lead ever onward to christsseccg.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/hw-book-2016.pdf · may the...
TRANSCRIPT
1
Lead
Ever
oNward
To Christ
A Holy Week Reflection Book
2016
2
Here it is again Holy Week That time when we focus our hearts upon the juxtaposition of
celebration intense tribulation and the surprise of a new thing In other words life The same
life in which we all share Friends family travel meals together extra guests sickness story
telling work healing laughter sorrow misunderstanding ndash itrsquos all there Holy Week gives us
an intense glimpse into the humanity of Jesus It also brings us to the new thing the
resurrection life anew
May the readings prayers and reflections aide you in this final journey of Lent May they help
you approach the humanity of Jesus the reality of those who knew him and the
transformation of the resurrection ndash that approach to the divinity of Jesus ndash an approach to
the triune divine to God to and in the Spirit
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Most powerful Holy Spirit
come down
upon us
and subdue us
From heaven
where the ordinary
is made glorious
and glory seems
but ordinary
bathe us
with the brilliance
of Your light
like dew
Celtic Daily Prayer Evening Prayer
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
3
Bibliography
Imitation of Christ Book Three Chapter 45 On Being Wary of What We Hear pp 165-66
Paraclete Press Brewster MA 1982
A New Zealand Prayer Book A Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Lent The Church of the
Province of New Zealand 1989 Adapted
Celtic Daily Prayer From the Northumbria Community Daily Office Evening Prayer
HarperSanFransco 2002
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries The Episcopal Church
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
BCP Book of Common Prayer Oxford University Press 1990 (1979 Revised Edition)
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Hand with Scripture Nora Vinas Rector Happening 31
Heart Labyrinth Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth designed by Sandi Mino
Mandalas by Krisan Lamberti
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art
by Melanie Weidner
Peace I leave with you my peace I give to you
John 1427a
4
PALM SUNDAY
Almighty ever-living God as an example of humility for the human race you sent our savior
to become incarnate and to submit to the cross grant us the grace to learn from this patient
suffering and so to share in the resurrection through Jesus Christ who is alive with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit one God now and forever Amen
liturgyconzreflectionspalm-sunday
Luke 1928-40 Psalm 1181-2 19-29
As he rode along people kept spreading their cloaks on the road As he was now
approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of the disciples
began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen
saying
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven
Luke 1936-38
Thomas a Kempis in his book Imitation of Christ has an essay entitled ldquoOn Being Wary of
What We Hearrdquo He says ldquoIt is vain therefore to trust in men the safety of the righteous is in
You alone O God A faithful friend is rarely to be found that continues trustworthy in the
distress of his friend How wisely You warn us to beware of men We should not be
carried about with every wind of words but we should desire all things inward and outward
should be accomplished according to the pleasure of Your will In whom shall I put my trust
but You Lord You are the truth who can neither deceive nor be deceivedrdquo1
Christ heard the hosannas and the acclaim of his followers that day as he made his way to
Jerusalem and death They called him ldquoBlessed Kingrdquo and threw palm fronds and cloaks in
his path to honor him He knew that this acclaim was fleeting By Friday he would be standing
alone in front of the people who wanted to kill him There would be no faithful friends who
would continue to be trustworthy in his hours of distress
There are two points to be made here The obvious one is that we cannot rely on the words
of praise that people shout at us Fame is ephemeral ndash it will disappear at the first instance of
trouble We see this occur again and again with celebrities politicians and others Indeed
5
there seems to be whole institutions whose sole reason for being is to create doubt about the
worthiness of the person receiving societyrsquos acclaim ldquoJesus stole that donkeyrdquo He is making
a complete ass of himself by pretending to be a king Look at those uneducated poor who
have been deceived by this huckster A desperate bid for attentionrdquo Fame ndash here today and
gone tomorrow We must not be seduced by the words of men Our only help comes in the
name of the Lord We must live according to his will and ignore the winds of words
The second point is that discipleship imposes real obligations It requires that you stand
trustworthy in times of distress ndash not just when it is easy to do so but also when it is hard We
who are named as Christrsquos own are not ordinary men We are called to do all things through
Christ who strengthens us Let us not be beguiled by praise or acclamation Let us not be
part of a crowd who sing praises one day and then slip away when that seems the safe thing
to do When times are tough when our friends or our Christ needs us the most we must
stand on the Word of God at the foot of the Cross and be present in the suffering It is not
the song of praises that defines us It is standing firm in the howl of hatred
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Jesus when you rode into Jerusalem the people waved palms with shouts of acclamation
Grant that when the shouting dies we may still walk beside you even to a cross Lord Jesus
acclaimed as a king crucified as a criminal teach us to accept our sufferings and triumphs
for your glory alone Amen
A New Zealand Prayer Book
A Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Lent
6
Holy Monday
Almighty God to you all hearts are open all desires known and from you no secrets are hid
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly
love you and worthily magnify your holy Name through Christ our Lord Amen
Book of Common Prayer
Isaiah 421-9 Psalm 365-11 Hebrews 911-15 John 121-11
We do not know too much about the activities of Jesus during the last week of his life Of course we
know the story of Jesus scourging the Temple and chasing away the moneychangers though the
Gospel of John places the event at a different time in Jesusrsquo ministry Obviously we know about the
Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus We know what happened on that long-ago Friday But Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Not so much What was Jesus doing during those days What was he
feeling
7
The Gospel reading for this day states that six days before the Passover Jesus went to a dinner at
Lazarusrsquo home He had raised Lazarus from the dead and wanted to see his friend one last time
before his own death During the dinner Mary took costly perfume and anointed Jesusrsquo feet wiping
them with her own hair Judas Iscariot complained that the expensive oil should not have been wasted
on Jesus but should have been sold and the money given to the poor Jesus told Judas that Mary
bought the oil for his burial ldquoYou always have the poor with you but you wonrsquot always have merdquo
I have always wondered about these words because they suggest that there are times that we can
disregard the needs of the poor Indeed there are those today who use these words to argue that we
may be indifferent to the poor that they because of poor choices or poor moral character deserve
their bad fortune All we need to do is focus on Jesus The poor are always with us like the dirt on the
ground We do not need to worry about them Focus solely on Jesus as the Christ and you are
assured of eternal life
I think that Jesus facing his own death was saying that there is always a time to help the poor They
can be our lifelong ministry But we also need to stop and take a moment to give our love our gift of
self to Jesus We need to take a moment to remember that through his sacrifice of death on the cross
we have eternal life We honor Jesus by feeding the poor ministering to the lonely the imprisoned
the widows and children But we have to step back from these earthly good deeds and spend some
time with Jesus giving him the gift of our gratitude for his service and sacrifice Yes the poor are
always with us but so is our Lord and Savior We can give gifts to both This is the time for us to
absorb the enormity of Christrsquos sacrifice for us This week let us anoint the feet of Jesus with costly oil
and dry them with our hair Next week let us get back to the poor who are always with us Return to
those who always need us and whom God loves also
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Almighty God whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain and entered
not into glory before he was crucified Mercifully grant that we walking in the way of the
cross may find it none other than the way of life and peace through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever
Amen
wwwBeliefnetcom the Way of the Cross Anonymous
8
Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth
designed by Sandi Mino
Holy Tuesday
Spirit of God make us open to others in listening generous to others in giving and sensitive
to others in praying through Jesus Christ our Lord
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Brother Bernard SSF
Ps 71 Isaiah 491-7 1 Corinthians 118-31 John 1220-36
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
2
Here it is again Holy Week That time when we focus our hearts upon the juxtaposition of
