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Babylonian dragon depicted on the Ishtar Gate from the time of King Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel. Compare to actual living dragon not a bad likeness.

Lostinafrica [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

Prayer

The night has passed and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind:
As we rejoice in the gift of this day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.

Apocrypha Reading - Slaying the dragon

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23Now in that placea there was a great dragon, which the Babylonians revered. 24The king said to Daniel, ‘You cannot deny that this is a living god; so worship him.’ 25Daniel said, ‘I worship the Lord my God, for he is the living God. 26But give me permission, O king, and I will kill the dragon without sword or club.’ The king said, ‘I give you permission.’

27Then Daniel took pitch, fat, and hair, and boiled them together and made cakes, which he fed to the dragon. The dragon ate them, and burst open. Then Daniel said, ‘See what you have been worshipping!’

28When the Babylonians heard about it, they were very indignant and conspired against the king, saying, ‘The king has become a Jew; he has destroyed Bel, and killed the dragon, and slaughtered the priests.’

. . . . . Bel and the Dragon 1:23-28
  1. Other ancient authorities lack in that place
see caption
Kimodo dragon

Found on the Kimodo Island of Japan and some lesser islands of Indonesia. The lizard grows to 3 metres (10 feet) in total length and attains a weight of about 135 kg (about 300 pounds). It is venomous and it has been known to attack and kill human beings.

Picture courtesy of www.britannica.com

Intercession

Please remember our Prayer Requests

One thing we ask of you, O Lord, one thing we seek:
that we may dwell in your house all the days of our life.
Lord, have mercy. E te Ariki, kia aroha mai.
Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us,
as we have put our trust in you.
Christ, have mercy. E te Karaiti, kia aroha mai.
Rise up and help us, O God our Saviour,
and save us for the sake of your steadfast love.
Lord, have mercy. E te Ariki, kia aroha mai.
Ride on and conquer in the cause of truth,
and for the sake of justice.
Christ, have mercy. E te Karaiti, kia aroha mai.
Let the heavens declare the rightness of your cause,
and may your praises reach to the world’s end.
Lord, have mercy. E te Ariki, kia aroha mai.
Amen.