The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
Opening Prayer
Gracious God, we commend to your loving care all who suffer, especially those who gather virtually this day seeking your healing grace for themselves and for those they love. Give them patience and hope in their distress; strengthen and uphold them in mind and body; and grant, by your intervention, that all your people may be made whole according to your desire, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Canticle G
A Song of Ezekiel
Ezekiel 36:24-28
Antiphon: A new heart will I give you
I will take you from among all nations; *
and gather you from all lands to bring you home.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you; *
and purify you from false gods and uncleanness.
A new heart I will give you *
and a new spirit put within you.
I will take the stone heart from your chest *
and give you a heart of flesh.
I will help you walk in my laws *
and cherish my commandments and do them.
You shall be my people, *
and I will be your God.
Antiphon: A new heart will I give you
Scripture Reading
Mark 2:23-3:6
One sabbath he was going through the cornfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. The Pharisees said to him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?’ And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave some to his companions.’ Then he said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.’
Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Come forward.’ Then he said to them, ‘Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?’ But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Canticle N
A Song of God’s Love
1 John 4:7-11
Beloved, let us love one another, *
for love is of God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, *
for God is Love.
In this the love of God was revealed among us, *
that God sent his only Son into the world,
so that we might live through Jesus Christ.
In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us *
and sent his Son that sins might be forgiven.
Beloved, since God loved us so much, *
we ought also to love one another.
For if we love one another, God abides in us, *
and God’s love will be perfected in us.
Let us confess our need for God’s healing grace.
Compassionate God, we confess our weaknesses and our need for your strengthening touch. We confess that some illnesses stem from our own fault, while others are beyond our control. We turn to you, source of life, and ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ for the gifts of true healing and life in you. Amen.
May the God of love visit you in your times of trial and weakness, and raise you to newness of life, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A Litany for Healing:
Let us name before God those for whom we offer our prayers.
Holy and Mighty, wellspring of abundant life,
Hear and have mercy
Holy Immortal One, protector of the faithful,
Hear and have mercy
Holy Trinity, the source of all wholeness,
Hear and have mercy
Jesus, divine physician, you sent your disciples to preach the Gospel and heal in your name,
Hear and have mercy
Grant your grace to heal those who are sick, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Give strength and courage to all who are affected by COVID-19, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Give courage and faith to all who are disabled through injury or illness, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Comfort, relieve, and heal all sick children, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Support and encourage those who live with chronic illness, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Strengthen those who endure continual pain, and give them hope, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Grant the refreshment of peaceful sleep to all who suffer, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Befriend all who are anxious, lonely, despondent, or afraid, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Give rest to the weary, and hold the dying in your loving arms, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Help us to live our lives and prepare for death with confident expectation and hope of Easter joy, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Give your wisdom and compassion to health care workers, that they may minister to the sick and dying with knowledge, skill, and kindness, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Uphold those who keep watch with the sick, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Guide those who search for the causes and cures of sickness and disease, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Bring healing to this weary world and draw an end to this global pandemic, we pray to you, O God,
Hear and have mercy
Jesus, Lamb of God,
Have mercy on us
Jesus, bearer of our sins,
Have mercy on us
Jesus, redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us
Compassionate God: You so loved the world that you sent us Jesus to bear our infirmities and afflictions. Through acts of healing, he revealed you as the true source of health and salvation. For the sake of your Christ who suffered and died for us, conquered death, and now reigns with you in glory, hear the cry of your people. Have mercy on us, make us whole, and bring us at last into the fullness of your eternal life. Amen.
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Inauguration Cycle of Prayer:
Day 2: Love is Patient
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Divine light, we are like demanding children, wanting what we want when we want it. We expect to get your fix for that which we have broken immediately. When we don’t get it, we say that you have failed. But in truth, we are the ones who have failed to heed you and follow you. Teach us your loving patience as we sort out our responsibility and our role in the broken institutions, relationships, and hearts that have led us to this day. Teach us your loving patience as we work to rebuild. Demands assume power that we do not have: work is what we are called to today. Let us define that work with love. Amen.
Going Out:
Generous God, we give you thanks for your beloved Jesus Christ, in whom you have shared the beauty and pain of human life. Look with compassion upon all for whom we pray this day, and strengthen us to be your instruments of healing in the world, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
May the God of hope fill us with every joy in believing.
May the peace of Christ abound in our hearts.
May we be enriched by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
Amen.
Virtual Chapel of St. Phoebe 