FEASTS OF THE SISTERS OF MERCY I
Morning and Evening Prayer
Greeting
Rain down your love upon us, O God of Mercy.
Fill us with the spirit of compassion and justice.
Guide us to merciful ways, and empower us to sing your praise.
DOXOLOGY
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
Psalm 146
As Sisters of Mercy we commit ourselves to follow Jesus Christ in his compassion for suffering people.
Praise the Lord, my heart!
My whole life, give praise.
Let me sing to God
as long as I live.
Never depend on rulers:
born of earth, they cannot save.
They die, they turn to dust.
That day, their plans crumble.
They are wise who depend on God,
who look to Jacob’s Lord,
creator of heaven and earth,
maker of the teeming sea.
The Lord keeps faith for ever,
giving food to the hungry,
justice to the poor,
freedom to captives.
The Lord opens blind eyes
and straightens the bent,
comforting widows and orphans,
protecting the stranger.
The Lord loves the just
but blocks the path of the wicked.
Zion, praise the Lord!
Your God reigns for ever,
from generation to generation.
Hallelujah!
Isaiah 26: 1-4, 7-9, 12
Our hearts can always be in the same place, centered in God, for whom alone we go forward or stay back.
Our city is strong,
its ramparts and walls
are God’s saving work.
Throw open the gates
to a just nation,
one that keeps faith.
You guard the faithful in peace,
they fix their hearts on you.
Trust in the Lord always,
our enduring rock.
For the just you make the road
level, smooth, and straight.
We walk the road you cut,
looking for you, O Lord.
We seek to honor your name.
I long for you by night,
my whole being yearns for you.
For by your judgments
the world learns justice.
Our peace is your gift, Lord,
our good deeds your work.
Reading
Romans 12:1 – 2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Canticle of Zechariah
Enriched by Christ’s love, healed by his mercy and taught by his word, we serve the poor, sick and ignorant.
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.
Canticle of Mary
Recognizing our own human weakness, we know that only through God’s mercy can we be merciful.
I acclaim the greatness of the Lord,
I delight in God my savior,
who regarded my humble state.
Truly from this day on all ages
will call me blest.
For God, wonderful in power,
has used that strength for me.
Holy the name of the Lord!
Whose mercy embraces the faithful,
one generation to the next.
The mighty arm of God
scatters the proud in their conceit,
Pulls tyrants from their thrones,
and raises up the humble.
The Lord fills the starving
and lets the rich go hungry.
God rescues lowly Israel,
recalling the promise of mercy,
the promise made to our ancestors,
to Abraham’s heirs forever.
Intercessions
O loving God, be with us as we gather together, one in heart and spirit. We pray for all those in need of your mercy:
~ Compassionate God, pour out your mercy upon them.
For those most vulnerable to oppression or neglect, especially women and children, we pray:
For all who seek a kind word, a gentle compassionate look or the patient hearing of their sorrows, we pray:
For the poor, the sick, and those in need of knowledge and wisdom, we pray:
For those who are in need of safe shelter and food, we pray:
For our sisters, associates, partners in ministry, friends and benefactors throughout the world, that on this feast we may experience our oneness in Mercy, we pray:
For all those we serve through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, we pray:
The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer
My God, I am yours for time and eternity. Teach me to cast myself entirely into the arms of your loving Providence with the most lively, unlimited confidence in your compassionate, tender pity. Grant me, O most merciful Redeemer, that whatever you ordain or permit may be acceptable to me. Take from my heart all painful anxiety; suffer nothing to sadden me but sin, nothing to delight me but the hope of coming to the possession of you, my God and my all, in your everlasting kingdom. Amen.
Blessing
May God bless and animate you with his divine Spirit, that you may prove it is Jesus Christ you love and serve with your whole heart. Amen.