Cantica Gaudia

Season of Lent: Sunday Compline

Confession: O Father, O Son, O Holy Spirit,
Forgive me my sins
O only-begotten Son of the heavenly Father,
Forgive.
O God who is one,
O God who is true,
O God who is first,
O God who is one substance,
O God only mighty,
In three Persons, truly merciful,
Forgive.

Canticle: Jesus, like a mother you gather your people to you;
You are gentle with us as a mother with her children.
Despair turns to hope through your sweet goodness;
Through your gentleness we find comfort in fear.
Your warmth gives life to the dead,
Your touch makes sinners righteous.
Lord Jesus, in your mercy heal us;
In your love and tenderness remake us.
In your compassion bring grace and forgiveness,
For the beauty of heaven may your love prepare us

Reading: I saw that God was everything that is good and encouraging. God is our clothing that wraps, clasps and encloses us so as never to leave us. God showed me in my palm a little thing round as a ball about the size of a hazelnut. I looked at it with the eyes of my understanding and asked myself, "What is this thing?" And I was answered: "It is everything that is created."

I wondered how it could survive since it seemed so little it could suddenly disintegrate into nothing. The answer came: "It endures and ever will endure, because God loves it."

And so everything has being because of God's love.

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:  O God, for your love for us, warm and brooding, which has brought us to birth and opened our eyes to the wonder and beauty of creation, we give you thanks.

For your love for us, wild and freeing, which has awakened us to the energy of creation: to the sap that flows, the blood that pulses, the heart that sings, we give you thanks.

For your love for us, compassionate and patient, which has carried us through our pain, wept beside us in our sin, and waited with us in our confusion, we give you thanks.

For your love for us, strong and challenging, which has called us to risk for you, asked for the best in us, and shown us how to serve, we give you thanks.

O God, we come to celebrate that your Holy Spirit is present deep within us, and at the heart of all life. Forgive us when we forget your gift of love made known to us in Jesus, and draw us into your presence. Amen.

Blessing: Bless us with your kindness and protection, loving God.