Praying at Home Today: Saturday 15 August 2020
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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
What is this that God has done to us?
Quidnam est hoc quod fecit nobis Deus?
Qu’est-ce que Dieu nous a fait?
Genesis 42:28b
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
Joseph and his brothers meet
It’s been over 18 years since Joseph’s brothers conspired to kill him, with only the eldest persuading them otherwise.
Instead, while Reuben was away, they sold Joseph as a slave.
Now they’re in Egypt during the seven-year famine, desperate for food.
They meet but do not recognise Joseph.
(Are there parallels here with Luke 24:16?)
After all, they’d given him up as dead and certainly didn’t recognise him as governor of Egypt in all his finery.
Joseph’s attitude towards his brothers
Although we don’t know for certain what Joseph was feeling on seeing his brothers, he certainly showed hostility towards them, accusing them of spying on Egypt.
He repays their treatment to him all those years ago by throwing them into prison for three days (another parallel?) before letting them go with the grain they needed, keeping only Simeon as guarantor that they will return with his youngest brother.
Benjamin and Joseph were the only children of Rachel, Jacob’s favourite.
Now Joseph, who undoubtedly loved his father, placed the ten brothers in his debt by giving them not only the grain they needed to live but also, unknown to them, by returning the money they had brought for payment.
Spoiler alert
We’ll hear on Sunday how he reveals himself to his brothers, and next week more of this story.
God’s plan for Israel
Through Joseph, God enables Jacob’s family to live in Egypt, thus leading to stories of Moses, the exodus and the journey to the promised land.
And us?
Joseph’s story seems quite convoluted. Perhaps God could have chosen a simpler way of bringing the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to their own land.
For us too, it can be hard to see God’s hand in the events of our lives.
And yet, by faith, we can perceive God’s presence, if only “through a glass darkly”.
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Prayer Suggestions
We pray for those who represent their countries to others
that they may be straightforward and honest in their dealings.
We remember before God today
all who have need of our prayers,
especially those we find it hard to get on with.
In communion with Mary, the mother of Jesus,
and all the saints,
we pray for our communities of faith,
and those who are unable to go to church;
we pray for all of us praying at home today.
a moment of silence
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
Lord God,
your presence among us is veiled
and often hard to recognise;
yet we dare to believe that you are near us,
closer than we can imagine.
Keep us safe in your presence this day.
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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