Pray As You Go - Daily Prayer

Wednesday 26 March 2025

Today is Wednesday the 26th of March in the 3rd week of Lent. The Kyiv Chamber Choir sing In Thy Kingdom from One Thousand Years Of Ukrainian Sacred Music. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:17-19 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Today’s passage forms part of Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount. Perhaps you might imagine yourself on the mountainside, sitting among the crowd, observing their reactions to Jesus as He teaches and reflecting on your own response. Picture Jesus’ expression and tone of voice as He speaks about the law and the prophets. What do you notice? What response stirs within you? Jesus’ words remind us that the law is rooted in love, mercy, and justice, offering depth and meaning that transcends the sense of ‘obligation’ that can sometimes overshadow the Commandments. How do you approach the Commandments? Do you follow them out of obligation rather than love? How might Jesus be inviting you to live? Jesus emphasises the importance of even the smallest commandments, calling us not only to obey but also to teach others through our example. As you listen to the passage again, hear how Jesus gently guides you toward greater integrity—inviting you to live out even the smallest acts of kindness and compassion in your daily life. Matthew 5:17-19 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Take this moment to speak with the Lord. Share your desires with him, and ask for the grace to recognise his presence, especially in the small, everyday moments of life. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Tuesday 25 March 2025

Today is Tuesday the 25th of March, the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, in the 3rd week of Lent. Good Shepherd Collective sings a version of Ave Maria. As we celebrate the feast of the Annunciation today, you might like to begin placing yourself into the scene with Mary and Gabriel as you listen… Ave Maria Gratia plena Maria, gratia plena Maria, gratia plena Ave, Ave Dominus Dominus tecum… … In hora mortis nostrae In hora, hora mortis nostrae In hora mortis nostrae Ave Maria Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her. The story of the Annunciation invites us to enter into one of the most profound moments in Scripture. Shall we take this opportunity to step into the scene? See Mary, a young woman in her home. How do you imagine her? How do you envision the appearance of the Archangel Gabriel? Filled with light and majesty? Gentle and inviting? What emotions arise as you hear his greeting: “Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.” But also: “Do not be afraid.” Mary is given an extraordinary mission—one that will change her life forever. Feel the weight of this moment. How might you feel if you were in her place? Is there a sense of God inviting you to say “yes” in your life? Even in her uncertainty, Mary has the courage to ask, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Are you hesitant to trust God’s plan? Do you have the courage to ask “how”? The angel’s affirmation—“For nothing will be impossible with God”—is enough for Mary. Let these words echo in your heart. Where in your life do you need to hear this assurance today? As you listen to the passage again, reflect on God’s desire to be at work in your life. How might you be inspired to surrender more fully to Him? Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her. “For nothing will be impossible with God.” In this time of prayer, you may wish to speak to Mary about what you have experienced in this reflection and how you might respond to God’s call with the same openness and trust. Or, you may simply rest in God’s presence, carrying Mary’s ‘fiat’ as a source of inspiration for your own journey. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Monday 24 March 2025

Today is Monday the 24th of March in the 3rd week of Lent. The Cape Town Camerata sings, ‘Bless the Lord, O my Soul’, from Rachmaninoff’s Vespers. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 4: 24-30 And [Jesus] said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. In this passage, Jesus speaks to the people in the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown. We may wonder: does he receive the response he was expecting? Imagine yourself as one of those in the synagogue. A familiar room filled with familiar faces. Perhaps there is a sense of anticipation, as the people know Jesus as "one of their own." What are you expecting to hear? What do you actually hear? How does the tone change as Jesus speaks of the generosity of God’s blessings? Can you imagine this from Jesus’ point of view? How might he feel, knowing that the truth he speaks angers those who know him best? "No prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town." Reflect on moments in your own life when you’ve felt misunderstood or rejected, especially by those closest to you. How did it feel to stand firm in your truth? Or perhaps there have been times when you resisted a challenging truth. Have you ever dismissed someone’s message because of a preconceived idea? As you listen to the passage again, notice how Jesus demonstrates remarkable peace and trust in God, even in the face of hostility. Luke 4: 24-30 And [Jesus] said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.’ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way. Take a moment to consider where you find consolation in this passage. Spend some time in prayer with the Lord, sharing your thoughts and asking for the grace you need. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Sunday 24 March 2025

