Christians. Its ecumenical vocation appears even more evident if we think back to what happened at the beginning of the Church. What did the Risen One do to prompt the apostles to welcome the Gentiles into the Church? God sent the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his household in the same way and with the same manifestations with which he had sent the Spirit on the apostles at the beginning. Peter could therefore only draw the conclusion that “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” (Acts 11:17). At the Council of Jerusalem Peter repeated this same argument: God “made no distinction between us and them” (Acts 15:9). Now we have seen this marvel repeated before our very eyes, this time on a worldwide scale. God has poured out his Holy Spirit on millions of believers who belong to almost all the Christian denominations and, lest there be any doubt about his intentions, he has poured out his Spirit with the identical manifestations, including the most unique one of speaking in tongues. We too are left to draw the same conclusion that Peter did: “If God then has given them the same gift he gave us, who are we to continue to say that other Christian believers do not belong to the body of Christ and are not true disciples of Christ?” We need to look at what the charismatic path to unity involves. St. Paul outlined this plan for the Church: “speak the truth in love” (see Ephes 4:15). What we must not do is bypass the issues of faith and of doctrine in order to be united in the sphere of shared action in evangelization and social issues. Ecumenism experimented with this path at its beginning and experienced its failure. Divisions inevitably resurface quite soon, even in the sphere of action. We must not substitute charity for truth but rather aim for truth with charity; we need to begin to love one another in order to understand each other better. The extraordinary thing about this ecumenical path based on love is that it is possible at once; the way is completely open before us. We cannot “cut corners” concerning doctrine because there are indeed differences that are to be resolved with patience in the appropriate settings. However, we can skip some steps concerning love and be united right now. It is the only “debt” that we have toward others (cf. Rom 13:8). We can welcome and love one another despite our differences. Christ did not command us to love only those who think the way we do and who fully share our creed. If we love only those people, he warned us, what is special about that since the pagans also do that? (cf. Mt 5:46) We can love each other because what already unites us is infinitely more important than what divides us. What unites us is the same faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the Lord Jesus, true God and true man; the shared hope of eternal life; the common commitment to evangelization; the shared love for the body of Christ, the Church. Another important thing also unites us: the shared suffering and shared martyrdom for Christ. In so many parts of the world, believers from different churches are sharing the same sufferings and enduring the same martyrdom for Christ. They are not being persecuted and killed because they are Catholic, or Anglicans, or Pentecostals or from some other denomination, but because they are “Christians.” In the eyes of the world we are already one single group, and it is a shame if we are not also that in reality. How do we concretely put into practice this message of unity and love? Let us recall St. Paul’s hymn of charity. Each of his phrases acquires a new significance when applied to love among the members of the various Christian churches in ecumenical relationships: Love is patient. ... Love is not boastful. ... Loves is not rude. ... Love does not seek its own interest (in our case, the interests of other churches as well). Love keeps no record of wrongs (in our case, the wrongs suffered from the hands of other Christians) (see 1 Cor 13:4ff) St. Francis in one of his Admonitions says, “Blessed is the servant who rejoices in the good that God does through others as if he had done it through him.” We can say, “Blessed is that Christian who is able to rejoice at the good that God does through other churches just as he is for the good that God does through his own church.” Those who listened to Peter’s discourse on the day of Pentecost “were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent, . . . and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:37-38). A renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit will not be possible without a collective movement of repentance on the part of all Christians. Take courage, all you people of God, and work because I am with you, says the Lord! My Spirit will be with you.  Father Raniero Cantalamessa is an Italian Catholic priest in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He has devoted his ministry to preaching and writing. He is a Scripture scholar, theologian, and noted author of numerous books. Since 1980 he has served as the Preacher to the Papal Household under Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. To learn more click here to visit his website  Opening PrayerTake heart, God will rejoice over you in gladness, and will renew you in love (Silent reflection) Prayer of the BiblePraise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. Now, our God, we give you thanks, -I Chronicles 29: 10-13 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of SinLoving Father, please accept my distractions, my fatigue, my irritations, and faithless wanderings, forgive me all of my sin and help me to rest in your loving embrace. (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. -Matthew 5:27-32 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayers for Ourselves and OthersIn all my prayers for others, I always pray with Joy -Philippians 1:4 (Bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing PrayerI am no longer my own, but Yours. Do to me as you desire, place me among those you see fit Put me to service and put me to suffering, let me be commissioned by You or laid aside for You Let me be exalted for You, or brought down for You; Let me be full, let me be empty. Let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal. And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Thou are mine, and I am Yours and the covenant which I have made on earth, Let it be ratified in heaven. Amen -The Wesley Covenant Prayer (This prayer was first used in a service in 1755) (Go now, sent out by the Father into the world to love and serve in the name of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit)  photo 1 taken in: The Eifel, Germany. Ethan Thurman holding fresh soil in the shape of a heart
