Patrick Comerford
Easter is a 50-day season that continues until the Day of Pentecost (19 May 2024), and the week began with the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Easter VI). Easter has been later in the Greek Orthodox Church this year, and I was warmly welcomed as the Easter celebrations in the Greek Orthodox Church in Stony Stratford yesterday and on Saturday night.
Today is known in the Orthodox Church as ‘Bright Monday’ and this week is known as Bright Week, Pascha Week or Renewal Week (Διακαινήσιμος Ἑβδομάς), with the entire week set aside for the celebration of the Resurrection. Throughout Bright Week, the Holy Doors of the Iconostasis are kept open in Orthodox churches – the only time of the year when this happens. The open doors represent the stone rolled away from the Tomb of Christ, and the Epitaphios, representing the burial clothes, is visible through them on the Holy Table (altar). The doors are closed before the Ninth Hour on the eve of Thomas Sunday. However, the Afterfeast of Pascha will continue until the eve of the Ascension.
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.
Today is also a public holoiday in both the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, instead of May Day on 1 May. 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: 26 to 16: 4 (NRSVA):
[Jesus said:] 26 ‘When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27 You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.
1 ‘I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. 3 And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. 4 But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.’
Today’s Prayers (Monday 6 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 ‘Thy Kingdom Come.’ This theme was introduced yesterday with some Reflections.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (6 May 2024) invites us to pray:
As yesterday was International Midwifes Day, let us pray for midwives, who do so much to ensure the safe arrival of new life into the world.
The Collect:
God our redeemer,
you have delivered us from the power of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your Son:
grant, that as by his death he has recalled us to life,
so by his continual presence in us he may raise us
to eternal joy;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Post Communion Prayer:
God our Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ gives the water of eternal life:
may we thirst for you,
the spring of life and source of goodness,
through him who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Additional Collect:
Risen Christ,
by the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples:
help your Church to obey your command
and draw the nations to the fire of your love,
to the glory of God the Father.
Yesterday’s reflection
Continued tomorrow
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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