FEAST OF SAINT OLYMPIAS THE DEACONESS – 17th DECEMBER
December 17, 2023
GAUDETE SUNDAY – THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
December 17, 2023
17 December, 2023
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.- Romans 15:13
Eternal, Ever-living God, Creator and Redeemer, Defender and Protector, you are the Author of divine aspiration in our lives, for we live in great expectation and anticipation of your Messianic promises to all humanity, for this life and in the hope of life to come. We exult in your Holy Word which fills us with joy and peace, through a lively Christian faith.
We abound in the Light of Truth given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ, when he redeemed us from the darkness of sin and filled the hearts of believers with the energizing Power of the Holy Spirit, thus distributing His peace to all believers and those brought to faith through conversion and through trust and belief. As Christians, we find comfort in knowing that our hope for our future lives is reflected in the life of the present, living in total obedience to your Holy Will.
We pray Lord, that we may be always safe from temporal lures and that we may be filled with the virtues of the indwelling Spirit in our lives, to living a sanctified life, enlightened by Scriptural instruction to a full assurance of hope in the reward of eternal life. We pray that we may spread the abundance of the good news of the Heavenly Kingdom, and its merits and inheritance that we can hope to acquire by your grace and by faith and trust, in Jesus’ Name. Amen
