Dear Friends,
As we reflect on the long life of The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, it is important to remember that duty is that facet of love, which sustains us in our lives, when the glamour, or the excitement, or the self-gratification, or being the centre of attention, disappear in our relationships. Most of us at some time in our lives, have aged parents, sometimes living long distances away, and we spend hours travelling to spend days off, cooking, shopping, checking bank statements, all the things we do not have time to do at home. It may appear to be nothing more than ‘duty’ and yet… God is love and love is expressed in these sometimes difficult, demanding situations which duty sustains.
As we celebrate our Lord’s resurrection from the dead, in these glorious days of Eastertide, so we are able to pray with confidence that Prince Philip will rest in peace and that the love he shared with his wife and family will sustain them and bring them the peace of God which passes understanding.
Please use the following prayer in the coming days.
Gracious God, giver of all life,
in whom our earthly course finds its fulfilment:
we give you thanks for the life of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh,
for his service to this nation, the Commonwealth, and humanity,
in war and in peace,
in the pursuit of knowledge,
and in his example of reverence for your creation.
We give thanks for the encouragement he offered to the young,
and for his faithful support for Elizabeth our Queen.
We pray that, as you receive him into your presence,
his family and all who mourn may know your comfort
in the assurance that death is swallowed up in victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God,
now and in eternity.
Amen.
+ Kevin
Glasgow and Galloway
(Photograph of Prince Philip Copyright © Paul Woolrich, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.0 Generic license.)
