A warm welcome to PrayingAtHome.com, where you can find 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!

We follow the Track 2 “related” Old Testament reading and psalm (or equivalent response).

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

Many who are first will be last,
and the last will be first.

Multi autem erunt primi novissimi,
et novissimi primi.

Bien des premiers seront les derniers
et bien des derniers seront les premiers.

Matthew 19:30

The Liturgy of the Word *

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

One link to all three readings

• Zephaniah 2:13-15; Psalm 144 (145):1-8; Matthew 19:23-30

Separate links to each reading

• Zephaniah 2:13-15
• Psalm 144 (145):1-8
• Matthew 19:23-30

Short Reflection

The empire crumbles

We read how the Assyrian empire falls, with Nineveh devastated like a desert.

Nature takes over from human industry; wildlife is reestablished in the land; human security is laid waste.

Perhaps there is a message there for us, in these strange times, when a global virus stalks the land unseen: “the plague that prowls in the darkness” (Psalm 90 (91):6).

Salvation for the humble of the earth

However, in the midst of all this desolation for the Assyrians, we hear some good news for the people who have been terrorised by them.

Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land,
    who do his commands;
seek righteousness, seek humility;
perhaps you may be hidden
on the day of the Lord’s wrath.

For Gaza shall be deserted,
and Ashkelon shall become a desolation;
Ashdod’s people shall be driven out at noon,
and Ekron shall be uprooted.

Ah, inhabitants of the sea coast,
you nation of the Cherethites!
The word of the Lord is against you,
O Canaan, land of the Philistines;
and I will destroy you until no inhabitant is left.

And you, O sea coast, shall be pastures,
meadows for shepherds
and folds for flocks.

The sea coast shall become the possession
of the remnant of the house of Judah,
on which they shall pasture,
and in the houses of Ashkelon
they shall lie down at evening.

For the Lord their God will be mindful of them
and restore their fortunes.

Zephaniah 2:3-7

Nature retaking its place

And, in our own day, we see roadside verges not cut
and insect and wildlife returning.

Our roads are quieter (mainly),
some people drive less hastily;
perhaps there’s less of a rush.

The air is cleaner (mainly),
red squirrels can be seen crossing roads;
people speak to one another.

We are offered a fresh way of seeing things

Perhaps we are beginning to see life from a different perspective.

Yes, it’s still hard for many people
– everything seems so unstable and uncertain
and the slightest thing can be very stressful – 
and yet, there is the possibility
of refreshment,
of a retreat,
of a fresh perspective
as we live out these times
day by day.

And then we begin to see
that many things which were so important in our lives
are perhaps little more than a fantasy
and what seemed so intangible and uncertain
is now of primary importance.

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Prayer Suggestions

All praise be yours, my Lord
through all that you have made.

And first my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day…

How beautiful is he,
how radiant in all his splendour!

Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Sister Moon and Stars;

In the heavens you have made them,
bright and precious and fair.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Brothers Wind and Air…

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Sister Water,

So useful, lowly, precious and pure.

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Brother Fire,
through whom you brighten up the night…

All praise be yours, my Lord,
through Sister Earth, our mother,
who feeds us…
and produces various fruits
with coloured flowers and herbs…

Praise and bless my Lord,
and give God thanks,
And serve the Lord with great humility.

attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

(In Holy Trinity, Stirling, we pray today
for the young people (HT Kidz) and their leaders Sarah, Gen and Alistair.)

We pray for all who have asked for our prayers.

a moment of silence

Pray for us all.

Music for reflection *

Now thank we all our God

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, grant us the wisdom to care for the earth and till it.
Help us to act now for the good of future generations and all your creatures.
Help us to become instruments of a new creation,
Founded on the covenant of your love.
Amen.

The Cry of the Earth

Returning to the world

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.

In these strange times, we are called to trust

* 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

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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