Celtic Evening Prayer for Passiontide Sunday 21^st March 2021

In the lonely places
The wilderness
Where we stand forlorn
Windswept and alone
Your voice calls out 
Prepare a way for the Lord

In the dark places
The shadows
Where we hide our fears
Embrace our tears
Your voice calls out 
Prepare a way for the Lord

For the desert places in which we walk
The streets we roam
The paths we cross
Guide our feet
Take us to places
Where you would go
Give us words that you would use
That in this Passiontide season
We might point the way
To the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world
Your voice calls out
Prepare a way for the Lord
Amen

Dear Lord
Forgive those things we have done
which have caused you sadness,
and those things we should have done
that would have brought you joy.
In both we have failed
ourselves and you.
Bring us back to that place
where our journey began,
when we said that we would follow
the way that you first trod.
Lead us to the Cross
and meet us there.

Amen

Hymn: Forty Days and Forty Nights

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
² My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and be glad.
³ O magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together.

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
    and delivered me from all my fears.
⁵ Look to him, and be radiant;
    so your faces shall never be ashamed.
⁶ This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
    and was saved from every trouble.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.
⁸ O taste and see that the Lord is good;
    happy are those who take refuge in him.
⁹ O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
    for those who fear him have no want.
¹⁰ The young lions suffer want and hunger,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

¹¹ Come, O children, listen to me;
    I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹² Which of you desires life,
    and covets many days to enjoy good?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil,
    and your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴ Depart from evil, and do good;
    seek peace, and pursue it.

¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
    to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
¹⁷ When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
    and rescues them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
    and saves the crushed in spirit.

¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    but the Lord rescues them from them all.
²⁰ He keeps all their bones;
    not one of them will be broken.
²¹ Evil brings death to the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²² The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Luke 22: 1-13

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke
Glory to you O lord

Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.

Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve;  he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them.  They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money.  So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’ They asked him, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations for it?’ ‘Listen,’ he said to them, ‘when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, “The teacher asks you, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’”  He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.’ ¹So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

This is the Gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ

Reflection by Revd Alison

Hymn: With Mary Let My Soul Rejoice

Prayers

Circle us, Lord
Circle us with the light of your presence within this dark world
Enable us to be overcomers of fear and temptation
Enable us to be victors over sin and despair
Enable us to become that which you would desire

Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle us with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord
Circle our families and friends within the shelter of your outstretched arms
Protect them in each moment of their daily lives
Protect them in the decisions that they face
Protect their homes and relationships

Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle our families with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord
Circle this whole nation with love and with healing
Create a desire to listen to the God’s loving word
Create a willingness to understand and to respond
Create a need to reach out to Jesus our Saviour

Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle our nation with the light of your presence

Circle us, Lord
Circle this world with the joy of your Salvation
Where there is sickness and disease bring healing
Where there is hunger and despair bring hope
Where there is torture and oppression bring release

Lord of creation, Lord of Salvation
Circle this world with the light of your presence

The Lord’s Prayer

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.

Hymn: We Shall Go Out

A prayer of St Augustine:

Look upon us, O Lord,
and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of thy brightness.
Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom.
All our desire is known unto thee, therefore perfect what thou hast begun,
and what thy Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer.
We seek thy face,
turn thy face unto us and show us thy glory.
Then shall our longing be satisfied,
and our peace shall be perfect.
Amen

The love of the Risen Christ be with us as we sleep

the love that knows no bounds

the love of grace and joy

bring us to a new day that we can greet as a new birth.

The love of the Father who made us
The love of the Son who died for us
The love of the Spirit who dwells within us
Bless us and keep us.
Amen

Hymn: A Gaelic Blessing