Staying Safe and Staying Connected
Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,
We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you!
Today’s Prayer
O God,
give me light in my heart
and light in my tongue
and light in my hearing
and light in my sight
and light in my feeling
and light in all body
and light before me
and light behind me.Give me, I pray Thee,
Light on my right hand
And light on my left hand
And light above me
And light beneath me,O Lord,
Muhammad’s Prayer of Light
Increase light within me
And give me light
And illuminate me.
Today is the beginning of Muharram, which is one of the most important months for our Muslim sisters and brothers and marks the start of the Islamic New Year. It is a holy month, second only to Ramadan in its significance. Sunni and Shia Muslims mark Muharram differently. For many Sunni Muslims, this month is the beginning of the Islamic New Year and symbolizes peace and reflection. For those Muslims who follow the Shia branch of Islam, this month represents a solemn, reflective time in Islamic history. For them, Muharram commemorates the death of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein Ibn Ali, who died during the Battle of Karbala on the 10th day of this month (Ashura) in the year 680.
Whether Muslims are celebrating the beginning of the Islamic New Year or lamenting the loss of life, Muharram is an important and holy month for everyone. Many Muslims fast and give extra prayers. Muharram, with all of its complexity, is always a month of deep reflection for Muslims throughout the world.
Ma Salam!
From Our Prayers of the People
Today, let us pray:
For the just and proper use of your creation: for the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus: for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.
For all essential workers: for police, firefighters, EMTs, postal workers, sanitation workers, grocery personnel, delivery and transport workers, and all who must report to work because what they do is essential for our well-being, health, and safety.
For those on the Parish Prayer Chain: Luca, Brittney, Mary Alice, Mia, Wim, Corrie, Doris, Judy, Anne, Louise, Gertrude, Laurel, Greg and Priscilla.
For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn.
Our Government Leaders: Donald Trump, President of the United States; Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State; Gary McCarthy, Mayor of Schenectady
Our Church Leaders: Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop, William Love, and Daniel Herzog our bishops; James and Dennie our priests; Pat our deacon and Allison our Lay Reader
Those who are imprisoned: those particularly vulnerable at this time, especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.
For those in need of healing: Sid, Vicki, Jean, Cindi, Mary Frances, Debbie and Joe.
For Kati – today is her baptismal anniversary!
For all the blessings of this life.
For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion Okrika (Nigeria), Bungoma (Kenya).
For all who have died: especially Edwin.
For one another.
Something to share
Troublemakers
Since no one really knows anything about God,
Rabia of Basra
those who think they do are just
troublemakers.
Reminders
If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Morning Prayers as best we can.
If you need a prayerbook, and are not in a position to purchase one, please contact me: james.ross.mcd@gmail.com. I will make sure you have your own Book of Common Prayer.
Prayerbook Morning Prayer in Zoom – each morning. Join Dennie and me for an inter-active service of Morning Prayer at 9 am. Time to bring your prayer concerns will be provided. (contact me for the link: james.ross.mcd@gmail.com)
Our church campus is closed, except for our Eucharistic Ingathering on Sundays at 9:00 am. Please see our website for further information: https://st-stephens.church. All other parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.
Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.
Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!
Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be at your back,
May the sun shine upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.
Peace,
James+