radioalba.org Christian – Morning Prayers in a 30 minute cycle 
from 8.00 and 8.15 until 12.00 noon concluding with a little
‘Music Choice’ including ‘Tantum Ergo, O Sacrament Most Holy
and Hail Queen of Heaven filling up the end part of the 30 minutes.
Morning Prayer for the 4th week of the cycle beginning 17th August is led by Brendan Gill with music by the St Mungo Singers.
After the customary harp introduction by Noel S Donnelly, Morning Prayer opens with a short Introit, a setting of the passage from the 1st letter to the Thessalonians 4:14 (Just as Jesus died and rose so those who sleep in him will be restored by God), which links with the short reading from 2 Timothy 8:11-13 (If we have died with him then we shall live with him). Psalm 117 fits in so well with both introit and reading – ‘This day was made by the Lord, we rejoice and are glad.’ The intercessions are followed by James Quinn’s text to Orlando Gibbons’ tune: ‘Love is of God.’ Because of the raging conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and the Ukraine we pray also for peace:
Father of us all, the whole human family is yours,
and your Son Jesus taught that you love all your children.
We thank you for the heroism and goodness
of so many oppressed by violence and war,
and we ask that they may be protected from any further abuse.
We plead for guidance in our own times
for those responsible for the safety of their peoples
and we ask forgiveness and a change of heart
for those who choose the paths of war.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
We conclude with the sung blessing: May the Lord bless us and keep us from harm, and may he lead us to eternal life.’
Schools Morning Prayer this week comes from Our Lady of Good Aid Cathedral Primary School in Motherwell. The Prayer opens and closes with a most evocative rendering of ‘To Christ the Seed’ on flute. The children begin by singing ‘This is our faith, our firm belief.’ There is a very apt use of flute to support and contrast with the prayers and reading. There is something very touching about hearing ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ recited together by children.
At 12.00 noon and at 6.00 p.m. radioalba also presents a short service ‘How blest are those’ – for those who wish to reflect
and pray for family members and friends who have ended this life and gone to the Lord. ‘How blest are those who have died
in the Lord. Let them rest from their labours for their good works go with them.’
We are preparing a series of Night Prayers (Compline) and Evening Prayers or Vespers.
