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

I will never again hide my face from them,
when I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel,
says the Lord God.

Non abscondam ultra faciem meam ab eis,
eo quod effuderim spiritum meum super omnem domum Israel,
ait Dominus Deus.

Je ne me détournerai plus d’eux,
parce que je déverserai mon Esprit sur la communauté d’Israël,
déclare le Seigneur, l’Eternel.

Ezekiel 39:29

The Liturgy of the Word *

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

• Ezekiel 39:21-29
• Psalm 138 (139):1-12, 23-24
• Hebrews 6:13-20

Short Reflection

God’s promise to Israel to bring them home

The people of Israel were in exile in Babylon.

Despite the covenant between God and his people, they had turned away (in what Cardinal Newman might have called National Apostasy).

As Jeremiah had prophesied, their land had been overrun, their holy places destroyed: they had experienced complete devastation – women, men and children.

They were in exile for 70 years and, naturally, many had died, never seeing their own land again.

Return from exile promised

And yet, God had not forgotten the covenant made with their forebears, with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob:
“You will be my people and I will be your God”.

Returning to their homeland, God promises them that the covenant will be renewed:

Then they shall know that I am the Lord their God
because I sent them into exile among the nations,
and then gathered them into their own land.

I will leave none of them behind;
and I will never again hide my face from them,
when I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel,
says the Lord God.

Our hope: sure and steadfast

The unknown author of the letter to the Hebrews tells us that we have a sure and steadfast hope, an anchor for our soul, because Jesus has conquered sin and death, and now lives to intercede for us.

So what does this mean for us praying at home in this moment?

Just as the people of Israel were returned to their own land with a fresh promise from God, so there is nothing that we have done that is unforgiveable, that cannot be redeemed.

Even before we are thinking of turning back to God, Christ Jesus is there, with us, pleading with the Father for God’s loving mercy to be poured upon us, that we may be caught up with Christ in the everlasting cycle of presenting God’s creation to the Father.

That is the invitation given to us today, to re-turn to God:
to be filled with God’s loving presence,
to become one with God,
and so continue Christ’s work on earth.

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Prayer Suggestions

We pray for families who are finding this time tough beyond measure,
for those trying to work from home while children need constant attention.

For those who live alone,
and those facing the prospect of no work.

For the comfortable, that they may recognise the challenges that others face.

At this time,
pray for us all.

Music for reflection *

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your loving-kindness.

Psalm 50 (51)

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,
day by day you renew your promise to us
that you are with us always;
continue, we pray, to pour out your loving-kindness on us
that we may share your love to the people we meet today.
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 are several books by Brother Roger of the Taizé Community from many booksellers

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.

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.

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Liturgy | Lectionary