celebration intense tribulation and the surprise of a new thing In other words life The same
life in which we all share Friends family travel meals together extra guests sickness story
telling work healing laughter sorrow misunderstanding ndash itrsquos all there Holy Week gives us
an intense glimpse into the humanity of Jesus It also brings us to the new thing the
resurrection life anew
May the readings prayers and reflections aide you in this final journey of Lent May they help
you approach the humanity of Jesus the reality of those who knew him and the
transformation of the resurrection ndash that approach to the divinity of Jesus ndash an approach to
the triune divine to God to and in the Spirit
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Most powerful Holy Spirit
come down
upon us
and subdue us
From heaven
where the ordinary
is made glorious
and glory seems
but ordinary
bathe us
with the brilliance
of Your light
like dew
Celtic Daily Prayer Evening Prayer
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
3
Bibliography
Imitation of Christ Book Three Chapter 45 On Being Wary of What We Hear pp 165-66
Paraclete Press Brewster MA 1982
A New Zealand Prayer Book A Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Lent The Church of the
Province of New Zealand 1989 Adapted
Celtic Daily Prayer From the Northumbria Community Daily Office Evening Prayer
HarperSanFransco 2002
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries The Episcopal Church
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
BCP Book of Common Prayer Oxford University Press 1990 (1979 Revised Edition)
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Hand with Scripture Nora Vinas Rector Happening 31
Heart Labyrinth Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth designed by Sandi Mino
Mandalas by Krisan Lamberti
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art
by Melanie Weidner
Peace I leave with you my peace I give to you
John 1427a
4
PALM SUNDAY
Almighty ever-living God as an example of humility for the human race you sent our savior
to become incarnate and to submit to the cross grant us the grace to learn from this patient
suffering and so to share in the resurrection through Jesus Christ who is alive with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit one God now and forever Amen
liturgyconzreflectionspalm-sunday
Luke 1928-40 Psalm 1181-2 19-29
As he rode along people kept spreading their cloaks on the road As he was now
approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of the disciples
began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen
saying
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven
Luke 1936-38
Thomas a Kempis in his book Imitation of Christ has an essay entitled ldquoOn Being Wary of
What We Hearrdquo He says ldquoIt is vain therefore to trust in men the safety of the righteous is in
You alone O God A faithful friend is rarely to be found that continues trustworthy in the
distress of his friend How wisely You warn us to beware of men We should not be
carried about with every wind of words but we should desire all things inward and outward
should be accomplished according to the pleasure of Your will In whom shall I put my trust
but You Lord You are the truth who can neither deceive nor be deceivedrdquo1
Christ heard the hosannas and the acclaim of his followers that day as he made his way to
Jerusalem and death They called him ldquoBlessed Kingrdquo and threw palm fronds and cloaks in
his path to honor him He knew that this acclaim was fleeting By Friday he would be standing
alone in front of the people who wanted to kill him There would be no faithful friends who
would continue to be trustworthy in his hours of distress
There are two points to be made here The obvious one is that we cannot rely on the words
of praise that people shout at us Fame is ephemeral ndash it will disappear at the first instance of
trouble We see this occur again and again with celebrities politicians and others Indeed
5
there seems to be whole institutions whose sole reason for being is to create doubt about the
worthiness of the person receiving societyrsquos acclaim ldquoJesus stole that donkeyrdquo He is making
a complete ass of himself by pretending to be a king Look at those uneducated poor who
have been deceived by this huckster A desperate bid for attentionrdquo Fame ndash here today and
gone tomorrow We must not be seduced by the words of men Our only help comes in the
name of the Lord We must live according to his will and ignore the winds of words
The second point is that discipleship imposes real obligations It requires that you stand
trustworthy in times of distress ndash not just when it is easy to do so but also when it is hard We
who are named as Christrsquos own are not ordinary men We are called to do all things through
Christ who strengthens us Let us not be beguiled by praise or acclamation Let us not be
part of a crowd who sing praises one day and then slip away when that seems the safe thing
to do When times are tough when our friends or our Christ needs us the most we must
stand on the Word of God at the foot of the Cross and be present in the suffering It is not
the song of praises that defines us It is standing firm in the howl of hatred
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Jesus when you rode into Jerusalem the people waved palms with shouts of acclamation
Grant that when the shouting dies we may still walk beside you even to a cross Lord Jesus
acclaimed as a king crucified as a criminal teach us to accept our sufferings and triumphs
for your glory alone Amen
A New Zealand Prayer Book
A Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Lent
6
Holy Monday
Almighty God to you all hearts are open all desires known and from you no secrets are hid
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly
love you and worthily magnify your holy Name through Christ our Lord Amen
Book of Common Prayer
Isaiah 421-9 Psalm 365-11 Hebrews 911-15 John 121-11
We do not know too much about the activities of Jesus during the last week of his life Of course we
know the story of Jesus scourging the Temple and chasing away the moneychangers though the
Gospel of John places the event at a different time in Jesusrsquo ministry Obviously we know about the
Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus We know what happened on that long-ago Friday But Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Not so much What was Jesus doing during those days What was he
feeling
7
The Gospel reading for this day states that six days before the Passover Jesus went to a dinner at
Lazarusrsquo home He had raised Lazarus from the dead and wanted to see his friend one last time
before his own death During the dinner Mary took costly perfume and anointed Jesusrsquo feet wiping
them with her own hair Judas Iscariot complained that the expensive oil should not have been wasted
on Jesus but should have been sold and the money given to the poor Jesus told Judas that Mary
bought the oil for his burial ldquoYou always have the poor with you but you wonrsquot always have merdquo
I have always wondered about these words because they suggest that there are times that we can
disregard the needs of the poor Indeed there are those today who use these words to argue that we
may be indifferent to the poor that they because of poor choices or poor moral character deserve
their bad fortune All we need to do is focus on Jesus The poor are always with us like the dirt on the
ground We do not need to worry about them Focus solely on Jesus as the Christ and you are
assured of eternal life
I think that Jesus facing his own death was saying that there is always a time to help the poor They
can be our lifelong ministry But we also need to stop and take a moment to give our love our gift of
self to Jesus We need to take a moment to remember that through his sacrifice of death on the cross
we have eternal life We honor Jesus by feeding the poor ministering to the lonely the imprisoned
the widows and children But we have to step back from these earthly good deeds and spend some
time with Jesus giving him the gift of our gratitude for his service and sacrifice Yes the poor are
always with us but so is our Lord and Savior We can give gifts to both This is the time for us to
absorb the enormity of Christrsquos sacrifice for us This week let us anoint the feet of Jesus with costly oil
and dry them with our hair Next week let us get back to the poor who are always with us Return to
those who always need us and whom God loves also
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Almighty God whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain and entered
not into glory before he was crucified Mercifully grant that we walking in the way of the
cross may find it none other than the way of life and peace through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever
Amen
wwwBeliefnetcom the Way of the Cross Anonymous
8
Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth
designed by Sandi Mino
Holy Tuesday
Spirit of God make us open to others in listening generous to others in giving and sensitive
to others in praying through Jesus Christ our Lord
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Brother Bernard SSF
Ps 71 Isaiah 491-7 1 Corinthians 118-31 John 1220-36
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
3
Bibliography
Imitation of Christ Book Three Chapter 45 On Being Wary of What We Hear pp 165-66
Paraclete Press Brewster MA 1982
A New Zealand Prayer Book A Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Lent The Church of the
Province of New Zealand 1989 Adapted
Celtic Daily Prayer From the Northumbria Community Daily Office Evening Prayer
HarperSanFransco 2002
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries The Episcopal Church
