Healing and Prayers in Quarantine For Our Friends, Our Families, for the Church and for the World

Feast Day of Mary and Martha, July 29

Ordination of the Eleven - July 29

On July 29, 1974, at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia, eleven Episcopal women were ordained the first women in the Episcopal priesthood. This photograph, which was picked up worldwide, shows the women deacons at the communion rail during the part of the service in which the ordaining ask them questions regarding their preparation for the priesthood.

Two weeks after the ordination service had taken place, on August 14–15, Presiding John Allin convened an emergency meeting of the at O'Hare International Airport in . At first, the House declared the priestly ordinations of the eleven women to be invalid, stating that “we express our conviction that the necessary conditions for ordination to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church were not fulfilled on the occasion in question, since we are convinced that a bishop’s authority to ordain can be effectively exercised only in and for a community which has authorized

Page 1 of 12 him to act for them…Then Arthur A. Vogel, Bishop of West Missouri, raised his objection.

He was considered the most theologically astute of the bishops, and told his colleagues that they had no theological grounds for declaring the ordinations invalid because they were performed by bishops in good standing according to the Ordination Rite in the Book of Common Prayer and by laying-on-of-hands within the Apostolic Succession. To declare the ordinations invalid would be to flout hundreds of years of orthodox definition for the criteria of valid ordination. The House of Bishops listened and changed its position, declaring the women irregularly ordained instead.

Celebrant: Blessed be God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. People: And blessed be God’s kingdom, now and forever. Amen

Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you, and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord be with you And also with you Let us pray

O God, heavenly Father, your Son Jesus Christ enjoyed rest and refreshment in the home of Mary and Martha of Bethany: Give us the will to love you, open our hearts to hear you, and strengthen our hands to serve you in others for his sake; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Page 2 of 12 First Lesson: Romans 12:9-13 9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. 11Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Psalm: 36:1-5 1 There is a voice of rebellion deep in the heart of the wicked; * there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 He flatters himself in his own eyes * that his hateful sin will not be found out. 3 The words of his mouth are wicked and deceitful, * he has left off acting wisely and doing good. 4 He thinks up wickedness upon his bed and has set himself in no good way; * he does not abhor that which is evil. 5 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, * and your faithfulness to the clouds.

Gospel: Luke 10:38–42 38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ 41But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Priest: The Gospel of the Lord People: Praise be to thee, O Lord..

Reflection:

Page 3 of 12 A Litany of Healing (Let us name before God those for whom we offer our prayers.)

God the Father, your will for all people is health and salvation; We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

God the Son, you came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly; We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

God the Holy Spirit, you make our bodies the temple of your presence; We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

Holy Trinity, one God, in you we live and move and have our being; We praise you and thank you, O Lord.

Lord, grant your healing grace to all who are sick, injured, or disabled, that they may be made whole; Hear us, O Lord of life.

Grant to all who seek your guidance, and to all who are lonely, anxious, or despondent, a knowledge of your will and an awareness of your presence; Hear us, O Lord of life.

Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Hear us, O Lord of life.

Bless physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the suffering, granting them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience; Hear us, O Lord of life.

Grant to the dying peace and a holy death, and uphold by the grace and consolation of your Holy Spirit those who are bereaved; Hear us, O Lord of life.

Page 4 of 12 Restore to wholeness whatever is broken by human sin, in our lives, in our nation, and in the world; Hear us, O Lord of life.

You are the Lord who does wonders: You have declared your power among the peoples.

With you, O Lord, is the well of life: And in your light we see light.

Hear us, O Lord of life: Heal us, and make us whole.

Let us pray.

Open us to your healing power, O God. We entrust ourselves to your care, knowing that you are doing for us and for all the world far better things than we can ask or imagine. With you as our companion and guide, strengthen us to hope for all that is good, and to fear no evil. For your love is stronger than death, and your faithfulness reaches to the heavens; and to you we give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Confession of Sin

Let us confess our sins to God:

God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil we have done, and the evil done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

Page 5 of 12 Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

Prayers for Healing

+Uno Avisto David Burlinghoff Jay Coffey Chris and Kim Elizabeth Hallman Helen Jim Holmstrom Zane Hutcherson Gordon King Debbie Lawrence +Molly Miles Ware Mitchell Fr. Michael Murphy Brenda Payne +Tonda Rawls Meredith and Ben Reiner Ruth Shelton +Margaret Smith

We pray for those sickened and isolated by this virus. those who are one the front lines and continuing to work in the face of this pandemic.

We pray for the repose of the soul of all who have died from this virus and those who are suffering from the spiritual, emotional and physical unrest in the country.

We pray for our leaders to make wise and courageous decisions to seek peace, healing and reconciliation in our country.

We pray for all those who have died in the fight for racial equality.

Page 6 of 12 Therefore, we stand in faith and love with our brothers and sisters of color as we walk this journey together.

We pray for a raised awareness and consciousness for our world and our community and we resolve to pray daily that we might become the people that God wants us to be.

