Cantica Gaudia

Advent: Tuesday Noonday Prayer

Opening: O God make speed to save us, O Lord make haste to help us.

Psalm: Your hands have made me and fashioned me:
Give me understanding that I may know your mind.
Those who fear you will be glad when they see me,
Because I have put my trust in your word. 
I know that your judgments are right,
That in your faithfulness you have caused me to be troubled.
Let your merciful kindness be my comfort,
According to your promise to your servant.
Let your loving mercies come to me, that I may live,
For your law is my delight.
Let the proud be confounded, who twist us with deceit,
And I will meditate on your wisdom.
Let those who fear you turn to me,
That they may know your truth.

Reading: Gospel expectancy means living without fear and with great hope. It means we live on the edge of things, where things are not completely settled or well-ordered, nor are we certain how exactly they will be settled. So it's where we can think imaginatively, act creatively, and love boldly because we don't have to be afraid that God is watching us to make sure we're getting it right. The only way we couldn't get it right is not to act at all... Certainly we're going to make mistakes... But the freedom of the Gospel is the freedom to live without fear, and that means taking risks.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Holy One,
We honor your name.
Let the world know your justice
Here as everywhere.
Give us the food we need
For both the body and the soul.
Forgive us the wrongs we do
As we forgive the wrongs of others.
Keep us safe from the evil
At large or of our own making.
We trust you for you made us and
We are yours, now and always.  Amen.

Prayer: For the hungry and the overfed
May we have enough.
For the mourners and the mockers
May we laugh together.
For the victims and the oppressors
May we share power wisely.
For the peacemakers and the warmongers
May clear truth and stern love lead us to harmony.
For the silenced and the propagandists
May we speak our own words in truth.
For the unemployed and the overworked
May our impress on the earth be kindly and creative.
For the troubled and the sleek
May we live together as wounded healers.
For the homeless and the cosseted
May our homes be simple, warm and welcoming.
For the vibrant and the dying
May we all die to live. Amen.

Going Forth: Now the God of peace give us peace at all times and in all ways. Amen.