麻豆社

麻豆社 Radio 4 Sunday Worship: 听14 April 2013

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Opening V&R听 听听听听听听听听听听听 O Lord, open our lips;

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PETER JENNER:

Welcome to Chester Cathedral. 听For several centuries in this place of worship each new day began with the words we鈥檝e just heard. 听The sound of plainchant can help us imagine the time before this church became a cathedral when it was a large and influential Benedictine Abbey. This morning we鈥檙e in the Quire of the Cathedral, the heart of the building, in the very same intricately carved wooden stalls where the monks gathered for their devotions long ago. 听They would have entered this place of prayer as night was ending and the first shafts of dawn light pierced the dark interior.听听听An important part of their early service was the Venite, Psalm 95, sung as a commitment to the monastic life of worship and prayer.听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

MUSIC:

Venite

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PETER JENNER:

Chester Cathedral is built of red sandstone and it almost seems as if centuries of prayer and worship have been absorbed into the very stones around us. 听A few yards from where we worship this morning, one wall of the cathedral still remains from the first monastic church built over 900 years ago. 听And through every one of those years, Christians have celebrated the festivals of the church which tell the story of Jesus. 听In their worship, the monks would always sing hymns which reflected the themes of the liturgical season. 听So today our first hymn is a proclamation of resurrection faith, an Easter hymn based on an ancient Latin text: 听鈥淭he day draws on with golden light鈥�.听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�

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MUSIC

Hymn: The day draws on with golden light 听(Tune: 听Deus tuorum militum) 3.02鈥�

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PETER JENNER:

The life of the monks of Chester was shaped by the teaching of St Benedict. Benedict lived in Italy around the year 500AD and towards the end of his life he distilled his experience as a monk and abbot into a monastic Rule 鈥� a set of written wisdom and instruction.听听Meditating on Scripture and 鈥榣istening to God with the ear of our heart鈥�, as Benedict put it, was central to the life of the monastery. 听We especially 鈥榣isten to God鈥� as we read the Bible, and our first reading today takes us back to the first Easter Day and the meeting between the risen Christ and Mary Magdalene.

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CHRISTINE BULL:

A reading from the gospel according to John, chapter 20:

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Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping and, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb. 听And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 听And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping ?" 听She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him." 听When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. 听Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? 听Whom do you seek?" [i]

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This is the Word of the Lord.

All听听听听听听 Thanks be to God. 听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�

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PETER JENNER:

鈥淲hom do you seek?鈥� asks the risen Christ of Mary as she weeps by the empty tomb. 听Seeking God is a key theme in Benedict鈥檚 Rule, but he talks also about a different sort of seeking, about the God who seeks us, inviting us to live our lives transformed by grace. This is what Benedict says:

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NICK FRY:

Seeking workers in a multitude of people, God calls out and says: 鈥淚s there anyone here who yearns for life and desires to see good days?鈥� If you hear this and your answer is 鈥淚 do,鈥� God then directs these words to you: 听if you desire true and eternal life, 鈥渒eep your tongue free from vicious talk and your lips from all deceit; turn away from evil and do good; let peace be your quest and aim鈥�. [ii]

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PETER JENNER:

Benedict鈥檚 monastic Rule centred on a call to stability and, in his words, 鈥榯o prefer nothing to the love of Christ鈥�. 听When Benedict wrote in the 6th century, he wouldn鈥檛 have realised that he was living through one of the great periods of transition in which the face of the world changes. 听During his lifetime he witnessed political instability, widespread famine, violence and war, and it鈥檚 against this dark backcloth that he wrote his Rule. Benedict continues describing how God calls people to a life of faith:

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NICK FRY:

God says, 鈥淟et peace be your quest and aim鈥�. 听Once you have done this, my 鈥渆yes will be upon you and my ears will listen for your prayers; 听and even before you ask me, I will say鈥� to you: 鈥渉ere I am鈥�. 听What is more delightful than this voice of the Lord calling to us? 听See how God鈥檚 love shows us the way of life.听鈥�. [iii].听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

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PETER JENNER:

The psalms were fundamental to the Benedictine community鈥檚 prayer and worship.听 Here is the entry point into the whole of scripture and the gateway to becoming more receptive to the work of God in our lives.

