Opening
Reader 1: O Lord, open to us the gates of righteousness,
That we may enter through them and give thanks to you.
This is the day that the Lord has made;Let
us rejoice and be glad in it.
O give thanks to the Lord, for God is good;
God’s steadfast love endures forever.
(based on Psalm 118: 19, 24 ,29)
Lamentation
Reader 2: Listen to us, O good Shepherd,
You reign over the whole universe!
Stir up your might,
Come to save us!
We remember our sisters, brothers, friends and children we have lost to the AIDS pandemic. The 700,000 people who died in 2019, the hundreds of thousands of lives lost this year, and the 33 million people who have died from AIDS-related illnesses from the beginning of the pandemic in the 1980’s. We remember them and name them in our hearts.
Pause
Restore us, restore humanity, O God;
Let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Reader 3: O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
We remember that slavery is more than a historical slur; but a current reality. More than 40 million of our sisters, brothers, friends and children worldwide are victims of forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. People trapped by threats, violence, coercion, deception, and abuse of power.
Pause
Restore us, restore humanity, O God;
Let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Reader 4: You make us the scorn of our neighbours;
Our enemies laugh among themselves.
But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
The one whom you made strong for yourself.
We remember that more than 1 billion of us are living with disability (15 per cent of the world's population). Many people are not able to live in dignity and receive an adequate education, opportunities to work or receive sufficient care and support. People living with disability are often discriminated, neglected and inadequately integrated into society.
Pause
Restore us, restore humanity, O God;
Let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Reader 5: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in isolation, disconnected, disrupted routines, diminished services and the exacerbation of abuse and exploitation. All this has greatly impacted the lives and mental well-being of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Restore us, restore humanity, O God;
Let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Then we will never turn back from you;
Give us life, and we will call on your name.
(Prayers based on Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19)
Confession
Reader 6: Forgive us, we have disobeyed you.
Even our best efforts are but faded and dried leaves;
Blown away by the constant gusts of our inequities.
- We have a dearth of courage to speak up and take action against injustice and exploitation.
- We lack the faith in your power, to challenge stigma and discrimination and to work harder to transform society.
- We have neglected to live in hope each day; to wait on you and to give hope to those who are marginalized, by extending adequate support, care and treatment.
- We have not loved others as ourselves, and have not acknowledged the divine in them. We have stood by silently and even contributed to the suffering and exploitation of the vulnerable and those in need.
♪ Lord have mercy (Kyrie Eleison)
Reader 7: Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
and do not remember our iniquities forever.
Now consider, we are all your children.
O Lord, you are our Father and Mother;
We are the clay, and you are our potter;
Shape us and mould us, to receive your Holy Spirit;
Overflowing with love and the water of life!
(based on Isaiah 64:6,8,9)
♪ Lord have mercy (Kyrie Eleison)
A reading from the Gospel of Mark 13:24-37
But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory. Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.
The Word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Reflection questions
- In a critical time such as this, do we take the ‘Good News’ seriously and practice the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ with the same sense of urgency, as a divine necessity?
- People, especially women and girls, continue to experience injustices because of the HIV or COVID-19 pandemics; the plague of modern-day slavery or the continuing challenges experienced by people living with disabilities. How can we, as followers of Jesus, live a life of constant wakefulness and alertness?
Intercessory Prayer
O Lord, we are grateful for the friendly and hospitable people and churches in Myanmar and Thailand. We pray that you bless the Christian communities to continue to be a faithful witness in their multi-ethnic and multi-religious contexts. We pray for the peaceful and harmonious coexistence amongst diverse communities. We also pray that the democratic processes in the nations will continue to improve, and be strengthened, protecting the rights of all, including the most vulnerable.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers!
We pray for the 38 million people, including 1.8 million children, who are living with HIV. Among them, only 25 million people with HIV (67%) are accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) globally. Only half of the 1.8 million children living with HIV have access to HIV medications. We pray that the 13 million children, women and men urgently get the support to access to treatment. We also pray that we will overcome the stigma and discrimination that many People living with HIV (PLWHIV) continue to experience in society and in accessing services. May faith communities embrace and accompany PLWHIV with unconditional love.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers!
O Lord, help us to become aware of the extent of modern slavery - where more than 40 million people (one in 200 people) are slaves. O Lord, help us to discern, name and shame the industries that benefit from enslavement. Guide us to ensure that the materials and service we consume are not tainted by the exploitation of trafficked and enslaved human beings. Lord, help us, the faith communities, civil society and the governments to identify trafficked and enslaved individuals and assist them to be liberated and to live sustainably, upholding their dignity and rights. O Lord, help bring the perpetrators to justice, and to advocate for the implementation of stricter regulations in each nation to ensure the end of modern slavery.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers!
O Lord, help us to promote the understanding of disability-related issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. O Lord, help us, beginning with our homes and communities, to strive for the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayers!
Let us say the Lord's prayer, each in our own language.
Prayer of commitment
This Advent, we stand firm, waiting on the Lord; alert and awake.
Pause
The spirit of the Lord God is upon us;
All: Anointed to bring good news to the oppressed.
To heal and care for the sick and broken-hearted;
All: Bearing one another’s burdens, fulfilling the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ.
To proclaim liberty to the captives;
All: And release the enslaved.
To acknowledge you and serve you, Lord, in the other;
All: Seeing you Lord, in the neediest and most vulnerable.
(Adapted from Isaiah 61:1, Galatians 6:2 & Matthew 25: 40)
Sharing the sign of Peace
Prayers prepared by Dr Manoj Kurian, coordinator, WCC-EAA