Opening Prayer
O King of Glory, righteous Lord, who ascended in triumph over the heavens, leave us not like orphans, but send us the Spirit of truth promised by the Father. Alleluia.
— Gelasian Sacramentary, Fifth Century Collect
TEXT
1 John 3:1-7 TNIV
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
Prayer of Response
“Dear Lord, it seems that you are so madly in love with your creation that you could not live without us. So you created us; and then, when we turned away from you, you redeemed us. Yet you are God, and so have no need of us. Your greatness is made no greater by our creation; your power is made no stronger by our redemption. You have no duty to care for us, no debt to repay us. It is love, and love alone which moves you. Amen.”
—Catherine of Siena, 1347-1380