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A short service of Daily Prayer for Monday of Easter Week, 13 April 2020
Preparation
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
Praise
God of glory,
by the raising of your Son
you have broken the chains of death and hell:
fill your Church with faith and hope;
for a new day has dawned
and the way to life stands open
in our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Psalm 16:1–2, 6-10
Preserve me, O God, for in you have I taken refuge;
I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my lord, all my good depends on you.’
All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,
upon those who are noble in heart.
I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel,
and in the night watches he instructs my heart.
I have set the Lord always before me;
he is at my right hand; I shall not fall.
Wherefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices;
my flesh also shall rest secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Death,
nor suffer your faithful one to see the Pit.
You will show me the path of life;
in your presence is the fullness of joy
and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
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
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’
While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.
Matthew 28:1-15 (NRSV)
This is the word of the Lord.
Prayers
Let us pray to the Father who raised his Son to life that we might live for ever in him.
Strengthen your Church to be the Body of Christ at work in the world. Heal our divisions and imperfections. Give grace to ministers of the Gospel in proclaiming the message of the Resurrection.
We pray that the joy of the Resurrection may be known throughout the world, that those who are ignorant of the love of Christ may feel his presence and share his risen life. May all human endeavour become part of the new creation and the life without end.
Give grace this Easter time to heal the wounds of differences among families, friends and neighbours. By offering and acceptance of pardon where there has been wrong, may we know together fullness of the Easter life.
Grant to all who suffer the knowledge of where true healing is to be found. Heal the hurt and broken bodies, give peace to the troubled minds, restore hope to the grieved and anxious spirits. Lead all human sorrow through the pain of the dying Christ to the joy of his Resurrection.
As we rejoice in the Resurrection of Christ our Saviour, we remember all who, like him, have suffered the death of the body. We pray that the power which brought him from the grave may give them a part in his victory over death and in the risen life for ever.
Risen with Christ and filled with new life, we pray as his people on earth.
Christ yesterday and today,
the beginning and the end,
Alpha and Omega,
all time belongs to you,
and all ages;
to you be glory and power
through every age and for ever.
Amen
Gathering our prayers and praises into one,
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 Conclusion
May the risen Christ give us his peace.
Alleluia. Amen.