Lay Anglicana, the unofficial voice of the laity throughout the Anglican Communion.
This is the place to share news and views from the pews.

Get involved ...

Posts Tagged "Intercessions for Epiphany 2 Year C series 2":

Intercessions for Epiphany 2 – Year C – series 2 – 17 January 2016

Duccio_di_Buoninsegna_-_Wedding_at_Cana_-_WGA06775

Wedding at Cana by Duccio (1260-1318) via Wikimedia

The Collect

Almighty God, in Christ you make all things new: transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your heavenly glory; 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 62.1-5

For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,  and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,  until her vindication shines out like the dawn,  and her salvation like a burning torch.  The nations shall see your vindication, and all the kings your glory;  and you shall be called by a new name  that the mouth of the Lord will give.  You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,  and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no more be termed Forsaken, and your land shall no more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her, and your land Married; for the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your builder marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

 

Psalm: 36.5-10

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens ♦ and your faithfulness to the clouds.

Your righteousness stands like the strong mountains, your justice like the great deep; ♦ you, Lord, shall save both man and beast.

How precious is your loving mercy, O God! ♦ All mortal flesh shall take refuge under the shadow of your wings.

They shall be satisfied with the abundance of your house; ♦ they shall drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the well of life ♦ and in your light shall we see light.

O continue your loving-kindness to those who know you ♦ and your righteousness to those who are true of heart.

 

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12.1-11

Concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak.  Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says ‘Let Jesus be cursed!’ and no one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.  Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.

 

Gospel Reading: John 2.1-11

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realise where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Prayers of Intercession

Let us pray to our Lord, the bountiful giver of love and mercy.

The Church of Christ

Lord of wisdom and discernment, deliver our Church from the delusion that we, as Christians, are better than others; or that one denomination of Christianity, or one tradition within Anglicanism, is alone faithful in discerning your message to us. In the light of this week’s meeting of the Anglican Communion in England, may we resist the inclination to criticise one another, but instead kneel together in all humility at the communion rail, certain only in your mercy and your truth.

Lord, you are the wellspring of all our spiritual nourishment: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Creation, human society, the Sovereign and those in authority

Lord of celebration, take the tapwater of our lives, all that we see as routine and humdrum, and infuse it with your splendour. Take our dullness and our limited vision, obsessed with the next step along the path, and raise our eyes instead to the magnificence of your creation. Give us a glimpse of our part in the cosmos, as we lose ourselves in wonder, love and praise.

Lord, you are the wellspring of all our spiritual nourishment: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The local community

Lord, we thank you for all who enrich our community through their abilities and spiritual gifts. Teach us to recognise these gifts in each other, and to encourage one another to offer themselves for the common good. Help us also to hear your voice, Lord, in calling each of us to the task you would have us undertake.

Lord, you are the wellspring of all our spiritual nourishment: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Those who suffer

Lord, look with your love on those who are exhausted by emotion or numbed by their suffering; those who do not know which way to turn next. We think particularly of those fleeing the scourge of war, and no longer able to live safely in their own homes; those who have sought temporary refuge in the camps, in the hope that they may be assured of shelter, food and warmth. May their trust in the humanity of  fellow human beings not prove misplaced  as we respond in your name.

Lord, you are the wellspring of all our spiritual nourishment: in your mercy, hear our prayer.

The communion of saints

Lord, as we pray for the departed, we remember with thanks all that they gave to the life of this world.

Grant them joy in the everlasting marriage feast of heaven.

Merciful Father,  accept these prayers for the sake of your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer after Communion

God of glory,
you nourish us with your Word
who is the bread of life:
fill us with your Holy Spirit
that through us the light of your glory
may shine in all the world.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Copyright acknowledgement (where not already indicated above):Collect (2nd of Epiphany) © 1972 Church of the Province of Southern Africa: Modern Collects John 2.1-11 © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton Post Communion (2nd of Epiphany) © 1985 General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada: The Book of Alternative Services 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 Gospel Acclamation (Epiph. to Eve of Presentation) © The Crown/Cambridge University Press: The Book of Common Prayer (1662)

 

We rely on donations to keep this website running.