Today is Sunday the 23rd of March, the 3rd Sunday of Lent. Bethel Music sing a version of ‘Way Maker’ by Sinach. Today, we will reflect with Moses at the burning bush. You might like to begin by bringing this scene into your mind. Perhaps you can let the words of this song help you… You are here Moving in our midst I worship you, I worship you You are here Working in this place I worship you, I worship you Way maker, miracle worker Promise keeper, light in the darkness My God, that is who you are Way maker, miracle worker Promise keeper, light in the darkness My God, that is who you are You are here Touching every heart I worship you, I worship you You are here Healing every heart I worship you, I worship you You are here Turning lives around I worship you, I worship you You are here Mending every heart I worship you, I worship you Way maker, miracle worker Promise keeper, light in the darkness That is who you are You wipe away all tears You mend the broken heart You're the answer to it all Jesus Way maker, miracle worker Promise keeper, light in the darkness My God, that is who you are You are here Touching every life I worship you, I worship you You are here Meeting every need I worship you, I worship you Today’s reading is from the Book of Exodus. Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15 Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ He said further, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.” ’ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”: This is my name for ever, and this my title for all generations. In the ancient world, fire was a mysterious presence from another world, a corridor between heaven and earth. It was fire which consumed the sacrifice, taking it to God’s abode. To this day, we often use a candle to signify that God is present. A burning bush on God’s holy mountain serves as a powerful reminder to Moses of a forgotten truth – that God is here, with us, in our world, seeking to draw men and women into relationship with Himself. So today I ask myself, when have I found myself powerfully reminded that God was with me? …When have I heard God call my name? … what helps put me in touch with that presence? As you hear the passage again now, notice how the sense of presence is also a challenge, a mission for Moses. He is already a shepherd, a guide, but what is being asked of him now is a lot more than he is used to. Is this also part of your recent experience of God’s presence? Then the Lord said, ‘I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. But Moses said to God, ‘If I come to the Israelites and say to them, “The God of your ancestors has sent me to you”, and they ask me, “What is his name?” what shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ He said further, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “I am has sent me to you.” ’ God also said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the Israelites, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you”: This is my name for ever, and this my title for all generations. Moses speaks intimately to God, expressing his doubts and concerns without any hint of embarrassment: take a few moments now to do the same, to get that same kind of conversation going with God. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Saturday 22 March 2025

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Take a moment to become still…remembering that you are on a Lenten journey in this season… Become aware of how you are in that space. As we walk through Lent, many of the readings and our music have spoken of wilderness; of desert and dry land…of searching. As you look back over the week, where have you searched for God? Perhaps in a moment of desperation… maybe through discipline, fasting or in search of consolation. Let your mind reach back and look over your week. Where have you found that consolation? Where have you found the comfort and joy of Christ during your week? What about those moments that felt truly dry? Where you felt yourself trudging through, far from God maybe… As you look ahead on your journey, what would you like to ask from the Lord to help you continue on? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Friday 21 March 2025

Today is Friday the 21st of March in the 2nd week of Lent. Salt of the Sound sing, ‘O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus’. O the deep, deep love of Jesus Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free Rolling as a mighty ocean In its fullness over me Underneath me, all around me Is the current of thy love Leading onward, leading homeward To thy glorious rest above O the deep, deep love of Jesus Spread his praise from shore to shore How he loves us, ever loves us Changes never, nevermore How he watches o'er his loved ones Died to call them all his own How for them he's interceding Watching o'er them from the throne O the deep, deep love of Jesus 'Tis a heav'n of heav'ns to me And it lifts me up to glory For it lifts me up to thee Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet. In this gospel, Jesus is talking to those religious authorities who will soon bring about his execution; but the story he tells is about the way they’re shunning God’s will, rejecting God’s project. Who do you think Jesus means when he talks about the landowner, the tenants? What does the vineyard represent? Jesus talks about “the stone that the builders rejected,” that becomes “the cornerstone” – hinting (more than hinting) that the true servant of God may turn out not to be the one we expect, but the one we reject, the person we don’t even think worthy of our consideration. Who are the people I don’t even think worthy of my consideration? The people I don’t bother with? Can I imagine for a moment how they might be part of God’s plan – a plan that I am rejecting? As you listen to the reading again, listen out for God speaking to you. Is there something that God is asking you to do today? Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46 ‘Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, “They will respect my son.” But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.” So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes”? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet. Speak to God now as freely as you can. In your own words, tell the Lord what all this has stirred in your heart, how you respond, or want to respond, to his word. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Thursday 20 March 2025

