Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Lord God,
your Son left the riches of heaven
and became poor for our sake:
when we prosper save us from pride,
when we are needy save us from despair,
that we may trust in you alone;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 102.16-21
Then shall the nations fear your name, O Lord,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
when the Lord has built up Zion
and shown himself in glory;
When he has turned to the prayer of the destitute
and has not despised their plea.
This shall be written for those that come after,
and a people yet unborn shall praise the Lord.
For he has looked down from his holy height;
from the heavens he beheld the earth,
that he might hear the sighings of the prisoner
and set free those condemned to die;
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
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’
Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. After the people of that place recognized him, they sent word throughout the region and brought all who were sick to him, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
Matthew 14.22-36
This is the word of the Lord.
Prayers
Let us pray for the peace of God in the Church and in the world.
Grant to the Church the grace to be still and not to lose holiness by being too busy. Give her ministers grace to lead their people through the way of quietness into the presence of their Lord.
Speak through the tumult of the world: calm the strident noise of the powerful and the anxiety of the powerless. Have compassion on all who wander without direction, and guide them into the paths of peace.
Grant to us, in the pressure of our daily lives, the time to be still, to learn the wisdom that comes in silence. Help us to use our leisure well, so that we may have strength to help those whose lives are linked with ours.
We pray for the sick in body or mind, for the injured and the disabled, for those with emotional problems. Come to them with your healing power, relieve their afflictions and make them whole.
Have mercy on those who have passed over the waters of death and come to the shore of eternal life. Grant them the peace which this world cannot give and the light which never fails.
May our prayers be heard through Christ, the Shepherd of the lost.
Lord, may we live in faith,
walk in love,
and be renewed in hope,
until the world reflects your glory
and you are all in all.
Amen.
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
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.
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