We have prayed with John 1 – the Word come to dwell in the enfleshed life of the world – the Word from the beginning and even now – a Word of Love – Word even in the midst of doubt and mystery – Word that brings grace upon grace – Word in us that is light and life for the world.
As you look back:
Where have you felt the nearness of the Word, the nearness of the Christ, the nearness of God? Where have you felt distant?
What is the Word that you have experienced this week?
How are you feeling called to live out the Word for the blessing of the world?
And as our prayer is coming to a close, let us unite our hearts with others who have prayed in community over the years and centuries, with two prayers. The first is a prayer of St. Teresa of Avila:
Christ has no body now but ours,
no hands, no feet on earth but ours.
Ours are the eyes through which
Christ looks with compassion on this world;
ours are the feet with which
Christ walks to do good;
ours are the hands with which
Christ blesses all the world.
Christ has no body now on earth
but ours.
And the second is a prayer attributed to St. Augustine, which many of us may know from the beloved Iona Community:
Watch thou, dear Christ,
with those who wake,
or watch, or weep tonight,
and give thine angels charge
over those who sleep.
Tend thy sick ones, Holy Christ;
rest thy weary ones;
bless thy dying ones;
soothe thy suffering ones;
pity thine afflicted ones;
shield thy joyous ones;
and all for thy love’s sake. Amen.
