Praying at Home Today: Saturday 18 July 2020
A warm 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
You will know them by their fruits.
Ex fructibus eorum cognoscetis eos.
C’est à leurs fruits que vous les reconnaîtrez.
Matthew 7:20
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
No shortcuts!
Our New Testament reading today is part of a section from Matthew’s Gospel concerned with how we might enter into the Kingdom of God.
Verse 13, immediately before our reading, refers to the small door and narrow way that leads to the Kingdom. We are warned that the easy route is the most enticing.
We know from any skilled activity that there are no shortcuts to becoming proficient.
We also know that we can waste huge amounts of energy going down the wrong path if we don’t get the right guidance.
False prophets
Indeed there are many who hope to mislead us, and they can come from all walks of life: political, religious, academic, industrial.
(Then again, there will be those who might describe us as false prophets, perhaps for not being strict enough, or not putting enough emphasis on one particular doctrine or moral stance.)
Finding the right path
By their fruits you shall know them.
Jesus’ words seem to be a reasonable way of recognising the narrow way.
The one abiding commandment is love:
love of God,
love of neighbour
and love of yourself (as made in God’s image and likeness);
this three-fold commandment of love is essential.
Indeed it is all we need, since everything comes from this one commandment.
And this love will manifest itself in actions beneficial to our neighbour, to our city, to our world.
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Prayer Suggestions
We pray.
For ourselves, made in God’s image and likeness,
chosen by God before the foundation of the world,
that we may love ourselves as God loves us.
We pray for our neighbours, whomever they are,
that we may love them, even when they seem most difficult
(as indeed we may seem to them).
We pray that we may discern God’s presence in our lives,
and put love of God first.
At this time, we pray for those working with the sick.
We pray for those preparing to die and those who are grieving.
For those with no work
or who are finding life tough.
We pray for those families who have just welcomed a baby into their midst,
that their love for each other may overflow.
Pray 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
God beyond our dreams,
you call us into a communion of love:
love of you,
love of our neighbour
and love of ourselves;
show us your mercy,
give us peace in our day
and the confidence of your Holy Spirit living within 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
There are several books by Brother Roger of the Taizé Community from many booksellers
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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