Praying at Home Today: Saturday 4 July 2020
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
Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!
For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired
to see what you see, but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.Beati oculi qui vident quae vos videtis.
Dico enim vobis quod multi prophetae et reges voluerunt
videre quae vos videtis, et non viderunt:
et audire quae auditis, et non audierunt.Heureux les yeux qui voient ce que vous voyez!
En effet, je vous le dis, beaucoup de prophètes et de rois ont désiré
voir ce que vous voyez et ne l’ont pas vu,
entendre ce que vous entendez et ne l’ont pas entendu.
Luke 10:23b-24
The Liturgy of the Word *
Here are today’s Bible readings.
You can read just one, or all of them if you have time.
Short Reflection
Jacob and Esau
As we saw in yesterday’s OT reading, Esau is about to be deprived of his birthright by his mother’s conniving.
Jacob, pretending to be his older brother Esau, has gone to gain his father, Isaac’s blessing as his firstborn. **
Isaac recognises the voice as being Jacob’s but is fooled by the son’s hairy arms into giving him the blessing which sets him above his brother.
This blessing, achieved in bad faith, and which cannot be revoked, places Jacob at the head of the chosen people.
Jesus speaks of the long-awaited mystery
The Gospel, the Good News, is revealed to the simple, the uncomplicated people, the ones whom Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount called “the meek”.
Jesus reveals the mystery of God to those he has chosen and we are the successors of those chosen people.
This is an immense privilege for us to share in God’s revelation of Jesus Christ,
a mystery that was kept secret for long ages but is now disclosed,
and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles,
according to the command of the eternal God,
to bring about the obedience of faith.
Romans 16:25-26
Prayer Suggestions
We pray for the Jewish people, the first to hear God’s word.
We remember the people of Israel and the people of Palestine at this time and pray for a just solution to the current conflict.
In trust, we pray for the Church,
that we may all live up to our calling
as those to whom the revelation of God’s self in Jesus has been given.
We remember all those who are finding lockdown extremely challenging,
perhaps juggling work (or lack of it) with childcare,
and 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
Loving Lord Jesus,
you reveal the mysteries of God’s kingdom
to the poor in spirit;
be with us throughout this day
and with those you entrust to us.
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 Bennett’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
Other worship resources
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.
Purchases made by clicking links on this website will cost you no more than buying directly from the supplier; we may receive a small commission, which helps with the costs of maintaining and running this website.
Praying at Home (part of The Art of Music) is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.
