Brief silence to quiet our hearts and to acknowledge that Christ is among us.
V. O God, come to my assistance.
R. O Lord, make haste to help me.
V. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
R. as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen
O God of truth and mighty Lord,
Directly all in wise accord,
You clothe the day with splendour bright,
The noonday sun gives warmth and light.
Extinguish all the flames of strife!
From sinful passions shield our life!
Give health and strength to us, O Lord,
True peace of heart to us afford!
To God the Father and the Son,
To Holy Spirit, three in one,
May praise and honour, glory be
To you, eternal Trinity. Amen
Ant. You who dwell in the heavens, have mercy on us.
A prayer for mercy: a pilgrimage song
To you have I lifted up my eyes,
you who dwell in the heavens;
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full in our soul
with the scorn of the rich.
(the disdain of the proud).
Thanksgiving for protection: a pilgrimage song
“If the Lord had not been on our side,”
this is Israel’s song.
“If the Lord had not been on our side
when they rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.
Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept
the raging waters.”
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us
a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Unshakable trust: a pilgrimage song
Those who put their trust in the Lord
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken,
that stands for ever.
Jerusalem! The mountains surround her;
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and for ever.
The sceptre of the wicked shall not rest
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just
should turn to evil.
Do good, Lord, to those who are good,
to the upright of heart;
but the crooked and those who do evil,
drive them away!
On Israel, peace!
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. You who dwell in the heavens, have mercy on us.
Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
V. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
R. In verdant pastures he gives me repose.
(from the None Office)
Lord our God, you have called us to serve you and to love you; re-create us in the image of your Son, and direct our steps by the guidance of your Spirit, so that our life may proclaim your praises both now and for ever. Amen.
—Time for prayer, with a particular focus on KLC—
At the end of each petition please say, “Lord in your mercy…”
and the rest of us will respond, “… hear our prayer.”
from Today’s Sacred Space
Presence
“But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret”. (Matthew 6:6) God, You are my secret place, always dwelling within me, and I in You. May I put time aside each day to enter the inner room of my heart, in order to be with You.
Freedom
Lord grant me the grace
to have freedom of spirit.
Cleanse my heart and soul
so I may live joyously in Your love.
Consciousness
At this moment, Lord, I turn my thoughts to You.
I will leave aside my chores and preoccupations.
I will take rest and refreshment in Your presence.
The Word of God
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way; I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if a person of peace is there, your peace will rest on that person, but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’, But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.’, I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
“Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.”
Reader: This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Response: Glory to You, Lord Jesus Christ.
Inspiration
Jesus appointed and sent out seventy in pairs to prepare the way for him. It was his desire that they help to ‘gather the harvest’. Lord, may we who are sent out in your name trust you to provide what we need for the mission.
Jesus’ message is one of peace and of proclaiming that the kingdom of God is near. There are people who welcome the message and the messengers, just as there are others who do not. May we have the strength to continue the Lord’s work and not be put off by those unwilling to hear the good news.
Conversation
To communicate, we don’t always need to talk.
Can I imagine myself sitting quietly with Jesus?
I, looking silently at Him, and He at me.
How do I feel?
Conclusion
Filled with the loving presence of God,
I ask Him to bless me and guide my steps
as I go to do His work in my daily life. Amen.
—15 minutes of silence—
Amen
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen
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