Today is Thursday the 20th of March in the 2nd week of Lent. The community of Taizé sing De noche iremos: ‘By night we search for the source of living water. It is only our thirst that guides our way.’ This time of prayer is an opportunity to quench that thirst a little - my thirst for God, the source of life - a chance to drink from the spring, from the source of living water, and be refreshed. De noche iremos, de noche que para encontrar la fuente sólo la sed nos alumbra sólo la sed nos alumbra. Today’s reading is from the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 17:5-10 Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. If you’ve ever lived in a hot, dry climate, you know what a precious thing water is. You know what shrubs in the desert look like. Why does Jeremiah use this image in today’s reading? What does the “shrub in the desert” lack, that I also lack when I put my trust in “mere mortals” instead of God? Are there ways in which I might have “trusted in mere mortals” and made “mere flesh” my “strength”? Can I think of times when I’ve done that? – and what it felt like? But then the prophet imagines the same hot, dry climate and gives us the picture of “a tree planted by water”, to describe those who “trust in the Lord”. Is this you? Is this how you want to be? Do you feel that you “send out your roots by the stream”? Or do you find it difficult to “trust in the Lord”? As you listen to the reading again, and hear the Lord say to you “I, the Lord, test the mind and the heart, to give to all according to their ways”, what thoughts occur to you? Jeremiah 17:5-10 Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. The heart is devious above all else; it is perverse— who can understand it? I the Lord test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings. What would you like to say now to the Lord? What might God want to say to you today? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Wednesday 19 March 2025

Today is Wednesday the 19th of March, the feast of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the 2nd week of Lent. Harpa Dei sing, ‘Josef fili David’: ‘Joseph, Son of David’. On this feast day, take a moment to ponder the role of St Joseph in the Gospel story… is there a moment you admire? Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife. There is something quietly courageous about Joseph. In the culture of his time, he seems to be in an impossible situation but acts with immense integrity and compassion. He is faced with a life-changing question: an immense responsibility…. and then feels the presence of God, in some way very close to him, saying such familiar words: Do not be afraid…… ‘Do not be afraid’. ….. this message always seems to be one of the signatures that God is close to us. Have you sensed that – God in some way saying ‘Do not be afraid’ to you – in your own life-experience? The imagery of Joseph’s dreams is partly a way of describing his own gradual recognition of God’s good spirit consistently at work in his life. He learnt to listen to his dreams, so that when it came to making big decisions, he knew from sheer experience what to trust, even in difficult times. Can you sense a pattern of good moments in your life – not necessarily in actual dreams, but moments when you really felt you could trust that you were being led in the right direction or being drawn into a good decision, even if it was a difficult time? As you listen to the reading again, put yourself in Joseph’s shoes. Imagine what it was like for him. How he felt. Notice his faithfulness, his desire to do the right thing, his readiness to listen to God, his quiet courage… Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife. Why not allow yourself to dream for a moment or two of all your hopes… of all the people you would want to keep safe… of any situations in which you would be glad of God’s encouragement and reassurance. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Tuesday 18 March 2025

