Each week. during the first part of the Communion service, called the Liturgy of the Word, there are four Bible readings, a reading form the Old Testament, a Psalm (usually said responsively), a reading from one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John), and a reading from the rest of the New Testament. The readings used each Sunday are those listed in the Revised Common Lectionary, if you wish to see the reading for the next Sunday you can go to the following page on the Anglican Diocese of Montreal's website http://montreal.anglican.org/comments/. Then you can choose from the this week's readings, last week's readings and next week's readings links. When you reach the page selected, click the Lessons for this week link from the Vanderbilt University web site. (You can go there directly but then you have to know the time of the church year to find the lessons). After reading the week's passages, you may wish to read the commentary on the readings provided by Chris Haslam on the Montreal diocesan site.

Personal Devotions

Personal prayer and devotional Bible study are encouraged. There are many excellent aids to devotional Bible study, especially those published by Scripture Union Canada.

Anglicans are encouraged to use the daily services of Morning and Evening prayer either communally or privately. Learning to use the services in the BAS is not easy. A web site called Oremus has a helpful Anglican (Church of England in this case) Morning, Evening and Night Prayer Online. (A traditional name for Morning Prayer was Mattins, for Evening Prayer. especially with sung responses, Evensong and for Night Prayer, Compline.)

Group Study

Each Wednesday at noon: Liturgy of Healing Prayer

Parish Life Long Learning: Lectio in Lent and reflection on Henri Nouwen’s classic, Can you Drink this Cup? March 30th, April 6th and April 13th from 7:00pm to 8:30pm. Many people find it difficult to know how to start reading Scripture. Lectio Divina is a simple and very ancient method of scriptural reading intended to help us sense God’s presence as we read. Nouwen’s book is available from Rev Barbara for $7 and will be used to direct the choice of Lectio readings.

Devotional Prayers 

Sometimes, space permitting, our church bulletin includes devotional prayers. Some of them will be included here, as well as some other prayers found in Anglican prayer books, (though not necessarily exclusively Anglican!)

A Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson
Author of Treasure Island, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Kidnapped

Give us grace and strength to persevere.
Give us courage and gaiety and quiet of mind.
Spare to us our friends and soften to us our enemies.
Give us the strength to encounter that which is to come,
that we may be brave in peril, constant in tribulation,
temperate in wrath and in all changes of fortune,
and down to the gates of death loyal and loving to one another.
Amen.

Prayers before bed

A Collect for Aid against all Perils

Lighten our darkness,
we beseech thee, O Lord;
and by thy great mercy
     defend us from all perils and dangers of this night;
for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Be present, merciful God,
and protect us through the silent hours of this night,
so that we,
who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world,
may rest upon your eternal changelessness.
Amen.

(Compline)

Preserve us, O God, while waking,
and guard while sleeping,
that awake we may watch with Christ,
and asleep we rest in your peace.
Amen.

(Compline)

O Lord,
support us all the day long of this troublous life,
until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes,
the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over,
and our work is done.
Then Lord, in your mercy,
grant us safe lodging,
a holy rest,
and peace at the last.
Amen.