FORGIVENESS AND MERCY
Altar Server Prayer: Father in heaven,
Your Son Jesus Christ showed his love for you by
serving his brothers and sisters in need. I now ask you
to give me your help I serve you and your people Open my mouth to praise
you in word and song. Open my ears to hear your word. Open my hand to do your
work well. Take from me all evil and distracting thoughts.
Help me to know what I should do and do it well. Help me to serve reverently at your Holy Altar and give you praise and glory now and for ever. Amen
Be friends with
one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in
Christ.
Try, then, to
imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he
loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a
sacrifice to God. Among you there must be not even a mention of fornication or
impurity in any of its forms, or promiscuity: this would hardly become the
saints! There must be no coarseness, or salacious talk and jokes – all
this is wrong for you; raise your voices in thanksgiving instead. For you can
be quite certain that nobody who actually indulges in fornication or impurity
or promiscuity – which is worshipping a false god – can inherit
anything of the kingdom of God. Do not let anyone deceive you with empty
arguments: it is for this loose living that God’s anger comes down on those who
rebel against him. Make sure that you are not included with them. You were
darkness once, but now you are light in the Lord; be like children of light.
One sabbath day
Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who for
eighteen years had been possessed by a spirit that left her enfeebled; she was
bent double and quite unable to stand upright. When Jesus saw her he called her
over and said, ‘Woman, you are rid of your infirmity’ and he laid his hands on
her. And at once she straightened up, and she glorified God.
But the synagogue
official was indignant because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, and he
addressed the people present. ‘There are six days’ he said ‘when work is to be
done. Come and be healed on one of those days and not on the sabbath.’ But the
Lord answered him. ‘Hypocrites!’ he said ‘Is there one of you who does not
untie his ox or his donkey from the manger on the sabbath and take it out for
watering? And this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has held bound these
eighteen years – was it not right to untie her bonds on the sabbath day?’
When he said this, all his adversaries were covered with confusion, and all the
people were overjoyed at all the wonders he worked. Reflection
Heavenly Father, heal our wounded, suffering world. Father pour out your grace upon us from your divine throne. Sent forth your Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth. Heal our world, and forgive us our sins of negligence and hatred.
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