Welcome to PrayingAtHome.com, where you can find some worship resources for praying at home today or wherever you are.

We hope these readings, prayers, music and the short reflection will help you stay in touch with the Church and to sustain you on your journey through life.

If this is your first visit to this website, then you might like to read about the common elements and the suggested structure for each day’s prayer.

Please note that with effect from Monday 29 June 2020, we have reverted to the Track 1 “semi-continuous” Old Testament readings (this also affects the psalm); the New Testament and Gospel readings remain unchanged.

Opening to the Word

You can spend a few moments in silence,
focussing on your breathing
to become more mindful of the present moment
and to open yourself more fully
to God’s presence within you.

In the name of the living God,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Short reading

I do not understand my own actions.
For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.

Quod enim operor, non intelligo:
non enim quod volo bonum, hoc ago: sed quod odi malum, illud facio.

Je ne comprends pas ce que je fais:
je ne fais pas ce que je veux et je fais ce que je déteste.

Romans 7:15

The Liturgy of the Word *

Here are today’s Bible readings.
You can read just one, or all of them if you have time.

• Genesis 27:1-17
• Psalm 44 (45):10-17
• Romans 7:7-20

Short Reflection

Jacob and Esau

Esau is about to be deprived of his birthright by his mother’s conniving.

Jacob and Esau were twins, and even before their birth they were fighting in the womb. God told Rebekah that she carried the fathers of two nations.

Esau was born first but Jacob had quickly followed him, grabbing hold of his heel.

Whilst Isaac, Abraham’s son, had a favourite in his first-born, Esau, his wife Rebekah had always favoured her younger son, Jacob.

Tomorrow we will see how Rebekah connives to obtain Isaac’s blessing for her favourite. **

Paul’s struggle with sin

I don’t understand why I do what I do.

Paul understands that what he does is wrong and understands that it is from the Law that he get this knowledge that he is sinning.

Unless we know the difference between right and wrong, we can plead ignorance; however, that may not get us off the hook: “ignorantia juris non excusat”, “ignorance of the law is no excuse” will not excuse us from liability.

Atonement

But Paul is keen to stress here that the Jewish Law has been superceded by the Law of Christ.

Who will rescue me from this body doomed to death?

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

It is Jesus’ atonement for sin that puts us right with God and with one another.

Jesus is, in a sense, the great bridge-builder, crossing the chasm caused by sin and bringing together that which is divided.

The scandal for the world today (as it has been over many centuries) is that the Church, his body, is still divided over questions of doctrine and authority.

We need constantly to work towards that unity for which he prayed at the Last Supper.

Prayer Suggestions

We pray for the Church of God, that she may be one.

For the leaders of the Churches,
Catholic, Orthodox and Reformed
as they strive to come closer in communion.

We give thanks for the huge progress
made at a local level between the minsters and congregations of our churches
and pray for even closer unity.

We pray for theologians, and all people of faith seeking understanding,
that we may be diligent and generous in our thinking.

Pray for the people who are finding lockdown extremely challenging,
perhaps juggling work (or lack of it) with childcare.
For those in abusive relationships.

Pray for those who are seriously ill,
those who worry about them
and those who care for them.

We pray for our politicians seeking to guide a path of safety for us,
and for scientists who try to advise them;
that we may all do our part to keep others safe from the virus.

For those who work in our countries’ National Health Services,
for essential workers,
those in care homes,
and all of us.

Music for reflection *

The Lord’s Prayer

We can say the Lord’s Prayer in any language or version we 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

Still our hearts and minds, Lord God,
that we may discern your presence in the small things of our world.
Empowered by your Holy Spirit,
may we show your love to others
and so bring closer your Kingdom.
Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Benedicamus Domino.
Deo gratias.

Thank you for joining us in praying at home.
Oremus pro invicem.

* You can find more organ music from Holy Trinity Church, Stirling
on Alistair Warwick‘s website and on SoundCloud

** You can read a light-hearted version of this story, complete with Alan Bennet’s comedy sketch at My Brother Esau is an hairy man but I am a smooth man.

Bennett’s sketch is a great cautionary tale for preachers too!

There are several books by Brother Roger of the Taizé Community from many booksellers (Amazon link)

In these strange times, we are called to trust

Praying at Home Today: Acknowledgements

* Beginning with the week after Pentecost, the lectionary for weekdays is taken from the Vanderbilt Divinity Library. Currently, we’re following the semi-continuous readings (Track 1).

In that lectionary, the readings are in the following order: Old Testament reading, Psalm, New Testament reading; we have changed the order to the more usual OT, Psalm and NT.

English Bible texts 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.

Latin Bible texts are from Biblia Sacra Vulgata, and are in the Public Domain.

French Bible texts are from Version Segond 21 Copyright © 2007 Société Biblique de Genève by Société Biblique de Genève.

Images, unless otherwise stated, are from lockdown in Scotland, by Alistair Warwick.

Music engraved by The Art of Music.

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Liturgy | Lectionary