Praying at Home Today: Wednesday 5 August 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.
Everything is optional!
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
Do not fear,
for I am with you.Noli timere,
quia ego tecum sum.N’aie pas peur,
car je suis moi-même avec toi.
Isaiah 43:5a
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
Reading in other languages
Jeremie Begbie writes,
When we learn another language for the first time, we discover more about the world.
Beholding the Glory
(London, 2000), xi
Ever since going to Taizé when I was a seminarian several lifetimes ago, I’ve found it immensely valuable to hear and read texts in other languages.
At common prayer – morning, noon and night – a Bible reading is read in full in the two languages representing the largest numbers of people visiting Taizé at that time.
A short extract, perhaps a single verse, is then read in all the languages of those present (it really is a modern-day Pentecost!).
This time of waiting to hear the text in our own language is part of the Wonder of a Love, as Frère Roger described it.
For me, hearing a text in another language can add hugely to our understanding of that text.*
I myself am with you
The French version of today’s Short reading has
N’aie pas peur,
car je suis moi-même avec toi.
Which roughly translated, reads
Do not have fear,
for I myself am with thee.
There are three aspects to this.
First, “Do not have fear”.
We may have the feelings of being afraid, but we are not required to keep hold of it. We can let go, and trust.
Second, “I myself am with thee”.
This “myself” is a reinforcement of the word “I”; it is linked to the divine name (Ex 3:14) that is never spoken aloud by the Jewish people. This word is variously spelled YHWH, Yahweh, or Jehovah. As they read the word, the Jewish people always replace it by another name for God, such as Adonai.
(We should never use that name lightly, but have great respect for it.)
Finally, “I myself am with thee“.
Although generally speaking in the English language, the word “thee” is archaic, it is a reminder here, that it is spoken in the 2nd person singular.
It is spoken to you, to you,
gently and yet with great strength,
today, here and now:
Do not hold onto your fear:
I, your God, am with you,
today and always.
aw
* cf. Gregorian Chant in Latin: Language and use in worship,
first published in Church Music Quarterly (RSCM, September 2003)
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Prayer Suggestions
For those who live in fear,
in fear of their lives,
in fear of what they have done in their lives
or what they fear they could do,
that the Lord may heal them.
For those who cause fear in others,
that they may repent and be healed.
We pray for the people we fear
because they are different from us,
that we may recognise in them
the image and likeness of God.
a moment of silence
We pray for those who are ill
and for those who care for them.
Pray for us all.
Music for reflection *
Thou whose almighty word
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 all names,
you call me, today,
by my name;
you bid me not to hold onto my fear
but to trust you.
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.
You can buy ‘The Complete Chronicles of Narnia’ at Amazon
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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