Daily Prayers for December 21
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Vamos Todos al Banquete”
Come now and join the feast : right here in the belly of the beast!
Psalm 106:1 – 5
Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good : for his mercy endures for ever.
Who can declare the mighty acts of the Lord : or show forth all his praise?
Happy are those who act with justice : and always do what is right!
Remember me, O Lord, with the favor you have for your -people : and visit me with your saving help;
that I may see the prosperity of your elect and be glad with the gladness of your -people : that I may glory with your inheritance.
Come now and join the feast : right here in the belly of the beast!
Isaiah 11:1 – 9 Luke 1:39 – 56
Come now and join the feast : right here in the belly of the beast!
Contemporary theologian Harvey Cox has written, “Like the jester, Christ defies custom and scorns crowned heads. Like a wandering troubadour, he has no place to lay his head. Like the clown in the circus parade, he satirises existing authority by riding into town replete with regal pageantry when he has no earthly power. Like a minstrel, he frequents dinners and parties. At the end, he is consumed by his enemies in a mocking caricature of royal paraphernalia. He is crucified amidst snickers and taunts with a sign over his head that lampoons his laughable claim.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, help us live so foolishly for you that we draw onlookers and those who would deride us. And while they watch and mock, change all our hearts that we might learn to laugh at the foolishness this world calls normal and run away with the circus that is real life. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 20
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Sing and Rejoice”
Christ is coming. Christ has come : Christ will come again.
Psalm 104:32 – 37
May the glory of the Lord endure for ever : may the Lord rejoice in all his works.
He looks at the earth and it trembles : he touches the mountains and they smoke.
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live : I will praise my God while I have my being.
May these words of mine please him : I will rejoice in the Lord.
Let sinners be consumed out of the earth : and the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul : Hallelujah!
Christ is coming. Christ has come : Christ will come again.
Isaiah 10:20 – 27 Luke 1:26 – 38
Christ is coming. Christ has come : Christ will come again.
Bishop N. T. Wright of Durham has written, “The whole point of what -Jesus was up to was that he was doing close up, in the present, what he was promising long-term in the future. And what he was promising for that future and doing in the present was not saving souls for a disembodied eternity but rescuing -people from the corruption and decay of the way the world presently is so they could enjoy, already in the present, that renewal of creation which is God’s ultimate purpose — and so they could thus become colleagues and partners in that large project.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Thank you, Lord, that your promises are not for some distant future but are to be claimed right now, today. Teach us what we must do and say in our local communities and in our larger world to participate in your promise. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 19
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “We Are Marching in the Light of God”
May your justice be a light to guide us : and your mercy a help on the way.
Psalm 101:1 – 4
I will sing of mercy and justice : to you, O Lord, will I sing praises.
I will strive to follow a blameless course; oh, when will you come to me? : I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.
I will set no worthless thing before my eyes : I hate the doers of evil deeds; they shall not remain with me.
A crooked heart shall be far from me : I will not know evil.
May your justice be a light to guide us : and your mercy a help on the way.
Isaiah 10:5 – 19 Luke 1:5 – 25
May your justice be a light to guide us : and your mercy a help on the way.
Desmond Tutu, a South African bishop and leader in the movement to end apartheid, said, “I don’t preach a social gospel; I preach the gospel, period. The gospel of our Lord -Jesus Christ is concerned for the whole person. When -people were hungry, -Jesus didn’t say, ‘Now is that political or social?’ He said, ‘I feed you.’ Because the good news to a hungry person is bread.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we pray that rather than picking apart your gospel to suit ourselves, we would pick apart the twisted assumption that bread is only for the fortunate, water only for the lucky, and freedom only for the strong. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 18
With the passing of the thirteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, slavery was abolished in the United States on December 18, 1865.
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Go, Tell It on the Mountain”
The Lord is King! Let freedom ring! : Let freedom ring! The Lord is King.
Psalm 96:9 – 13
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness : let the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations: “The Lord is King! : he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved; he will judge the -peoples with equity.”
