Praying at home today:
injustice silenced

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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’s optional!

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

So the poor have hope,
and injustice shuts its mouth.

Et erit egeno spes;
iniquitas autem contrahet os suum.

Ainsi, il y a de l’espérance pour le faible,
tandis que l’injustice doit fermer la bouche.

Job 5:16

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

• Job 5:8-27; Psalm 76(77); 1 Peter 3:8-18a

Separate links to each reading

• Job 5:8-27
• Psalm 76(77)
• 1 Peter 3:8-18a

Short Reflection

The verse from Job is quite a tall order. How dare we say that the poor will have hope and that injustice will be silenced?

Looking at the world around us, with tyrants and those who disrespect their fellow citizens, it is easy to despair. As the Psalmist says:

I cry aloud to God,
aloud to God, that God may hear me.

In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
in the night my hand is stretched out
without wearying;
my soul refuses to be comforted.

I think of God, and I moan;
I meditate, and my spirit faints.

Psalm 76(77):1-3

And yet, this feeling of despair lifts later in the psalm:

I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord;
I will remember your wonders of old.

I will meditate on all your work,
and muse on your mighty deeds.

Psalm 76(77):11f

The victory is won.
God is working God’s purpose out.
As the hymn continues:

March we forth in the strength of God,
with the banner of Christ unfurled,
that the light of the glorious gospel of truth
may shine throughout the world;
fight we the fight with sorrow and sin,
to set their captives free,
that the earth may be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

Arthur C. Ainger

Let’s leave the last word to Job:

See, we have searched this out; it is true.
Hear, and know it for yourself.

Job 5:27

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Music for reflection

Prayer Suggestions

As the Church celebrates the life and teaching of Polycarp of Smyrna (Bishop & Martyr 156),
we pray at home today, bringing before God the needs of our world:

• in this Fairtrade Fortnight, we give thanks for all who labour in the hope of a just wage
  and for all helping to make work and trade more equitable
• that we may recognise and choose wisely when buying products and services
• for peace and stability in Myanmar and other places of conflict.

(In Holy Trinity, Stirling, we invite you to pray today
for Ian our Bishop.)

For all who have asked for our prayers.

a moment of silence

Pray for us all
Amen.

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.

The Lord’s Prayer

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

Pater noster, qui es in cælis;
sanctificetur 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.

La Prière du Seigneur (2017)

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 offenses,
comme nous pardonnons aussi à ceux qui nous ont offensés.
Et ne nous laisse pas entrer en 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.

L’Église Catholique de Paris

Concluding prayer

Almighty God,
whose Son fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are, yet did not sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in submission to your Spirit,
that, as you know our weakness,
so we may know your power to save;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God,
world without end.
Amen.

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 Bookshop.org

Praying at Home Today: Acknowledgements

The lectionary for weekdays is taken from the Vanderbilt Divinity Library.

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 usually 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 usually 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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