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NICK FRY:

The prophet says, 鈥淪ing wisely鈥� and 鈥渋n the presence of the angels I will sing to you.鈥� 听We must always remember that we are in the presence of God and his angels, and ought to sing the Psalms in such a way that our minds are in harmony with our voices. [iv]听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 42鈥�

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PETER JENNER:

One Psalm particularly important for Benedict was Psalm 34, which begins with thanksgiving to God.

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MUSIC:听 Psalm 34: 1-14

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PETER JENNER:

Whatever our circumstances, the Psalms give us words to express what we鈥檙e going through and words to help us make sense of our world and words for our prayers to God.

The Psalms also enable us to hear God鈥檚 word calling to us in Jesus Christ, the one who invites the weary to leave with him all that weighs them down:听 I heard the voice of Jesus say, 鈥淐ome unto me and rest.鈥�

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MUSIC:

Hymn: I heard the voice of Jesus say (Kingsfold)听听听听

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JANE BROOKE:

A reading from the gospel according to John chapter 1:

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John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, 鈥淏ehold, the Lamb of God!鈥� 听听The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 听And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, 鈥淲hat do you seek?鈥� 听They said to Him, 鈥淩abbi, where are You staying?鈥� 听He said to them, 鈥淐ome, and you will see.鈥� 听So they came and saw where He was staying; 听and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 听One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter鈥檚 brother. 听He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, 鈥淲e have found the Messiah鈥� 42 听He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, 鈥淵ou are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas鈥� . [v]

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This is the Word of the Lord.

All听听听听听听 Thanks be to God. 听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 45鈥�

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Bishop Robert

I remember the room vividly to this day: the maroon velvet sofa, the Chinese porcelain cups and saucers, the grand piano and the French windows giving onto immaculate lawns.听 Grandchildren in silver frames smiled down on us, as my host began to tell me the story of their marriage, when suddenly he cast a hand around the room and cried, 鈥楲ook at it all! I have everything I need, and nothing I want鈥�.

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Over the years I have taken many funerals, but that funeral visit when I was a young priest has always stayed with me. 听The man鈥檚 grief was intense.听 His wife had just died unexpectedly in her early-50s. 听But as he wept uncontrollably that afternoon, I sensed a more searing pain: the bitterness of regret. 听So much of their life together had been lived in the future. 听They looked forward to a retirement that never materialized. 听In their preoccupation with what they did not have, they lost sight of the good things they already had, and in the process lost sight of each other. 听As I left their house I thought how important it is not to postpone our living until tomorrow.

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Television and magazines are full of adverts promising to satisfy our every want and need. 听Yet we rarely step back and ask ourselves what it is that we really want. 听What are we looking for? 听What are we seeking? 听For a host of reasons, part laziness, part fear of what we might discover about ourselves, we prefer not to ask the question.

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The first time I asked myself what I really wanted occurred not long after I took that funeral. 听To say I asked myself is inaccurate. 听I was visiting the Abbey of Bec in Normandy, and I was asked the question in French by the old abbot, a great bear of a man, as I sat incoherent and tearful in his study, overcome by the beauty of the monastic liturgy and a powerful sense of a call to give myself to God in a life of prayer.

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The question he asked was not, 鈥榃hat do you want?鈥�, but 鈥榃hat do you seek?鈥� 听Sometimes we don鈥檛 know what we want, and find ourselves on an inner journey to find out.

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The Rule of Benedict, under which the monks here in Chester lived, and which the monks and nuns of Bec still do, is all about seeking God. 听Benedict urges an abbot to ask such questions to help a person discover where their heart is leading them. 听The question isn鈥檛 random. 听According to John鈥檚 Gospel, 鈥榳hat do you seek?鈥� is the first recorded question of Jesus, and Jesus asks it of each one of us.

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The question drills down, putting us in touch with what鈥檚 driving us. 听Until we can answer it truthfully, we run the risk that life may pass us by because all we do is skate on its surface.

