Patrick Comerford
Easter is a 50-day season that continues until the Day of Pentecost (19 May 2024). The week began with the Fifth Sunday of Easter (Easter V). This remains the Season of Great Lent in Greece, where this is Holy Week in the calendar of the Greek Orthodox Church, where today is Great and Good Friday.
Throughout this Season of Easter, my morning reflections each day include the daily Gospel reading, the prayer in the USPG prayer diary, and the prayers in the Collects and Post-Communion Prayer of the day.
I was at the Service of the Holy Passion (the Twelve Gospels) in the Greek Orthodox Church in Stony Stratford last night, where I received a very warm wlecoome, and then stayed awake for much of the night, watching the local election results on BBC. I have a medical appointment early this morning, and then plan to return for some of the Great and Good Friday services (the Royak Hours) in the Greek Orthodox Church in Stony Stratford.
But, before this day begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, for reflection, prayer and reading in these ways:
1, today’s Gospel reading;
2, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;
3, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.
John 15: 12-17 (NRSVA):
[Jesus said:] 12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16 You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17 I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.’
Today’s Prayers (Friday 3 May 2024):
The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church,’ the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is ‘The Sacred Circle.’ This theme was introduced on Sunday with a programme update adapted from the Autumn edition of Revive magazine.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (3 May 2024, World Press Freedom Day) invites us to pray:
We pray for journalists and all who work in the media. May we work to protect press freedom across the world.
Tolling the bell at the Church of Panagia Chalkeon in Thessaloniki on Great and Good Friday … today is Good Friday in the Greek Orthodox Calendar (Patrick Comerford)
The Collect:
Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Post Communion Prayer:
Eternal God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life:
grant us to walk in his way,
to rejoice in his truth,
and to share his risen life;
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Additional Collect:
Risen Christ,
your wounds declare your love for the world
and the wonder of your risen life:
give us compassion and courage
to risk ourselves for those we serve,
to the glory of God the Father.
Yesterday’s reflection
Continued tomorrow
The procession of the Epitaphios at the Church of the Four Martyrs in Rethymnon … today is Good Friday in the Greek Orthodox Calendar (Patrick Comerford)
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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