"What is your name?" the man asked.
He answered, "Jacob."
Then the man said,
"You sall no longer be spoken of as Jacob,
but Israel,
because you have contended with divine
and human beings and have prevailed."
Lord, you call us all by name.
Give us today a new name.
Give us today a new heart.
Call us to serve you.
May we be pleasing to you this day.
We cry out for mercy, O Lord, for we have sinned.
Grant us your forgiveness, O Lord.
Bless us this day, as you blessed Jacob.
Help us to also enter into the Promised Land.
Like Jacob we are limping along here in this life.
Give us the strength to carry on.
We praise you this day.
Yes, may we "enter in". Your kingdom come.
We pray for the
Pope
to recover completely
from this surgery this morning.
Give him the strength to carry on his mission on this earth.
Bless his efforts to bring more unity among all Christians.
May we all be one.
The world will know us by our love for one another.
Amen.