COVID – Prayer-15: Living by the True Realities of Life

Dear Lord, our God,

As we go through the news of the ravages COVID has created in our world, in our neighbourhoods and in our lives, we console ourselves through the words of our spiritual leader Pope Francis who said, “God has not promised us a sky without storms, roads without accidents, bodies without illnesses, work without fatigue, relationships without misunderstandings and disappointments.” You ask us to learn to find strength in forgiveness, hope in battles, security in the stage of fear, love in discord. You teach us not only to enjoy the smile, but also to reflect on the sadness, not only to celebrate the successes, but to learn lessons from the failures, not only to feel happy with the applause, but to be happy in anonymity. Being happy is not a fatality of destiny, but an achievement for those who can travel within themselves. Blessed be God for these lessons. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Monday of Holy Week, Apr 6th

Isaiah 42:1-7 / John 12:1-11 

Judas criticizes Mary: “Why was this oil not sold?”

William Barclay says of Judas’ reaction to Mary’s anointing of the feet of Jesus: “Judas had just seen an action of surpassing loveliness; and he called it extravagant waste. He was an embittered man who took an embittered view of things.” Judas’ reaction illustrates an important fact: “We see things not as they are, but as we are.” H. M. Tomlinson

Holy Week-1: Jesus –Broken

 Into our broken world you came, Lord Jesus. You embraced our darkness, even though you are pure light.

COVID – Prayer-14: Waiting for the Lord’s Time

Dear Lord, our God,

These days, we have been waiting for the lock-down to be lifted, so that we can travel freely, explore the streets and stores, meet with friends and family and continue to catch up with our commitments, assignments and exams. Sometimes, Lord, this waiting has been difficult, worrisome, exhausting and frustrating.

COVID – Prayer-13: Change in Our Lives

Lord, our God,

You have asked us to get into a “Noah’s Ark” these days, an ark that was made according to a particular size, design, shape and material. We were asked to make a journey of uncertain length, floating in unknown waters, not knowing where it would go and when it would end and how we would survive. We were only asked to trust in the Lord. Forty days and forty nights it rained, the winds swayed and tossed the boat like a toy in the turbulent waters. We were only asked to trust in the Lord.

COVID- Prayer 11: Prayer for Peace and Happiness

COVID Prayer – 11 - Prayer for Peace and Happiness

Lord our God,

There is always some kind of longing in us. Essentially, it is a longing for happiness and contentment.

So, when there are problems at work, we long for solutions and to be free from trouble so that we can be productive and effective at work.

COVID Lock-down: Animals are back

5th Week of Lent, Saturday, Apr 4th

Ezekiel 37:21-28 / John 11:45-56 

Jesus does remarkable things: Many people put their trust in him.

There’s a scene in My Fair Lady in which Eliza Doolittle grows weary of Freddy’s daily letters, telling her how much he loves her. In a burst of frustration, she begins to sing the song “Show Me.” In the song she says she’s sick of words. She’s sick of all this talk of stars “burning above.” “If there’s really any love burning in your heart, show me.” (adapted). Jesus had done everything he could do to show the Jews his love for them. Some Jews eventually saw it and “began to believe in him”; many others did not.

COVID Prayer 10 – Pray for Healing

Lord our God, you alone are worthy of honour, glory, and praise. With You, we can overcome every storm—including the global impact COVID-19 is having on our world.

5th Week of Lent, Friday, Apr 3rd

Jeremiah 20:10-13 / John 10:31-42 

The Jews rebuke Jesus: “You, a man, are making yourself God.”

One night the Philadelphia Orchestra, under the baton of Leopold Stokowski, was performing a Beethoven overture. In it, a part for a trumpet is played offstage. When the time came for the offstage trumpet, there was no sound. Stokowski was furious. Again, the time came for the offstage trumpet. Again, there was only silence. After the overture ended, Stokowski stormed off the stage to find the trumpet player. There he was, his arms pinned to his side by a burly security guard who said, “This nut was trying to play his horn while your concert was going on out there.”