Praying at Home Today: Saturday 25 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
Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him,
‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’Tunc responderunt ei quidam de scribis et pharisaeis, dicentes:
Magister, volumus a te signum videre.Alors quelques-uns des spécialistes de la loi et des pharisiens prirent la parole et dirent:
«Maître, nous voudrions voir un signe miraculeux de ta part.».
Matthew 12:38
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
Needing a sign
Perhaps Jesus is a little hard on the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, who want a sign to prove that Jesus is who he says he is.
Jesus apparently dismisses their request, saying that the stories of Jonah and Solomon were sufficient for their audiences, including the people of Nineveh and the Queen of Sheba.
However, perhaps it is natural to have some sense that what we are being told is true. Thomas the Apostle needed to witness the risen Christ for himself, rather than just rely on the testimony of others.
Our words and actions will be judged
The context of this dialogue is Jesus telling the people that a good tree produces good fruit and conversely for a bad tree.
Furthermore, they (and we) will be held responsible for the words we choose and the actions we do (especially those in the name of God).
Pilgrimage and reconciliation
At this time, many people are on pilgrimage (mostly virtually rather than physically).
One of the key elements of pilgrimage is reconciliation; as we walk we turn again to God, allowing God to be at the centre of our lives.
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Prayer Suggestions
As we pray for the Church throughout the world,
we pray for the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton in England
who today begin their virtual pilgrimage to Lourdes, led by their bishop, Richard Moth; may they all rediscover the joy of the Gospel.
As they, in turn, pray for the universal Church,
we take comfort in their support for each one of us.
We remember before God
all those who visit holy places,
those thin spaces,
where they can encounter God’s presence more deeply
and thank them for their prayer for us.
In trust we bring before God
those who are ill and those who care for them.
We pray for those seeking asylum,
refuge from persecution and war-torn homes;
we pray that we may welcome them as Christ welcomed the poor.
a moment of silence
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 of tender care,
you hold us in the palm of your hand,
loving us beyond all our hopes and dreams;
through the prayer of Mary and all those who witness to Christ,
may we faithfully pursue the way of truth and justice.
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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