Prayer in support of life (Week -4)

Introduction

It is four weeks away.

Where two or three are gathered in your name you are present, Lord Jesus Christ. Be present, Lord, be present now in this place and at this time.This evening, we gather together in your name to pray for life in Ireland at this time. We remember and offer this prayer for our sisters and brothers who are canvassing, explaining and clarifying the various issues arising from the 8^th Amendment referendum.

Come Holy Spirit and give us courage, patience, perseverance, wisdom, tact and, above all, true compassion.

Pray for the 8 at 8^th :

“I pray for the protection of the unborn child. Guide the people of Ireland to vote according to the truth of your word. Lord protect life by preserving the 8^th Amendment. Amen”

Psalm

Psalm 8           A cosmic song on the lips of children

How great is your name, O Lord our God, through all the earth!

Your majesty is praised above the heavens; on the lips of children and of babes
you have found praise to foil your enemy, to silence the foe and the rebel.

When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you arranged,

What is man that you should keep him in mind, mortal man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him little less than a god; with glory and honour you crowned him, gave him power over the works of your hands, put all things under his feet.

All of them, sheep and cattle, yes, even the savage beasts, birds of the air, and fish that make their way through the waters.

How great is your name, O Lord our God through all the earth! Glory…

Glory be to the Father…..

Scripture Reading

Luke 1:39-45

 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leapt for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.’

Intercessions

For justice in society….

For the homeless…

For those cast aside, marginalised or judged by society….

For children facing poverty and social exclusion….

For all human life….

For those alive today because of the 8^th…..

For mothers and their babies…

For those facing difficult news or challenging circumstances…

For fathers, partners and families….

For those working in our health services…

For those hurt by abortion…

For civic, church and political leaders….

Our Father …..

Concluding Prayers

Lord God, Thank You for creating human life in Your image.

Thank You for our lives and the lives of those we love.

Thank You for teaching us through Scripture the value You place on life.

Help us to uphold the sanctity of life in our churches and community.

Give us the strength to stand up to those forces that seek to destroy the lives of those most vulnerable, the unborn, the infirm and the elderly.

Today we commit ourselves never to be silent, never to be passive, never to be forgetful of respecting life.

We commit ourselves to protecting and defending the sacredness of life according to Your will, through Christ our Lord. Amen

We are not alone

“…Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” (John 15:4)

John 15:1-8 (Year B: 5^th Sunday of Easter, 29^th April 2018)

In modern society, it is not uncommon for people to have a strong sense of being alone in a crowded and busy world. At the last Census of Population, in the Republic of Ireland, 400,000 persons, or just over 11% percent of all adults, were living on their own.  This figure is set to rise.  At some point in our lives, we are likely to live on our own for at least a while following any number of circumstances including bereavement, separation or travel to study or work away from home.  In former times, people moved around less and the concept of the extended family meant that the elderly lived with, and were cared for, by their families more than is the case today.  Improvements in life expectancy mean that many of us are likely to live well into our 80s or even 90s.

In a highly connected and digitally charged life, many people seem to be constantly ‘connected’ to others by phone, email or some form of social media chat. Yet, it can happen that people can be very much ‘on their own’. This can be even so in Church where we gather regularly.  There is nothing wrong about that but it is a clear social trend in a fast-changing society. As young people come of age they are less likely to go on holidays with parents or, indeed, to regularly attend church (Christmas might be an exception when attendance is almost compulsory in some families for the day that is in it!). The great tradition of getting spruced up in ‘Sunday best’ and all going together, as a family, to church is a rarity nowadays as competing sporting events and the pressures of modern living have invaded Sunday mornings (and evenings for those who might have gone to church morning and evening on a Sunday two generations ago).

Today, many people feel isolated, cut off, unsure, rudderless. This passage from the gospel of John is for them. Without God, in our lives we are cut off from the living tree. With the God of life and love in our lives we are connected into a living tree and we can flourish and grow. But we grow with pruning. Note that the branches that bear fruit (because they are growing) are the ones that get pruned (or ‘cleaned’ to use the literal Greek word καθαροὶ (katharoi). ‘Katharoi’ of heart is also used in the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.’ (Matthew 5:8).

We should welcome seasonal pruning!.  The point of our journey is not only to follow together with others but to bear fruit and to bear it in plenty. We are, each, no matter who we are or where we are at, called to flourish and to bear fruit. That is the excitement, the mystery and the unknowing of Christian discipleship at the very outset. We cannot foresee where exactly it leads and how. We trust.