Today is Tuesday the 18th of March in the 2nd week of Lent. The choir of Portsmouth Cathedral sing Psalm 42 – Like as the Hart desireth the waterbrooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God. Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks: so longeth my soul after thee, O God. My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God: when shall I come to appear before the presence of God? My tears have been my meat day and night: while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God? Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself… …The Lord hath granted his loving-kindness in the day-time: and in the night-season did I sing of him, and made my prayer unto the God of my life. I will say unto the God of my strength, Why hast thou forgotten me: why go I thus heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me? My bones are smitten asunder as with a sword: while mine enemies that trouble me cast me in the teeth; Namely, while they say daily unto me: Where is now thy God? Why art thou so vexed, O my soul: and why art thou so disquieted within me? O put thy trust in God: for I will yet thank him, which is the help of my countenance, and my God. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. Even people who know hardly anything about the Gospels are aware that when you hear the phrase “scribes and Pharisees” there’s trouble coming. We wait for the word “hypocrite” to appear, and purr with self-satisfaction when Jesus says, “they do not practice what they preach”, like we’ve just heard him say here. But who is Jesus talking about? Not just people who lived a long time ago; not even just religious professionals. Could those sharp words from Jesus be about you and me? The “scribes and the Pharisees” are said to “tie up burdens and lay them on the shoulders of others”. Could it be me that Jesus is talking about? Do I ever act in that way? Is it me who likes to have my status made clear to others? Or do I really want to become a humble servant, as Jesus suggests? Now listen again to the reading, and imagine yourself there, in the crowd, listening to Jesus. Are you just a bystander in this scene, or do Jesus’s words have something to do with you? – something to say to you? Matthew 23:1-12 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted. Talk to God, now, as Father of all human beings. What would you like to say to God? What do you hear God saying to you? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Monday 17 March 2025

Today is Monday the 17th of March, the feast of Saint Patrick, in the 2nd week of Lent. The Porter’s Gate sing, ‘Blessed are the Merciful’. Blessed are the merciful For they shall receive mercy, mercy Forgive us as we forgive those who sin against us Lord have mercy on us Show Your mercy through us Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 6:36-38 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. This season of Lent is a time when we’re helped to prepare for Easter, by fasting, by giving to those in need, and by prayerfully reflecting on the direction our life is taking. As you heard those words of Jesus, was there anything that struck you, perhaps about the direction in which your life is going? Did it make you feel uncomfortable – and, if so, why? Did something inside you say, “Yes – that’s it!” – and, if so, why? Jesus told us in that reading, “be merciful, just as your Father is merciful”. Do you think of God as merciful and generous, or as someone who is out to condemn? What do you think of the picture of “a good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over into your lap”? How does it make you feel about God? What about the words, “do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven”? Do you think that we human beings find it easier to condemn people than to forgive them? Why do you think that might be? Listen to the reading again. It’s not very long, so listen carefully, and as you hear it, notice if you feel invited to say anything to God in response to what you hear. Luke 6:36-38 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back. Now, if there was anything you wanted to say to God, say it. Speak to God freely and openly. Tell God whatever is in your heart. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Sunday 16 March 2025

Today is Sunday the 16th of March, the 2nd Sunday of Lent. Steffany Gretzinger sings, ‘Show Me Your Face’. Moses stood on a mountain Waiting for You to pass by You put Your hand over his face So in Your Presence, he wouldn't die And all of Israel saw the glory And it shines down through the age Now You've called me To boldly seek Your Face Show me Your face, Lord Show me Your face And then gird up my legs That I might stand in this holy place Show me Your face, Lord Your power and Your grace Your power and grace I would make it to the end If I can just see Your face David knew there was something more Than the ark of Your presence In a manger Messiah was born Among kings and peasants And all of Israel saw the glory And it shines down through the age Now You've called us To boldly seek Your face Show me Your face, Lord Show me Your face And then gird up my legs That I might stand in this holy place Show me Your face, Lord Your power and Your grace Your power and grace I will make it to the end If I can just see Your face I know I will make it to the end If I can just see Your face Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 9:28-36 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. Peter, James and John see Jesus in a new way. They see his glory – in other words they see in Jesus, the splendour of God. For a moment, imagine yourself with them on that mountain and sense what it must it have been like. Moses and Elijah are there with Jesus. They represent all that God has done, through history, to show his great love for his people. In what way do you need to know God’s love today? As you listen again to the reading, keep in mind what Peter says, ‘it is good for us to be here’. How might it be good for you to be present to this scene? Luke 9:28-36 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah’—not knowing what he said. While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!’ When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. At the end of the reading, the disciples find themselves alone with Jesus. You too can be with him in the same way, now. What do you want to say to him? What might he want to say to you? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Saturday 15 March 2025