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
BCP Book of Common Prayer Oxford University Press 1990 (1979 Revised Edition)
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Hand with Scripture Nora Vinas Rector Happening 31
Heart Labyrinth Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth designed by Sandi Mino
Mandalas by Krisan Lamberti
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art
by Melanie Weidner
Peace I leave with you my peace I give to you
John 1427a
4
PALM SUNDAY
Almighty ever-living God as an example of humility for the human race you sent our savior
to become incarnate and to submit to the cross grant us the grace to learn from this patient
suffering and so to share in the resurrection through Jesus Christ who is alive with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit one God now and forever Amen
liturgyconzreflectionspalm-sunday
Luke 1928-40 Psalm 1181-2 19-29
As he rode along people kept spreading their cloaks on the road As he was now
approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of the disciples
began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen
saying
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven
Luke 1936-38
Thomas a Kempis in his book Imitation of Christ has an essay entitled ldquoOn Being Wary of
What We Hearrdquo He says ldquoIt is vain therefore to trust in men the safety of the righteous is in
You alone O God A faithful friend is rarely to be found that continues trustworthy in the
distress of his friend How wisely You warn us to beware of men We should not be
carried about with every wind of words but we should desire all things inward and outward
should be accomplished according to the pleasure of Your will In whom shall I put my trust
but You Lord You are the truth who can neither deceive nor be deceivedrdquo1
Christ heard the hosannas and the acclaim of his followers that day as he made his way to
Jerusalem and death They called him ldquoBlessed Kingrdquo and threw palm fronds and cloaks in
his path to honor him He knew that this acclaim was fleeting By Friday he would be standing
alone in front of the people who wanted to kill him There would be no faithful friends who
would continue to be trustworthy in his hours of distress
There are two points to be made here The obvious one is that we cannot rely on the words
of praise that people shout at us Fame is ephemeral ndash it will disappear at the first instance of
trouble We see this occur again and again with celebrities politicians and others Indeed
5
there seems to be whole institutions whose sole reason for being is to create doubt about the
worthiness of the person receiving societyrsquos acclaim ldquoJesus stole that donkeyrdquo He is making
a complete ass of himself by pretending to be a king Look at those uneducated poor who
have been deceived by this huckster A desperate bid for attentionrdquo Fame ndash here today and
gone tomorrow We must not be seduced by the words of men Our only help comes in the
name of the Lord We must live according to his will and ignore the winds of words
The second point is that discipleship imposes real obligations It requires that you stand
trustworthy in times of distress ndash not just when it is easy to do so but also when it is hard We
who are named as Christrsquos own are not ordinary men We are called to do all things through
Christ who strengthens us Let us not be beguiled by praise or acclamation Let us not be
part of a crowd who sing praises one day and then slip away when that seems the safe thing
to do When times are tough when our friends or our Christ needs us the most we must
stand on the Word of God at the foot of the Cross and be present in the suffering It is not
the song of praises that defines us It is standing firm in the howl of hatred
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Jesus when you rode into Jerusalem the people waved palms with shouts of acclamation
Grant that when the shouting dies we may still walk beside you even to a cross Lord Jesus
acclaimed as a king crucified as a criminal teach us to accept our sufferings and triumphs
for your glory alone Amen
A New Zealand Prayer Book
A Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Lent
6
Holy Monday
Almighty God to you all hearts are open all desires known and from you no secrets are hid
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly
love you and worthily magnify your holy Name through Christ our Lord Amen
Book of Common Prayer
Isaiah 421-9 Psalm 365-11 Hebrews 911-15 John 121-11
We do not know too much about the activities of Jesus during the last week of his life Of course we
know the story of Jesus scourging the Temple and chasing away the moneychangers though the
Gospel of John places the event at a different time in Jesusrsquo ministry Obviously we know about the
Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus We know what happened on that long-ago Friday But Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Not so much What was Jesus doing during those days What was he
feeling
7
The Gospel reading for this day states that six days before the Passover Jesus went to a dinner at
Lazarusrsquo home He had raised Lazarus from the dead and wanted to see his friend one last time
before his own death During the dinner Mary took costly perfume and anointed Jesusrsquo feet wiping
them with her own hair Judas Iscariot complained that the expensive oil should not have been wasted
on Jesus but should have been sold and the money given to the poor Jesus told Judas that Mary
bought the oil for his burial ldquoYou always have the poor with you but you wonrsquot always have merdquo
I have always wondered about these words because they suggest that there are times that we can
disregard the needs of the poor Indeed there are those today who use these words to argue that we
may be indifferent to the poor that they because of poor choices or poor moral character deserve
their bad fortune All we need to do is focus on Jesus The poor are always with us like the dirt on the
ground We do not need to worry about them Focus solely on Jesus as the Christ and you are
assured of eternal life
I think that Jesus facing his own death was saying that there is always a time to help the poor They
can be our lifelong ministry But we also need to stop and take a moment to give our love our gift of
self to Jesus We need to take a moment to remember that through his sacrifice of death on the cross
we have eternal life We honor Jesus by feeding the poor ministering to the lonely the imprisoned
the widows and children But we have to step back from these earthly good deeds and spend some
time with Jesus giving him the gift of our gratitude for his service and sacrifice Yes the poor are
always with us but so is our Lord and Savior We can give gifts to both This is the time for us to
absorb the enormity of Christrsquos sacrifice for us This week let us anoint the feet of Jesus with costly oil
and dry them with our hair Next week let us get back to the poor who are always with us Return to
those who always need us and whom God loves also
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Almighty God whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain and entered
not into glory before he was crucified Mercifully grant that we walking in the way of the
cross may find it none other than the way of life and peace through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever
Amen
wwwBeliefnetcom the Way of the Cross Anonymous
8
Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth
designed by Sandi Mino
Holy Tuesday
Spirit of God make us open to others in listening generous to others in giving and sensitive
to others in praying through Jesus Christ our Lord
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Brother Bernard SSF
Ps 71 Isaiah 491-7 1 Corinthians 118-31 John 1220-36
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
4
PALM SUNDAY
Almighty ever-living God as an example of humility for the human race you sent our savior
to become incarnate and to submit to the cross grant us the grace to learn from this patient
suffering and so to share in the resurrection through Jesus Christ who is alive with you in
the unity of the Holy Spirit one God now and forever Amen
liturgyconzreflectionspalm-sunday
Luke 1928-40 Psalm 1181-2 19-29
As he rode along people kept spreading their cloaks on the road As he was now
approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives the whole multitude of the disciples
began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen
saying
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heaven
Luke 1936-38
Thomas a Kempis in his book Imitation of Christ has an essay entitled ldquoOn Being Wary of
What We Hearrdquo He says ldquoIt is vain therefore to trust in men the safety of the righteous is in
You alone O God A faithful friend is rarely to be found that continues trustworthy in the
distress of his friend How wisely You warn us to beware of men We should not be
carried about with every wind of words but we should desire all things inward and outward
should be accomplished according to the pleasure of Your will In whom shall I put my trust
but You Lord You are the truth who can neither deceive nor be deceivedrdquo1
Christ heard the hosannas and the acclaim of his followers that day as he made his way to
Jerusalem and death They called him ldquoBlessed Kingrdquo and threw palm fronds and cloaks in
his path to honor him He knew that this acclaim was fleeting By Friday he would be standing
alone in front of the people who wanted to kill him There would be no faithful friends who
would continue to be trustworthy in his hours of distress
There are two points to be made here The obvious one is that we cannot rely on the words
