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Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Almighty God,
give us reverence for all creation
and respect for every person,
that we may mirror your likeness
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 32.1-8
Happy the one whose transgression is forgiven,
and whose sin is covered.
Happy the one to whom the Lord imputes no guilt,
and in whose spirit there is no guile.
For I held my tongue;
my bones wasted away through my groaning all the day long.
Your hand was heavy upon me day and night;
my moisture was dried up like the drought in summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and my iniquity I did not hide.
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Therefore let all the faithful make their prayers to you
in time of trouble;
in the great water flood, it shall not reach them.
You are a place for me to hide in; you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with songs of deliverance.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading
Mark 7.31-37
Jesus returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ‘Ephphatha’, that is, ‘Be opened.’ And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, ‘He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.’
Prayers of Intercession
Let us pray for wholeness of life in the Church and in the world.
Bless the Church in her universal mission and make her open to receive all who come. Give to her ministers the spirit of compassion, and wisdom to discern the needs of those who turn to them.
Have mercy on all in the world who seek for help and are uncertain of their direction. Open the ears that have not heard the words of salvation, and loose the tongues that have not learned to praise.
Bless our families with health and strength and with grace to acknowledge the great mercies that we have been given. Help us to know and to relieve the troubles of those we meet in our daily lives.
Come in mercy for the healing of any who are afflicted in hearing or speech. Give skill and wisdom to those who work for their relief.
We give thanks for the departed who worship not through the ears and tongues of flesh but in the fellowship of the spirit. May they rest and rejoice in eternal life.
We pray in the name of Christ, who has mercy on all who come to him.
Prayer for the week
Lord Christ,
shine upon all who are in the darkness of suffering or grief;
that in your light they may receive hope and courage,
and in your presence may find their rest and peace;
for your love’s sake.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.