“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, who by the Nativity of your Only Begotten Son
wondrously began for your people
the work of redemption,
grant, we pray, to your servants such firmness of faith
that by his guidance they may attain
the glorious prize you have promised.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings - Lectionary # 208

Daily Meditation:
For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: we should love one another....
If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion,
how can the love of God remain in him?
Children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth. 1 John 3

But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1

We await the revelation of God in our lives, just as the first disciples did.
And, we are tempted to ask, if any good - any revelation -
can come from the simple, ordinary, deep seated patterns of our lives.
The invitation is to “Come and see.”
It's an invitation to make a move into those simple places
and to discover Jesus there.

May find our Lord's special way of loving us,
that we might become greater able to come to
our brothers and sister in need
and offer them the love and compassion Jesus has shown us.
And, may we offer love, not simply with words,
but with loving actions, for and with others.

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Christ embodied the wisdom of God,
his justice, his holiness and his saving power.
Let us praise him and call upon him confidently:
Lord, save us by your birth..

King of the world, the shepherds found you wrapped in swaddling clothes,
- make us willing participants in your poverty and simplicity.

Lord of heaven, from your royal throne you came down to the world,
- teach us to respect our less fortunate brothers and sisters.

Christ, light eternal, when you assumed our nature you did not take on its stain,
- help your faithful people to use the good things of the earth for your honor and glory.

You are the divine spouse of your Church; you stand in its midst as an impregnable tower,
- help the faithful to persevere in your Church towards salvation.

Closing Prayer:
Lord you look at me with such joy
and invite me to “come and see.”
What is it you want to show me in your life
that can touch my own?
Hold my hand as I open my heart
and ask your help to find a freedom to serve.

Dispel my fears with the light of your radiance
in the dimly-lit depths of my soul.
With the gift of faith,
I know that you have healed me of
some tight selfishness that has kept me from opening my heart.

With the light of your salvation on me,
teach me to love you far beyond the words of my prayer.
I want to love you with my entire life.
You have come, Lord Jesus! Thank you!

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
O God, who on this day
revealed your Only Begotten Son to the nations
by the guidance of a star,
grant in your mercy
that we who know you already by faith
may be brought to behold
the beauty of your sublime glory.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings - Lectionary # 20

The Epiphany Proclamation for 2012

Daily Meditation:
Your light has come, the glory of the Lord shines upon you. Isaiah 60

May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of Arabia and Seba offer gifts.
May all kings bow before him, all nations serve him.
For he rescues the poor when they cry out, the oppressed who have no one to help.
He shows pity to the needy and the poor and saves the lives of the poor. Psalm 72

The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 
Ephesians 3

This great feast - celebrated in the East as the Baptism of the Lord - is a feast of “revelation.”
Jesus is the beloved Son of God,
a light for the whole world,
the very one who comes to us in time, this year,
to be our savior:
to rescue the poor, to hear our cry,
to save us in our need, in our poverty.

May we bring him the gifts of our faith and trust and hope.
May we recognize him as our savior
who gave his own life to set us free from the power of sin and death.
Come, let us adore him.

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Today our Savior was adored by the Magi. Let us also worship him with joy as we pray
Light from Light, shine on us this day.

Christ, you revealed yourself in the flesh,
- sanctify us through prayer and the word of God.

Christ, your witness was the Spirit,
- free our lives from the spirit of doubt.

Christ, you revealed yourself to the angels,
- help us to feel the joy of heaven on earth.

Christ, you were proclaimed to the nations,
- by the power of the Holy Spirit open the hearts of all.

Christ, you generated faith in the world,
- renew the faith of all believers.

Christ, you were taken up in glory,
-enkindle in us a longing for your kingdom.

Closing Prayer:
Light of the world,
You have come into my life; you are here for me in my poverty.
I am dazzled by the gifts you bring to me on this day:
“Your light is strong, your love is near.”

Truly you have drawn me far beyond the limits of the world,
and into the limit-less boundaries of your dizzying love.

My gifts are small, and often filled with fear.
They are my trust and my hope.
Please accept them and heal me
and let me be free enough to rejoice
that you are the Beloved Son
and that you have come for me.

“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”

Collect:
Almighty, every-living God,
who through your Only Begotten Son
have made us a new creation for yourself,
grant, we pray,
that by your grace we may be found in the likeness of him,
in whom our nature is united to you.

Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Today's Readings - Lectionary # 213

Daily Meditation:
In this is love: not that we have loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 1 John 4

O God, give your judgment to the king; your justice to the son of kings;
That he may govern your people with justice, your oppressed with right judgment, ...
That he may defend the oppressed among the people, save the poor and crush the oppressor. Psalm 72

His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd;
and he began to teach them many things. ...
They all ate and were satisfied. Mark 4

Jesus is full of compassion for us in his unconditional love for us.
Even when it seems impossible, he still shows us the way
and nourishes us with his love.

May we be grateful for his love for us these days.
May we be like him in our love for one another.

Today's Daily Reflection

Intercessions:
Let us rejoice in the compassion of Christ,
who came to free mankind from the slavery of corruption and
to give us the freedom of the sons of God.
Trusting in this divine compassion, we plead:
By your birth, deliver us from evil.

Lord, you existed before the ages, yet you entered into a new life,
- renew us continually through the mystery of your birth.

Without surrendering your divinity, you wondrously took on our humanity,
- grant that our lives may press on to a fuller participation in your divinity.

You came to be a light to the nations, the teacher of holiness,
- let your words be a light along our way.

Word of God made flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, you entered this world,
- live in our hearts always through faith.

Closing Prayer:
Jesus, you became one of us on this earth.
What I want now is to be more like you:
more compassionate and patient,
more guided by your Holy Spirit.

'In this is love.' It is impossible to believe
in the kind of love you have for me.
If only I believed it - how different my life would be!
It seems impossible that you could love me as you do
and yet you are the very center of that impossible love.

Help me to be more grateful for all you have given me
so that my response might be one of generosity
to you and those you have placed in my life..