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

Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help,
as I lift up my hands towards your most holy sanctuary.

Exaudi, Domine, vocem deprecationis meae dum oro ad te;
dum extollo manus meas ad templum sanctum tuum.

Ecoute mes supplications quand je crie à toi,
quand je lève mes mains vers ton sanctuaire.

Psalm 27 (28):2

The Liturgy of the Word *

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

• Genesis 37:29-36
• Psalm 27 (28)
• 2 Peter 2:4-10

Short Reflection

Our OT reading continues from Sunday’s (Track 1, semi-continuous) story about how Joseph had so infuriated his brothers that they had wanted to kill him; it was Reuben who saved his life.

We left Joseph thrown into a pit, before being sold by the Midianites to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officers in Egypt.

Of course, we know this story from a certain musical (or for Händel lovers, ‘Israel in Egypt’).

Down in the dumps

How did Joseph feel, left in the pit, while his brothers squabbled over what to do with him?

We’re not told but we can imagine his response.

There are probably times in our lives when we feel down.

For many of us, this time of lockdown has been seriously disheartening, despite the brave face we may put on for those we meet.
(For those who have been shielding, they haven’t even had that opportunity.)

Psalm 87 (88), which we sing at Compline/Night Prayer (on Fridays in the RC rite) ends,

Friend and neighbour you have taken away.
My one companion is darkness.

Depression is a condition that many people experience; for some it’s a more-or-less permanent state of life; for others, it’s a transitory experience: it comes and it goes.

We know that it’s not helpful to tell people with depression to pull themselves together, to “always look on the bright side of life”.

We also know that there are no easy answers.

If we live with someone who has depression, however, we can care for them, and seek to avoid making things worse, including avoiding open questions that are difficult to answer.

We also need to look after ourselves, as it’s easy for the “darkness” to affect us too.

Four academics’ experience of depression

Nature magazine has a useful account of how four academics deal with depression. (It’s interesting that highly intelligent people are susceptible to depression.)

One writes:

Tell the darkness not to take you today
— not this moment, not this second.

Take time off if you need to.

Find the person you were before the darkness came.

Reach out for help — surround yourself with people who will show you, in this darkness, that you will make it.

As isolating and hopeless as it might seem right now,
you are not the only one who has had to pass through this.

You are not alone.

How to handle the dark days of depression

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Prayer Suggestions

In communion with Joseph
we pray for those who are feeling anxiety and depression.

For those who are scared by the pandemic,
concerned for others and themselves.

For those who are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

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

Be present, O merciful God,
and protect us (through the silent hours of this night),
so that we who are wearied
by the changes and chances of this fleeting world,
may rest upon your eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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

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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Liturgy | Lectionary