In 1863, the “Football Association” was
founded, to set out clear rules for the
game and to distinguish it from rugby
football and other similar games. With
the foundation of the Football Association,
the game began to be called “association”
or “assoc”, giving the word “soccer”,
which at first was a slang word.

In May each year the Cup Final is held at
Wembley. After the First World War it
became a tradition for community singing
to take place at the Football Cup Final
at Wembley. King George V (the fifth)
suggested that a hymn be included, and
“Abide with me” was chosen. It is still sung
before the Cup Final every May.

The words were written by Henry Lyte
in the fishing village of Brixham in
Devon, where he had been the vicar
since the age of 30. His words are particularly
touching because he wrote them
whilst dying of T.B. - tuberculosis.

On the 4th September 1847 he said
goodbye to the congregation of his
church. He had been given early retirement
because of his chronic health. In
his last sermon he preached about the
time when two disciples were walking
along a road towards a village called
Emmaus. Jesus had been killed a few
days before, but now he joins them and
walks beside them. He is risen from the
dead. At last they recognise him and say
to him: “Stay with us. It is nearly evening.”

Henry Lyte took this theme and wrote
his hymn as he walked by the sea. He
heard the ebb and flow of the tide and,
for the last time there, he watched the
sun set. The following day he was to go
abroad on the advice of his doctor, who
had told him that in a drier climate he
might live a little longer.

And so he wrote “Abide with me” (meaning
“stay with me”), “it is fast becoming
evening.” As he wrote his words, Henry
Lyte also thought of his own life coming
to a swift end. No earthly helpers or comforts
could make much difference to him.

2 months later, on his way to sunny Italy,
he died in Nice, France. His last words
were “Peace, joy,” as he pointed his hand
towards the sky.

The words of his hymn we’ll make our
prayer today. We can use our imagination
and place ourselves on the seashore
as the sun is setting. We listen to the
words of his hymn as the prayer of this
sick man who knew he was at the
“evening” of his life, about to die from
tuberculosis - but at peace with himself:

Abide with me,
fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens,
Lord, with me abide.
When other helpers fail,
and comforts flee,
help of the helpless,
O abide with me.

Swift to its close
ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim,
its glories pass away;
change and decay
in all around I see;
O thou who changest not,
abide with me.

I need thy presence
every passing hour;
what but thy grace
can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like thyself
my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine,
O abide with me.

I fear no foe with thee
at hand to bless;
ills have no weight
and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting?
Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still,
if thou abide with me.

Hold thou thy Cross
before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom,
and point me to the skies;
heaven’s morning breaks,
and earth’s vain shadows flee:
in life, in death,
O Lord, abide with me.

http://www.angelwinks.ca/images/angel68.jpg

Let us pray:
Lord, most of us
will not become well-known
or be written about
because of great achievements,
but we will be known and loved
for our attitude
and the smaller ordinary things
that we do
that make our part of the world
a better place.
Inspire us, Lord, each day,
to find joy in giving
as well as in receiving,
and lead us to act justly,
love tenderly,
and walk humbly with you, our God.
Amen.

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/...pians_4-13.jpg

Let us pray:

My True Father,
I set my hopes upon You alone,
And I only ask You, God,
For my Soul salvation.

Let Your Holy Will
Be my strengthening on this way,
For my life without You is a mere empty moment,
And only serving You leads to Eternal life.

Amen!

prayer for the soul - st. agapit of pechersk - 11th century

http://www.angelwinks.ca/images/love37.jpg

We bring before the Lord
those who have recently
been baptised or confirmed
- or who are about to be -
that they may be true to themselves
and may live their faith
in a genuine and credible way.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

We pray for our families and friends
that the power of the Holy Spirit
may be in our lives,
so that we may live fully with his gifts
of wisdom and understanding,
of knowledge and right judgement,
of courage and reverence,
and of wonder and awe
in God’s presence.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

Let’s pray for those about to sit exams,
that nothing may prevent them
from doing as well as they deserve.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer

We pray for all in the mass media
- in TV, radio, films,
newspapers, advertising
and the Internet,
that they may be guided
by good principles
and the best motives.
We pray for wisdom ourselves
that, amidst the influences
and pressures around us,
we may make good decisions
and grow in wisdom and character
each day.
Lord, in your mercy,
hear our prayer.

