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Posts Tagged "Intercessions for 11 October 2015":

Intercessions for Trinity +19 – Year B – Proper 23 – 11 October 2015 – series 2

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The Collect

O God, forasmuch as without you we are not able to please you; mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; 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: Job 23.1-9,16-17

Job answered his companions: ‘Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted for ever by my judge. ‘If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him; on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!

Psalm 22.1-15

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me, * and are so far from my salvation, from the words of my distress?
O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; * and by night also, but I find no rest.
Yet you are the Holy One, * enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
Our forebears trusted in you; * they trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried out to you and were delivered; * they put their trust in you and were not confounded.
But as for me, I am a worm and no man, * scorned by all and despised by the people.
All who see me laugh me to scorn; * they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
‘He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; * let him deliver him, if he delights in him.’
But it is you that took me out of the womb * and laid me safe upon my mother’s breast.
On you was I cast ever since I was born; * you are my God even from my mother’s womb.
Be not far from me, for trouble is near at hand * and there is none to help.
Mighty oxen come around me; * fat bulls of Bashan close me in on every side.
They gape upon me with their mouths, * as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; * my heart has become like wax melting in the depths of my body.
My mouth is dried up like a potsherd; my tongue cleaves to my gums; * you have laid me in the dust of death.

 

Second Reading: Hebrews 4.12-16

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

 

Gospel Reading: Mark 10.17-31

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.”’ He said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’ Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age –  houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields – but with persecutions – and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’


 

Read through the readings? Anything strike you? Yes, me too, and not only me, but Jane Williams, who says: ‘Is it just me, or are the readings actually getting harder at this time of year? Not only more difficult to understand, but more sombre? Certainly, today’s reading from Hebrews has taken large quantities of caffeine, and even so I’m not sure that I have got to the bottom of it. ‘ [Sadly the search facility doesn’t seem to be working]

scan 001But, as Jane says, today is the day of testing, but also of mercy. In the intercessions for this day in 2012, I decided on the theme of mercy, which you may like to see here.

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray to God, in whose love and power all things are possible.

¶The Church of Christ

Lord, help us to seek you above all else that is important in our lives, and to pledge our total commitment. As we strive to be of service to you, we discover only our need. We pray to you, our healer, whose mercy is like a refining fire, to touch us with your judgement, and confront us with your tenderness; that, being comforted by you, we may in turn reach out to a troubled world in union with each other, and in the name of your son.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; in your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

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

We live in a world where the rich grow ever richer, but the poor are always with us, seemingly without relief. We thank you for the many who do indeed try to use their wealth for the common good. Stir up, we beseech you, in the hearts of the unmoved, a degree of compassion for the needy. May those who have found earthly riches  find also the source of true wealth here on earth: in your mercy, do not send the rich empty away.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; in your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

¶The local community

We pray for all those whom you have called. May those who have answered your call be sustained in all that they do as they translate their desire to serve into action. May those who can only respond ‘not yet’ be given the strength and the resolve to respond as they are able. And may those who have heard your call but have turned away from their vocations or have been unable to follow to the end be comforted.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; in your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

¶Those who suffer

Lord, you have told us that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. Have mercy on those who would strive with you but are unable, through their frailties, whether of mind, body or spirit. Share your comforting presence with them in their sufferings, and give them your peace in their hearts.

Lord, have mercy; Lord, have mercy; in your mercy, Lord, hear our prayer.

 

¶The communion of saints

Lord, grant the inheritance of eternal life to those who have left this earth…………

Receive them in mercy as they come to your presence, and may they rest in peace and rise in glory.

 

Merciful Father, accept these prayers….

 

Prayer after Communion

Holy and blessed God,
you have fed us with the body and blood of your Son
and filled us with your Holy Spirit:
may we honour you,
not only with our lips
but in lives dedicated to the service
of Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above): Some material included in this service is copyright: © 1989 National  Council of the Churches of Christ, USA Some material included in this service is copyright: © The Archbishops’ Council 2000 Collect (19th after Trinity) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

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