Opening Prayer
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
✠ Amen
As we read the Gospel of John, his Letters, and the Book of Revelation help us to discover his character, so we might know the treasure of the Beloved Disciple.
Most Holy Trinity, we praise you that we may look upon you with unveiled eyes being transformed from glory to glory by the Lord who is the Spirit. In your grace you lavish your blessings upon each of us as beloved disciples, so that we may be equipped to face the challenges of this hour. [Adapted from 2 Corinthians 3:18]
The Lord’s Prayer
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.
Hail Mary
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
✠ Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners. Now, and at the hour of our death.
Glory Be (Gloria Patri)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
✠ Amen.
Selections from the Gospel of John, the Beloved Disciple
“Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.” John 17:1-5
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
“All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.” John 17:10
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
“I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.” John 17:13
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.” John 17:18-19
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
“I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:20-23
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
“Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.” John 17:24
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
“I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17:26
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
“Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, “Whom are you looking for?” They answered, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus replied, “I am he.” … So if you are looking for me, let these men go.” This was to fulfill the word that he had spoken, “I did not lose a single one of those whom you gave me.” John 18:4-5, 8-10
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
“Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath. Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” John 18:11
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
“Again Peter denied (the Lord), and at that moment the cock crowed.” John 18:27
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
“My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” John 18:36
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
Selections from the Letters of John, the Beloved Disciple
“God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life.” 1 John 5:11-12
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
“This is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” 1 John 5:14
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
“If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that.” 1 John 5:16
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
“We know that any one born of God does not sin, but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.” 1 John 5:18
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
“Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love.” 2 John 1:3
Selections from the Book of Revelation, by John, the Beloved Disciple
“Then I looked, and lo, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder; the voice I heard was like the sound of harpers playing on their harps, and they sing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who had been redeemed from the earth. It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are chaste; it is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes; these have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are spotless.” Revelation 14:1-5
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
“Fear God and give him glory, for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the fountains of water.” Revelation 14:6
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
‘Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”’ Revelation 14:12-13
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
‘I heard what seemed to be the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for his judgments are true and just; he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and he has avenged on her the blood of his servants.” Once more they cried, “Hallelujah! The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” And from the throne came a voice crying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.”’ Revelation 19:1-5
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
‘Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure”—for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.’ Revelation 19:6-8
✠ You are my beloved disciple on whom my favor rests
‘And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.’ Revelation 19:9-10
✠ Blessed are they that keep these words
Closing Prayers
Most Holy Trinity, we have read selections from the Gospel of John, the Letters of John, and the Book of Revelation to help us see you like John sees you, to love you like John loves you, to take on the character of John… so that we may abide in you and you in us and become beloved disciples, transformed from glory to glory, by the Lord who is the Spirit.