We also continue to pray those on our long-term prayer list, especially:

Allison and William Cross*, Richard Dixson, Betsy Donahue, Carol, *Ed Fisher*, Marylu Fowler*,Judy Franks*, Margaret Haile*, Mary Florence Jackson*, Dot Jensen*, Christina Lathan, Matt, Jennifer Nicely, Shirley Page, Ann Palmer*, Will Mary Pratt*, Beverley Richardson,* Howard Snead*, Evelyn Vanderford*, Elizabeth Wyatt, Bob Younger*

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. –Book of Common Prayer, p. 815

Eucharistic Prayer A

The Lord be with you. People And also with you. Celebrant Lift up your hearts. People We lift them to the Lord. Celebrant Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Page 7 of 12 Then, facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds It is right, and a good and joyful thing, always and every- where to give thanks to you, Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.

Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Therefore we praise you, joining our voices with Angels and Archangels and with all the company of heaven, who for ever sing this hymn to proclaim the glory of your Name:

Celebrant and People Holy, Holy, Holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest. The people stand or kneel.

Then the Celebrant continues Holy and gracious Father: In your infinite love you made us for yourself, and, when we had fallen into sin and become subject to evil and death, you, in your mercy, sent Jesus Christ, your only and eternal Son, to share our human nature, to live and die as one of us, to reconcile us to you, the God and Father of all.

He stretched out his arms upon the cross, and offered himself, in obedience to your will, a perfect sacrifice for the whole world.

At the following words concerning the bread, the Celebrant is to hold it, or to lay a hand upon it; and at the words concerning the cup, to hold or place a hand upon the cup and any other vessel containing wine to be

Page 8 of 12 consecrated.

On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take, eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the remembrance of me."

After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you: This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink it, do this for the remembrance of me."

Therefore we proclaim the mystery of faith: Celebrant and People Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again.

The Celebrant continues We celebrate the memorial of our redemption, O Father, in this sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Recalling his death, resurrection, and ascension, we offer you these gifts.

Sanctify them by your Holy Spirit to be for your people the Body and Blood of your Son, the holy food and drink of new and unending life in him. Sanctify us also that we may faithfully receive this holy Sacrament, and serve you in unity, constancy, and peace; and at the last day bring us with all your saints into the joy of your eternal kingdom.

All this we ask through your Son Jesus Christ: By him, and with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit all honor and glory is yours, Almighty Father, now and for ever. AMEN.

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, we are bold to say,

Page 9 of 12 People and Celebrant Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Breaking of the Bread The Celebrant breaks the consecrated Bread.

[Alleluia.] Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast. [Alleluia.]

Facing the people, the Celebrant says the following Invitation The Gifts of God for the People of God.

Take them in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith, with thanksgiving.

The Body of Christ, the bread of heaven. [Amen.]

Let us pray.

Celebrant and People Eternal God, heavenly Father, you have graciously accepted us as living members of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, and you have fed us with spiritual food

Page 10 of 12 in the Sacrament of his Body and Blood. Send us now into the world in peace, and grant us strength and courage to love and serve you with gladness and singleness of heart; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Spiritual Communion

My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.

Blessing:

Priest: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. People: Thanks be to God.

Lesser Feasts and Fasts -

Mary and Martha of Bethany are described in the Gospels according to Luke and John as close and well-loved friends of Jesus. Luke records the well- known story of their hospitality, which has made Martha a symbol of the active life and Mary of the contemplative.

John’s Gospel sheds additional light on the characters of Mary and Martha. When their brother Lazarus is dying, Jesus delays his visit to the family and arrives after Lazarus’ death. Martha comes to meet him, still trusting in his

Page 11 of 12 power to heal and restore. The exchange between them evokes Martha’s deep faith and acknowledgment of Jesus as the Messiah (John 11:21–27).

John also records the supper at Bethany at which Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with fragrant ointment and wiped them with her hair. This tender gesture of love evoked criticism from the disciples. Jesus interpreted the gift as a preparation for his death and burial.

The devotion and friendship of Mary and Martha have been an example of fidelity and service to the Lord. Their hospitality and kindness, and Jesus’ enjoyment of their company, show us the beauty of human friendship and love at its best.

Many Christian writers have interpreted Martha and Mary as symbolizing the active and contemplative lives. In most cases, however, they stressed that this division of action and contemplation was not a simple dichotomy. Although most ancient and medieval theologians tended to prioritize the contemplative life, all of them stressed the necessity for the different vocations of both sisters in the church. In his sermon 104, Augustine of Hippo writes that “Martha has to set sail in order that Mary can remain quietly in port.” Although in some ways he thinks that the adoring worship of Christ is indeed superior, it does no good to adore Christ without serving and feeding him as Martha did, and as all Christians can do by serving those in need.

The Cistercian theologian Aelred of Rievaulx wrote that just as Mary and Martha dwelt as sisters within one house, so also the active and contemplative life should ideally dwell within the same soul.

Although most premodern writers did tend view Mary as superior to Martha, the medieval mystic Meister Eckhart in his sermon 86 argued that Martha was the more spiritually advanced of the two sisters, suggesting that she is mature enough that she is no longer enamored by religious feelings and experiences, but able to move on from them to the practical work of service. In this case, Jesus’ words that Mary “has chosen the better part” are meant to reassure Martha that her sister is on the right track, and that when she is ready, she too will eventually move on from only seeking spiritual consolation to serving where she is needed.

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