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In the Gospel the two men answer Jesus with a question of their own: 听'Rabbi, where are you staying?' 听And Jesus replies, 'Come and see.' 听And with this invitation their discipleship begins. 听Being a Christian is about being a disciple, and being a disciple is about being in the company of Jesus. 听In Benedict鈥檚 words, it is about 鈥榣istening to God with the ear of our heart鈥�.

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We know the name of one the two men who followed Jesus that day: 听Andrew. He was so excited that he dragged his brother Simon to meet Jesus. 听鈥榊ou are Simon, son of John,鈥� said Jesus. 鈥榊ou shall be called Cephas, that is Peter鈥� (meaning the Rock).

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You are Simon. 听You will be Peter.

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Note the change of tense. 听I often find myself unconsciously pigeon-holing people. 听Life is easier that way. 听But Jesus is different. 听He looks beyond appearances into hearts and minds, and sees what we can become by his grace.

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Over thirty years have passed since my conversation in the abbot鈥檚 study. 听Today I am a bishop here in Cheshire and, although no longer a monk, Benedictine spirituality still inspires me. 听We have only one life to live, and each of us is seeking a life that is worth living. 听In the choices I have made, to quote the American poet, Robert Frost, my own decision has been to take a road 鈥榣ess travelled by鈥�, but it has been life-transforming.

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Benedict sets before us a vision of human-relating founded on the love of God, permeated by prayer, and obedient to the call of Christ. And this theme is echoed in Howard Skempton鈥檚 setting of the opening verse of Psalm 119: 鈥楤lessed are those whose way is pure, who walk in the law of the Lord鈥�:听 Beati quorum via.听听听听

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Anthem:听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 Beati quorum via听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 2.02

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Bishop Robert

If nothing else, my years as a monk taught me how confused human motives can be. 听Some people go to a monastery kidding themselves that they are seeking God when they are actually seeking friends because they are lonely. 听They become disappointed when they discover just how much time you spend by yourself, but in the silence learn to make friends with themselves.

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Some go to get away from people, but find themselves stumbling across ghastly people at every second turn of the monastery corridor. 听As a seasoned old monk once said to me, 'It's not the vows that are the problem; it's the brethren.'

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I remember one would-be monk saying he felt called to a life of contemplation, and was highly put out when on Monday morning he found himself on the rota to peel the potatoes.

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It鈥檚 why Benedict called the monastery a 鈥榮chool of the Lord鈥檚 service鈥�. 听God is full of surprises and he has lessons to teach each of us, whatever our age, wherever we may be, as we try to make sense of the ordinary, sad and funny events of life.

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Each of us wants different things, but my guess is that at root we all want to be happy. 听Unfortunately we sometimes confuse pleasure with happiness. 听Pleasure brings relief, but not necessarily happiness. 听For that we need to dig deeper.

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How we cope with sadness and disappointment when it is more than a passing phase is a huge challenge. 听It is a test not only of our maturity but of our faith 鈥� if we have it.听 I remember a friend once saying to me, 鈥業 know I looked alright, but I was crying on the inside of my face, only you didn鈥檛 notice.鈥� 听When pain is this intense, instead of attempting to understand what is happening to us, all we can do is to hang on, and to 鈥榮tand-under鈥� the experience and let it explore us. 听Sometimes in the very things which seem to deny the possibility of hope we meet God.

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鈥榃ho do you seek?鈥� the risen Christ asks Mary Magdalene as she weeps beside the empty tomb on Easter morning. 听Jesus鈥檚 words echo that first question he asked the two disciples. 听It is only as he speaks her name, 鈥楳ary鈥�, that the penny drops and she recognises him.

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I remember as a six year old being taken to a fair and getting separated from my parents. 听I can still remember the panic at being lost in the crowd, and the huge relief of hearing my father鈥檚 voice calling my name. 听In our journey through life we too can feel lost and panic. 听But we can also discover to our amazement and our joy that God is seeking us. 听What is more, we discover that God knows our name and that he holds us safe.

