O God, who hast prepared for those who love thee
such good things as pass man's understanding: Pour into our hearts such love
toward thee, that we, loving thee in all things and above all things, may
obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ
our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for
ever and ever. Amen.
or
O God, you have prepared for those who love you
such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards
you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your
promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and
ever. Amen.
A
Reading from Acts (16:9-15)
And a vision appeared to Paul in the
night: a man of Macedo'nia was standing beseeching him and saying, "Come
over to Macedo'nia and help us." And when he had seen the vision,
immediately we sought to go on into Macedo'nia, concluding that God had called
us to preach the gospel to them. Setting sail therefore from Tro'as, we made a
direct voyage to Sam'othrace, and the following day to Ne-ap'olis, and from
there to Philip'pi, which is the leading city of the district of Macedo'nia,
and a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days; and on the sabbath day
we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place
of prayer; and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. One
who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyati'ra, a seller of
purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to give
heed to what was said by Paul. And when she was baptized, with her household,
she besought us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the
Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.
Psalm 67
Deus misereatur
1 May God be merciful to us and
bless us, *
show us the light of his countenance and come to us.
2 Let your ways be known upon earth, *
your saving health among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, *
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations upon earth.
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has brought forth her increase; *
may God, our own God, give us his blessing.
7 May God give us his blessing, *
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and
to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever.
Amen.
A Reading from Revelation (21:10, 22-22:5)
And in the Spirit he carried
me away to a great, high mountain, and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming
down out of heaven from God, And
I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and
the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the
glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall the
nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and
its gates shall never be shut by day -- and there shall be no night there; they
shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean
shall enter it, nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only
those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Then he showed me the river
of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of
the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of
the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit
each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
There shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb
shall be in it, and his servants shall worship him; they shall see his face,
and his name shall be on their foreheads. And night shall be no more; they need
no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall
reign for ever and ever.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John (14:23-29)
Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he
will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and
make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the
word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. "These
things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But the Counselor, the
Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all
things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace I
leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to
you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me
say to you, `I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would
have rejoiced, because I go to the Father; for the Father is greater than I.
And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place,
you may believe.
Prayers for Peace