A SPRITUAL COMMUNION FOR USE WHEN CHURCH IS NOT A POSSIBILITY
You could begin by lighting a candle. As you light it, pray:
Lord Jesus you came as a light
that shines in darkness,
and as a light
that darkness cannot overpower (John: 1:5);
enlighten our hearts and minds
to your presence in our midst.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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 say sorry….
You were sent to heal the contrite of heart:
Lord have mercy
You came to call sinners:
Christ have mercy
You are seated at the right hand of the Father
to intercede for us:
Lord have mercy
May almighty God have mercy on us,
forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.
Prayer for the Day
O Jesus Christ, teacher and healer, you heard the cry of the blind beggar when others would have silenced him. Teach us to be attentive to the voices others ignore, that we might respond through the power of the Spirit to heal the afflicted and to welcome the abandoned for your sake and the sake of the gospel.
The Word of God for today: John chapter 9
Jesus saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, for him to have been born blind?’‘Neither he nor his parents sinned,’Jesus answered ‘he was born blind so that God’s works might be displayed in him.‘As long as the day lasts I must carry out the work of the one who sent me;
the night will soon be here when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world.’
Having said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle,
put this over the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (a name that means ‘sent’).
So the blind man went off and washed himself,and came away with his sight restored.
THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC: PRAYERis our action point. Jesus calls us to pray because that is where we find His presence. Jesus acknowledges that in this world, we will have trouble, “but take heart!” He says, “I have overcome the world”
(John 16:33).
· Pray that God would calm fears and that His people would be reminded we have a different identity—one of boldness, not of fear. Pray that the church would be a calming presence and a radiant light in the face of so much confusion and darkness.
· Pray for world leaders as they work with healthcare organizations and the medical community to develop next steps. Pray that all would be united for the common good.
· Pray with researchers and biologists as they work to develop a coronavirus vaccine. Pray for wisdom and insight.
· Pray with first-responders around the world who are tasked with triaging, testing, and treating increasing numbers of people. Ask God to give them patience, wisdom and a gentle spirit as they work to navigate fears and offer effective treatment. Hospitals are seeing unprecedented numbers of patients with symptoms of this virus.
· Pray with church leaders as they offer insight and wisdom to their congregations and communities. Ask God to give them opportunities to be voices of reason, clarity and grace.
· Pray with the families of those who have died, and for those undergoing treatment. Ask God to comfort the broken-hearted and to strengthen those who are suffering physically and emotionally.
· Pray for those whose jobs or hours have been cut due to economic downturn. Pray for parents who are struggling to work and care for their children. Pray that churches would look for ways to reach out to families in their communities to provide for them and show them the love of Christ.
· Pray that God’s people would be unified as one Church, and that we would look to the lives and faith of our persecuted brothers and sisters as we navigate fear and the unknown … that we would look to them for guidance and for hope
· Pray that we as God’s people would be reminded of our hope in Christ and the truth that Jesus has already overcome the world.
Let us lift up our hearts, and give thanks to God.
Glory to God, Source of all being,
Eternal Word and Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be for ever. Amen.
At the Saviour’s command
and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
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.
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom,
the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Time to sit quietly in Our Lord’s Presence,
to receive that Presence spiritually.
“My Jesus, I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart …
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You,”
Pope Francis prayed this on March 21
in his televised daily Mass from the Vatican City.
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the bread of life and the one true vine.
I believe that you are truly present
in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist.
I seek you. I worship and adore you.
Since I cannot receive you in the eucharistic bread and wine,
I pray that you will come into my heart and soul,
that I may be united to you,
by your all-powerful and ever-present Holy Spirit.
Let me receive you, and be nourished by you.
Become for me the manna in my wilderness,
the bread of angels for my very human journey through time,
a foretaste of the heavenly banquet,
and solace in the hour of my death.
I pray all this, trusting that you yourself are our Life,
our Peace, and our everlasting Joy. Amen.
From the Pray Tell Blog, and re-posted by The Church Union
Saint Patrick’s Breastplate
Christ within me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of everyone
who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone
who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.
Christ the Son of God perfect in us the image of his glory, and gladden our hearts with the good news of his kingdom;and the blessing of God Almighty,the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,be upon us, and remain with us always. Amen.
The Light of Christ has pierced the darkness.In that Light,
let us go forth in peace.