MORNING and Evening Prayer
of the Sisters of Mercy
easter
SEVENTH SUNDAY
EVENING PRAYER I
READING
1 Kings 3:9-12a
“Give your servant an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil ; for who can govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind.”
CANTICLE OF MARY
Give your servant an understanding mind, able to discern between good and evil.
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 for ever.
INTERCESSIONS
Spirit of Understanding, give us discerning hearts that we may discover your will and desire.
For ethicists and those in judicial service:
~May their judgments be rooted in truth and reverence for life..
For medical personnel and caregivers:
~May respect for human dignity and compassion guide their decisions.
For inventors and scientists:
~May the pursuit of new technology be guided by care for the earth’s limited resources and the needs of the poor.
For all women and men called to consecrated life:
~May their choice be a faithful response to the call of the Spirit.
For the youth of the world:
~May the lure of wealth, material affluence, or dominance not deter them from committing their lives to the service of others.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
PRAYER
Spirit of God, come and transform us. Stir up in us an ardent desire to do your will and bring about the reign of mercy and justice. Holy Spirit, praying unceasingly within us, give our tongues the words to praise you, our hearts the fervor to love you. Sanctify the work of our lives that all our acts may give glory to God, today and always. Abide with us that we may abide with you. This we ask in faith. Amen.
easter
SEVENTH SUNDAY
Morning Prayer
READING
Wisdom 6:12-16
Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate. To fix one’s thought on her is perfect understanding, and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care, because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Wisdom hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
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
O God, our source of light and wisdom, give us hearts that seek the truth. In our comings and goings show us the way of holiness. Illumine our experience and fire our world with your Spirit.
Spirit of God, you hover over the world to make it holy:
~Enable us to bring order and harmony into the chaos and disunity of our world.
Spirit of God, the earth is filled with your glory:
~Give us eyes to see the sacred in all creation.
Spirit of God, you come that we may know the joy of union with you:
~Make us conscious of your presence within ourselves and others.
Spirit of God, you make all things new:
~Move us beyond the blessings of the past into a future full of grace and hope.
Spirit of God, you are faithful, from the rising of the sun to its setting:
~Help us to be faithful to our commitment to carry your saving word to the ends of the earth.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
PRAYER
Spirit of God, come and transform us. Stir up in us an ardent desire to do your will and bring about the reign of mercy and justice. Holy Spirit, praying unceasingly within us, give our tongues the words to praise you, our hearts the fervor to love you. Sanctify the work of our lives that all our acts may give glory to God, today and always. Abide with us that we may abide with you. This we ask in faith. Amen.
Easter
SEVENTH SUNDAY
EVENING PRAYER II
READING
Sirach 15:1-3
Whoever fears the Lord will do this, and whoever holds to the law will obtain wisdom. She will come to meet him like a mother, and like a young bride she will welcome him. She will feed him with the bread of learning, and give him the water of wisdom to drink.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Wisdom shall feed us with the bread of learning.
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 for ever.
INTERCESSIONS
Sophia, holy Wisdom, come and illumine our minds. Breathe in us, Spirit of Wisdom, and awaken us to your will:
~Come, Wisdom of God.
Give us hearts eager to receive new life, we pray:
Embrace us in your mercy, we pray:
Open our eyes to life’s illusions, we pray:
Make us alert to human cries, we pray:
Help us to speak your words of hope, we pray:
Guide our personal and corporate decisions, we pray:
THE LORD’S PRAYER
PRAYER
Spirit of God, come and transform us. Stir up in us an ardent desire to do your will and bring about the reign of mercy and justice. Holy Spirit, praying unceasingly within us, give our tongues the words to praise you, our hearts the fervor to love you. Sanctify the work of our lives that all our acts may give glory to God, today and always. Abide with us that we may abide with you. This we ask in faith. Amen.