of praise that people shout at us Fame is ephemeral ndash it will disappear at the first instance of
trouble We see this occur again and again with celebrities politicians and others Indeed
5
there seems to be whole institutions whose sole reason for being is to create doubt about the
worthiness of the person receiving societyrsquos acclaim ldquoJesus stole that donkeyrdquo He is making
a complete ass of himself by pretending to be a king Look at those uneducated poor who
have been deceived by this huckster A desperate bid for attentionrdquo Fame ndash here today and
gone tomorrow We must not be seduced by the words of men Our only help comes in the
name of the Lord We must live according to his will and ignore the winds of words
The second point is that discipleship imposes real obligations It requires that you stand
trustworthy in times of distress ndash not just when it is easy to do so but also when it is hard We
who are named as Christrsquos own are not ordinary men We are called to do all things through
Christ who strengthens us Let us not be beguiled by praise or acclamation Let us not be
part of a crowd who sing praises one day and then slip away when that seems the safe thing
to do When times are tough when our friends or our Christ needs us the most we must
stand on the Word of God at the foot of the Cross and be present in the suffering It is not
the song of praises that defines us It is standing firm in the howl of hatred
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Jesus when you rode into Jerusalem the people waved palms with shouts of acclamation
Grant that when the shouting dies we may still walk beside you even to a cross Lord Jesus
acclaimed as a king crucified as a criminal teach us to accept our sufferings and triumphs
for your glory alone Amen
A New Zealand Prayer Book
A Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Lent
6
Holy Monday
Almighty God to you all hearts are open all desires known and from you no secrets are hid
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly
love you and worthily magnify your holy Name through Christ our Lord Amen
Book of Common Prayer
Isaiah 421-9 Psalm 365-11 Hebrews 911-15 John 121-11
We do not know too much about the activities of Jesus during the last week of his life Of course we
know the story of Jesus scourging the Temple and chasing away the moneychangers though the
Gospel of John places the event at a different time in Jesusrsquo ministry Obviously we know about the
Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus We know what happened on that long-ago Friday But Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Not so much What was Jesus doing during those days What was he
feeling
7
The Gospel reading for this day states that six days before the Passover Jesus went to a dinner at
Lazarusrsquo home He had raised Lazarus from the dead and wanted to see his friend one last time
before his own death During the dinner Mary took costly perfume and anointed Jesusrsquo feet wiping
them with her own hair Judas Iscariot complained that the expensive oil should not have been wasted
on Jesus but should have been sold and the money given to the poor Jesus told Judas that Mary
bought the oil for his burial ldquoYou always have the poor with you but you wonrsquot always have merdquo
I have always wondered about these words because they suggest that there are times that we can
disregard the needs of the poor Indeed there are those today who use these words to argue that we
may be indifferent to the poor that they because of poor choices or poor moral character deserve
their bad fortune All we need to do is focus on Jesus The poor are always with us like the dirt on the
ground We do not need to worry about them Focus solely on Jesus as the Christ and you are
assured of eternal life
I think that Jesus facing his own death was saying that there is always a time to help the poor They
can be our lifelong ministry But we also need to stop and take a moment to give our love our gift of
self to Jesus We need to take a moment to remember that through his sacrifice of death on the cross
we have eternal life We honor Jesus by feeding the poor ministering to the lonely the imprisoned
the widows and children But we have to step back from these earthly good deeds and spend some
time with Jesus giving him the gift of our gratitude for his service and sacrifice Yes the poor are
always with us but so is our Lord and Savior We can give gifts to both This is the time for us to
absorb the enormity of Christrsquos sacrifice for us This week let us anoint the feet of Jesus with costly oil
and dry them with our hair Next week let us get back to the poor who are always with us Return to
those who always need us and whom God loves also
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Almighty God whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain and entered
not into glory before he was crucified Mercifully grant that we walking in the way of the
cross may find it none other than the way of life and peace through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever
Amen
wwwBeliefnetcom the Way of the Cross Anonymous
8
Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth
designed by Sandi Mino
Holy Tuesday
Spirit of God make us open to others in listening generous to others in giving and sensitive
to others in praying through Jesus Christ our Lord
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Brother Bernard SSF
Ps 71 Isaiah 491-7 1 Corinthians 118-31 John 1220-36
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
5
there seems to be whole institutions whose sole reason for being is to create doubt about the
worthiness of the person receiving societyrsquos acclaim ldquoJesus stole that donkeyrdquo He is making
a complete ass of himself by pretending to be a king Look at those uneducated poor who
have been deceived by this huckster A desperate bid for attentionrdquo Fame ndash here today and
gone tomorrow We must not be seduced by the words of men Our only help comes in the
name of the Lord We must live according to his will and ignore the winds of words
The second point is that discipleship imposes real obligations It requires that you stand
trustworthy in times of distress ndash not just when it is easy to do so but also when it is hard We
who are named as Christrsquos own are not ordinary men We are called to do all things through
Christ who strengthens us Let us not be beguiled by praise or acclamation Let us not be
part of a crowd who sing praises one day and then slip away when that seems the safe thing
to do When times are tough when our friends or our Christ needs us the most we must
stand on the Word of God at the foot of the Cross and be present in the suffering It is not
the song of praises that defines us It is standing firm in the howl of hatred
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Jesus when you rode into Jerusalem the people waved palms with shouts of acclamation
Grant that when the shouting dies we may still walk beside you even to a cross Lord Jesus
acclaimed as a king crucified as a criminal teach us to accept our sufferings and triumphs
for your glory alone Amen
A New Zealand Prayer Book
A Collect for the Sixth Sunday in Lent
6
Holy Monday
Almighty God to you all hearts are open all desires known and from you no secrets are hid
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly
love you and worthily magnify your holy Name through Christ our Lord Amen
Book of Common Prayer
Isaiah 421-9 Psalm 365-11 Hebrews 911-15 John 121-11
We do not know too much about the activities of Jesus during the last week of his life Of course we
know the story of Jesus scourging the Temple and chasing away the moneychangers though the
Gospel of John places the event at a different time in Jesusrsquo ministry Obviously we know about the
Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus We know what happened on that long-ago Friday But Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Not so much What was Jesus doing during those days What was he
feeling
7
The Gospel reading for this day states that six days before the Passover Jesus went to a dinner at
Lazarusrsquo home He had raised Lazarus from the dead and wanted to see his friend one last time
before his own death During the dinner Mary took costly perfume and anointed Jesusrsquo feet wiping
them with her own hair Judas Iscariot complained that the expensive oil should not have been wasted
on Jesus but should have been sold and the money given to the poor Jesus told Judas that Mary
bought the oil for his burial ldquoYou always have the poor with you but you wonrsquot always have merdquo
I have always wondered about these words because they suggest that there are times that we can
disregard the needs of the poor Indeed there are those today who use these words to argue that we
may be indifferent to the poor that they because of poor choices or poor moral character deserve
their bad fortune All we need to do is focus on Jesus The poor are always with us like the dirt on the
ground We do not need to worry about them Focus solely on Jesus as the Christ and you are
assured of eternal life
I think that Jesus facing his own death was saying that there is always a time to help the poor They
can be our lifelong ministry But we also need to stop and take a moment to give our love our gift of
self to Jesus We need to take a moment to remember that through his sacrifice of death on the cross
we have eternal life We honor Jesus by feeding the poor ministering to the lonely the imprisoned
the widows and children But we have to step back from these earthly good deeds and spend some
time with Jesus giving him the gift of our gratitude for his service and sacrifice Yes the poor are