In the Christian journey there is no need for lone rangers.  Church is meant to be what it says: a gathering in and a sending out.  It could be described as a field hospital for the walking wounded. We need help, support and healing on the journey but we also need to keep moving and reaching out beyond the boundaries of the hospital where others seek healing and relationship. We need to acknowledge the uniqueness of each branch on the tree. But, we need to stay connected in and nourished as branches of the one tree. We are made for one another and it is a joy to be welcomed into such a fellowship. 

Perhaps, nowhere is this unity best expressed than in the sharing of wine of the new covenant in the Eucharist when many Christians have the great privilege not only of eating but drinking as well. There, the ancient tradition, as testified in the 1^st/2^nd  century Didache recalls the ancient Jewish blessing over the bread and over the wine and sets it in the era of the new testament and covenant:

We give thanks to You, our Father, for the holy wine of David Your servant which You have made known to us through Jesus Your servant.

By sharing the one cup of joy and fellowship and partaking in the spiritual food, life and joy of the blood of the risen Lord we are healed, set free, re-united and send out no longer as lone rangers but as gifted team players.  This 5^th Sunday of Eastertide was made by the Lord let us rejoice and be glad. Once again, let us rejoice (Philippians 4:4).

 (words above = 804)

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Further reading: notes and questions, verse by verse

Preliminaries

This passage forms part of a flow from Chapter 13 up to and including 17. Jesus is instructing and strengthening the first disciples. This is no mere discourse of ‘how to be holy and get to heaven’. It is much more than that. It is about enlightening the minds of the disciples and those who will hear these stories, teachings and parables. We are one body and one vine and God the Father is the vine-grower. We are inserted into this living thing by means of Jesus who is the ‘true vine’.

Many of the images, stories and examples used by Jesus come from the natural world including the world of agriculture and the land.  Images of seeding, growing, pruning, harvesting, preparing, manufacturing, selling, buying, storing, giving, taking and keeping arise throughout all of the gospels. I wonder what images, stories or parables would be told today in a fast-moving and fast-changing post-industrial and increasingly digital society?  One key aspect, at least, of the stories told about Jesus and by Jesus is the presence of personal relationship as a core point of the story. Along with this we hear about organic development and not mechanical determination. Put simply, we hear stories about

• Ordinary people;
• relationships and struggles; and
• whole-istic view of reality embracing, meaning, source, development, change, feeling, action and will.

In other words, the Gospels are not a book of philosophical theory (although they can well inform such a theory). Neither are they a book of mechanical engineering and cosmic physics to explain how the world was created and developed. And they are not a political manifesto or tract (although they may and should inform such matters). The Gospels (note plural) are what they say on the tin: Good News. Good news to change lives, to change relationships, to change societies. We must work out what this means and what to do today, here, now. The Gospels are vital signposts and lighting paths. We can truly say:  ‘Your word is a lamp for my steps and a light for my path’ (Psalm 118:105).

So, the gospel writers told stories about Jesus or stories told by Jesus. These stories connect with the world of those hearing and telling and re-telling the stories. We need to hear these stories anew every time they are told. And, we in our turn need to tell them with a twist and relevance for today’s audience in today’s world whether it is a favela in Sao Paolo or a busy drop-in centre in Dublin. The stories echo down the ages.

1-3:   Pruning back and growing

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. 

We are joined together in one living organism.  To bear fruit we need to be cut back: to lose some things and experiences. This can be so hard at times. The fruit we bear may be new relationships, renewed relationships, healed relationships as wells works of art, research, cooking, voluntary work, public service, etc.

4-6   Remaining in love

Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 

Abiding in God and his abiding in us is possible.  However, this abiding is the fruit of mutual love just as mutual love is sustained by God’s abiding in his through his word.

7-8:  Abiding, flourishing, glorifying

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.

Discipleship is a matter of being rooted in love – the unique love of God, of bearing fruit in our daily lives and in giving glory to our Father in heaven each and every day of our lives together as disciples.

Prayer in support of life (week -5)

Introduction

Where two or three are gathered in your name you are present, Lord Jesus Christ. Be present, Lord, be present now in this place and at this time.

This evening, we gather together in your name to pray for life in Ireland at this time. We remember and offer this prayer for our sisters and brothers who are canvassing, explaining and clarifying the various issues arising from the 8^th Amendment referendum.

Come Holy Spirit and give us courage, patience, perseverance, wisdom, tact and, above all, true compassion.

Pray for the 8 at 8^th :

“I pray for the protection of the unborn child. Guide the people of Ireland to vote according to the truth of your word. Lord protect life by preserving the 8^th Amendment. Amen”

Psalm

Psalm 21(22):2-12

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You are far from my plea and the cry of my distress.

O my God, I call by day and you give no reply; I call by night and I find no peace.
Yet you, O God, are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you set them free.