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Become quiet and still. As we prepare to look back at the week just gone, you might like to ask God to come and be with you now, wherever you find yourself. Begin to ask the Holy Spirit to show you the events of your week…. you don’t have to strain for this! Just allow moments to naturally come to the surface. What do you notice? Begin sifting through these to find the movements of God… which moments caused you to feel closer to the Lord, or a lightness of heart? You might like to find a way to express your thanks for these… Begin now, to find the movements of what St Ignatius called, the “bad spirit”… anything that led you downwards, or further from God. Did anything cause you to spiral inwards, or feel separated from God in some way? Make space to express any sorrow for these moments, whether through your own actions and words, or by situations you found yourself in… Finally, ask God to strengthen you for the week ahead, asking for whatever you need at this time. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Friday 14 March 2025

Today is Friday the 14th of March in the 1st week of Lent. The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing Ecce quam bonum: “How good and how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:20-26 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So, when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. This passage can be a difficult one. When hearing it, your mind might take this moment as an opportunity to anxiously bring up every disagreement you’ve ever had! These words of Jesus are not intended to make us all feel guilty. They are meant rather to encourage us towards unity with those around us. Ponder for a moment if there is anyone who has anything against you. Consider, is there any way that you can reach out in reconciliation towards anyone who has anything against you? If there is anyone you need to make your peace with, but you can’t think of any way, ask God to enlighten you and suggest something. In the light of all this, and maybe thinking about that person, listen to the reading again. Matthew 5:20-26 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So, when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. Can you ask God now for the grace to hold back from judging, and to live in peace and harmony with others? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Thursday 13 March 2025

Today is Thursday the 13th of March in the 1st week of Lent. The King’s Singers sing Spem in Alium by Thomas Tallis. ‘I have never put my hope in any other but in you’. As I begin this time of prayer today, can I speak those words to God? Can I place all my hope, all my trust, all my faith in him? Spem in alium nunquam habui Praeter in te, Deus Israel Qui irasceris et propitius eris et omnia peccata hominum in tribulatione dimittis Domine Deus Creator caeli et terrae respice humilitatem nostram I have never put my hope in any other but in Thee, God of Israel who canst show both wrath and graciousness, and who absolves all the sins of man in suffering Lord God, Creator of Heaven and Earth Regard our humility Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 7:7-12 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.' Jesus urges us to pray with trust and perseverance. He promises that God will give us good things if we ask for them. Have you experienced this to be true? What has been your experience of praying to God for what you want? What good things has God given you that you want to give thanks for? Can you do that now? How do you feel about asking God for your needs? If this has been an obstacle or a problem for you, what would you want to say to God about this? Listen once more to the passage. Listen to it, not as a quotation from scripture, but as Jesus speaking to you. Matthew 7:7-12 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.' What do you want to ask God for today? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Wednesday 12 March 2025

Today is Wednesday the 12th of March in the 1st week of Lent. It is the Spirit of love who gives life. God is the source of all life, the one in whom we live and move and have our being. As you look around you now, can you sense God’s Holy Spirit where you are? Perhaps in the stillness…or even in the busyness of living activity: other people, animals, nature… perhaps, within yourself? Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John. John 3:1-10 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ‘No one can see the kingdom of God without being born anew.’ What do you think Jesus means? Nicodemus takes Jesus literally: ‘can one enter one’s mother’s womb a second time and be reborn?’ But Jesus means something more mysterious, more spiritual. What do you think it would feel like, to be taught like this by Jesus? ‘The wind blows where it chooses … so it is with everyone … born of the Spirit’. Where is the wind blowing for you now? Nicodemus comes by night. Why do you think John adds that detail? Listen again to this story, and think about what it’s like to have a secret conversation like this with Jesus, in the dark. John 3:1-10 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, “You must be born from above.” The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Spend some time now trying to talk with Jesus, or even Nicodemus, asking that you might somehow sense the Spirit in your life. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Tuesday 11 March 2025

