May 2008
 
Sunday 4th - Saturday 10th
Sunday 11th - Saturday 17th
Sunday 18th - Saturday 24th
Sunday 25th - Saturday 31st
THURSDAY - MAY 1ST
Ascension Day
The Anglican Cycle of Prayer suggests that the nine days between Ascension Day and the Feast of Pentecost can be set aside in special prayer for the forthcoming Lambeth Conference and for the Anglican Communion. Following the example in Acts 1.12, the following prayer can be used daily until Pentecost.
FRIDAY - MAY 2ND
SS Philip and James, Apostles (transferred from May 1st)
St Athanasius of Alexandria
(see here......)
Heavenly Father, you have called us in the Body of your Son Jesus Christ to continue his work of reconciliation and reveal you to the world:
forgive us the sins which tear us apart; give us the courage to overcome our fears and to seek that unity which is your gift and your will;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
SATURDAY - MAY 3RD
O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour,
the Prince of Peace: give us grace seriously to lay to heart the
great dangers we are in by our unhappy division. Take away all
hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from
Godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body, and one
Spirit, and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may henceforth be
all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth
and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one
mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
SUNDAY - MAY 4TH
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
Sunday after Ascension Day
FOR THE UNITY OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION
MONDAY -MAY 5TH For deep immersion in the gospel of our salvation.
TUESDAY - MAY 6TH
Aristoo and Bahram
(See here......)
For intelligent understanding of scripture, tradition and reason.
WEDNESDAY - MAY 7TH For courage in addressing difficulties.
THURSDAY - MAY 8TH
Julian of Norwich, Spiritual Writer (1417)
For delight in celebrating the faith delivered to us.
FRIDAY - MAY 9TH For penitence and sorrow over our divisions.
SATURDAY - MAY 10TH For trust in God the Holy Spirit to lead us into all
truth.
O Lord, who has taught us that all our doings without love are nothing
worth, send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into our hearts that most
excellent gift of love, the very bond of peace and all virtues, without
which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee; grant us this for
thy Son Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.

Thomas Cranmer, 1489-1556

SUNDAY - MAY 11TH
Pentecost - Whit Sunday
The Canterbury Group: May the renewing Breath of the Spirit blow through the Canterbury Group and give it fresh excitement and fruitfulness of life as it
enters a new phase of its mission with new special teachers and a new mix of membership.
MONDAY -  MAY 12TH Please pray for the new special teacher Walter B Schilling assigned to Dhahran, and the continuation of the work in the Canterbury Group in Dhahran, that it will prosper under his leadership.
TUESDAY - MAY 13TH Please pray for the new special teacher John R Proffitt assigned to Ras Tanura, and that the Canterbury Group there will grow and bear much
fruit under his care.
WEDNESDAY - MAY 14TH Pray for the Canterbury Group as a whole that it might fulfil its mission under the joint ministry of the special teachers as they work together to nurture its
life.
THURSDAY - MAY 15TH
 
Pray for the lay ministry of the Canterbury Group, for the vestry, the lay readers, the Eucharistic ministers, the altar guild, the Friday school teachers, the social and hospitality committees, the acolytes, the lectors, the music director and choir, the sound system coordinators, and all who work for the building up of the Body at Canterbury Group.
FRIDAY - MAY 16TH Pray for the continuation and growth of the Canterbury Group at Udhailiyah, and that its unity with the the Group as a whole will be made manifest
under the leadership of the new special teachers.
SATURDAY - MAY 17TH Pray for the continued life of the Canterbury Group in Abqaiq that its decimated numbers may be replenished and that it may experience a rebirth under the care of the new special teachers at the Canterbury Group.
SUNDAY - MAY 18TH
Trinity Sunday
St Helena, Larnaca: The Reverend Douglas Cockbill. We give thanks to God in this centenary year, for 100 years of Christian life at St. Helena's.
MONDAY - MAY 19TH We give thanks to God for the "little saints" who began the worship at St. Helena's in 1907, and all who have maintained it since.
TUESDAY - MAY 20TH We offer to God current ministry and membership, and praise Him for long-term members.
WEDNESDAY - MAY 21ST
St Helena, Protector of thy
Holy Places (330)
St. Helena's Day: we bless God for the life and witness of this saintly woman, mother of the Emperor Constantine.
THURSDAY - MAY 22ND
Day of Thanksgiving for
Holy Communion
Corpus Christi
Temple Gairdner  -
(see here..._)
We ask God's blessing upon all of the churches of all traditions in Larnaca and environs.
FRIDAY - MAY 23RD We pray for the island nation of Cyprus, and for reconciliation between Greek and Turk, and its unity as one people.
SATURDAY - MAY 24TH We recognise before God the renewed life in Christ at St. Helena's, praying for newer members, especially seeking His Spirit in efforts to become
fully a missionary church.
Receive, O Holy Trinity, these oblations which I, a sinner, offer,
both for myself and for the whole Christian people, for our brothers
and sisters and for those who remember us regularly in their
prayers, so that in this present world we may deserve to receive
forgiveness of all our sins, and in the next may deserve to attain to
eternal rest, through you, Jesus Christ, the redeemer of the world,
who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns for ever
and ever. Amen.
 

Source unknown, 11th century

 

THE MIDDLE EAST COUNCIL OF CHURCHES,
founded in 1974 is an independent regional fellowship of four families of Middle East Churches. It brings together Oriental Orthodox, Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical churches under one body, each family enjoying equal representation in the Council’s governing bodies.
SUNDAY -  MAY 25TH
The first Sunday after Trinity
The Middle East Council of Churches: The Executive Committee and the General Secretary, Dr Guirgis Saleh.
MONDAY - MAY 26TH The four Presidents of the Council representing the four families: HH Catholicos Aram I, HB the Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III, The Reverend Dr Safwat El Bayadi, and His Excellency Archbishop Boulos Matar
TUESDAY - MAY 27TH For continuation of dialogue, cooperation and communication with Muslims in order to build a more peaceful and just world.
WEDNESDAY - MAY 28TH For Christians of Oriental Orthodox traditions: Armenians, Copts, Ethiopians, Syrian Orthodox and the Ancient Church of the East.
THURSDAY - MAY 29TH For Christians of Orthodox tradition in communion with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.
FRIDAY - MAY 30TH For Christians of Roman Catholic tradition, both Latin, Eastern-rite and Maronite, in communion with the Pope.
SATURDAY - MAY 31ST
The Visit of the Blessed Virgin
Mary to Elizabeth
For Christians of Anglican tradition in communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury; and for those of Reformed and Evangelical tradition.