We invite you to pray with us for frontline caregivers. The liturgy is printed in this post so you can follow along and participate. See the dates above and click here to link to Trinity’s Facebook page to follow along LIVE with Deacon Matthew.
The 2020 coronavirus pandemic has brought into stark relief the courageous, ongoing, and whole-self sacrifice of frontline caregivers, those who care for the sick and their families in hospitals and the community.
The pandemic has multiplied the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual risks and stressors and is jeopardizing the health, and often the very lives of these dedicated caregivers.
The Diocese of Pennsylvania lay and clergy members have come together to address these realities. Our mission is to provide prayer and support for Frontline Caregivers.
The Office of the Night Watch
Late November 2020
Based on “The Night Offices” by Phyllis Tickle
The Call to Prayer
Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,*
You that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord;*
The Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion. -Psalm 134
O God make speed to save us,
O Lord make haste to help us.
Greeting
The heavens declare the glory of God,*
And the firmament shows his handiwork,
One day tells its tale to another,*
And one night imparts knowledge to another –Psalm 19: 1-2
Psalm
But thou, O Lord, art enthroned for ever;
thy name endures to all generations.
Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry come to thee!
2 Do not hide thy face from me
in the day of my distress!
Incline thy ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call!
3 For my days pass away like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.
4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered;
I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of my loud groaning
my bones cleave to my flesh.
6 I am like a vulture[a] of the wilderness,
like an owl of the waste places;
7 I lie awake,
I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies taunt me,
those who deride me use my name for a curse.
9 For I eat ashes like bread,
and mingle tears with my drink,
10 because of thy indignation and anger;
for thou hast taken me up and thrown me away.
11 My days are like an evening shadow;
I wither away like grass.
12 But thou, O Lord, art enthroned for ever;
thy name endures to all generations.
13 Thou wilt arise and have pity on Zion;
it is the time to favor her;
the appointed time has come.
14 For thy servants hold her stones dear,
and have pity on her dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 For the Lord will build up Zion,
he will appear in his glory;
17 he will regard the prayer of the destitute,
and will not despise their supplication.
18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
19 that he looked down from his holy height,
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,
to set free those who were doomed to die;
21 that men may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22 when peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.
23 He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.
24 “O my God,” I say, “take me not hence
in the midst of my days,
thou whose years endure
throughout all generations!”
25 Of old thou didst lay the foundation of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They will perish, but thou dost endure;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Thou changest them like raiment, and they pass away;
27 but thou art the same, and thy years have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall dwell secure;
their posterity shall be established before thee.
But thou, O Lord, art enthroned for ever;
thy name endures to all generations.
A Reading from The Gospel according to John
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jewish Temple Authority had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” -John 11:17-27
The Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
<silence for reflection>
The Litany
For the peace from above, for the loving-kindness of God, and for the salvation of our souls, we pray to the Lord
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the peace of the world, for the welfare of the Holy Church of God, and for the unity of all peoples, we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, in your mercy hear our prayer.
For our communities, for every city and community, and for those who live in them, we pray to the Lord
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For seasonable weather, and for an abundance of the fruits of the Earth, and a heart to share them, we pray to the Lord
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the good earth which God has given us, and for the wisdom and will to conserve it. We pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For deliverance from all danger, violence, oppression, and degradation, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For the absolution and remission of our sins and offenses, we pray to the Lord.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Defend us, deliver us, and in your compassion protect us, O Lord, by your grace.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
At this time, in the night watches, we pray for all first responders, all healthcare workers, all patients suffering from Covid, for all social workers, and for all teachers. We especially pray for
11/15/2020 |
Coronovirus positive Staff |
Especially those who are expected to continue working (North Dakota) |
11/15//2020 |
Bonnie |
Family caregiver placing parent in assisted living |
11/15/2020 |
Matthew |
Nurse serving in an ICU |
11/15/2020 |
Martha |
Caregiver in a North Carolina nursing home |
11/15/2020 |
Billy |
Nurse on Covid floor in Manhattan |
11/15/2020 |
Callee |
Nurse on a medsurg floor |
11/15/2020 |
Kristen |
Street minister |
11/15/2020 |
Nursing Staff5 Lenfest West |
Abington Cardiovascular Unit |
11/15/2020 |
Patients with Covid and their family members |
The sick separated by Covid from family |
11/15/2020 |
Phil |
Cop and Street Ministry to the homeless and addicted |
11/15/2020 |
Wendy |
Nursing Admin in NJ diagnosed w/ Covid-19(Sister of DIOPA clergy) |
11/15/2020 |
Jim & Sallie |
Married 60 yrs. He cares for her 24/7 |
11/15/2020 |
Linda |
Adjusting to personal care facility |
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11/15/2020 |
Steve |
Temple physician |
11/15/2020 |
Matt |
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11/15/2020 |
Jaqueline |
An elder living alone, struggling with declining cognitive function, joint replacement failure; resisting facility placement. |
11/15/2020 |
Kathi |
Daughter caring for Jacqueline; does not live with her mother |
11/15/20 |
Maribeth |
Nurse Manager in a nursing home in Illinois |
