Friday, May 21, 2021

Counting the Omer 2020 - Day Forty-nine

Day Forty-nine

11th of Sivan 5781 – from sundown on May 21st to sundown on May 22nd, 2021
Shabbat  (p. Nasso) and  Erev Shavuot

Begin by reciting the following blessing:
ברוך אתה יהוה אלוהינו , מלך העולם , אשר קדשנו במצותי
וציונו עלי לספירת העומר
Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu Melekh ha'Olam asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav
v'tizivanu al sefirat ha'omer.
Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with your commandments and commanded us to count the omer.

Recite the day of the count:

היום תשעה וארבעים יום שהם שבעה שבועות לעמר
Hayom tishah v'arba'im yom, sh'hem shivah shavuot la'omer.
Today is the forty-ninth day, making seven weeks of the Omer.
Psalm 67:  (Hebrew Names Version)
May God be merciful to us, bless us, And cause his face to shine on us.     Selah. 
That your way may be known on eretz, And your yeshu`ah among all nations, 
Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you. 
Oh let the nations be glad and sing for joy, For you will judge the peoples with equity,
And govern the nations on eretz.                Selah.             
Let the peoples praise you, God. Let all the peoples praise you.            
The eretz has yielded its increase. God, even our own God, will bless us.        
God will bless us. All the ends of the eretz shall fear him.
Psalm 148: (NKJV)  
Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the Lord from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and maidens; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints-- Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the Lord!  
Prayer for day 49: 
Our Father, we implore You, by the awesome power of Your right hand, accept the prayers of your people; strengthen and purify us, Awesome and Mighty King of the Universe, we beseech you, that You guard as the apple of Your eye Your people Israel.  Bless them, cleanse them; bestow upon them forever Your merciful kindness. Powerful, Holy One, we humbly ask that You Strengthen us! Give us courage to stand against the evil powers of this world and the forces of darkness. Heal our land that has been defiled by the shedding of innocent blood and help our nation to turn back to you. Accept our supplication and hear our cry, יְהוָ֖ה  Yehovah, You who knows the secret thoughts. Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.
Sovereign of the universe, You have commanded us through Moses Your servant to count the days of the omer, in order to purify and cleanse us. Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord our God and God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that in the counting of the omer which I (we) have counted today, I (we) may be purified and sanctified. And through my (our) obedience to your commandments, may Your abundant bounty be granted all the world. May it rectify our soul and our spirit from every impurity and evil intent, and may it purify and sanctify us with all your holiness. 
Abba, father, on this, the forty-ninth and final day of the counting of the omer, we remember your bountiful kindnesses to the Israelites, how on the day before they were to go up to Mount Sinai to be with You they continued to sanctify and prepare themselves. And we remember how the eleven apostles similarly waited with great expectation on the temple mount in Jerusalem for you to send Your Holy Spirit to baptize them. We humbly ask that You in the same way, refine us and in every way make us worthy to be your bride. Amen.
After the reciting the prayer, continue to pray and meditate on how God is likewise preparing you and all His church to be a spotless bride, consecrated entirely to Him and His purposes. Invite the Holy Spirit into your life right now and as Paul commands, "present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."_Romans 12:1-2

The Sefirot for Day forty-nine is: Malchut of Malchut: Kingship (Nobility) in Kingship. When all the other six aspects of the expression of sovereignty are combined, the result is our elevation to a truly noble condition where we may be worthy of the role of being Kings and Priests in the kingdom of Messiah.  

Suggested activity for today: Take a moment to focus on the last forty nine days and the all the ways you have grown and rejoice in the very special person God created – the person you now are and have sought to become.

Selections for further reading include the special readings for Shavuot - 7th reading: Deuteronomy 16: 13-17; Rev 19:6-9 



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