always with us but so is our Lord and Savior We can give gifts to both This is the time for us to
absorb the enormity of Christrsquos sacrifice for us This week let us anoint the feet of Jesus with costly oil
and dry them with our hair Next week let us get back to the poor who are always with us Return to
those who always need us and whom God loves also
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Almighty God whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain and entered
not into glory before he was crucified Mercifully grant that we walking in the way of the
cross may find it none other than the way of life and peace through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever
Amen
wwwBeliefnetcom the Way of the Cross Anonymous
8
Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth
designed by Sandi Mino
Holy Tuesday
Spirit of God make us open to others in listening generous to others in giving and sensitive
to others in praying through Jesus Christ our Lord
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Brother Bernard SSF
Ps 71 Isaiah 491-7 1 Corinthians 118-31 John 1220-36
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
6
Holy Monday
Almighty God to you all hearts are open all desires known and from you no secrets are hid
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit that we may perfectly
love you and worthily magnify your holy Name through Christ our Lord Amen
Book of Common Prayer
Isaiah 421-9 Psalm 365-11 Hebrews 911-15 John 121-11
We do not know too much about the activities of Jesus during the last week of his life Of course we
know the story of Jesus scourging the Temple and chasing away the moneychangers though the
Gospel of John places the event at a different time in Jesusrsquo ministry Obviously we know about the
Last Supper and the arrest of Jesus We know what happened on that long-ago Friday But Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Not so much What was Jesus doing during those days What was he
feeling
7
The Gospel reading for this day states that six days before the Passover Jesus went to a dinner at
Lazarusrsquo home He had raised Lazarus from the dead and wanted to see his friend one last time
before his own death During the dinner Mary took costly perfume and anointed Jesusrsquo feet wiping
them with her own hair Judas Iscariot complained that the expensive oil should not have been wasted
on Jesus but should have been sold and the money given to the poor Jesus told Judas that Mary
bought the oil for his burial ldquoYou always have the poor with you but you wonrsquot always have merdquo
I have always wondered about these words because they suggest that there are times that we can
disregard the needs of the poor Indeed there are those today who use these words to argue that we
may be indifferent to the poor that they because of poor choices or poor moral character deserve
their bad fortune All we need to do is focus on Jesus The poor are always with us like the dirt on the
ground We do not need to worry about them Focus solely on Jesus as the Christ and you are
assured of eternal life
I think that Jesus facing his own death was saying that there is always a time to help the poor They
can be our lifelong ministry But we also need to stop and take a moment to give our love our gift of
self to Jesus We need to take a moment to remember that through his sacrifice of death on the cross
we have eternal life We honor Jesus by feeding the poor ministering to the lonely the imprisoned
the widows and children But we have to step back from these earthly good deeds and spend some
time with Jesus giving him the gift of our gratitude for his service and sacrifice Yes the poor are
always with us but so is our Lord and Savior We can give gifts to both This is the time for us to
absorb the enormity of Christrsquos sacrifice for us This week let us anoint the feet of Jesus with costly oil
and dry them with our hair Next week let us get back to the poor who are always with us Return to
those who always need us and whom God loves also
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Almighty God whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain and entered
not into glory before he was crucified Mercifully grant that we walking in the way of the
cross may find it none other than the way of life and peace through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever
Amen
wwwBeliefnetcom the Way of the Cross Anonymous
8
Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth
designed by Sandi Mino
Holy Tuesday
Spirit of God make us open to others in listening generous to others in giving and sensitive
to others in praying through Jesus Christ our Lord
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Brother Bernard SSF
Ps 71 Isaiah 491-7 1 Corinthians 118-31 John 1220-36
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
7
The Gospel reading for this day states that six days before the Passover Jesus went to a dinner at
Lazarusrsquo home He had raised Lazarus from the dead and wanted to see his friend one last time
before his own death During the dinner Mary took costly perfume and anointed Jesusrsquo feet wiping
them with her own hair Judas Iscariot complained that the expensive oil should not have been wasted
on Jesus but should have been sold and the money given to the poor Jesus told Judas that Mary
bought the oil for his burial ldquoYou always have the poor with you but you wonrsquot always have merdquo
I have always wondered about these words because they suggest that there are times that we can
disregard the needs of the poor Indeed there are those today who use these words to argue that we
may be indifferent to the poor that they because of poor choices or poor moral character deserve
their bad fortune All we need to do is focus on Jesus The poor are always with us like the dirt on the
ground We do not need to worry about them Focus solely on Jesus as the Christ and you are
assured of eternal life
I think that Jesus facing his own death was saying that there is always a time to help the poor They
can be our lifelong ministry But we also need to stop and take a moment to give our love our gift of
self to Jesus We need to take a moment to remember that through his sacrifice of death on the cross
we have eternal life We honor Jesus by feeding the poor ministering to the lonely the imprisoned
the widows and children But we have to step back from these earthly good deeds and spend some
time with Jesus giving him the gift of our gratitude for his service and sacrifice Yes the poor are
always with us but so is our Lord and Savior We can give gifts to both This is the time for us to
absorb the enormity of Christrsquos sacrifice for us This week let us anoint the feet of Jesus with costly oil
and dry them with our hair Next week let us get back to the poor who are always with us Return to
those who always need us and whom God loves also
~ Kay Seibert
Prayer
Almighty God whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain and entered
not into glory before he was crucified Mercifully grant that we walking in the way of the
cross may find it none other than the way of life and peace through Jesus Christ your Son
our Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever
Amen
wwwBeliefnetcom the Way of the Cross Anonymous
8
Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth
designed by Sandi Mino
Holy Tuesday
Spirit of God make us open to others in listening generous to others in giving and sensitive
to others in praying through Jesus Christ our Lord
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Brother Bernard SSF
Ps 71 Isaiah 491-7 1 Corinthians 118-31 John 1220-36
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
8
Pintrest Healing Heart Labyrinth
designed by Sandi Mino
Holy Tuesday
Spirit of God make us open to others in listening generous to others in giving and sensitive
to others in praying through Jesus Christ our Lord
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Brother Bernard SSF
Ps 71 Isaiah 491-7 1 Corinthians 118-31 John 1220-36
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
9
In you O LORD I take refuge let me never be put to shame In your righteousness deliver me
and rescue me incline your ear to me and save me Be to me a rock of refuge a strong
fortress to save me for you are my rock and my fortress Rescue me O my God from the
hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel For you O Lord are my hope my
trust O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to help me
Psalm 711-5a 12
Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks They came to
Philip who was from Bethsaida in Galilee and said to him lsquoSir we wish to see Jesusrsquo Philip
went and told Andrew then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus Jesus answered them
lsquoThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified Very truly I tell you unless a grain of
wheat falls into the earth and dies it remains just a single grain but if it dies it bears much
fruit Those who love their life lose it and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for
eternal life Whoever serves me must follow me and where I am there will my servant be
also Whoever serves me the Father will honor
lsquoNow my soul is troubled And what should I say mdash ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo No it is
for this reason that I have come to this hour Father glorify your namersquo Then a voice came
from heaven lsquoI have glorified it and I will glorify it againrsquo The crowd standing there heard it
and said that it was thunder Others said lsquoAn angel has spoken to himrsquo Jesus answered
lsquoThis voice has come for your sake not for mine Now is the judgement of this world now the
ruler of this world will be driven out And I when I am lifted up from the earth will draw all
