[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.

– O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

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A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 19 (20)

Prayer for victory

The Lord will grant victory to his Anointed One.

May the Lord hear your prayer in the day of tribulation,

  may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

May he send you help from his holy place;

  from Zion, may he extend his protection.

May he remember every one of your sacrifices

  and find merit in your burnt-offerings.

May he deal with you as your heart desires

  and bring all your plans to fulfilment.

We will rejoice in your salvation,

  we will raise our banners in the name of God;

  may the Lord grant all your prayers.

Now I know that the Lord keeps his anointed one safe:

  in his sanctuary in heaven he hears his prayer,

  and lends the support of his strong right hand.

Some put their faith in chariots

  and some in horses,

  but we invoked the name of the Lord our God.

They stumbled and fell,

  but we rose and we stand upright.

Lord, keep the king safe,

  and hear our prayer whenever we call upon you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

The Lord will grant victory to his Anointed One.

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Psalm 20 (21)

Thanksgiving for victory

We shall sing of your power.

Lord, the king will rejoice in your strength,

  he will triumph in your saving power.

You have granted him his heart’s desire,

  you have not denied the wish that he spoke.

For you showered him with blessings

  even before he asked for them.

  You have placed a crown of purest gold upon his head.

He asked you for life,

  and you granted it to him,

  length of days for ever and for ever.

Great is his glory through your help:

  you cover him with splendour and majesty.

You lay a blessing upon him that will last for ever,

  you make him rejoice in joy before you.

For the king hopes in the Lord,

  and through the kindness of the Most High he will not be shaken.

Stand high above us, Lord, in your power;

  and we will sing and celebrate your might.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen.

We shall sing of your power.

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Canticle	Apocalypse 4,5
The song of the redeemed
Lord, you have made us a kingdom and a priesthood for our God.
You are worthy, our Lord and our God,   to receive glory and honour and power; for you made all things,   and it is by your will that they exist and were created. You are worthy, Lord,   to receive the book and open its seals, for you were killed,   and with your blood you have ransomed people   from every tribe and language and people and nation, and made them rulers and priests for God;   and they will rule over the earth. The Lamb is worthy, who was killed,   to receive power and riches and wisdom,   strength and honour, glory and blessing. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,   world without end. Amen.
Lord, you have made us a kingdom and a priesthood for our God.

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Short reading	1 John 3:1,2 ©
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. My dear people, we are already the children of God but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed; all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is.

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Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul rejoices in God my saviour.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,   and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour –   me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed,   because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy,   his mercy lasts for generation after generation   for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength:   he has scattered the proud and conceited,   torn princes from their thrones;   but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things;   the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel,   he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,   to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,   world without end. Amen.
My soul rejoices in God my saviour.

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Prayers and Intercessions

?

Christ the Lord lives among us and we are his adopted people. Let us praise him and offer him our prayers: – Lord, listen to us and show your greatness. Lord, king and ruler of the nations, guide all peoples and all who exercise power   that they may work together for the common good, according to your laws. – Lord, listen to us and show your greatness. You conquered our captivity and took it prisoner:   restore to freedom our brethren who are captive in body or in soul. – Lord, listen to us and show your greatness. May our young grow up irreproachable in your sight   and may they wholeheartedly follow you when you call. – Lord, listen to us and show your greatness. Make children follow your example   and move steadily forward in wisdom and grace. – Lord, listen to us and show your greatness. Take up the dead into your eternal kingdom   where we hope one day to rule at your side. – Lord, listen to us and show your greatness.

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Our Father, who art in Heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

  thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

  and forgive us our trespasses

  as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

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Lord God almighty, we thank you that you have brought us through the day to this evening.

  We lift our hands to you in thanks:

  accept this as our sacrifice to you.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

  God for ever and ever.

Amen.

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May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

Letting Jesus Sleep
June 30, 2009

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Jeffery Bowker, LC

Matthew 8:23-27

As Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying, "Lord, save us! We are perishing!" And he said to them, "Why are you afraid, you of little faith?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed, saying, "What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?"

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come to you in this meditation ready to do whatever it is you ask. Left to myself I often take the easy and convenient path, yet I know the way of a Christian is through the narrow gate. In you I find the reason to abandon the easy path for a more perfect mission of love. I’m ready to learn the meaning of your command: “Follow me.”

Petition: Lord, grant me the grace of a mature faith.

1. God’s Silence, Man’s Faith We can imagine ourselves in the place of the apostles, in this poor boat tossed by the turbulent waves. The situation instantly speaks to our worst of fears; yet Jesus sleeps. Our temptation is to wake him…and too many souls do so through complaining incessantly, despairing attitudes, withdrawing from prayer, or unloading anger on others. When in a moment of trial we find life is no longer under our complete control, the option of meltdown is always at hand. But we mustn’t take that route; instead we must contemplate the power that emanates from the sleeping Christ. Trials are intended by God to draw us closer to him and increase our dependence on him. We have to live from faith; otherwise all that reigns is fear, insecurity and bitterness. The “Silence of Christ” is powerful. To pass over its meaning lightly is to abandon some of the deepest lessons of Christ’s heart. The “Silence of Christ” must teach us.

2. The “Silence of Christ” Speaks to Our Faith What is Christ’s sleep like? As a young mother, Mary watched Jesus sleep many times. Archbishop Martinez writes:

“Jesus was exceedingly beautiful when he spoke the words of eternal life, accomplished wonders, looked with love, pardoned with mercy and caressed with tenderness. But I would like to have seen him while he was sleeping because I could have contemplated him to my heart’s content, without the fascination of his gaze distracting me, without the perfection of his beauty and the glory of his splendor dazzling my eyes and enrapturing my soul. The beauty of Jesus awake is far too great for my smallness. Who could support it? I felt it more suited to me veiled by sleep, as the glory of the sun is more adapted to my eyes when I look at it through a translucent lens” (When Jesus Sleeps, p.15).

May I trust the power of Christ just as much when he chooses not to act as when he does.

3. God’s Eternal Pedagogy Water, a boat, the apostles and Christ… this scene repeats itself over and over again in the Gospel. Water is a symbol of the experiences of life taken on a human level; the boat is the experience of faith on a supernatural level -- it is our life with Christ. Christ’s message is that we can never let our experiences of life overwhelm our experience of faith. We have to live not from the surface level of impressions of the moment, but from the deep channel of faith that reveals the action of God, the wisdom of his Providence and the ultimate destiny of eternity. Faith is what reveals Christ’s presence in our boat; faith is what makes us believe that every wave and wind gust are blessed invitations to confide in the One who rules all. Faith is what permits God to console our hearts, calm our fears and preserve our joy in the midst of problems and difficulties that may take months or years to run their course.

Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know belief makes me vulnerable. But I know that I will not know your love if I do not believe that you can make me happier than I can be by myself. If I do not face the enemies of my soul and my mission and abandon myself to your grace, I will not know your victory.

Resolution: Today I will take a problem and, with complete trust and confidence in him, leave it totally in God’s hands.