Today is Tuesday the 11th of March in the 1st week of Lent. The University of Johannesburg choir sing a setting of Psalm 42: As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. The picture we sometimes get of prayer is of us on our own, calling out to heaven – and all too often getting no answer. No wonder so many people find it a chore! Can you think of times when your prayer has felt like this? Lonely? Empty? Dry? The image in this reading is very different – prayer is like being gently rained on so that our soil becomes fertile, our leaves are brought back to life, our thirst quenched… Can you look back to a time when prayer was like that? When you just sat there and let God soak in? When did prayer last leave you with a feeling of being refreshed, moistened, nourished? As you hear the words of Isaiah once again, allow yourself to enjoy the image of God’s word as being like rain – notice what kind of rain most speaks to you of prayer – is it a torrential downpour? Light drizzle? Or something more gentle, more subtle, more intimate… let God draw you into the prayer He is trying to pray in you… Isaiah 55:10-11 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Turn now to a final few minutes of prayer with the Lord. Just being in his presence is something to relish, something which satisfies the soul. If you find yourself drawn to say something by way of petition or thanksgiving then let that come spontaneously, like water vapour rising back to the skies after a warm day… You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Monday 10 March 2025

Today is Monday the 10th of March, the feast of Saint John Ogilvie SJ, in the 1st week of Lent. Jon Guerra and Sandra McCracken with the Porter’s Gate sing, ‘The Kingdom of Jesus’. How does this song speak to you today? To what shall we compare the Kingdom of Jesus if not a seed? It's small, it's sown, it's tended and grown and it's stirred in you and me Its branches never break and its fruit never withers His Kingdom is not of this world or of any Kingdom whose ruler's face is on a penny He comes to make all things bright and put a new wine in us He's chosen the small things to outlast the great The meek and the merciful to shine through the hate Though it seems some days that Hell and its gates are prevailing Oh, say can you see the kingdom within us Is the Kingdom of Jesus? To what shall we compare the spirit of the hour if not a sword? It frees us, unites us, enslaves and divides us and violence, help us Lord His Kingdom is not of this world or of any Kingdom whose ruler's face is on a penny He comes to make all things bright and put a new wine in us He's chosen the small things to outlast the great The meek and the merciful to shine through the hate Though it seems some days that Hell and its gates are prevailing Oh say can't you see we have one allegiance? It's to the Kingdom of Jesus Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 25:31-46 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’ That sense of not knowing what it was one was doing right – or, indeed, wrong – is one of the most striking elements in this remarkable tableau. Where might you see this playing out in the world at the moment? What else struck you as you listened? The theme seems to be that Jesus is offering a panoramic view of the kind of world he longed to see, the kind which would bring glory to God and which he himself would therefore approve and applaud. Think back over your life so far, however long or short; where can you see glimpses of the kind of actions that would bring God glory? We would miss the point entirely if we were to read it as a list of ‘rules to be obeyed’. Jesus doesn’t envisage us keeping a list of these actions and carefully ticking them off as we do them. He wants us to be the sort of people who do these things, as we say, ‘naturally’ – though actually it will be a kind of ‘second nature’ – without stopping to think about them. As you hear the reading again, try and call to mind anyone you know like this… Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’ This tableau thus stands, at the end of the last long discourse in Matthew’s gospel, as the final statement of something which has been there all through. The houses on the rock and on the sand, the wheat and the tares, the good fish and the bad, and now the sheep and the goats. Matthew has highlighted the fact that Jesus intended his followers to be utterly different, people who reflected God and his love in a whole new way into the world. Can you take this with you into the world in a whole new way today? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Monday 10 March 2025