This is an excerpt from the page of this date in
‘Praying Each Day of the Year’,
a 3-volume book
by Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC.

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/i...zkxZjRSIHbnEfg

May all I say and all I think
be in harmony with Thee,
God within me, God beyond me,
Maker of the Trees.

north american indian - chinook

One of life’s
great lessons is this: we’re never sure just
how things are going to turn out. We’ll
live a good life if our attitude is always
positive - determined to make the best
of all situations that come our way.


Let us pray:

Lord Jesus, you promised
to be with your people always,
and so we know that you are with us
in good times and bad.
Nothing that ever happens to us
can separate us from your love.
Help us always to be positive
in our attitude
that we may seek and find
the best in people and in situations,
and so draw good
out of all that happens to us.
Amen.

http://www.animated-gifs.eu/phone-24...cters/0005.gif

Let us pray for God’s protection, using a
prayer of St Columba, written 1400 years
ago:

Be a bright flame before me, Lord.
Be a guiding star above me.
Be a smooth path below me.
Be a kindly shepherd behind me
- today, tonight, and forever. Amen.

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On this day in 1982 Pope John Paul II
started his Visit to Great Britain. Later in
the day he met many sick and disabled
people and gave them the Sacrament of
the Sick. Only a year after being shot and
seriously wounded, he spoke to those
who were ill or disabled:

“I myself have had a share in suffering,
and I have known the physical weakness
that comes with injury and sickness. It is
precisely because I have experienced suffering
that I am able to affirm with evergreater
conviction that nothing at all can
ever separate us from the love of God.

“Dear friends, there is no force or power that
can block God’s love for you. Sickness and
suffering seem to contradict all that is worthy,
all that is desired. And yet no disease,
no injury, no infirmity can ever deprive you
of your dignity as children of God.

“We often find in the Gospels the loving
bond of affection between Jesus and the
sick or disabled. We believe in Christ’s healing
love, and we reaffirm that nothing will
separate us from that love. Surely Jesus
wishes to say: ‘Be clean; be healed; be
strong; be saved.’ “


Let us pray:
Lord Jesus, we read in the gospel
that you spoke individually
to many people and said:
“Be cured”; Lk 513
“Get up and walk”; Lk 524
“What do you want me to do for you?”
Mt 2032
“Of course I want to cure you: be healed”;
Mt 83
“Let what you want be done for you”;
Mt 929
“Receive your sight”; Lk 1842
“Receive back your hearing”; Mk 734
“Young man, arise”; Lk 715
“Go, your son will live”; Jn 450
“Go, your faith has saved you.” Mk 1052
Knowing that you are present
in our midst,
we ask you today
to touch each one of us individually
and bring us your healing
of body, mind and spirit. Amen.

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/...ians_10-31.jpg

On his Visit to Britain in 1982, Pope John
Paul II spoke in Glasgow. The Pope said
that Jesus offers a new way of living:

“to be gentle, generous, simple,
and above all, sincere;
to avoid being arrogant,
fault-finding, or self-seeking.
The disciples of the new Kingdom
must seek happiness
even amidst poverty, deprivation,
tears and oppression.
To aim for the Kingdom
requires a radical change
in outlook, in mentality, in behaviour,
in relationships with others.

Jesus offers a new way of life…
He has a specific task in life
for each and every one of us.
Each of us is hand-picked,
called by name by Jesus.”

This is an excerpt from the page of this date in
‘Praying Each Day of the Year’,
a 3-volume book
by Nicholas Hutchinson, FSC.

Let us pray:
Lord Jesus,
you call us friends
and you call each one of us
by name.
May your Holy Spirit
be fully alive in us
that we may truly
appreciate and love ourselves,
and so more readily
value and serve others.
When we experience sorrow
or the loss of someone,
give us courage and support
that we may better encourage others
who share
the same kind of experience.
Lead us to act justly and fairly,
helping people
to see the best in one another,
so that those who have fallen out
may be reconciled and live in peace.
May we learn always
to be genuine and sincere,
avoiding arrogance
and doing others down,
treating other people
as the equals that they are.
Bless us when times are hard,
and walk with us
as the Good Shepherd
who leads and protects. Amen.

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