Sacred Journey 11-14-2023

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please stand

Call to prayer

P: O Lord, open my lips, C: and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

P: bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me…

C: keep watch over my life, for I am faithful.

P: I will offer you the sacri ice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the LORD. C: the angel of the LORD encompasses those who fear him, and delivers them.

P: Create in me a clean heart, O God, C: and renew a right spirit within me.

We sing as we light candles: Lectio continua—Reader: from Psalm 26 Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.

For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.

I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites.

I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.

I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud, and telling all your wondrous deeds.

Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.

O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.

Do not sweep my soul away with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men, in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.

But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.

My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD. Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind.

Please be seated after you have lighted a candle(s)

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(Ps 51:16) (Ps 86:1-2) (Ps 116:15) (Ps 34:7) (Ps 51:10)

AM: To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust.

1: Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.

(Ps 66:16) C: May your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. (Ps 67:2) 2: No good thing does God withhold from those who walk uprightly.

C: O Lord , happy is everyone who trusts in you.

(Ps 84:11-12) 3: A day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than live in the tents of wickedness.

(Ps 84:10) C: O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.

(Ps 84:12) 4: Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.

(Ps 66:16) C: O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.

(Ps 84:12)

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Centering Prayer: preparation

from Matt 25 [Jesus said:] 2the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave ive talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the ive talents went off at once and traded with them, and made ive more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master3s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the ive talents came forward, bringing ive more talents, saying, 4Master, you handed over to me ive talents; see, I have made ive more talents.3'His master said to him, 4Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in

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charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.3'And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, 4Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.3'His master said to him, 4Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.3'Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, 4Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.3'But his master replied, 4You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.3

• Jesus starts off by saying the KoH is like a man who goes away…

- In what way is His Kingdom like THIS? • The man in this parable entrusts his slaves with the care and management of all his affairs.

- In what ways is the Church ful illing this part of the parable?

- How are we doing? How could we be doing better?

• The parable speaks about investing/ hiding the man’s assets—what does this look like for us?

- How can we look more like the irst 2 slaves and less like the last?

Please stand

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Prayer in the Spirit: AM: Father, I abandon myself into Your hands.

C: Do with me what You will, AM: whatever You do, I will thank You, C: I am ready for all, I accept all.

AM: Let only Your will be done in me, as in all Your creatures, C: and I3ll ask nothing else, my Lord.

AM: Into Your hands I commend my spirit; C: I give it to You with all the love of my heart, AM: for I love You, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into Your hands C: with a trust beyond all measure, because You are my Father. ~Charles de Foucauld AM: In the shadow of Your wings, I will sing Your praises, O Lord.

C: The Lord is my light, my salvation; whom shall I fear?

AM: The Lord is the refuge of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

C: In the shadow of Your wings, I will sing Your praises, O Lord.

AM: One thing I ask, one thing I seek; to dwell in the presence of my God, and gaze on your holy place.

C: In the shadow of your wings, I will sing your praises, O Lord.

AM: I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

C: O wait for the Lord! ~~Silence~~ P: We join our hearts, & lift our voices in prayer, as Jesus taught us: C: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

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P:

Jesus invites you here as part of the people of God. Come to the table humbly. Come because you love God, and want to love God more. Come because Jesus irst loved us, and gave himself for us. Come because you want to be illed with the Holy Spirit. Come because you want to experience the mystery of God3s grace.

AM: Let us pray: God our Creator, thank you for the gift of your son Jesus Christ, whose love pursues us our whole life long. Thank you, Jesus, for giving your life to us in word and deed, even unto death on a cross. Come Holy Spirit, feed us with your love that we may be illed with power to love God with all our hearts and souls and minds. Amen.

P:

On the night he was handed over, Jesus had a meal with his friends. He took bread and gave thanks to God, he broke it and gave it to his disciples. He said, 2Take, eat; this is my body given for you.”

Verse P:

After supper Jesus took a cup of wine; and gave thanks for it. He gave it to his followers and said,7 2Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sins."

C:

We have come to the Lord3s table. May God transform us so we see with Jesus3'eyes, hear with his ears, and speak his words. May we be the body of Christ in the world. Come Lord Jesus!

Verse distribution

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C:

Eternal God, we give you thanks that you have given yourself to us. Grant that we may go into the world in the strength of your Spirit, to give ourselves for others.

Amen.

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P: C:

Go in peace, serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

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