Celebrating Eastertide from Home: Thursday in the 4th Week of Easter
In these worship resources,
we continue our journey in Eastertide.
“My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with you”
Reflection on Eastertide and ideas for celebrating this season from home
I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, for ever;
with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo;
in generationem et generationem annuntiabo veritatem tuam in ore meo.
Psalm 88 (89):1
The Liturgy of the Word
Short Reflection
Saul, now given a new name, Paul, is invited to speak some words of encouragement to the synagogue assembly.
He reminds them of God’s faithful love to God’s people through every generation, from their sojourn in Egypt to the reign of David, the Psalmist.
Paul tells them about John the Baptist, who himself said that he was unworthy even to untie Jesus’ sandals. John was the prophet of whom Jesus spoke, saying that he was the greatest of the prophets:
‘I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’
The Kingdom of God is a mystery (i.e. something beyond us, yet revealed in Christ), and the Church, albeit imperfectly, presents to the world the mystery of that Kingdom.
As Vatican II declares,
The Son came, sent by the Father.
It was in him, before the foundation of the world, that the Father chose us and predestined us to become adopted sons, for in him it pleased the Father to re-establish all things.
To carry out the will of the Father, Christ inaugurated the Kingdom of heaven on earth and revealed to us the mystery of that kingdom. By his obedience he brought about redemption.
The Church, or, in other words, the kingdom of Christ now present in mystery, grows visibly through the power of God in the world.*
It is an immense privilege to be part of God’s plan for the world. Pray that we may daily grow closer to Christ and daily to be ever more faithful to the Kingdom, the mystery of God’s unconditional love for us and all humankind.
Pray for those who bring light into others’ lives.
Pray for essential workers.
Pray for us all.
* Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, 3
Music for reflection *
An Eastertide hymn
1 Blest be the everlasting God,
the Father of our Lord!
Be God’s abounding mercy praised,
and majesty adored!
2 When from the dead he raised his Son,
and called him to the sky,
God gave our souls a lively hope
that they should never die.
3 There’s an inheritance divine
reserved against that day;
’tis uncorrupted, undefiled,
and cannot fade away
4 Saints by the power of God are kept,
till that salvation come
we walk by faith as strangers here,
till Christ shall call us home.
Isaac Watts, alt.
Alternative Eastertide Hymn (especially for the evening)
1 As spring buds forth your praise, O Christ,
We too proclaim you, Lord, enthroned:
For in your person we have passed
From exile to our Father’s home.
2 Compassion for our wintered earth
Brings forth a radiant world restored;
Flung open is the realm of life
To all whose life proclaims you Lord.
3 New growth springs up where all seemed dead;
Now open is the tomb once sealed.
The stone is rolled away that we
To resurrection life may yield.
4 With evening here, stay with us. Lord,
That Easter’s joy may never end.
In you our world can sing afresh;
In you our earth is sacrament.
Aelred-Seton Shanley
© 1999 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications,
3949 South Racine Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60609-2523
from ‘Hymns for Prayer & Praise‘
The Lord’s Prayer
You can say this in any language you choose.
Here it is, in English, Latin and French.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your Kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours.
Now and for ever. Amen.
Pater noster, qui es in cælis;
sanctificatur nomen tuum:
adveniat regnum tuum;
fiat voluntas tua,
sicut in cælo, et in terra.
Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie:
et dimitte nobis debita nostra,
sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris:
et ne nos inducas in tentationem:
sed libera nos a malo.
Quia tuum est regnum,
et potestas, et gloria, in saecula.
Amen.
Notre Père qui es aux cieux,
que ton nom soit sanctifié.
Que ton règne vienne.
Que ta volonté soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel.
Donne-nous aujourd’hui notre pain de ce jour.
Pardonne-nous nos offences
comme nous pardonnons aussi
à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous soumets pas à la tentation,
mais délivre-nous du mal.
Car c’est à toi qu’appartiennent le règne,
la puissance et la gloire
pour les siècles des siècles. Amen.
Concluding prayer
O God,
whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people:
grant that when we hear his voice
we may know him who calls us each by name,
and follow where he leads;
who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Alleluia!
In these strange times, we are called to trust
Other resources
Acknowledgements
The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Collects are from the Scottish Episcopal Church, 1982.
The hymn ‘As spring buds forth your praise, O Christ’ is taken from ‘Hymns for Prayer & Praise‘.
Images, unless otherwise stated, are by Alistair Warwick
Music engraved by The Art of Music.
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* You can find more organ music from Holy Trinity Church, Stirling
on Alistair Warwick‘s website and on SoundCloud
