MORNING PRAYER
READING: Isaiah 1:16-18
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings from before
my eyes;
cease to do evil, learn to do good;
seek justice, rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan, plead for the widow.
Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord:
through your sins are like scarlet, they shall be
like snow;
through they are red like crimson they shall
become like wool.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.
Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who shepherds the people and sets them free.
God raises from David’s house
a child with power to save.
Through the holy prophets
God promised in ages past
to save us from enemy hands,
from the grip of all who hate us.
The Lord favored our ancestors
recalling the sacred covenant,
the pledge to our ancestor Abraham,
to free us from our enemies,
so we might worship without fear
and be holy and just all our days.
And you child, will be called
Prophet of the Most High,
for you will come to prepare
a pathway for the Lord
by teaching the people salvation
through forgiveness of their sin.
Out of God’s deepest mercy
a dawn will come from on high,
light for those shadowed by death,
a guide for our feet on the way to peace.
INTERCESSIONS
Awakening to this Lenten morning, we give thanks to you, gracious God, and turn to your beloved son in our need.
Jesus, you gathered people together for teaching and healing:
~ We thank you for our Mercy Institute,for all the opportunities it affords us to serve
your human family through education, healthcare, pastoral and social services, and
we ask your grace to serve well.
Jesus, you touched the man born blind and gave him sight:
~ We thank you for the gift of sight and ask to see new ways to release those held captive
by disease, addiction, poverty, prejudice and unjust social systems.
Jesus, you called Lazarus forth to new life:
~ We thank you for the gift of life and ask that you give us energy to overcome apathy and false comfort.
Jesus, you passed through death that all people might live as God's beloved daughters and sons:
~ We thank you for the gift of human dignity and ask that we may act in harmony and interdependence with all creation.
THE LORD'S PRAYER
PRAYER
Jesus, through your example you taught us
how to do good and to counter evil. Help us to
persevere in this holy path that we may one day
be united with you for all eternity. We make
this prayer with hearts full of hope in that blessed
day. Amen.
BLESSING
Purify our hearts, O God, that we may be freed from sin. Amen.
Renew our hearts, O God, that they may burn with love for you. Amen.
Open our hearts, O God, that we may welcome all persons as our brothers and sisters. Amen.