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MUSIC

O for a closer walk with God听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 1.40鈥�

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CHRISTINE BULL:

Now for ourselves, for God鈥檚 world, and for those in need today,

let us pray to the Lord: [vi]

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JANE BROOKE:

For a heart which searches for God;

for a heart which seeks truth boldly and loves deeply;

for a heart of restless and uncomfortable with, half-truths and superficial relationships;

let us pray to the Lord:

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Kyrie eleison听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 (Missa Orbis Factor): 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 06鈥�

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CHRISTINE BULL:

For those who are blessed with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation;

for those who work tirelessly for justice, freedom, and peace among all people;

for those who strive for stability and hope in Syria, Afghanistan and Congo;

let us pray to the Lord:

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Christe eleison听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 (Missa Orbis Factor): 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 06鈥�

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JANE BROOKE:

For the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish;

for compassion to reach out a hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy;

let us pray to the Lord:

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Kyrie eleison听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 (Missa Orbis Factor): 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 06鈥�

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CHRISTINE BULL:听听听

For the blessing of enough foolishness to believe that we really can make a difference in this world;

for God's grace to do what others claim cannot be done;

let us pray to the Lord:听听听听

听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥�

Christe eleison听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 (Missa Orbis Factor): 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 06鈥�

JANE BROOKE:

Today鈥檚 Collect:听 for the third Sunday of Easter:

听听听听听听听听听听听 Almighty Father,

听听听听听听听听听听听 who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples

听听听听听听听听听听听 with the sight of the risen Lord:

听听听听听听听听听听听 give us such knowledge of his presence with us,

听听听听听听听听听听听 that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life

听听听听听听听听听听听 and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;

听听听听听听听听听听听 through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

听听听听听听听听听听听 who is alive and reigns with you,

听听听听听听听听听听听 in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

听听听听听听听听听听听 one God, now and for ever. Amen.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 23鈥�

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CHRISTINE BULL:

Let us pray for the coming of the Kingdom as Jesus taught us:

听听听听听听听听听听听 Our Father in heaven,

听听听听听听听听听听听 hallowed be your name,

听听听听听听听听听听听 your kingdom come,

听听听听听听听听听听听 your will be done,

听听听听听听听听听听听 on earth as in heaven.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Give us today our daily bread.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Forgive us our sins

听听听听听听听听听听听 as we forgive those who sin against us.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Lead us not into temptation

听听听听听听听听听听听 but deliver us from evil.

听听听听听听听听听听听 For the kingdom, the power,

听听听听听听听听听听听 and the glory are yours

听听听听听听听听听听听 now and for ever. Amen.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 25鈥�

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PETER JENNER:

The worship of the Benedictine community followed year in year out the pattern of the church鈥檚 year based on the life of Christ.听 Our final hymn this morning takes us through the story of Jesus as we celebrate it from Christmas to Easter and beyond: 听鈥榃e have a gospel to proclaim鈥�.听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 10鈥�

MUSIC:

We have a Gospel to proclaim听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听

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Bishop Robert:

听听听听听听听听听听听 God the Father, by whose love Christ was raised from the dead,

听听听听听听听听听听听 Open to you who believe the gates of everlasting life.

All:听听听听听 Amen

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听听听听听听听听听听听 God the Son, who in bursting the grave has won a glorious victory,

听听听听听听听听听听听 Give you joy as you share the Easter faith.

All:听听听听听 Amen

听

听听听听听听听听听听听 God the Holy Spirit, whom the risen Lord breathed into his disciples,

听听听听听听听听听听听 Empower you and fill you with Christ鈥檚 peace.

All:听听听听听 Amen

听听听听听听听听听听听 And the

blessing of God almighty,

听听听听听听听听听听听 The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,

听听听听听听听听听听听 Be among you and remain with you always.

All:听听听听听 Amen.[vii]听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听听 40鈥�

听

MUSIC

Voluntary:听听听 Fugue (Sonata No. 2 in C Op.65) 鈥� Felix Mendelssohn听听听听听听 3.45鈥�

听

[i] John 20:11-15a (NASV)

听[ii] from The Rule of Benedict: A spirituality for the 21st Century by Joan Chittister (published by Crossroad) p10f

听[iii] ibid p10f

听[iv] Ibid p130

听[v] John 1:35-42 (NASV)

听[vi] Based on a prayer of Sr Ruth Fox OSB (1985) from

听[vii] Common Worship