sign in sign up
<<
Home , Archbishop of Canterbury, Bishop of Worcester, Dunstan, Oswald of Worcester

In the Morning Wednesday, , 2021 , of , 988

Welcome

Opening Prayer

A Litany for the Restoration of Peace the Holy Land

God of peace, we pray for the people of Palestine and Israel in these perilous and dangerous times.

For all who are fearful for the safety of their loved ones and themselves, we pray that the assurance of unfailing love, even in the midst of danger, settles upon them. Shelter them from despair and protect them from harm.

For all who are wounded, we pray they find healing.

For all who have died, we pray they find rest.

For all who grieve, we pray they find comfort.

For leaders on all sides, we pray for a renewed will to lay down arms, for the strength to put the grievances and wrongs suffered by their people to rest, and for the conviction to embrace a path of reconciliation and peace that preserves the rights and dignity of all of your children.

God of mercy, help us to remember there is no border that can separate us from your great love and protection, no stone that can sound the well of your deep mercy.

God of justice, we pray with hopeful hearts that your beloved children of the Holy Land will be spared a future of sustained violence and unrest and that a recognition of the humanity of all people will prevail.

We ask all this in the name of your Son, . Amen.

– American Friends of the Episcopal of Jerusalem www.afedj.org/litanyforpeace

Dwelling in the Word: Ecclesiasticus 44:1-7

Let us now sing the praises of famous men, our ancestors in their generations. The Lord apportioned to them great glory,

his majesty from the beginning. There were those who ruled in their kingdoms, and made a name for themselves by their valor; those who gave counsel because they were intelligent; those who spoke in prophetic oracles; those who led the people by their counsels and by their knowledge of the people’s lore; they were wise in their words of instruction; those who composed musical tunes, or put verses in writing; rich men endowed with resources, living peacefully in their homes— all these were honored in their generations, and were the pride of their times.

As you hear the passage being read, what word or phrase is God calling you to notice? As you hear the passage read a second time, what might God be calling you to try on at this time?

Following your silent meditation after the second reading, please type your word or phrase into the Chat if you would like to share it. The officiant will invite all of us into a quiet time for a few minutes to prayerfully read and reflect on the words offered in the Chat.

The officiant will end this time of silent prayer with The Lord’s Prayer.

The Lord’s Prayer (Spanish - The Rev. Loyda Morales, Rector, Church of the Good Shepherd, Hartford, French - The Rev. Robert Bergner, Priest in Charge, and St. Peter’s, Hamden)

Zoom Call

At end of zoom call

Closing Prayer

Direct your Church, O Lord, into the beauty of holiness, that, following the good example of your servant Dunstan, we may honor your Son Jesus Christ with our lips and in our lives; to the glory of his Name, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Blessing

Dunstan, , 988

In the ninth century, under King , had achieved considerable mili- tary, political, cultural, and even some ecclesiastical recovery from the Viking invasions. It was not until the following century, however, that there was a revival of monasticism and spirituality. In that, the leading figure was Dunstan.

Dunstan was born about 909 into a family with royal connections. He became a and, in 943, was made of . During a year-long political exile in Flanders, he encountered the vigorous currents of the Benedictine monastic revival. King Edgar recalled Dunstan to England in 957, appointed him of Worcester, then of ; and, in 960, named him Archbishop of Canterbury. Together with his former pupils, Ae- thelwold of Winchester and (later of ), Dunstan was a leader of the English church. All three have been described as “contemplatives in action”—bringing the fruits of their monastic prayer life to the immediate concerns of church and state. They sought better education and discipline among the , the end of landed family interest in the church, the restoration of former monasteries and the establishment of new ones, a revival of monastic life for women, and a more elaborate and carefully ordered liturgical worship.

This reform movement was set forth in the “Monastic Agreement,” a common code for Eng- lish monasteries drawn up by Aethelwold about 970, primarily under the inspiration of Dunstan. It called for continual intercession for the royal house, and emphasized the close tie between the monasteries and the crown. The long-term effects of this tenth-century reform resulted in the retention of two peculi- arly English institutions: the “monastic ,” and the Celtic pattern of “monk-bish- ops.”

Dunstan is also reputed to have been an expert craftsman. His name is especially associated with the working of metals and the casting of bells, and he was regarded as the patron of those crafts. He died at Canterbury in 988.

Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018