Opening Prayer from Micah 7:1-7
Woe is me! For I have become like
one who,
after the summer fruit has been gathered,
after the vintage has been gleaned,
finds no cluster to eat;
there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.
The faithful have disappeared from
the land,
and there is no one left who is upright…
Put no trust in a friend,
have no confidence in a loved one;
guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your embrace;
for the son treats the father with
contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law;
your enemies are members of your own household.
But as for me, I will look to the
LORD,
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me. NRSV
Micah’s despair ends with a note of
hope;
“but as for me, I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation.”
But our Lord was the God of our
salvation, and cannot say the same. All abandoned him; all fled away.
In the end he even cried out,
“My God, my God— why hast thou
forsaken me?”
Mark 14:43-50
And immediately, as he said this,
Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a mob that was armed with
swords and clubs. They had been sent out by the leading priests, the teachers
of religious law, and the other leaders. Judas had given them a prearranged
signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I go over and give him the kiss
of greeting. Then you can take him away under guard.”
As soon as they arrived, Judas
walked up to Jesus. “Teacher!” he exclaimed, and gave him the kiss. Then the
others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. But someone pulled out a sword and
slashed off an ear of the high priest’s servant.
Jesus asked them, “Am I some
dangerous criminal, that you come armed with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why
didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. But these
things are happening to fulfill what the Scriptures say about me.”
Meanwhile, all his disciples
deserted him and ran away. NLT
Psalm 55:12-15
It is not enemies who taunt me—
I could bear that;
it is not adversaries who deal
insolently with me—
I could hide from them.
But it is you, my equal,
my companion, my familiar friend,
with whom I kept pleasant company;
we walked in the house of God with the throng.
Let death come upon them;
let them go down alive to Sheol;
for evil is in their homes and in their hearts. NRSV
O
Lord, will you find us faithful on that day?
When you return, will you find faith on the earth?
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