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O Lord, Breaker of Bonds,
Emmanuel, God with Us,
O Jesus, you who call my name,
I hear your voice on the wind this night,
when daybreak seems so far away
and the shadows seem so heavy and close.

O Lord, Breaker of Bonds,
At times like these,
when the tempter comes to whisper
how little I am worth,
how flawed my life is,
thank you for your sweet voice that comes to remind me
how you chose to walk the long hard road
from Bethlehem to Golgotha to tell me that you care,
you who come to me as the Bridegroom
dressed in the thorns and welts and bruises and piercings
that are your wedding robe,
bearing the cross that set me free.

O Lord, Breaker of Bonds,
You who are the Bread of life,
You who feed me with your always living self,
how much you have given to show me
that although my strong right hand is not so strong,
your hand, scarred for love,
has broken apart the bonds of death,
that my will cannot save me from the blows of sin,
but that your grace is sufficient for all my needs,
that my friends, well meaning or not, all stumble,
but you are the one who will be with me at the very end,.
the ever living Word, there before the creation began
who comes to show me the truth that will not fail.

O Lord, Breaker of Bonds,
teach me to trust in your love and mercy,
this day and always,
Amen.