welcome to canterbury cathedral it's a thursday morning in the season of lent and we're going to share some midday prayers at the moment of course we are in our homes and we've had to stop our live streaming in the cathedral church but we can still share some daily prayers with you and in the next few days we hope we can begin to plan some worship which we can share daily which will include some music as well but for the moment we share our midday prayers together wherever you are in the world [Music] oh god make speed to save us oh lord make haste to help us hear our prayer oh lord and give ear to our cry hold not your peace at our tears one of the morning psalms for today is psalm 121 and i shall read that now i lift up my eyes to the hills from where is my help to come my help comes from the lord the maker of heaven and earth he will not suffer your foot to stumble he who watches over you will not sleep behold he who keeps watch over israel shall neither slumber nor sleep the lord himself watches over you the lord is your shade at your right hand so that the sun shall not strike you by day neither the moon by night the lord shall keep you from all evil it is he who shall keep your soul the lord shall keep watch over your going out and your coming in from this time forth forevermore lent is a time when we think of jesus in the desert he was alone and he was in the midst of sharing hardship the lesson which we're going to read for thursday for our midday prayers from isaiah chapter 58 speaks of the kind of fasting which the lord expects as we go through lent both in ordinary times each year but especially this year when so many of us are kept in our homes and so many are feeling loneliness is not this the fast that i choose to loose the bonds of injustice to undo the songs of the yolk to let the oppressed go free to break every yoke is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house when you see the naked to cover them and not to hide yourself from your own kin and then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your healing shall spring up quickly your vindicator shall go before you the glory of the lord shall be your rear guard then you shall call and the lord will answer you shall cry for help and he will say here i am so we pray for one another and at this time particularly for all those in need of healing those who are caring for the sick those who are afraid and those who are seeking medical solutions to the coronavirus and all that it means for our world but as the lesson tells us our keeping of lent as christians means that we look for ways in which we can help each other it's a wonderful thing that so many people have volunteered to help the national health service in caring for those who are vulnerable but each of us can look around to our neighbors and see ways in which we might help we use the prayer which is on our website for today praying for all those suffering from kovid 19 and especially for those caring for loved ones who are ill loving god bless with your compassion all those who care for family members and friends give them strength in times of tiredness give them calm in times of anxiety give them courage in times of despair that through their love the sick would be comforted relationships deepened and hope renewed through jesus christ our lord amen so together we pray in whatever words and ways we're used to saying it in whichever language the prayer our savior taught us 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 the power and the glory forever and ever amen and finally a favorite prayer which so many know by heart a prayer of ignatius of loyola teach us good lord to serve you as you deserve to give and not to count the cost to fight and not to heed the wounds to toil and not to seek for rest to labor and not to seek for any reward save that of knowing that we do your will amen may god bless you all those for whom you care those whom you love the world over this day and always and may god bless you and show his compassion and mercy the father the son and the holy spirit amen