Cantica Gaudia

Advent: Thursday Noonday Prayer

Opening: It is time for you to wake out of sleep, for deliverance is nearer to us now than it was when we first believed.

Psalm: I will exalt you, O God,
Because you have lifted me up
And have not let my enemies triumph over me.
O God, I cried out to you,
And you restored me to health.
You brought me up, O God, from the dead;
You restored my life as I was going down to the grave.

Sing to the Most High, you who serve our God;
Give thanks for the remembrance of God’s holiness.
For the wrath of God endures but the twinkling of an eye,
God’s favor for a lifetime.

Weeping may spend the night,
But joy comes in the morning.

Reading: I was reading about rationalism,
the kind of thing we do up north 
in early winter, where the sun
leaves work for the day at 4:15

Maybe the world is intelligible
to the rational mind;
and maybe we light the lamps at dusk
for nothing...

Then I heard the wings overhead.

The cats and I chased the bat
in circles—living room, kitchen,
pantry, kitchen, living room...
At every turn it evaded us

like the identity of the third person
in the Trinity: the one
who spoke through the prophets,
the one who astounded Mary
by suddenly coming near. 

The Lord’s Prayer:

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 for ever.  Amen.

Prayer: Keep us, O Lord,
while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after you,
and in an affectionate walking with you,
every day of our lives;
that when you come,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor serving the flesh,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious God for ever. Amen.

Going Forth: The divine Spirit dwells in us. Thanks be to God.