St Albans

Leader: We adore you, O Christ ,and we praise you:

All: because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Leader: What cross do we bear within ourselves that we find hard to carry, but well nigh impossible to throw off? When we pray, it feels as though there is no one listening,

and then again at other times we are lifted up within and helped by the Holy Spirit.

The apostle Paul used these words to illustrate the mysteries of prayer: " We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we have been saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see we wait for it with patience...Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with 'sighs too deep for words.' And God who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God...What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not

withhold his own Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not with him, give us everything else? "

Leader: Help us Lord, to persevere when our lives seem to be too overwhelming

and harsh. Help us to pray and to accept that when there does not seem to be an

answer, there will be, sometime, somewhere, even if we cannot recognize it at the time. And remind us that there is a happy end to all suffering, to all cross-bearing.

All: Amen