Our June Prayer!

3rd Jun 2023

Our June Prayer: ‘The Gloria’

Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will

We praise you,
We bless you,
We adore you,
We glorify you,
We give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;
You take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;
You are seated at the right hand of the Father,

Have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One,
You alone are the Lord,
You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
With the Holy Spirit,

In the glory of God the Father.

Amen.

This prayer recalls the time when angels appeared to shepherds and shared the good news of Jesus’ birth. In Luke’s Gospel, shepherds are the first to hear about the birth of Jesus. At that time, being a shepherd was not considered to be a privileged position in society. Jewish leaders often criticised shepherds as the nature of their work meant they could not always keep to religious rules e.g. around the Sabbath. This act shows that the message of Jesus was for everyone, even those considered to be insignificant or marginalised.

As they watched their flocks an angel appeared and said, “This very day in David’s town your saviour was born, Christ the Lord!”

Suddenly, many angels appeared, singing praises to God “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom he is pleased!”

This is exclamation is now known as ‘The Gloria’.