people to myselfrsquo He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die The crowd
answered him lsquoWe have heard from the law that the Messiah remains forever How can you
say that the Son of Man must be lifted up Who is this Son of Manrsquo Jesus said to them lsquoThe
light is with you for a little longer Walk while you have the light so that the darkness may not
overtake you If you walk in the darkness you do not know where you are going While you
have the light believe in the light so that you may become children of lightrsquo After Jesus had
said this he departed and hid from them
John 1220-36 Wow Jesus declares he will draw all people unto himself All people all sins all ills ndash ALL
Walk with the light believe in the light become the light ndash this is a command The first is a
gift a gift given freely and just there mdash uniting humanity and the divine The second is a set
of marching orders we are called into action to DO something If we believe in the light of
Jesus we are to become the light and that light must shine it must be shared to be light How
are you called to be the light of Christ in the world Are you the one people just talk to on
occasion a listener someone others seek out for guidance Are you called to social action
teaching healing Is your gift to seek justice speak truth in difficult situations or to provide
hospitality The list goes on and on What are you called to do Are you in action Do you
feel something new tugging at you
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
10
The other wow is that even Jesus has a weak moment ldquoFather save me from this hourrdquo If
Jesus can have a weak moment that too is a light for us This light says we do not need to
beat ourselves up emotionally when we are not quite where we think God wants us to at this
time in our life Jesus refocuses ldquonot my will but yoursrdquo Another ray of light we too can
refocus start over or answer that tug This might be particularly pertinent when we feel
something new tugging and grappling with the switch It can also be pertinent when life gives
us difficult stuff with which to wade through
We all have difficult periods in life To get through those periods allow the light of others to
shine over you to share their light with you when yours feels dim Prayers a listening ear a
place to rant a hand to help someone to drive or sit or cook ndash this is the Psalm in action ldquoIn
you Lord do I take refuge O God do not be far from me O my God make haste to
help merdquo Is this where you are at the moment Or are you the one that can answer the call
This action is the community we refer to as the church Be the hands of St Stephen ndash and
sometimes that means be the one getting the hand or hug and sometimes you are giving it
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Lord You have always given bread for the coming day and though I am poor
today I believe
Lord You have always given strength for the coming day and though I am weak
today I believe
Lord You have always given peace for the coming day and though of anxious heart
today I believe
Lord You have always kept me safe in trials and now tried as I am
today I believe
Lord You have always marked the road for the coming day and though it may be hidden
today I believe
Lord You have always spoken when time was ripe and though you be silent now
today I believe3
Celtic Daily Prayer Daily Office Evening Prayer
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
11
Happening 31
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
12
Holy Wednesday
Teach us Your ways O Lord and let us walk in Your truth We put behind us our stubborn
independence and turn again to You Amen
Isaiah 504-9a Psalm 70 Hebrews 121-3 John 1321-32
The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of a teacher that I may know how to sustain the
weary with a word Morning by morning he wakensmdashwakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught The Lord GOD has opened my ear and I was not rebellious I did not turn
backwards I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks to those who pulled out
the beard I did not hide my face from insult and spitting The Lord GOD helps me therefore I
have not been disgraced therefore I have set my face like flint and I know that I shall not be
put to shame he who vindicates me is near Who will contend with me Let us stand up
together Who are my adversaries Let them confront me It is the Lord GOD who helps me
who will declare me guilty All of them will wear out like a garment the moth will eat them up Isaiah 504-9a
Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses let us also lay aside
every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that
is set before us looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfector of our faith who for the sake
of the joy that was set before him endured the cross disregarding its shame and has taken
his seat at the right hand of the throne of God Consider him who endured such hostility
against himself from sinners so that you may not grow weary or lose heart
Hebrews 121-3
Be pleased O God to deliver me O LORD make haste to help me
Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me
Let those who say lsquoAha Aharsquo turn back because of their shame
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you
Let those who love your salvation say evermore lsquoGod is greatrsquo
But I am poor and needy hasten to me O God
You are my help and my deliverer O LORD do not delay
Psalm 70
After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit and declared lsquoVery truly I tell you one of you
will betray mersquo The disciples looked at one another uncertain of whom he was
speaking One of his disciples the one whom Jesus loved was reclining next to him Simon
Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking So while reclining
next to Jesus he asked him lsquoLord who is itrsquo Jesus answered lsquoIt is the one to whom I give
this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dishrsquo So when he had dipped the piece of
bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot After he received the piece of bread Satan
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
13
entered into him Jesus said to him lsquoDo quickly what you are going to dorsquo Now no one at the
table knew why he said this to him Some thought that because Judas had the common
purse Jesus was telling him lsquoBuy what we need for the festivalrsquo or that he should give
something to the poor So after receiving the piece of bread he immediately went out And it
was night When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and
God has been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in
himself and will glorify him at once
John 1321-32
Ἀ Ω
Today we see the clouds beginning to gather shrouding the sun casting ominous shadows
over the joy and celebration of the previous days The scriptures although still encouraging
take a darker tone There are no ldquoHosannasrdquo today God is present we are repeatedly told
always with us ready to hear our cry for help
All are reminded that we will be heard in our times of trial in difficulty danger pain and
suffering We are not condemned to face the dark hours alone Our faith gives us comfort
Gods power will sustain us against any adversary
We look to Jesus as our model In his humanity He experienced everything that we face in
our lives He knew temptation fear pain loss solitude abandonment When we lift up our
struggles we know that Jesus has shared them knows completely our suffering and journeys
with us
~ Chris Steinmetz
Prayer
O Lord you know our needs before we ask but it is in coming to you in conversation where
we meet you O Lord make haste to help me _____________________________________
Father and mother of us all I give you thanks for __________________________________
Make me aware dear God of the eye that beholds me the hand that holds me the heart that
loves me and the Presence that enfolds me Amen KL
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
14
Maundy Thursday
Lord as I read the psalms let me hear you singing As I read your words let me hear you
speaking As I reflect on each page let me see your image And as I seek to put your
precepts into practice let my heart be filled with joy Amen
Cappadocian Prayer 2000 Years of Prayer
Ps 1161 10-17 Exodus 121-4 (5-10) 11-14 1 Corinthians 1123-26
John 131-17 31b-35
I love the LORD because he has heard my voice and my supplications I kept my faith even
when I said lsquoI am greatly afflictedrsquo I said in my consternation lsquoEveryone is a liarrsquo What shall I
return to the LORD for all his bounty to me I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the
name of the LORD I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people Precious
in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones O LORD I am your servant I am your
servant the child of your serving-maid You have loosed my bonds I will offer to you a
thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD
Psalm 116
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and
said lsquoThis is my body that is for you Do this in remembrance of mersquo In the same way he
took the cup also after supper saying lsquoThis cup is the new covenant in my blood Do this as
often as you drink it in remembrance of mersquo For as often as you eat this bread and drink the
cup you proclaim the Lordrsquos death until he comes
I Corinthians 1123-26
Now before the festival of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from
this world and go to the Father Having loved his own who were in the world he loved them
to the end The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray
him And during supper Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands
