Sunday 28 of March in 2021

Palm Sunday

Our topic today: From Palm Sunday to Good Friday

Compiled by Vicar General of OSMTJ, Rev. Pertti Ruotsalo

OPENING

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen

The Lord be with you.

Christ humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross. Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name. (Phil. 2:8-9)

INTRODUCTION

The OSMTJ Live Video Prayer Services take place on each Sunday; accordingly we “jump” from today, Palm Sunday, to next Sunday, the Easter day. Though, IMO, we must note the importance of the Maundy Thursday (Eucharist, Gethsemane) and espe- cially Good Friday. Therefore the main part of this Weekly Prayer (Bible Readings and Prayers) refer to the Good Friday.

The four images refer to Palm Sunday, Eucharist, Gethsemane and Good Friday. Unfortunately, they are small, but I hope it is possible for you to scale this PDF file.

CONFESSION

Christ was crucified – for us – because of our sins – for our salvation. Let us confess our sins.

Compassionate God, dear heavenly Father, we confess our sins to you. Because of them we have deserved your wrath and punishment. Look upon us with mercy and forgive us our sins for the sake of your beloved Son, our Savior Jesus Christ.

ABSOLUTION

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3: 16)

PSALM OF THE DAY: Psalm 22

1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? 2. O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. 3. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. 4. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. 5. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disap- pointed.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

O God of mercy and might, in the mystery of the passion of your Son you offer your infinite life to the world. Gather us around the cross of Christ, and preserve us until the resurrection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Amen.

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Isaiah 53

1. Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been re- vealed? 2. He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken. 9. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. 10. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to

suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand. 11. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. 12. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

NEW TESTAMENT READING: Hebrews 5

7. During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9. and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10. and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Mel-chizedek.

GOSPEL: Mark 15

22. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). 23. Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. 24. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. 25. It was the third hour when they crucified him. 26. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left. 29. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, 30. come down from the cross and save yourself!” 31. In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! 32. Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. 33. At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. 34. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “[Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?]”-which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 35. When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” 36. One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. 37. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last.

APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe 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 to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of the Father, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

INTERCESSIONS

Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal,

Have mercy upon us!

We pray to you for the salvation of our souls,
for the spread of your church over all the earth,
and for the unity of all believers.
Give us pastors and counselors who are pleasing to you.
May your Spirit generate life through the word and the sacraments.

Hear us, good Lord God.

Grant your peace into our hearts and homes.
Give young people strength to walk in your ways.
Bring peace to nations in this world
and justice and righteousness upon the earth.
We ask for your wise guidance to Heads of our States,
for your blessing and protection upon our country and people, and for everything we need in this life.

Hear us, good Lord God.

Support and help the sick,
save those in distress and danger,
give endurance to those who suffer because of their faith.
We ask for your gracious presence in places of sorrow and suffering.
Give us a blessed death and a joyous reunion with beloved ones who have passed away.

Hear us, good Lord God.

To him, the King of kings who loves us
and has released us from our sins with his blood,
be praise and honor, glory and power, always and forever!

Amen.

CLOSING PRAYER

(A prayer on Maundy Thursday)

O gracious God, you gave us Holy Communion as a meal of love, and in the washing of the disciples’ feet your Son modeled for us the life of service. Give us life and strength through the mystery of this sacrifice, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

(A prayer on Good Friday)

Almighty and ever-living God, in your tender love for us you sent your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the cross. May we walk in the way of his suffering and share in the joy of his resurrection, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.
THE LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever.

Amen.

CLOSING BENEDICTION

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5: 12)