Today is Monday the 10th of March, the feast of Saint John Ogilvie SJ, in the 1st week of Lent. Jon Guerra and Sandra McCracken with the Porter’s Gate sing, ‘The Kingdom of Jesus’. How does this song speak to you today? To what shall we compare the Kingdom of Jesus if not a seed? It's small, it's sown, it's tended and grown and it's stirred in you and me Its branches never break and its fruit never withers His Kingdom is not of this world or of any Kingdom whose ruler's face is on a penny He comes to make all things bright and put a new wine in us He's chosen the small things to outlast the great The meek and the merciful to shine through the hate Though it seems some days that Hell and its gates are prevailing Oh, say can you see the kingdom within us Is the Kingdom of Jesus? To what shall we compare the spirit of the hour if not a sword? It frees us, unites us, enslaves and divides us and violence, help us Lord His Kingdom is not of this world or of any Kingdom whose ruler's face is on a penny He comes to make all things bright and put a new wine in us He's chosen the small things to outlast the great The meek and the merciful to shine through the hate Though it seems some days that Hell and its gates are prevailing Oh say can't you see we have one allegiance? It's to the Kingdom of Jesus He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world He who is in us is greater and He's overcome the world Oh His Kingdom is not one of slander or rage but one that is ruled by the Lamb who was slain And is worthy of wisdom and honour and glory and strength No pain, no division, no public disgrace Will compare with seeing the smile on His face As He welcomes the poor as children with places at the table Not a death, nor threat, nor power can ever separate us From the love of God forever in Christ Jesus Everything shall pass away but not the Word that's within us It's the Kingdom of Jesus Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 25:31-46 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’ That sense of not knowing what it was one was doing right – or, indeed, wrong – is one of the most striking elements in this remarkable tableau. Where might you see this playing out in the world at the moment? What else struck you as you listened? The theme seems to be that Jesus is offering a panoramic view of the kind of world he longed to see, the kind which would bring glory to God and which he himself would therefore approve and applaud. Think back over your life so far, however long or short; where can you see glimpses of the kind of actions that would bring God glory? We would miss the point entirely if we were to read it as a list of ‘rules to be obeyed’. Jesus doesn’t envisage us keeping a list of these actions and carefully ticking them off as we do them. He wants us to be the sort of people who do these things, as we say, ‘naturally’ – though actually it will be a kind of ‘second nature’ – without stopping to think about them. As you hear the reading again, try and call to mind anyone you know like this… Matthew 25:31-46 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’ This tableau thus stands, at the end of the last long discourse in Matthew’s gospel, as the final statement of something which has been there all through. The houses on the rock and on the sand, the wheat and the tares, the good fish and the bad, and now the sheep and the goats. Matthew has highlighted the fact that Jesus intended his followers to be utterly different, people who reflected God and his love in a whole new way into the world. Can you take this with you into the world in a whole new way today? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Sunday 9 March 2025

Today is Sunday the 9th of March, the first Sunday of Lent. John Lucas sings, ‘Son of God’, a setting of today’s reading of the temptation of Christ in the wilderness. As you listen, begin by composing the place… what does the wilderness look like to you? Follow Jesus into that place now… If you're the son of God Throw yourself down Surely your father will heed your call Surely the angels will catch your fall If you're the son of God Then why do you starve? Turn the rocks into loaves of bread Find pleasure in the evening within your bed If you're the son of God Then why is there pain? Are you weak, or are you not good? Oh will you be defeated by a cross of wood? If you're the son of God Vanquish my enemies Protect my borders and securities And crush the heads of those Who'd rob my peace Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 4:1-13 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. In today's Gospel, we see Jesus led into the wilderness and, after forty days, being tempted. The first and third temptations start with the words 'If you are the Son of God…' In both these temptations, Jesus is asked to prove himself by doing certain actions. Are there times when you similarly are asked to prove yourself in your own life? Take a moment to dwell on how Jesus responds to the temptations with words from scripture: "man does not live on bread alone"; "you must not test God"; "you must serve the Lord your God". Do any of these words particularly speak to you today? As you listen to the passage again, reflect on how Jesus responds when he is tempted. Luke 4:1-13 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone.” ’ Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, ‘To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” ’ Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you”, and “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.” ’ Jesus answered him, ‘It is said, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” ’ When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time. A simple way of praying can be to repeat helpful words from scripture to oneself during times of difficulty. Are there particular verses from scripture which sustain you in times of temptation? Perhaps you might like to reflect on them during this season of Lent. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me

Saturday 8 March 2025

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Take some time to rest in the presence of God. Recall what has happened to you in the course of the week. Don’t feel you have to strain to remember everything… Just allow what you naturally remember to rise to the surface. Is there anything that stands out? Bring it into conversation with God. Is there anyone for whom you would like to give thanks to God? Take some time to do so now. This week has been the beginning of Lent. On Ash Wednesday we heard words from the Prophet Joel: 'return to me with all your heart'. How do these words speak to you now? Let yourself dwell on whatever seems important, eventually bringing that into conversation with Jesus. Looking ahead, what seems to be important for the days to come? Is there anything you would like to ask for as the new week begins? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Saturday 8 March 2025

