St Peters RC Church Hamilton

“The person who will thus stand his ground until death without the least repining – he has found the straight road to union with God...That road is total self renunciation, in mind and in heart...with all confidence in God, even to the end.” Father John Tavler concl.

Lord God, I thank and praise You for Your eternal goodness, and for each and every aspect of this quality of Your nature which is so beneficial to us.

Blessed be Your personality, One in Three, all loving, steadfast and ever merciful kindness. Blessed be Your holy name as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our Creator and Protector.

Your mercy knows no bounds, thank You. You make repentance possible for us at the † of Jesus. “ ‘There is more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety-nine godly(wo)men who do not need to repent’.” (Luke 15 v 7 the Truth)

You are committed to us, to our wellbeing and safety. You guard and guide us for this reason, ever faithful towards us. You are true to Your purpose and we have cause to trust in You and depend upon You alone, not our own worldly ideas and philosophies.

You make the way straight before us, opening up the road home to heaven, thank You. You encourage and motivate us by gifting us a personal Saviour, a Brother we can recognise.

Kindly, considerate and compassionate, You do not leave us to struggle on our own, but send the Paraclete, motivating our faith by belief in the Lord Jesus as Redeemer Saviour.

You champion and encourage the spreading of the kingdom through individual lives called to strive each day to fulfil Your will, as we become conformed to the image of Jesus.

It is so uplifting to have a role model who is all wisdom and truth, “...bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things,” offering us a “Love (that) never fails.” (1 Corinthians 13 v 7, 8)

You have gifted us an eternal happiness and holiness through the life, death and resurrection of our Brother, both Man and God, the King of Glory and all life to us.

“We need be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to You” (based on Philippians 4 v 6) for Your constancy is Your renown,

every one of Your promises fulfilled by Jesus.

You inspire us to seek after holiness continuously, teaching us how to pray. You equip and enable us to “Rejoice always” (Philippians 4 v 4) for the peace and hope You gift us in Your Son, by Your Spirit, “...

surpasses all understanding” (v 7) but is nonetheless real for that.

You set our focus on all things “true...noble...just...pure...lovely...of good report...of virtue... praiseworthy” (v 8) for of such virtue we seek to learn and to live by.

Mankind was made to need to worship. Without a knowledge and experience of salvation, we would worship false gods. You have however, sent us a recognisable Lord, Saviour and Master, thank You.

We exalt, extol, esteem and honour You, dearest Father, through Your holy Son, the beloved One who, although here with us in the Spirit, remains closest to Your Father heart of love.

This is the true, final and eternal love mankind needs to thrive and live by as You “Supply all our needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (based on Philippians 3 v 19)

We do believe in Him as our personal Saviour although a Brother, and thereby can claim in all sincere belief “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4 v 13) by the Holy Spirit of sanctity.

Although our flesh is weak and all too easily tempted and led astray, You ask us to pray to combat the world, the flesh and the arch deceiver, the devil. You make prayer a language of love to be expressed between us,

thank You. We pray, we strive after holiness. We seek to portray “Glory to You Lord God, in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” (Luke 2 v 14) We therefore feel happily content thereby.

“I will praise Your name forever and ever, for You are great and greatly to be praised,” (Psalm 145 v 2, 3) adored, esteemed, everywhere. “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” (v 4) Father God, our Re-Creator and Sustainer, the Provider in all aspects of daily life, You are “Gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy, good to all, Your tender mercies over all Your works.” (based on v 8, 9)

“All Your works shall praise You, O LORD” (v 10) for it is only right to do so. “And Your saints shall bless You” (Cont) by striving to share the holiness the Lord Jesus offers us through the zealous Spirit.

“They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom and talk of Your power, to make known to the world Your mighty acts and the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.” (based on v 11, 12)

May this kingdom ever include the kingdom of love and mercy, justice and peace which the Lord Jesus came to set up for us. “Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,” (v 13) maintained here by Your Spirit of love.

“Your dominion endures throughout all generations” (v 13) for Yours is the supreme sovereign power and full authority over us, enabling You to uphold us when we fall.

Thank You for re-instating us as Your beloved children, even when we fail. However many times we falter and fall, mercifully You pick us up and allow us to start again once we have repented.

Without Your Son and Your Spirit, we would not know such mercy nor how to respond to this loving kindness. We would not know deep peace, a sure hope nor a deep joy. But these marvellous assets You gift us.

“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. The LORD lifts up the humble and casts the wicked down to the ground,” (Psalm 147 v 5, 6) how beneficial it is to have this experience of love and mercy!

“It is good to sing praises to You, LORD our God, for it is pleasant and praise is beautiful,” (Psalm 147 v 1) as is the outstanding beauty of this home planet where You have placed us. What a most wonderful

home! Is not the beauty a foretaste of heaven?

“Praise the LORD! Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness!”

(Psalm 150 v 1, 2) Let us praise You for Your eternal goodness. “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.” (v 6) Yes, forever let us praise and thank You Lord God, holy Father. Amen.