Tuesday, April 16, 2019

Tuesday of Holy Week




Tuesday of Holy Week – April 16, 2019 – Psalm 71:12

O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!


The circumstances of the Psalmist’s life seem to indicate that God is far away.

This is a psalm for an older believer struggling with assaults on his faith, including temptations to think that his faith was all in vain. By proclaiming the saving deeds of the Lord, he meets the challenge of old age with faith, hope, faithfulness, witness, and praise. The psalmist’s difficult circumstances seem to prove that God is far away. Therefore, he prays for the Lord to help him, and to vindicate his faith. 

The Psalms are a school of prayer that teaches us to gather our troubles and take them to God who loves us and is always there for us. With assurance, we can cry with the psalmist — “O LORD, make haste to help me!”
  
Almighty and everlasting God, grant us grace so to pass through this holy time of our Lord’s Passion that we may receive the pardon of our sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and forever.


O God, by the passion of Your blessed Son You made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen[1]


Almighty and everlasting God, grant us by Your grace so to pass through this holy time of our Lord’s passion that we may obtain the forgiveness of our sins; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.[2]

[1]Collect for Tuesday of Holy Week, http://www.liturgies.net/Lent/LentenCollects.htm
[2] Collect for Tuesday of Holy Week, Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

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