Mount Calvary Lutheran Church - Lititz, PA
Mount Calvary at Prayer 1/21/2024
Mount Calvary at Prayer is a weekly devotional and catechetical guide for use in the home and the congregation. Mount Calvary at Prayer unites the congregation around the same sections of the Word of God and Catechism and gives a common language for prayer and meditation upon the Scriptures. It is prepared by the pastor each week and distributed in the Sunday bulletin. It lives from the themes established on each Sunday of the church year and it looks forward to the coming Sunday. It helps families and individual Christians in prayer, reading the Scriptures, and learning the Catechism at home. It teaches the congregation to use the Bible, Catechism, and hymnal as daily devotional companions for the Christian faith and life. It is a useful tool in the pastor’s ongoing catechesis of the congregation and is the recommended devotional guide for every board or committee of the congregation.
Locations & Times
Mount Calvary Lutheran
308 Petersburg Rd, Lititz, PA 17543, USA
Sunday 9:00 PM
The Order of Meditation and Prayer
Pray and confess out loud as much from the order and meditation and prayer as you are able, or as your family size and ages dictate. Learn by heart the verse, catechism, and hymn of the week.
Theme: We Listen to Jesus, God’s Beloved Son
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian* Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
*Christian: the ancient text reads “catholic,” meaning the whole Church as it confesses the wholeness of Christian doctrine.
Psalm of the Week Psalm 2(ESV)
1 Why do the nations rage[a]
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break[b] them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Verse of the Week
2 Peter 1:21, “Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
The Catechism of the Week: The Lord’s Prayer – The First Petition
“Hallowed be Thy name.” What does this mean? God's name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. How is God's name kept holy? God's name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!
Daily Bible Readings (Optional 2nd Reading)
Monday
Laban’s Covenant with Jacob—Genesis 31:43-55 Zechariah 3
Tuesday
Esau Comes to Meet Jacob—Genesis 32:1-21 Zechariah 4
Wednesday
Jacob Wrestles with God—Genesis 32:22-32 Zechariah 5
Thursday
Jacob and Esau Meet—Genesis 33:1-11 Zechariah 6
Friday
Jacob Returns to Bethel—Genesis 35:1-15 Zechariah 7
Saturday
Look ahead to Sunday’s Readings (Hymns: 555, 566 & 631, 747)
Daniel 9:2-10; Psalm 95:1-9; 1 Corinthians 9:24—10:4; Matthew 20:1-16
Prayers for the Week
Collect for the Transfiguration of Our Lord
O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Daily Themes for Prayer
Sunday
For the joy of the resurrection among us; for the fruit of faith nourished by the Word and the Sacraments
Monday
For faith to live in the promises of Holy Baptism; for one’s calling and daily work; for the unemployed; for the salvation and well-being of our neighbors; for schools, colleges, and seminaries; for good government and for peace.
Tuesday
For deliverance against temptation and evil; for the addicted and despairing, the tortured and oppressed; for those struggling with sin.
Wednesday
For marriage and family, that husbands and wives, parents and children live in ordered harmony according to the Word of God; for parents who must raise children alone; for our communities and neighborhoods.
Thursday
For the Church and her pastors; for teachers, deaconesses, and other church workers; for missionaries and for all who serve the Church; for fruitful and salutary use of the blessed Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood.
Friday
For the preaching of the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and for the spread of His knowledge throughout the whole world; for the persecuted and oppressed; for the sick and dying.
Saturday
For faithfulness to the end; for the renewal of those who are withering in the faith or have fallen away; for receptive hearts and minds to God’s Word on the Lord’s Day; for pastors and people as they prepare to administer and receive Christ’s holy gifts.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther's Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer
Luther's Morning Prayer
I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen
Luther's Evening Prayer
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The Hymn of the Week: O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair” LSB #413
Pray and confess out loud as much from the order and meditation and prayer as you are able, or as your family size and ages dictate. Learn by heart the verse, catechism, and hymn of the week.
Theme: We Listen to Jesus, God’s Beloved Son
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day He rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Christian* Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
*Christian: the ancient text reads “catholic,” meaning the whole Church as it confesses the wholeness of Christian doctrine.
Psalm of the Week Psalm 2(ESV)
1 Why do the nations rage[a]
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds apart
and cast away their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “As for me, I have set my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break[b] them with a rod of iron
and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Verse of the Week
2 Peter 1:21, “Prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
The Catechism of the Week: The Lord’s Prayer – The First Petition
“Hallowed be Thy name.” What does this mean? God's name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also. How is God's name kept holy? God's name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!
Daily Bible Readings (Optional 2nd Reading)
Monday
Laban’s Covenant with Jacob—Genesis 31:43-55 Zechariah 3
Tuesday
Esau Comes to Meet Jacob—Genesis 32:1-21 Zechariah 4
Wednesday
Jacob Wrestles with God—Genesis 32:22-32 Zechariah 5
Thursday
Jacob and Esau Meet—Genesis 33:1-11 Zechariah 6
Friday
Jacob Returns to Bethel—Genesis 35:1-15 Zechariah 7
Saturday
Look ahead to Sunday’s Readings (Hymns: 555, 566 & 631, 747)
Daniel 9:2-10; Psalm 95:1-9; 1 Corinthians 9:24—10:4; Matthew 20:1-16
Prayers for the Week
Collect for the Transfiguration of Our Lord
O Lord, graciously hear the prayers of Your people that we who justly suffer the consequence of our sin may be mercifully delivered by Your goodness to the glory of Your name; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Daily Themes for Prayer
Sunday
For the joy of the resurrection among us; for the fruit of faith nourished by the Word and the Sacraments
Monday
For faith to live in the promises of Holy Baptism; for one’s calling and daily work; for the unemployed; for the salvation and well-being of our neighbors; for schools, colleges, and seminaries; for good government and for peace.
Tuesday
For deliverance against temptation and evil; for the addicted and despairing, the tortured and oppressed; for those struggling with sin.
Wednesday
For marriage and family, that husbands and wives, parents and children live in ordered harmony according to the Word of God; for parents who must raise children alone; for our communities and neighborhoods.
Thursday
For the Church and her pastors; for teachers, deaconesses, and other church workers; for missionaries and for all who serve the Church; for fruitful and salutary use of the blessed Sacrament of Christ’s body and blood.
Friday
For the preaching of the holy cross of our Lord Jesus Christ and for the spread of His knowledge throughout the whole world; for the persecuted and oppressed; for the sick and dying.
Saturday
For faithfulness to the end; for the renewal of those who are withering in the faith or have fallen away; for receptive hearts and minds to God’s Word on the Lord’s Day; for pastors and people as they prepare to administer and receive Christ’s holy gifts.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther's Morning Prayer or Evening Prayer
Luther's Morning Prayer
I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen
Luther's Evening Prayer
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The Hymn of the Week: O Wondrous Type! O Vision Fair” LSB #413