Lenten Meditation
Listen to a Lenten devotion from Metropolitan Yohan (1950-2024) of blessed memory.
Scripture Readings
Lamentations 3:1–9, 19–24
The Prophet’s Anguish and Hope
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. He has led me and made me walk In darkness and not in light. Surely He has turned His hand against me Time and time again throughout the day.
He has aged my flesh and my skin, And broken my bones. He has besieged me And surrounded me with bitterness and woe. He has set me in dark places Like the dead of long ago.
He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy. Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer. He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked.
Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers And sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”
Psalm 31:1–4, 15–16
Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.
You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge.
My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love.
I Peter 4:1–8
Christ’s Example to Be Followed
Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
Serving for God’s Glory
But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
St. John 19:38–42
Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb
After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.
Prayers
Opening Prayer
O God, we praise You for Your Eternal love You demonstrated by allowing Your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus, to die on the Cross. He defeated death and sin that we inherited from our first father which was handed down from generation to generation. Grant us Your grace to offer ourselves at Your feet with a broken and contrite heart remembering Your passion. O Lord, please make us worthy of Your blessings and fill our hearts with love for our Saviour. Grant us grace by Your Holy Spirit to comfort those who are suffering and hurting. We pray, please prepare our hearts to meditate on Your divine sayings and become an agent of life to the neeedy and suffering by our word and deed. We ascribe praise and thanksgiving to You, to Your Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and always forever will be, world without end. Amen.
Prayer Focus
For the month of April GFA World’s prayer focus is for Women's Ministry.
Women in Africa and Asia face many hardships—ranging from illiteracy and discrimination to abuse and exploitation. But that’s not the end of their story. As your partnership equips GFA missionaries and Sisters of the Cross to display God’s love and compassion to these women, they’re finding hope in Christ and becoming agents of transformation in their communities. Join us this month as we pray for God to bring hope, healing and help to women in Africa and Asia, wich will create a ripple effect in their families and communities.
Prayer for Women's Ministry
Father we ask that You will minister to the heart of each pastor’s wife, filling her with Your love so that she can share it with others. May You guide her and give her faith to move forward in whatever ministries will be most effective for her congregation and community. Amen.
Closing Prayer
O God of all souls, the hope of the living and the dead, we thank You for helping us to remember Your coming to earth, being born of the Virgin Mary, the suffering You endured for our salvation and Your death and burial. To You our Father, the source of everything, and to Your Son whom the tomb could not hold and was resurrected for our salvation and to the Holy Spirit whom You send to lead us into all truth and transform us into the image of our Lord Jesus, we ascribe all praise, glory and honour. As it was in the beginning, is now and always forever will be, world without end. Amen.
Source for Scripture Passages: Scripture texts are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved.
Source for Art: Le Nain, Mathieu, 1607-1677. The Entombment of Christ, from Art in the Christian Tradition a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=51090 [retrieved March 23, 2018]. Original source: http://www.mfa.org/.