24 September 2016
Collects
Prayers
developed from the daily readings
Saturday 24
September 2016
Morning
Prayer
Psalms
56 and 57
The
first psalm speaks of trust in God who is our salvation and who is with us when
we fear the actions of other people. It ends in praise and commitment to faith.
The
second psalm again is an appeal for aid against enemies who are compared to
lions. The psalm shifts to praise. The psalmist wakes each morning to sing
God’s praise, to uplift the soul and to ask God to be exalted in the world: to
let God’s glory shine.
Joel
2: 12 – 24
The
people are called to repentance, to rend their hearts not their clothes. They
are called to fast from the smallest baby to the highest priest. God answers
with a remission of the plague and the coming of early rains so that food, oil
and wine production can begin again.
Matthew
8: 23 – 34
Jesus
gets in a boat and while on the lake a storm front hits. Jesus is asleep but
the disciples, afraid for their lives wake him. He tells them they have little
faith – since he is with them. Gets up and tells the storm to stop. It stops.
The disciples are amazed.
On the
shore two people who live around the tombs and possessed by demons recognise
Christ as the Son of God and recognise his power. The demons ask to be released
from the humans and put into the grazing pigs. The pigs rush down the slope and
drown themselves. The herder runs to town to report the event and the
townspeople beg Jesus to leave.
Collect for Morning Prayer
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| The Yurt - Listening with the ears of our heart The Abbey Benedictine Community Jamberoo NSW L Osburn |
Saturday 24
September 2016
Evening
Prayer
Psalms
60 and 61
The
disaster has struck. The people of the country are suffering. God has set up a
banner for the faithful to rally behind. This psalm is an appeal to God to be
with us in the challenge ahead. The psalm ends with “With God we shall do
valiantly” (v.12).
The
second psalm is a prayer for protection. God is describes as a rock, a shelter,
a hiding place and a great bird under whose wings we are protected.
1 Maccabees 3: 1 – 26
Judas Maccabeus takes
command of the army, puts on a breastplate and begins a campaign to rid the
land of those who break the Law and those who trouble the faithful people. He
wins a battle against Apollonius governor of Samaria and though greatly outnumbered,
with the aid of God wins a great battle against Seron the commander of the
Syrian army. “It is not the size of the army that victory in battle depends,
but strength comes from heaven” (v.19).
Ephesians 6: 10 – 24
Paul advises us to put on the armour of God and to
know that our enemies are not flesh and blood people. The enemies are the
cosmic powers of darkness and spiritual forces of evil: not people. Our armour
therefore is the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes to
proclaim the gospel, a shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword
of the spirit. We are to pray in the spirit at all times and pray for fellow
Christians everywhere.
He ends asking for prayers for him and introducing
Tychicus who will bring the letter to them and blesses the Ephesians.
Collect for Evening Prayer
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| A place to reflect The Abbey Benedictine Community Jamberoo NSW L Osburn |
Holy and Almighty God you protect us and want us to be united with you and
each other. You call us to the great campaign. This night, help us review our
armour: that we read and know your truth, that we love you and love others as
you love us, that we are willing to proclaim your gospel, step out in faith
confident in the salvation you won for us and in the strength of your Holy
Spirit, so that we may in the days to come faithfully do your will and bring
your peace and glory to our world through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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