Praying at Home Today: Wednesday 8 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 29 June 2020, we have reverted to the Track 1 “semi-continuous” Old Testament readings (this also affects the psalm or equivalent response); 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
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance.Ficus protulit grossos suos;
vineae florentes dederunt odorem suum. **Le figuier embaume par ses fruits
et les vignes en fleur répandent leur parfum.
Song of Songs 2:13a
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
Leah and Rachel
Poor Leah! She’s definitely second-best in Jacob’s household, because she is plain whereas Rachel, Jacob’s true love, is fair and comely.
And yet, Rachel is unable to have children, at least not until after Leah has given birth to six sons in the hope that Jacob will love her.
It probably wasn’t the happiest of households.
These sons (there was also a daughter called Dinah), together with the children of two maids who also became wives of Jacob, were eventually joined by Joseph and Benjamin, sons of Rachel; together they were the 12 sons of Jacob, wh was later named Israel.
But we leave them for now and will continue the story in a few weeks.
(If you want to, you can find the whole of this fascinating story in Genesis, chapter 24 onwards.)
Jesus washes his disciples’ feet
In the Gospel reading we revisit the Maundy Thursday narrative.
Jesus is at table with the Twelve, knowing that he is soon to be betrayed and put to death.
His act of servanthood, washing his disciples’ feet, is a mystery to those present with him in the Last Supper.
He turns the whole notion of servant and master on its head, just as Mary had sung in her Magnificat.
But the purpose of this act is to set an example, so that the disciples will “wash one another’s feet”.
In other words, we are called to be servants to one another.
Prayer Suggestions
We pray for all who are called to leadership in the Church,
in the lives of our nations,
in industry and community;
that they may learn the ways of service.
We pray especially for the Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis, one of whose titles is “Servum Servorum Dei”, Servant of the Servants of God;
that he may truly be a servant of communion for the whole Church.
For all who are remembering the loss of one they love,
that they may be comforted.
For those ill in hospital, or at home,
and for those who care for them.
We pray for those who are affected most by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic,
especially our hospital staff and care workers.
For those who work in hospitality, exposed to risk of infection.
For us all.
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 God,
in your plan for salvation
you call us to serve one another in love;
as we strive to serve one another,
open our eyes to see those in special need.
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
** There is a beautiful setting of this text by the English composer Francis Grier. It’s part of a stunning album by the Rodolfus Choir, some of the finest young singers in the British Isles.
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.
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