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea thunder and all that is in it : let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy before the Lord when he comes : when he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteous-ness : and the -peoples with his truth.
The Lord is King! Let freedom ring! : Let freedom ring! The Lord is King.
Isaiah 9:18 – 10:4 John 5:30 – 47
The Lord is King! Let freedom ring! : Let freedom ring! The Lord is King.
Speaking as a former slave, Austin Steward said, “The more we knew of freedom, the more we desired it.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Thank you, Lord, for the signs that confirm you are indeed sovereign and your kingdom will always prevail. May these signs encourage us to persevere in working toward justice for all who have reason to question its possibility in this world. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 17
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “What Wondrous Love”
We bow before your throne, O Lord : to rise and see your face.
Psalm 89:14 – 18
Righteous-ness and justice are the foundations of your throne : love and truth go before your face.
Happy are the -people who know the festal shout! : they walk, O Lord, in the light of your presence.
They rejoice daily in your name : they are jubilant in your righteous-ness.
For you are the glory of their strength : and by your favor our might is exalted.
Truly, the Lord is our ruler : the Holy One of Israel is our King.
We bow before your throne, O Lord : to rise and see your face.
Isaiah 9:8 – 17 John 3:16 – 21
We bow before your throne, O Lord : to rise and see your face.
Clement, one of Peter’s early successors as bishop of Rome, prayed, “O Lord, who brings to naught the designs of the nations, O Ruler, who raises the lowly and humbles the lofty, have mercy on those who are disheartened! Raise us who have fallen, show thyself to those who entreat thee, and heal those who are sick. Feed the hungry, free our captives, strengthen the weak, encourage those who lose heart! All nations shall know that thou alone art God.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we cannot dwell in both light and darkness. Each day we have a choice. Help us choose light, and when we fail in faithful decision-making, have mercy on us. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 16
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Fairest Lord -Jesus”
Rise up, O Lord, and rule the earth : every inch of it is yours.
Psalm 82:1 – 5
God takes his stand in the council of heaven : he gives judgment in the midst of the gods:
“How long will you judge unjustly : and show favor to the wicked?
Save the weak and the orphan : defend the humble and needy;
rescue the weak and the poor : deliver them from the power of the wicked.
They do not know, neither do they understand; they go about in darkness : all the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
Rise up, O Lord, and rule the earth : every inch of it is yours.
Isaiah 9:1 – 7 Matthew 11:2 – 15
Rise up, O Lord, and rule the earth : every inch of it is yours.
Seattle, chief of the Suquamish, asked, “How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. Every part of this earth is sacred to my -people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my -people. We are part of the earth and it is part of us.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, we forget that we do not create our world. Help us remember creation as a gift we are called to serve and watch over. Free us from habits that dishonor the land, and teach us to revel in its bounty with gratitude. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 15
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “Come, Ye Sinners”
Shepherd us, Lord, with your faithful hand : and guide us gently into your land.
Psalm 78:40 – 43
How often the -people disobeyed him in the wilderness : and offended him in the desert!
Again and again they tempted God : and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
They did not remember his power : in the day when he ransomed them from the enemy;
how he wrought his signs in Egypt : and his omens in the field of Zoan.
Shepherd us, Lord, with your faithful hand : and guide us gently into your land.
Isaiah 8:16 – 9:1 Matthew 3:1 – 12
Shepherd us, Lord, with your faithful hand : and guide us gently into your land.
Twentieth-century Jesuit Anthony de Mello said, “In the land of the spirit, you cannot walk by the light of someone else’s lamp. You want to borrow mine. I’d rather teach you how to make your own.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Try as we might, Lord, we cannot carry the full load of another’s burden. Only you can take on our burdens in a way that frees us to walk upright and confident in our future. Help us learn to trust you even as we continue to lend a hand to others. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 14
John of the Cross (1542 – 1591)
Born into poverty in sixteenth-century Spain, Juan de la Cruz joined the Carmelite order at the age of twenty-one. Four years later, he met Teresa of Avila, who was impressed by the young friar and recruited him to help her restore a spirit of radical simplicity to the Carmelites. Their reforms were not welcomed in the days of Spain’s Inquisition, and Juan suffered a great deal of persecution at the hands of his religious brothers. One of the great mystics of the Christian tradition, he teaches us how to draw closer to God during the “dark night of the soul.”