and that he had come from God and was going to God got up from the table took off his
outer robe and tied a towel around himself Then he poured water into a basin and began to
wash the disciplesrsquo feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him He came to
Simon Peter who said to him lsquoLord are you going to wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoYou
do not know now what I am doing but later you will understandrsquo Peter said to him lsquoYou will
never wash my feetrsquo Jesus answered lsquoUnless I wash you you have no share with mersquo
Simon Peter said to him lsquoLord not my feet only but also my hands and my headrsquo Jesus said
to him lsquoOne who has bathed does not need to wash except for the feet but is entirely clean
And you are clean though not all of yoursquo For he knew who was to betray him for this reason
he said lsquoNot all of you are cleanrsquo
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
15
After he had washed their feet had put on his robe and had returned to the table he said to
them lsquoDo you know what I have done to you You call me Teacher and Lordmdashand you are
right for that is what I am So if I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet you also
ought to wash one anotherrsquos feet For I have set you an example that you also should do as I
have done to you Very truly I tell you servants are not greater than their master nor are
messengers greater than the one who sent them If you know these things you are blessed if
you do them
When he had gone out Jesus said lsquoNow the Son of Man has been glorified and God has
been glorified in him If God has been glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and
will glorify him at once Little children I am with you only a little longer You will look for me
and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you ldquoWhere I am going you cannot comerdquo I give
you a new commandment that you love one another Just as I have loved you you also
should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have
love for one another
John 131-17 31b-35
The readings for today are a wonderful verbal description of some basic tenements of our
faith The Psalm gives us prayer at its most intimate God hears us and answers In return we
are to do the same for others Listen Serve Love
This can be as simple as the foot washing found in our gospel reading or in the collection of
small toiletries for the St Stephenrsquos Ladies of the Closet which are then given to those in
need Following the example of Jesus can be as profound as teaching preaching visiting
those that are ill or some act in between The wonderful thing is that there are as many ways
to follow the example of Jesus in the world as we can imagine
Paul invites us into the ultimate ldquothinrdquo place (as the Celts would say) ndash that place where we
can encounter Christ and the disciples of the past present and future ndash the Eucharist It
connects us to our Jewish heritage as it hints at the Passover where families gather to remind
each of how God acts in history salvation history When we join together at the table we are
present (in that Jewish sense) in the upper room with our fellow travelers to the table and
with those who are yet to come Eating together again something intimate a table we share
with family and friends The empty chair left for Elijah (Jewish practice) reminds us to be open
to welcoming the stranger as well
Prayer service communion ndash listen serve love Tenements of our faith that show our
connection with God Tenements of our faith that remind us to tend to Elijahrsquos chair ldquoFor I
have set you an example that you also should do as I have done to you Just as I have loved
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
16
you you also should love one another By this everyone will know that you are my disciples
if you have love for one anotherrdquo
~ Krisan Lamberti
Prayer
Eternal Spirit Earth-maker Pain-bearer Life-giver Source of all that is and that shall be
Father and Mother of us all Loving God in whom is heaven The hallowing of your name
echo through the universe The way of your justice be followed by the peoples of the world
Your heavenly will be done by all created beings Your commonwealth of peace and freedom
sustain our hope and come on earth With the bread we need for today feed us In the hurts
we absorb from one another forgive us In times of temptation and test strengthen us From
trials too great to endure spare us From the grip of all that is evil free us For you reign in
the glory of the power that is love now and forever Amen
Alternative Lordrsquos Prayer New Zealand Prayer Book
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
17
Team Work Jesus in the Garden Grotto Garden of Gethsemene
Photo Krisan Lamberti Photo Deborah Mitchell
Good Friday
Isaiah 5213-5312 Psalm 22 Hebrews 414-16 57-9
John 181-1942
When Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane He entered the country of fear He stepped
into territory that is familiar to many of us He knew that he was facing danger pain suffering
even death He would be betrayed and abandoned
We ourselves pass through the country of fear We are faced with trials perils situations that
tear us out of our comfort and calm Although we may be surrounded by well-meaning friends
and loved ones it is difficult to hear them and their empty sounding encouragement We
know only our own depression desperation illness despair grief even terror
We pass through the country of fear when we accompany a loved one who is suffering a
grave illness whether physical or emotional Perhaps someone near to us is facing their own
personal tragedy that touches us closely Their pain becomes our own
We cannot escape the country of fear There is no shortcut to let us out no emergency exit
We must grope through the mists of anguish searching for the path of love and the light of
compassion We call to Jesus who walked the path ahead of us whose love will guide us out
of the country of fear
St Therese of Lisieux wrote ldquowhy be afraid that you will not have the strength to carry this
cross without a struggle On the way to Calvary Jesus did indeed fall three times and you
poor little child would like to be different from your spouse would rather not fall a hundred
times if necessary to prove your love to Him by getting back up with even more strength than
before your fall
Mary the mother of Jesus walked through the country of fear as she saw her Divine Son
tortured and executed As she watched grief-stricken Jesus commended her to the care of
His beloved disciple That love care and compassion helped her take the first steps out of
the country of fear
Almighty God we pray you graciously to behold this your
family for whom our Lord Jesus Christ was willing to be
betrayed and given into the hands of sinners and to suffer
death upon the cross who now lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever Amen
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
18
As we contemplate Jesus crucified and those gathered near the cross we have our example
of the way to pass through the country of fear until we find the land of hope
~ Chris Steinmetz inspired by a sermon by Deacon Gerald Smith
Prayer
Visit this place O Lord and drive far from it all that ensnares us with fear let your holy angles
dwell with us to preserve us in peace and let your blessing be upon us always through
Jesus Christ our Lord Amen
A Disciples Prayer Book Office of Native American Ministries
The Episcopal Church
On amp Off the MatmdashYoga Wisdom Cards for Real People
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
19
Text by Amanda Ann Godwin Art by Melanie Weidner
Opening Photo Light of Christ and the Crucifixion
Krista Lamberti
Holy Saturday
Enrich Lord heart hands mouth in me with faith with hope and charity that I may run rise
rest in Thee
Celtic Daily Prayer Day 22 George Herbert
Job 141-14 Psalm 130 or 311-5 1 Peter 41-8
Matthew 2757-66 or John 1938-42
After these things Joseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Jesus though a secret one
because of his fear of the Jews asked Pilate to let him take away the body of Jesus Pilate
gave him permission so he came and removed his body Nicodemus who had at first come
to Jesus by night also came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes weighing about a
hundred pounds They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it with the spices in linen cloths
according to the burial custom of the Jews Now there was a garden in the place where he
was crucified and in the garden there was a new tomb in which no one had ever been laid
And so because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and the tomb was nearby they laid
Jesus there
John 1938-42
wwwrcnetwccisraeltombhtm
Undercover Christians
Joseph of Arimathea is described in the Gospel of John as ldquoa disciple of Jesus though a
secret onerdquo And we remember Nicodemus who ldquohad at first come to Jesus by nightrdquo Both
have evidently loved Jesus but followed at a distance The horror and shock of Jesus
crucifixion brought them out of the shadows They put their fears aside to publicly
demonstrate their devotion and allegiance by ministering to Jesus in his death Joseph asks
Pilate for the body he and Nicodemus prepare the body for burial
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
20
ldquoSecret disciplesrdquo Sounds a lot like me I call myself a Christian a true disciple of Jesus
believing that my hope and salvation depend upon knowing God through the Christ who lives
within me But publicly my identifying sign is that I go to church every Sunday I seek
forgiveness fulfillment spiritual growth mdash but it is ldquoall about merdquo
Lent encourages me to expand my reach and bring others to know the hope that is within me
