Devotion for Saturday/Sunday: Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!

The season of Advent begins Sunday. To live in anticipation of Christ’s coming, both at His birth and at the end of time, let us take a look at the readings and prayers from the Liturgy of the Hours for the First Sunday in Advent.

Saturday Evening Prayer1

Reading:  1 Thessalonians 5:19-24

Do not stifle the Spirit. Do not despise prophesies. Test everything: retain what is good. Avoid any semblance of evil. May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May He preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls us is trustworthy, therefore He will do it.

Prayer:  Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of His coming may find us rejoicing in His presence and welcoming the light of His truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Sunday Morning Prayer

Romans 13-11-14

It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us live honorably as in daylight; not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Prayer: Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of our Word. Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of His coming may find us rejoining in His presence and welcoming the light of His truth. We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.

Evening Prayer II

Reading: Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again. Rejoice! Everyone should see how unselfish you are. The Lord is near. Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of Prayer and in petitions full of gratitude. Then God’s own peace, which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus.

Prayer: All-powerful God, increase our strength of will for doing good that Christ may find an eager welcome at His coming and call us to His side in the kingdom of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Praise be my Lord

Today I will let St. Francis of Assisi write my blog ....too much turkey for me yesterday!

Canticle of the Sun

Oh, Most High, Almighty, Good Lord God, to Thee belong praise, glory, honor and all blessing.

Praised be my Lord God, with all His creatures, and especially our brother the Sun, who brings us the day and who brings us the light; Fair is he, and he shines with a very great splendor. O Lord, he signifies us to thee!

Praised be my Lord for our sister the Moon, and for the stars, the which He has set clear and lovely in the heaven.

Praised be my Lord for our brother the wind, and for air and clouds, calms and all weather, by which Thou upholdest life and all creatures.

Praised be my Lord for our sister water, who is very serviceable to us, and humble and precious and clean.

Praised be my Lord for our brother fire, through whom Thou givest us light in the darkness; and he is bright and pleasant and very mighty and strong.

Praised be my Lord for our mother the earth, the which doth sustain us and keep us, and bringeth forth divers fruits and flowers of many colors, and grass.

Praised be my Lord for all those who pardon one another for love’s sake, and who endure weakness and tribution: blessed are they who peacefully shall endure, for Thou, O Most High, wilt give them a crown.

Praised be the Lord for our sister, the death of the body, from which no man escapeth. Woe to him who dieth in mortal sin. Blessed are those who die in Thy most holy will, for the second death shall have no power to do them harm.

Praise Ye and bless the Lord, and give thanks to Him and serve Him with great humility.

St. Francis of Assisi

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving

(Lizelia Augusta Jenkins Moorer)

Let us give thanks to God above,
Thanks for expressions of His love,
Seen in the book of nature, grand
Taught by His love on every hand.

Let us be thankful in our hearts,
Thankful for all the truth imparts,
For the religion of our Lord,
All that is taught us in His word.

Let us be thankful for a land,
That will for such religion stand;
One that protects it by the law,
One that before it stands in awe.

Thankful for all things let us be,
Though there be woes and misery;
Lessons they bring us for our good-
Later 'twill all be understood.

Thankful for peace o'er land and sea,
Thankful for signs of liberty,
Thankful for homes, for life and health,
Pleasure and plenty, fame and wealth.

Thankful for friends and loved ones, too,
Thankful for all things, good and true,
Thankful for harvest in the fall,
Thankful to Him who gave it all.