Collect for the Third Sunday of Advent

 

Third Sunday of Advent

Stir up thy power, O Lord, and with great might come

among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins,

let thy bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver

us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and

the Holy Ghost, be honor and glory, world without end.

Amen.

The Collect for the Second Sunday of Advent

 

Second Sunday of Advent

Merciful God, who sent thy messengers the prophets to

preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation:

Give us grace to heed their warnings and forsake our sins,

that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our

Redeemer; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy

Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

God of Grace, I give thanks for your generous love.

From the Society of Saint John the Evangelist - "Brother Give us a Word"

Thanks

God of Grace, I give thanks for your generous love. All that I am and all that I have comes from you.

Teach me to give thanks in all circumstances, and to express my gratitude in worship and loving service, to the glory of your Name. 

Amen.

Trust in the slow work of God

Trust in the slow work of God

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually–let them grow,
Let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.

~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ

The Persistence of God: Prevenient Grace

I have long given thanks for God's persistence in calling people into action to bring about God's Kingdom. In my own life, God has time and again called me to worship, to follow, and to serve God. God's Grace is ever-present, and sticks to us like fly-paper, theologians call this "Prevenient Grace," (going back to Augustine of Hippo) ... God's action in our lives moves alongside us and is wrapped up in our lives. God's persistence in calling Samuel is clearly evident in this morning's reading from the Scriptures in the Daily Office:


1 Samuel 3:1-10
Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.
2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room;
3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was.
4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!"
5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down.
6 The LORD called again, "Samuel!" Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again."
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him.
8 The LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy.
9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 Now the LORD came and stood there, calling as before, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for your servant is listening."