Opening Prayer
Oh Lord, You have loved me with an everlasting love; You have drawn me with lovingkindness -Jeremiah 31:3 (silent reflection) Prayer of the Bible Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. Lord, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them? They are like a breath; their days are like a fleeting shadow. -Psalm 144: 1-4 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of Sin The hour has come for me to wake up form the sleep, for my salvation is nearer now than when I first believed. The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. Therefore may I cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. -Romans 13:11-12 (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men. -Mark 6:38-44 (Think deeply on the life and words of Jesus) Prayers for Ourselves and Others You answered me when I called to you; with your strength you strengthened me. -Psalm 138:3 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing Prayer Lord, we would like to change the world – make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as You intended for them to do.…We can, to a certain extent, change the world; we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world. We can throw our pebble in the pond and be confident that its ever widening circle will reach around the world. We repeat, there is nothing that we can do but love, and, dear God, please enlarge our hearts to love each other, to love our neighbor, to love our enemy as well as our friend. -Dorothy Day (1897-1980) |