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Psalm 22:1-5

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. To you they cried out and were saved; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

Exodus 10:21-25, 27

Then the Lord said to Moses, \u201cStretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt\u2014darkness that can be felt.\u201d So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, \u201cGo, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.\u201d But Moses said, \u201cYou must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God.\u201d \u2026 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh\u2019s heart, and he was not willing to let them go.

Hebrews 13:5-6, 15-16

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, \u201cNever will I leave you; never will I forsake you.\u201d So we say with confidence, \u201cThe Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?\u201d \u2026 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise\u2014the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.\xa0

John 12:23-33, 35-36

Jesus replied, \u201cThe hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me. Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? \u2018Father, save me from this hour\u2019? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!\u201d Then a voice came from heaven, \u201cI have glorified it, and will glorify it again.\u201d The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, \u201cThis voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.\u201d He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die. \xa0\u2026 Then Jesus told them, \u201cYou are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going. Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light.\u201d When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Prayer

Amidst the darkness of this world, we feel at times Lord, like you have hidden yourself from us\u2014forsaking us to a darkness that can be felt. \xa0Yet you have promised never to leave us nor forsake us. \xa0Our ancestors put their trust in you and you delivered them. \xa0So teach us not to fear mere mortals nor the societal darkness of our times, but rather to grab hold of your light in Jesus Christ and to live generously as children of the day who glorify your name. In the name of Jesus, amen.

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