photo 2 taken in: Public domain hand written letter of the Wesley Covenant Prayer  “And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him…” ~ Mark 3:14a
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.’” ~ Revelation 21:3 We were created to be with God and our existence is to be one of abiding communion in him. It forms the bookends of scripture, being embodied in the Edenic picture of God walking with man in the cool of the day, and then forms telos of redemption where the Lord eternally dwells with man. In the space between there is Christ, the word who became flesh and dwelt among us. In Christ we find not only our way back to God, but the perfect vision of what a life with God looks like, a life we are being invited into with Jesus. Yet our world is one of confusion and chaos, hardship and struggle. Busyness grows exponentially and often we find ourselves struggling to know how to live life with the God who invites us to call him Immanuel, God with us. The challenge is then how do we live out the truth that Christ promises to be with us. The Psalms A great place to begin this journey of learning to be with Jesus is in the Psalms. Apart from being the prayer book of Israel and the Church, the Psalms found their words on the lips and tongue of Jesus more than any other book of scripture. In the Psalms we then find: The Language of Communion - The Psalms teach us how both be with God, but also how to speak to God. They give us permission to be honest with ourselves, our circumstances, and with God himself. The Totality of the Human Experience - The Psalms also let us know that the totality of the human experience is part of our sacred journey with God. It is not only the set asides times that God is attentive to, but the whole of who we are. It speaks to our failures and brokenness, but also to God’s faithful love and the joy that is ours in him. In the Psalms we find permission to lament and cry out, to extol and proclaim, and to find the one who promises to never leave us or forsake us. Approach Taken from the Benedictine tradition, where the Psalms have been prayed weekly for nearly 1500 years, we have adapted them to a monthly reading plan that has morning, midday, and evening readings. Psalms that are prayed within the Benedictine tradition daily have been kept with some greater regularity. As we do these monthly readings it is also important to remember the following: Daily Engagement - While our lives and schedules may not allow for the full engagement of the readings each day (generally 9-10 Psalms; about 30 minutes of total reading daily), being daily in the Psalms, even if we can only read one that day, allows us to grow together in being with Christ. Consistency - The goal is not perfection, but consistency. This is a practice of learning to habitually come before God, realizing that in Christ he has already come to us and is present. If a time is missed it is important to remember that the purpose of this study is not to check a box off a list or merely get through the Psalms monthly, but to be with God. There is no merit in this process so be gracious with yourself with the goal of growing in your ability to be with God, who in his love and mercy is already present to you. Prayer - At their core the Psalms are prayers, the prayers of individuals and of the people of God. It is important for us to approach them as such. We have been trained to read analytically, yet the Psalms are lyrical and poetic, inviting us to not just read them, but to experience them. To help combat our tendency towards reading them analytically, it can be helpful to read the Psalms aloud, even if doing so by one’s self. This slows them down and allows the heart to hang onto each word spoken out loud, finding the cadence and rhythm of the Psalm and discovering the emotions of each prayer. Mindfulness - We must grow in our awareness of what these readings and this process stirs up within us. For some the emotive nature of the Psalms may bring up painful and challenging memories, areas of our heart and life that we have not yet learned to bring to Jesus or may still need his healing presence to touch. That can at times feel overwhelming and cause us to be anxious. For others this can be a source of joy and a gift, giving words to experiences and feelings and thus be a source of a relief. Remember that as we journey together in the Psalms that our collective experience will be shaped by our individual experiences. Click Here for Monthly Order Psalms Readings "You know very well, my brother, that someone who wants to set out on a long journey will first of all examine himself, and then he will attach himself to other travellers with whom he is able and willing to keep up; otherwise he may get left behind by his companions on the journey and come to harm. It is exactly the same with a person who wants to travel the road to righteousness. First of all let him look into himself and see how strong he is, then let him choose a way of life that is appropriate for himself. It is better to begin from one's feeble state and end up strong, to progress from small things to big, than to set your heart from the very first on the perfect way of life, only to have to abandon it later, -- or keep to it solely out of habit, because of what others will think -- in which case all this labour will be is vain. Anyone who wishes to embark on the labours of the virtuous life should train himself gently, until he finally reaches the perfect state. Do not be perplexed by the many paths trodden by our Fathers of old, each different from the other; do not zealously try to imitate them all: this would only upset your way of life. Rather, choose a way of life that suits your feeble state; travel on that, and you will live, for your Lord is merciful and he will receive you, not because of your achievements, but because of your intention, just as he received the destitute woman's gift." ~ Evagrius ~created for the A2J Quarterly Gathering 10-14-2017  Opening PrayerO Lord Jesus, you who came to us to show the compassionate love of your Father, make us, your people know this love with our hearts, minds and souls. So often we feel lonely, unloved, and lost in the valley of tears. We desire to feel affection, tenderness, care, and compassion, but often suffer from inner darkness, emptiness, and numbness. