Yosemite, California
Opening Prayer
May I be strong and courageous; may I not be afraid or discouraged, for You, Lord my God, will be with me wherever I go. -Joshua 1:9 (Silent reflection) Prayer of the Bible I will exalt You, my God and King; I will bless Your name for ever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name for ever and ever. Great are You, Lord and most worthy of praise; Your greatness is unsearchable. -Psalm 145: 1-3 (Free expression of praise and thanksgiving to God) Confession of Sin I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin. O Lord, do not forsake me; O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord of my salvation. -Psalm 38:18, 21-22 (Time of silence for confession of sin) The Words of Jesus This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. -John 3: 19-21 (Think deeply on these life-giving words of Jesus) Prayers for Ourselves and Others O Lord, I know that You will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor -Psalm 140:12 (Time to bring before God our own needs and the needs of others) Closing Prayer You taught us, Lord, that the greatest love a man can show is to lay down his life for his friends. But Your love was greater still, because You laid down Your life for Your enemies. It was while we were still enemies that You reconciled us to Yourself by Your death. What other love has ever been, or could ever be, like Yours? You suffered unjustly for the sake of the unjust. You died at the hands of sinners for the sake of the sinful. You became a slave to tyrants, to set the oppressed free. Amen -Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) 
Bruges, Belgium
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