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
I know that I have life
only insofar as I have love.
I have no love
except it come from Thee.
Help me, please, to carry
this candle against the wind.
From This Day: Collected & New Sabbath Poems, Berkeley CA: Counterpoint, 2013, p. 261.
Read Responsively
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.
Lord God, grant that through our work we may provide for the needs of this life, while never losing sight of what is of true value, those things which alone remain for ever and 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
God is with me, but more, God is within me.
Let me dwell for a moment on God’s life-giving presence
in my body, in my mind, in my heart,
as I am here, right now.
Freedom
If God were trying to tell me something, would I know?
If God were reassuring me or challenging me, would I notice?
I ask for the grace to be free of my own preoccupations
and open to what God may be saying to me.
Consciousness
Dear Lord, by spending time with You, may I become more like You, so that others will see Christ in me and come to know Your love.
The Word of God
One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well he asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that ‘he is one, and besides him there is no other’; and ‘to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength’ and ‘to love one’s neighbour as oneself’—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one dared to ask him any question.
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.”
Inspiration
A scribe, who knew the law, was questioning Jesus about it. Why? Jesus responded, indicating what was important in life and in relationship with God and others. May we have the openness to hear the message afresh and put it into practice in our lives.
The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of life, that brings justice, peace, truth and harmony. A healthy self-love, love of God and love of others is at the heart of this. Lord, help us to appreciate that true worship with love is more important than external gestures and sacrifices.
Conversation
Jesus often asked questions of those who came to Him. Let me sense Him close to me now,
listening to my prayer and asking:
“How can I help you?”
“What can I give you?”
“What do you need?”
Conclusion
We thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights we may have been given concerning the text. Amen.
—15 minutes of silence—
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
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen
The Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology in Cambridge. Charity registered in England and Wales. Charity Number: 1191741
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