Monday of Easter 6

Rogate

John 16:23-33 (ESV) [Jesus said,] “In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. I have said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech but will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” His disciples said, “Ah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figurative speech! Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you; this is why we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

I fear that I misled you in a previous post. Two weeks ago, I wrote, "The Sundays of the Church Year historically are named based on the first word (in Latin) of the Introit." This is true--except when it isn't. I should have qualified it with a "generally," since Rogate Sunday (The Sixth Sunday of Easter) is one of those exceptions. The verb rogare means "to ask" or "to request," and Rogate ("ask, y'all!") is nowhere to be found in the Introit, which begins with Isaiah 48:20b, "With a voice of singing, declare this with a shout of joy to the end of the earth. Alleluia. The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob! Alleluia."

Best I can tell, Rogate Sunday takes its name from the the general theme of the day: prayer. The verb rogare does appear in the Gospel reading, when Jesus says, "I do not say that I will ask (rogabo) the Father on your behalf," and then goes on to explain that, after His suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension, His disciples will have the right to pray to the Father directly through the Name of Jesus.

The theme of prayer does come through strongly in the Introit: "I cried to God with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. Truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessèd be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!" (Psalm 66:17, 19-20).

Some years ago I preached a sermon entitled, "Prayer: Just Do It." So I am going to stop writing now and simply say, "Rogate," since Jesus has promised that whatever you ask the Father in His name, He will give it to you!

TLH General Prayer, pp. 23-4, with modernized language

Almighty and most merciful God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we give You thanks for all Your goodness and tender mercies, especially for the gift of Your dear Son and for the revelation of Your will and grace; and we beg You so to implant Your Word in us that in good and honest hearts we may keep it and bring forth fruit by patient continuance in good works.

Most heartily we pray You so to rule and govern Your Church Universal, with all its pastors and ministers, that we may be preserved in the pure doctrine of Your saving Word, whereby faith toward You may be strengthened, love increased in us toward all mankind, and Your Kingdom extended. Send forth laborers into Your harvest, and sustain those whom You have sent, that the Word of Reconciliation may be proclaimed to all people and the Gospel preached in all the world.

Grant also health and prosperity to all that are in authority, especially to the President and Congress of the United States, the Governor and Legislature of this state, and to all our Judges and Magistrates, and endue them with grace to rule after Your good pleasure, to the maintenance of righteousness and to the hindrance and punishment of wickedness, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. May it please You also to turn the hearts of our enemies and adversaries, that they may cease their violence and be inclined to walk with us in meekness and in peace.

Comfort, O God, with Your Holy Spirit, all who are in trouble, want, sickness, anguish of labor, peril of death, or any other adversity. Be with those who are suffering for Your name’s and for Your truth’s sake, that they may receive and acknowledge their afflictions as the manifestation of Your fatherly will.

And although we have deserved Your righteous wrath and manifold punishments, yet, we beg You, O most merciful Father, remember not the sins of our youth nor our many transgressions, but out of Your unspeakable goodness, grace, and mercy defend us from all harm and danger of body and soul. Preserve us from false and destructive doctrine, from war and bloodshed, from plague and pestilence, from all calamity by fire and water, from hail and tempest, from failure of harvest and from famine, from anguish of heart and despair of Your mercy, and from an evil death. And in every time of trouble show Yourself a very present Help, the Savior of all men, and especially of them that believe.

Cause all necessary fruits of the earth to prosper, that we may enjoy them at the proper time. Give success to the Christian training of the young, to all lawful occupations, and to all pure arts and useful knowledge; and crown them with Your blessing.

Receive, O God, our bodies and souls and all our talents, together with the offerings we bring before You, for You have purchased us to be Your own, that we may live to You.

Special petitions here

These and whatever other things You would have us ask of You, O God, grant to us for the sake of the bitter sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, Your only Son, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Prayer requests: for the family of Anne Walker, as they mourn; for Bessie Mahaffey and Alma Gause, under hospice care; for our homebound members: Joe and Lynn Cottle, Carolyn Dube, Duane Gruetzner, Delma Roitsch, Willard and Ann Teinert, Joycelynn Harvey, Virginia Wilkins, Cheryl Kieschnick, Wilbur Gaskamp, Doris George, Alice Kovar, Helen Ray Gustafson, Uce Gruetzner, Ruth Wissen.