Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only-begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!
Laid Low for Good News Read More »
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!
A Branch Will Come! Read More »
Dear Lord, as we gather in awe and wonder to celebrate the birth of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World, we worship and praise you for your goodness toward us. As we light the Christ candle, we remember that Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise, the hope for all nations, and the source of eternal joy and peace. Amen
The Cradle and the Cross Read More »
In the Fourth Sunday in Advent Reading (Matthew 1:18-25) we hear: “Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins” (verse 21). Why is forgiveness so central to the Christmas season and so crucial for our faith? The answer comes in our Gospel Reading today, in which Jesus predicts Peter’s 3-fold denial.
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
The Annunciation and Visitation Read More »
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!
Because “the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us,” our ordinary life becomes extraordinary, not in withdrawing from the world; rather, by becoming more engaged in loving and serving others as the way in which we thus love and serve God.
The Word Became Flesh – Christian Life Read More »
Baptism and the Lord’s Meal – are they just signs or are they sacraments? A sign is just a way of speaking or reminding ourselves of God’s love with a symbolic action. A sacrament is a means by which God comes to us in a personal and; thus, powerful way.
The Word Became Flesh – The Sacraments Read More »
Father, this Christmas season, send Your Spirit to help us – individually and as a Christian family – to speak to our friends and family who are not yet in Christ, who have not yet experienced the glory of His love. We ask in the name of Jesus, Your beloved Son, our crucified Lord, the Same who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen!
The Word Became Flesh – Worship Read More »
Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen!
The Incarnate Word Read More »