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Do not just come to our understanding, but enter our hearts, our passions, emotions, and feelings. -Henri Nouwen (1932-1996) (Silent reflection) Prayer of the BibleAll: Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity Side 1: It is like the dew falling on mountains, where the LORD promises to bless his people with life forevermore. Side 2: How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity! Side 1: It is as if the dew were falling on God's mountain. Side 2: For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Side 1: How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! All: It is like the dew falling on the mountains, there the LORD ordains his blessing, life forevermore. (Free prayers of thanksgiving and loving words to God)  Confession of SinLet us pray for the reconciliation of peoples and nations: Recognizing our personal responsibility and the responsibility of our own nation, races, and even churches for alienation and injustice, we offer these prayers in a spirit of penitence and faith, Coventry Litany of Reconciliation All: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The hatred which divides nation from nation, race from race, class from class, Father forgive. The covetous desires of men and nations to possess what is not their own, Father forgive. The greed which exploits the labors of men, and lays waste the earth, Father forgive. Our envy of the welfare and happiness of others, Father forgive. Our indifference to the plight of the homeless and the refugee, Father forgive. The lust which uses for ignoble ends the bodies of men and women, Father forgive. The pride which leads us to trust in ourselves, and not in God, Father forgive. (Bring our own confessions, personal sin, sins of our people, sins our unique Christian traditions) Father forgive All: Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. The Words of JesusWhat do you want? What are you after? What are you seeking? –John 1:38 NIV, The Message, & ESV versions (Silently reflect on how would you answer Jesus) Closing PrayerEternal God, you are the hope of those who have been omitted from the agenda of our world. You hear the cries of the wounded hearts and the voices of the despairing souls. Teach us in the power of your Spirit to hear with your ears and reach out through the silence to hear the voices of suffering and longing. As one body in Christ, make us more and more a communion of compassion and a prophetic sign of your incarnate grace, mercy and justice. Amen.  photo 1: Rembrandt's Prodigal Son (public domain)
photo 2: 'One Body' photo taken 8 years ago @ A2J's year-one Celebration, Woodland Prayer House photo 3: Father's Heart Fountain taken at Canaan in the Desert  Opening PrayerTeach me, my God and King, in all things thee to see, and what I do in anything to do it as for thee. -George Herbert, (1593-1633) (silent reflection) Prayer of the BibleHear my cry, O God; Listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to You, I call as my heart grows faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe -Psalm 6:1-3 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of SinHave mercy, tender God, forget that I defied you, wash away my sin, cleanse me from my guilt. I know my evil well, it stares me in the face, evil done to you alone before your very eyes. You love those centered in truth; teach me your hidden wisdom. Wash me with fresh water, wash me bright as snow. Oh God, my Father, reshape my heart. -Psalm 51 The Message (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. -Matthew 5:21-26 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayer for Ourselves and OthersDuring the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. -Hebrews 5:7 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing PrayerMighty and tender God who holds us by the hand, cast out our fears by your love. Help us to love our enemies, to accept our hardships and to cling firmly to you, for you have power over all, in the triumph of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever (Go now, sent out by the Father into the world to love and serve in the name of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit)  photo 1 taken in: Mosta, Malta. This photo is taken of a painting by my friend Patrick O'Cock
photo 2 taken in: Assisi, Italy. This is where Francis of Assisi started the Franciscan Order  Opening PrayerDe-clutter my heart, O God, until I am quiet enough to hear you speak out of the silence. Help me in these few moments to stop, to listen, to wait, to be still, and come to recognize your presence with me, in Jesus name, Amen. (silent reflection) Prayer of the BibleHow good it is to thank you, Lord, to praise your name, Most High, to sing your love in the beginning of each day. I am in awe of who you are and what you do, Lord how deep are your thoughts. -from Psalm 92 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of SinIt is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. The Lord says to us, ‘Turn to me with all your heart, for I am tender and compassionate’ (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. -Matthew 5:17-20 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayer for Ourselves and OthersDo not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests me made known to God. -Philippians. 4:6 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing PrayerForth in thy Name, O Lord I go, my daily labor to pursue; Thee, only thee, resolved to know in all I think or speak or do the task thy wisdom hath assigned, O Let me cheerfully fulfill, In all my works thy presence find, and prove thy good and perfect will. -Charles Wesley, 1707-88 (Go now, sent out by the Father into the world to love and serve in the name of Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit)  *photo one: a small village in the Czech Republic-while driving from Lodz, Poland to Wieselburg, Austria
*bottom two: Monte Cassino, Italy-where St. Benedict of Nursia established his first monastery around the year 529 |
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