“Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.”
Collect:
May your unfailing compassion, O Lord,
clease and protect your Church,
and, since without you, she cannot stand secure,
may she be always governed by your grace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. *
The Readings
2 Kings 5:1-15ab; Psalm 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4; Luke 4:24-30
Daily Meditation:
We cannot be saved without you.
Today we are reminded of the terrible irony: a prophet is not well received at home.
Jesus was not accepted by those who saw him as all too human.
And, he was unable to act with power in their lives.
Is this Lenten season getting us out of our comfortable complacency,
and helping us see the prophetic one in our midst?
Is it helping us listen better, reach out with deeper longing,
find a greater intimacy with the only one who can save us?.
My soul is thirsting for the living God:
when shall I see God face to face?
Psalm 42
Intercessions
The Lord Jesus sanctified his people with his blood. Let us cry out to him:
Lord, have mercy on your people.
Grant that Christians, as your prophets, may make you known in every place,
- and bear witness to you with living faith and hope and love.
Give your strength to all in distress,
- and help us to raise them up through our loving concern.
Teach the faithful to see your example in their sufferings,
- and show to others your power to save.
Author of life, remember those who have passed from this world,
- grant them the glory of your risen life.
Closing Prayer:
Merciful God,
Free your Church from the sins of this world
and protect us from evil we see
and the evil we prefer to ignore.
We need your guidance, Lord
for we cannot do this alone.
Only with your help can we be saved.
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.