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence”
Where there is no love, let us put love : and so, by your power, draw love out.
Psalm 73:14 – 18
I have been afflicted all day long : and punished every morning.
Had I gone on speaking this way : I should have betrayed the generation of your children.
When I tried to understand these things : it was too hard for me;
until I entered the sanctuary of God : and discerned the end of the wicked.
Surely, you set them in slippery places : you cast them down in ruin.
Where there is no love, let us put love : and so, by your power, draw love out.
Isaiah 8:1 – 15 Luke 22:54 – 69
Where there is no love, let us put love : and so, by your power, draw love out.
John of the Cross wrote, “The soul that is attached to anything, however much good there may be in it, will not arrive at the liberty of divine union. For whether it be a strong wire rope or a slender and delicate thread that holds the bird, it matters not, if it really holds it fast; for until the cord be broken, the bird cannot fly.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
Lord, help us not to despair when you seem far away or when our walk with you proves treacherous. Give us grace to trust your presence even when we feel your absence. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 13
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee : let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Song “O Lord, Have Mercy”
Lord -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Psalm 69:6 – 7, 14 – 15
O God, you know my foolishness : and my faults are not hidden from you.
Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord God of hosts : let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me, O God of Israel.
But as for me, this is my prayer to you : at the time you have set, O Lord:
“In your great mercy, O God : answer me with your unfailing help.”
Lord -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Isaiah 7:10 – 25 Luke 22:39 – 53
Lord -Jesus Christ, Son of God : have mercy on me, a sinner.
Fourth-century poet Ephrem the Syrian wrote, “The word of God is a tree of life that offers us blessed fruit from each of its branches. It is like that rock which was struck open in the wilderness, from which all were offered spiritual drink. Be glad then that you are overwhelmed, and do not be saddened because he has overcome you. A thirsty person is happy when drinking, and not depressed, because the spring is inexhaustible. You can satisfy your thirst without exhausting the spring; then when you thirst again, you can drink from it once more.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
God of abundance, help us live today trusting that there will be enough for tomorrow. Your sources have no end. Teach us to share our resources, believing that the more we give, the more you will provide for all. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
Daily Prayers for December 12
O Lord, let my soul rise up to meet you
as the day rises to meet the sun.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Come, let us sing to the Lord : let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Song “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
In the light of the morning, Lord : tune our hearts to sing your praise.
Psalm 65:5 – 8
Awesome things will you show us in your righteous-ness, O God of our salvation : O Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the seas that are far away.
You make fast the mountains by your power : they are girded about with might.
You still the roaring of the seas : the roaring of their waves, and the clamor of the -peoples.
Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvelous signs : you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.
In the light of the morning, Lord : tune our hearts to sing your praise.
Isaiah 7:1 – 9 Luke 22:31 – 38
In the light of the morning, Lord : tune our hearts to sing your praise.
Paschasius Radbertus, a ninth-century Benedictine, wrote, “The apostles took every care not to be drawn from the right path. They kept watch, observing the universal precepts their master had given to his disciples so as to be ready when he came again. Consequently we must always be on the lookout for Christ’s twofold coming, the one when he comes day after day to stir our consciences, and the other when we shall have to give an account of everything we have done. He comes to us now in order that his future coming may find us prepared.”
Prayers for Others
Our Father
With each new day, help us, Lord, to make our lives a hymn of constant praise to you. Teach us that the sweetest song is stirred when our hands are open in generosity and our feet are quick to bring the good news of your reconciling love to rich and poor alike. Amen.
May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you : wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness : protect you through the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing : at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing : once again into our doors.