When they cried to you, they escaped. In you they trusted and never in vain.
But I am a worm and no man, scorned by men, despised by the people.
All who see me deride me. They curl their lips, they toss their heads.
"He trusted in the Lord, let him save him; let him release him if this is his friend."
Yes, it was you who took me from the womb, entrusted me to my mother's breast.
To you I was committed from my birth, from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Do not leave me alone in my distress; Come close, there is none else to help.

Glory be to the Father…..

Scripture Reading

Matthew 5:1-12

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Intercessions

For justice in society….

For the homeless…

For those cast aside, marginalised or judged by society….

For children facing poverty and social exclusion….

For all human life….

For those alive today because of the 8^th…..

For those who could be saved if the 8^th is retained…

For mothers and their babies…

For those facing difficult news or challenging circumstances…

For fathers, partners and families….

For those working in our health services…

For those hurt by abortion…

For civic, church and political leaders….

For all voters in the upcoming referendum….

For those who are unsure how to vote…

For those canvassing tonight in this area….

For those who will receive the message of life in this area this evening…

For the entire community in this locality

Our Father …..

Concluding Prayers

Lord God, Thank You for creating human life in Your image.

Thank You for our lives and the lives of those we love.

Thank You for teaching us through Scripture the value You place on life.

Help us to uphold the sanctity of life in our churches and community.

Give us the strength to stand up to those forces that seek to destroy the lives of those most vulnerable, the unborn, the infirm and the elderly.

Today we commit ourselves never to be silent, never to be passive, never to be forgetful of respecting life.

We commit ourselves to protecting and defending the sacredness of life according to Your will, through Christ our Lord. Amen

Prayer for life (Week -6)

Introduction

Where two or three are gathered in your name you are present, Lord Jesus Christ. Be present, Lord, be present now in this place and at this time.

This evening, we gather together in your name to pray for life in Ireland at this time. We remember and offer this prayer for our sisters and brothers who are canvassing, explaining and clarifying the various issues arising from the 8^th Amendment referendum.

Come Holy Spirit and give us courage, patience, perseverance, wisdom, tact and, above all, true compassion.

Pray for the 8 at 8^th :

“I pray for the protection of the unborn child. Guide the people of Ireland to vote according to the truth of your word. Lord protect life by preserving the 8^th Amendment. Amen”

Psalm

Psalm 138(139):1-17

O Lord, you search me and you know me,
you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar.
You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you.
Before ever a word is on my tongue you know it, O Lord, through and through.
Behind and before you besiege me, your hand ever laid upon me.
Too wonderful for me this knowledge, too high, beyond my reach.
O where can I go from your spirit, or where can I flee from your face?
If I climb the heavens, you are there. If I lie in the grave, you are there.
If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell at the sea's furthest end,
even there your hand would lead me, your right hand would hold me fast.
If I say: "Let the darkness hide me and the light around me be night,"
even darkness is not dark for you and the night is as clear as the day.
For it was you who created my being, knit me together in my mother's womb.
I thank you for the wonder of my being, for the wonders of all your creation. Already you knew my soul
my body held no secret from you when I was being fashioned in secret and moulded in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw all my actions, they were all of them written in your book; every one of my days was decreed before one of them came into being.
To me, how mysterious your thoughts, the sum of them not to be numbered!

Glory be to the Father .....

Scripture Reading

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.’

Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.’ But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am only a boy”; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you.  Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.’

Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth; and the Lord said to me, ‘Now I have put my words in your mouth.  See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.’

Intercessions

For justice in society….

For the homeless…

For those cast aside, marginalised or judged by society….

For children facing poverty and social exclusion….

For all human life….

For those alive today because of the 8^th…..

For those who could be saved if the 8^th is retained…

For mothers and their babies…

For those facing difficult news or challenging circumstances…

For fathers, partners and families….

For those working in our health services…

For those hurt by abortion…

For civic, church and political leaders….

For all voters in the upcoming referendum….

For those who are unsure how to vote…

For those canvassing tonight in this area….

For those who will receive the message of life in this area this evening…

For the entire community in this locality..

Our Father .....

Concluding Prayer

Lord God, Thank You for creating human life in Your image.

Thank You for our lives and the lives of those we love.

Thank You for teaching us through Scripture the value You place on life.

Help us to uphold the sanctity of life in our churches and community.

Give us the strength to stand up to those forces that seek to destroy the lives of those most vulnerable, the unborn, the infirm and the elderly.

Today we commit ourselves never to be silent, never to be passive, never to be forgetful of respecting life.

We commit ourselves to protecting and defending the sacredness of life according to Your will, through Christ our Lord. Amen