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Intercessions for Second Sunday of Easter Year C 2013

Mark_of_the_Cross_Thomas(5)

The Collect

Almighty Father, you have given your only Son to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification: grant us so to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

¶ The Liturgy of the Word

First Reading: Acts 5.27-32

Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.” Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than men! The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead – whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Psalm 118.14-29

The Lord is my strength and my song, *and he has become my salvation.
Joyful shouts of salvation *sound from the tents of the righteous:
‘The right hand of the Lord does mighty deeds;the right hand of the Lord raises up; *
the right hand of the Lord does mighty deeds.’
I shall not die, but live *and declare the works of the Lord.
The Lord has punished me sorely, *but he has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness, *that I may enter and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord; *the righteous shall enter through it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me *and have become my salvation.
The stone which the builders rejected *has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing, *and it is marvellous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made; *we will rejoice and be glad in it.
Come, O Lord, and save us we pray. *Come, Lord, send us now prosperity.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; *we bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God; he has given us light; *link the pilgrims with cords right to the horns of the altar.
You are my God and I will thank you; *you are my God and I will exalt you.
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; *his mercy endures for ever.

Second Reading: Revelation 1.4-8

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

 Gospel Reading: John 20.19-31

When it was evening on the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’ A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.

Prayers of Intercession

Almighty and eternal God, whose goodness and grace overflowed when you raised Jesus from the dead, let your goodness and grace continue to flow upon your people.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord of wonders, you transform despair into gladness with the festival of Christ’s resurrection. Let the risen life of Jesus be the source of our joy on earth, and strengthen, we pray, your Church in the desire for true fellowship. Come with power among us and confirm our faith. May all who are involved in ministry reveal your love and your saving power. We thank you for all who have shared their awareness and love for you. Make us one in heart and mind, so that together we may share the good news with all people.

Lord, though we have not seen you, yet we believe: help thou our unbelief. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord, rejoicing in your new creation, may we be renewed in Christ and transformed into a new creation in turn. In the light and the glory of the resurrection, we pray for our world. We prayer for the leaders of nations, for all in authority, that they may be wise and gentle in their dealings. For areas of violence and hostility, for lands where famine and disease are rife, for peoples who look in vain for the rains to come to guarantee a harvest we pray.

Lord, though we have not seen you, yet we believe: help thou our unbelief. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer

¶The local community

Lord,  we thank you that we are not alone, that you are present and work in us to reconcile and make new all who live in your world.  Help us always to share the peace that we know through your son with those who are in conflict. Help us to pour out your love on all those who today would struggle to find joy in the resurrection story, and to share the bounty you have granted us with those who are in need.

Lord, though we have not seen you, yet we believe: help thou our unbelief. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶Those who suffer

Lord, have mercy on those who cannot sense the reality of your love for them. Give confidence to those who are beset by doubt and fear, and suffer mental anguish as a result.  Roll away the stone that blocks their path to new life and hope. Roll away the stone of despair and hopelessness so that the light of Christ may shine into the darkness to bring joy and warmth to those who suffer.

Lord, though we have not seen you, yet we believe: help thou our unbelief. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The communion of saints

Lord, your son said ‘I am the first and the last, and the living one; I was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore! Alleluia! We offer these prayers to you always mindful of the great company who compass you about, the ransomed and the redeemed of all the ages.We give thanks for those who held their faith through the trials of this world and have now received their salvation, resting in the peace where all wounds are healed, all doubts dispelled.

Lord, though we have not seen you, yet we believe: help thou our unbelief. Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

 

 

 

The illustration is Mark of the Cross Thomas by: Rev. Jonathan Evens,  Taken from Mark of the Cross-PDF   Description: ‘Thomas’ from ‘Mark of the Cross’ by Jonathan Evens & Henry Shelton.
Copyright © Henry Shelton 2012. Via Seed Resources.

 

3 comments on this post:

greatpoetrymhf said...
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Interesting….the compassion of the intercession……I shall contemplate on this…..as well as my blessings Thanks kindly

Lay Anglicana said...
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I’m so glad it spoke to you 🙂

04 April 2013 12:00
04 April 2013 10:12
UKViewer said...
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Thanks Laura

06 April 2013 20:15

Leave a Reply to UKViewer Cancel reply

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