Cantica Gaudia

Ordinary Time, Late Summer: Sunday Noonday Prayer

Opening: Our help comes from the Lord, who has made heaven and earth.

Psalm: The one who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,
Abides under the shadow of the Almighty.
That one shall say to the Lord,
“You are my refuge and my stronghold,
My God in whom I put my trust.”
God shall deliver you from the snare of the hunger
And from the deadly pestilence.
You shall be covered by God’s pinions,
And you shall find refuge under God’s wings;
The Lord’s faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.

Reading: Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, "You owe me." Look what happens with a love like that -- it lights the whole world.

The Lord’s Prayer

Creator of all,
Alive in all things and greater than all things,
Your naming be held holy.
Your vision of our goodness be made manifest throughout the universe,
And your desires for us brought to fulfillment.
Give us that which is essential for our growth and work.
Offer forgiveness and healing to us as we forgive and heal those around us.
Protect us from unnecessary suffering and wasteful pain.
For all that is beautiful, strong and glorious has its roots in you
and expresses your will and your nature, which we share in, unendingly.  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: Let us go forth rejoicing in God's love and proclaiming the Good News.