III LENT Monday

Fritz Christ of the Breadlines

Christ of the Breadlines

Fritz Eichenberg for the Catholic Worker

Invitation to  Worship

Come, let us return to Adonai our God– our God who is gracious and merciful.

 

O Holy One,+ open my lips.

~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

 

Rescue me, O God, my Savior-

~And my tongue shall ring out your goodness!

 

Morning Hymn for Lent

Forty days and forty nights You spent fasting in the wild;

Forty days and forty nights Tempted, and yet unbeguiled.

 

Shall we not your vigil share, And from selfish joys abstain,

With you watching, fast in prayer, life and freedom to sustain?

 

When our greed and selfishness thwart our loving or assail,

Victor in the wilderness, Help us not to swerve or fail.

 

May your peace and  strength be ours That your goodness we may see;

Send us those angelic pow’rs Who acclaimed your victory.

 

Guard and keep us Savior dear, Ever constant by your side,

that with you we may appear At the-eternal Eastertide.  Amen!

Text: GH Smyttan (1822-1870) alt. Tune: HEINLEIN 7.7.7.7.

 

 

PSALMODY

Antiphon

Light shall break forth like the dawn, healing shall spring up speedily,

if we loose the bonds of all oppression,  share our bread with the hungry,

and keep the fast chosen by Adonai who redeems us.

Psalm 110/111

Happy are those who love God

and delight in the whole of Torah!

Their children shall be blest,

strong and upright in the land.

 

The households of the just will flourish

their integrity stands firm forever.

A light shines from them for others

for they are generous, merciful and just.

 

The good lend freely to others

and conduct their affairs with honor.

They never waver from doing what is right

their justice is remembered forever.

 

They do not fear evil news

with strong hearts they trust in God.

Steadfast and without fear

they will watch the wicked crumble.

 

Open-handed they share with the poor;

their integrity stands firm forever.

this strength will bring them honor.

 

But hatred devours the wicked 

who grind their teeth and depart;

their hopes all turn to ashes.

 

Glory to the ONE and to the WORD

and to the BREATH of Love.

As always before

so now and evermore. Amen.

Light shall break forth like the dawn, healing shall spring up speedily,

if we loose the bonds of all oppression,  share our bread with the hungry,

and keep the fast chosen by Adonai who redeems us.

 

 READING   Exodus 6: 6-8

Say to the Israelites: I am ADONAI. I will free you from the burdens of the Egyptians and will deliver you from their slavery. I will redeem you by my outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God;and you will know that I, ADONAI, am your God who has freed you from the burdens of the Egyptians and I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your own possession—I, ADONAI!

.

Responsory

R.  I have seen the plight of my people, *I have heard their cry.

V. I have come to rescue them from that place of oppression * I have heard their cry. V. Glory to the Holy One, and to the Word and to the Breath of Love.

 

Canticle of Zachariah

Antiphon

I was a stranger and you made me welcome,

naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me,

in prison and you came to see me.

Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,

Who visits this people to set us free

Raising for us a sign of salvation

In the house and family of David.

 

God promised throughout past ages

In words of holy prophets

To save us from our enemies,

And from the control of our oppressors.

 

Adonai favored our ancestors

And remembered the sacred covenant.

The pledge to Abraham and Sarah

Is now renewed for us;

 

That freed from the grip of our foes

We might worship without fear

And be both just and holy

For the rest of our days.

 

And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”

Will go ahead to prepare the way,

By teaching this people of salvation

Through forgiveness of their sins.

 

For the loving compassion of the Holy One

As the Rising Sun will shine upon us

To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow

To Guide our feet on the way of peace.

 

Glory to the ONE and to the WORD

And to the BREATH of Love!

As always before,

so now and evermore.  Amen

I was a stranger and you made me welcome,

naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me,

in prison and you came to see me.

 

Meinrad Craighead Matt 25

Matthew 25

Meinrad Craighead

Litany of Intercession

When you are hungry and we form task forces to discuss food deserts or proper nutrition for the poor… ~ Forgive us O God.

 

When you are in prison and we insist on tougher sentencing for crimes and the building  of more prisons… ~ Forgive us O God.

 

When you are naked and we debate the morality of your appearance… ~ Forgive us O God.

 

When you are sick or injured and we thank God for our health… ~ Forgive us O God.

 

When you are homeless and we build mansions for ourselves while preaching the spiritual shelter of the love of God…

~ Forgive us O God.

 

When you are lonely and we avoid you by promising to pray for you… ~ Forgive us O God.

 

When we seem so holy, so close to God– but you are still very hungry, and lonely and cold… ~ Forgive us O God.

 

 

Prayer of Jesus

Our Father …

 

Closing Prayer & Blessing

God of Life and Liberation, in his teaching, his parables and his example, Jesus revealed that to live fully as the image of God, each of us is called and gifted to meet the real, practical needs of our sisters and brothers.   May our celebration of this holy season rehearse us in living by his values and bring us closer to realizing the freedom, flourishing and fullness of life that your love offers to us and all creation both now  and forever.   ~Amen.

 

May the Spirit of God + kindle in our hearts the love of God and neighbor that is the fulfillment of the law.  ~Amen 

 

Let us bless the world with peace.    ~And give thanks to God.