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Intercessions for the Feast of St Bartholomew the Apostle (Year A) 24 August 2014

 

Saint Bartholomew by Anthony Van Dyck
Saint Bartholomew by Anthony Van Dyck

 

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your word: grant that your Church may love that word which he believed and may faithfully preach and receive the same; through Jesus Christ your Son 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: Isaiah 43.8-13

Bring forth the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble. Who among them declared this, and foretold to us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to justify them, and let them hear and say, ‘It is true.’ You are my witnesses, says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no saviour. I declared and saved and proclaimed, when there was no strange god among you; and you are my witnesses, says the Lord. I am God, and also henceforth I am He; there is no one who can deliver from my hand; I work and who can hinder it?

Psalm 145.1-7

I will exalt you, O God my King, *and bless your name for ever and ever.
Every day will I bless you * and praise your name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; * his greatness is beyond all searching out.
One generation shall praise your works to another * and declare your mighty acts.
They shall speak of the majesty of your glory, *and I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
They shall speak of the might of your marvellous acts, * and I will also tell of your greatness.
They shall pour forth the story of your abundant kindness * and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

Second Reading: Acts 5.12-16

Many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.

Gospel Reading: Luke 22.24-30

A dispute also arose among the twelve as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But Jesus said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’


 

Prayers of Intercession

Lord God, we ask you now to show us the places where love, and hope, and faith, are needed, and to use us to bring them there.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, teach us again in your Church how to be your servants today. Teach us to do your will and walk in your way with humility, care, and true joy. In the crowded agenda of the work of the Church, beset on all sides by meetings without number, let us not lose sight of your truth. Give us the lifeline of your Spirit, an injection of hope. Replenish us with your vision. Renew us with hope of transformative action. Renew us with a sense of your purpose.

 Lord, give us grace to be your hands and feet: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

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

For the greening of the woodland, for the grains of the harvest, for the fruits in their season, we give you thanks. Lord of all good gifts, we thank you for the trustworthiness of so many people in their repeated tasks for the common good. We touch a mystery unsearchable and wonderful, the marvel of the everyday. And you, Lord, are constant and faithful, abundant in steadfast love, passionate and limitless in the giving of yourself to us and all the world, partners as we are in your covenant of creation.

 Lord, give us grace to be your hands and feet: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The local community

Lord, help the older generation to learn from the young, and the younger generation not to be blind to the wisdom of the old. May the young be given the space and love in which to grow and to thrive. May their energy and their enthusiasm bring joy to the old. May the young never lose their curiosity about everything on our planet. May our old be recognised as the taproot of our society, which has had the time to explore deeply the soil from which we spring. May they be enabled to use their accumulated wisdom to encourage and inspire the young.

 Lord, give us grace to be your hands and feet: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶Those who suffer

Lord fill us, we pray, with the love that heals, the love that forgives, the love that longs to be given away. Give us the love that grows, that we may in turn grow in love. And give us the understanding and the love truly to feel the suffering of others.   Breath of God, be our life this day; be our compassion. Breath of God, flow where there is hurt and hatred. Breath of God, flow into all places of distress and darkness, of despair and desolation. Breath of God, flow where life is coming to an end; flow into the kingdom of death. Breath of God, flow into us, through us, as grace, as love, as Spirit, as life.

 Lord, give us grace to be your hands and feet: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

¶The communion of saints

For some of your children, Lord, the day you gave on earth is ended. We pray for those that have gone before us, that they may rest in peace and rise to greet a new dawn in which they are united with you.

 Lord, while we are on earth give us grace to be your hands and your feet: in your mercy, hear our prayer.


 

Church House Intercessions

Encouraged by our fellowship with all the saints,   let us make our prayers to the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, your Son called men and women to leave the past behind them and to follow him as his disciples in the way of the cross. Look with mercy upon those whom he calls today, marks with the cross  and makes his disciples within the Church …
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Your Son told his disciples not to be afraid and at Easter breathed on them his gift of peace. Look with mercy upon the world into which he sent them out, and give it that peace for which it longs …
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Your Son formed around him a company who were no longer servants but friends, and he called all those who obeyed him his brother and sister and mother. Look with mercy upon our families and our friends and upon the communities in which we share …
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Your Son sent out disciples to preach and heal the sick. Look with mercy on all those who yearn to hear the good news of salvation, and renew among your people the gifts of healing …
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Your Son promised to those who followed him that they would sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel and would share the banquet of the kingdom. According to your promise, look with mercy on those who have walked with Christ in this life and now have passed through death …
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.


Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Luke 22.24-30 © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ, USA. Intercessions (Apostles & Evangelists 1) © Michael Perham. Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000. Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council Collect (Bartholomew) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)


Today is also  the Tenth Sunday after Trinity and Proper 16, but Visual Liturgy says that the Feast of St Bartholomew is not normally displaced. As you see above, you also have the choice of Church House’s intercessions or the ones I have suggested…

1 comment on this post:

minidvr said...
avatar

Thanks Laura. My Vicar has gone for the readings for proper 16 so I’m using them in my version for Sunday. I presume that there is also a different colllect? will try to locate it.

19 August 2014 14:40

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