The crucifixion wakes me up to step out of the tomb of my hidden self preparing to
acknowledge and proclaim the profound meaning of Jesusrsquo resurrection -- as we hear in the
collect ldquorise with him to newness of liferdquo
So I invite you my undercover Christian friends to step out from your hidden lives and step
up to love to truth to life in Jesus Christ
~ Virginia Butler
Prayer
Life-giving God the world lies open before you and you summon the day to dawn Open our
being and we shall show life Open our hearts and we shall show love Open our mouths and
we shall show praise Open us to serve you by loving our neighbors as ourselves
Ray Simpson A Holy Island Prayer Book
Week 1 Morning
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
21
Pintrest Jeff SawardLabyrinthos Cobblestone Labyrinth
Bridgetown House Castletownroche Co Cork Ireland
The Great Vigil of Easter
Genesis 11-24a Genesis 71-5 11-18 86-18 98-13 Genesis 221-18
I stand to praise You But I fall to my knees
My spirit is willing But my flesh is so weak
Light the fire in my soul Fan the flame Make me whole
Lord you know Just where Irsquove been So light the fire in my heart again
I feel Your arms around me As the power of Your healing begins
You breathe new life right through me Like a mighty rushing wind
So light the fire in my heart again Light the fire in my heart again
Light the fire in my heart again
Bill Maxwell Light the Fire
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
22
Exodus 1410-31 1520-21 Isaiah 551-11
Baruch 39-15 332-44 or Proverbs 81-8 19-21 94b-6
Ezekiel 3624-28 Ezekiel 371-14 Zephaniah 312-20
Romans 63-11 Psalm 114 Luke 241-12
But on the first day of the week at early dawn they came to the tomb taking the spices that
they had prepared They found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they went in
they did not find the body While they were perplexed about this suddenly two men in
dazzling clothes stood beside them The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the
ground but the men said to them lsquoWhy do you look for the living among the dead He is not
here but has risen Remember how he told you while he was still in Galilee that the Son of
Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise againrsquo Then
they remembered his words and returning from the tomb they told all this to the eleven and
to all the rest Now it was Mary Magdalene Joanna Mary the mother of James and the other
women with them who told this to the apostles But these words seemed to them an idle tale
and they did not believe them But Peter got up and ran to the tomb stooping and looking in
he saw the linen cloths by themselves then he went home amazed at what had happened
Luke241-12
Fire Photos by Krista Lamberti
He Is Not Here
I was 34 years old when my father died I have felt guilty ever since his funeral because I
refused to visit his grave site I have not done so to this day
I do not remember messenger angels appearing to tell me ldquoWhy do you look for the living
among the dead He is not here but has risenrdquo Perhaps there were members of my faith
community who did try to tell me Maybe I just could not hear Strong emotions ndash denial
anger guilt sorrow mdash can block out God and his messengers for an extended time When
the women left the tomb they went to tell the apostles and the rest In their grief the apostles
could not hear the women they could not believe
God has waited for me to change So many years later today I know the truth because I
have listened to messengers along the way I thank God that they have been there for me to
hear And today I know that I have no reason to visit my fatherrsquos grave He is not there I also
know that there are heartbroken angry guilt ridden miserable people out there who want
and need to hear Godrsquos good news
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
23
Christ is risen Christ is risen indeed
~ Ginger Butler
Prayer
Teach me Lord to be your messenger to learn to proclaim your good news in words that can
be heard in the midst of grief and pain
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm
Replace the anxiety within us with a quiet confidence
Replace the fear within us with a strong faith
Replace the bitterness within us with a sweetness of grace
Straighten our crookedness fill our emptiness
Dull the edge of our pride sharpen the edge of our humility
Let us see ourselves as you see us
That we may see you as you have promised
Let us willingly fasten ourselves to the God of covenant
that we be Christrsquos and Christ be ours
So now God of glory Father Son and Holy Spirit
You are mine and I am your own
KL
Sunrise over Haleakala
Photo by Dominic Lamberti
Acts 1034-43 or Isaiah 6517-25 Psalm 1181-2 14-24
1 Corinthians 1519-26 or Acts 1034-43 John 201-18 or Luke 241-12
Easter
Creator we give you thanks for all you are and all
you bring to us for our visit within your creation In
Jesus you place the Gospel in the center of this
sacred circle through which all of creation is related
You show us the way to live a generous and
compassionate life Give us your strength to live
together with respect and commitment as we grow in
your spirit for you are God now and forever Amen
Navajo Gathering Prayer
A Disciples Prayer Book TEC
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
24
Early on the first day of the week while it was still dark Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb So she ran and went to Simon
Peter and the other disciple the one whom Jesus loved and said to them lsquoThey have taken
the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid himrsquo Then Peter and the
other disciple set out and went towards the tomb The two were running together but the
other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first He bent down to look in and saw the
linen wrappings lying there but he did not go in Then Simon Peter came following him and
went into the tomb He saw the linen wrappings lying there and the cloth that had been on
Jesusrsquo head not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself Then the
other disciple who reached the tomb first also went in and he saw and believed for as yet
they did not understand the scripture that he must rise from the dead Then the disciples
returned to their homes
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb As she wept she bent over to look into the
tomb and she saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying one
at the head and the other at the feet They said to her lsquoWoman why are you weepingrsquo She
said to them lsquoThey have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid
himrsquo When she had said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there but she did
not know that it was Jesus Jesus said to her lsquoWoman why are you weeping For whom are
you lookingrsquo Supposing him to be the gardener she said to him lsquoSir if you have carried him
away tell me where you have laid him and I will take him awayrsquo Jesus said to her lsquoMaryrsquo
She turned and said to him in Hebrew lsquoRabbounirsquo (which means Teacher) Jesus said to
her lsquoDo not hold on to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father But go to my
brothers and say to them ldquoI am ascending to my Father and your Father to my God and your
Godrdquo rsquoMary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples lsquoI have seen the Lordrsquo and she
told them that he had said these things to her
John 20 1-18
Easter has always been a special time in our family As children we would get dressed up in
clothes our mother either made or bought so we would all be similar but not matching The
family would go to church and after church we would go home and have our Easter egg
hunt Then it was time for Easter brunch and we would have to eat everything so we could
then eat our chocolate bunnies
It was not until I got older and I understood the meaning of Easter that it brought a whole new
excitement for me First there is Lent when we give up something for 40 days The last week
is Holy Week when we remember the week Jesus spent with his disciples and friends It is
here we receive the gift of the Eucharist Then comes Good Friday a solemn and quiet time
when we mourn the death of our savior We receive the gift of new fire new light at the
Easter Vigil It is a moment when we mark time as our predecessors ldquothen there was evening
and morning the first dayrdquo Easter Sunday is a wonderfully festive joyous time to celebrate
that Jesus is indeed alive and amongst us all
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
25
Oh the belief that I have in such a mysterious occasion
I cannot imagine being Mary or John and going to the tomb and finding it empty How horrific
How scary How cruel that someone has taken Jesus And then to turn around and there he
is How amazing How wonderful How exciting
Jesus has indeed risen and he will come again
ALLELUIA ALLELUIA ALLELUIA
~ Deborah Roncallo
Prayer
Lord the resurrection of Your Son has given us new life and renewed hope Help us to live as
new people in pursuit of the Christian ideal Grant us wisdom to know what we must do the
will to want to do it the courage to undertake it the perseverance to continue to do it and the
strength to complete it Amen
New Saint Joseph Peoples Prayer Book
wwwfaithandworshipcomprayers_Easter
Under Creative Commons License Attribution
Communal Flight
Statue Photo by Krisan Lamberti
Easter Basket Photo by Krista Lamberti
Everlasting
Alleluia
Son of God
Tested trusted truth
Elevated in
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost
26
Resurrection Glory
Fifty days of
Elation
Spirit shared with the world
Trinity made known
Incarnate
Visitations of Christ to followers
Ascension
Leads to Pentecost