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Take some time to rest in the presence of God. Recall what has happened to you in the course of the week. Don’t feel you have to strain to remember everything… Just allow what you naturally remember to rise to the surface. Is there anything that stands out? Bring it into conversation with God. Is there anyone for whom you would like to give thanks to God? Take some time to do so now. This week has been the beginning of Lent. On Ash Wednesday we heard words from the Prophet Joel: 'return to me with all your heart'. How do these words speak to you now? Let yourself dwell on whatever seems important, eventually bringing that into conversation with Jesus. Looking ahead, what seems to be important for the days to come? Is there anything you would like to ask for as the new week begins? You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Friday 7 March 2025

Today is Friday the 7th of March, in the season of Lent. Bifrost Arts sing, ‘O God, Will You Restore Us?’. O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? I will hear what God proclaims The Lord our God proclaims peace Kindness and truth shall meet Justice and peace shall kiss O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? Here is the fast that I choose To loosen the bonds of the oppressed and break their chains Let righteousness and justice go out before you Then You will call out and I will hear O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? Near indeed is His salvation to those who call on Him He will incline His ear and hear their prayers Truth shall spring out of the earth And justice will rain down from heaven O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? The Lord will guide you on a righteous path His vindication will shine down forth as the dawn Your people will be called repairers of broken walls Making straight the path to proclaim His reign O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? O God, will You restore us? Please grant us Your salvation Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 58:1-9 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practised righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. In today's reading, the Prophet Isaiah challenges us to consider that fasting does not just mean refraining from food and drink but is about how one's behaviour impacts on the lives of others. 'to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free'... This, we hear, is the kind of fasting God prefers. Fasting is connected to liberating the oppressed. How do you feel about this? '...to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house...'. Fasting is also connected to sharing with the hungry and sheltering the homeless. Would you like to reflect on how this could be a reality in your own life? As you listen to the passage again, why not consider how the passage might shape your own approach to fasting. Isaiah 58:1-9 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practised righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. In these closing moments, reflect on the moments in your prayer where you have felt consoled, close to God’s heart of love and light. Reflect too, on the moments where you felt drained, weighed down or far from God’s heart. Speak to God about these moments or anything else that is staying with you... You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Friday 7 March 2025

Today is Friday the 7th of March, in the season of Lent. Bifrost Arts sing, ‘O God, Will You Restore Us?’. O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? I will hear what God proclaims The Lord our God proclaims peace Kindness and truth shall meet Justice and peace shall kiss O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? Here is the fast that I choose To loosen the bonds of the oppressed and break their chains Let righteousness and justice go out before you Then You will call out and I will hear O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? Near indeed is His salvation to those who call on Him He will incline His ear and hear their prayers Truth shall spring out of the earth And justice will rain down from heaven O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? The Lord will guide you on a righteous path His vindication will shine down forth as the dawn Your people will be called repairers of broken walls Making straight the path to proclaim His reign O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? O God, will You restore us? Please grant us Your salvation Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 58:1-9 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practised righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. In today's reading, the Prophet Isaiah challenges us to consider that fasting does not just mean refraining from food and drink but is about how one's behaviour impacts on the lives of others. 'to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free'... This, we hear, is the kind of fasting God prefers. Fasting is connected to liberating the oppressed. How do you feel about this? '...to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house...'. Fasting is also connected to sharing with the hungry and sheltering the homeless. Would you like to reflect on how this could be a reality in your own life? As you listen to the passage again, why not consider how the passage might shape your own approach to fasting. Isaiah 58:1-9 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practised righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. In these closing moments, reflect on the moments in your prayer where you have felt consoled, close to God’s heart of love and light. Reflect too, on the moments where you felt drained, weighed down or far from God’s heart. Speak to God about these moments or anything else that is staying with you... You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Friday 7 March 2025

Today is Friday the 7th of March, in the season of Lent. Bifrost Arts sing, ‘O God, Will You Restore Us?’. O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? I will hear what God proclaims The Lord our God proclaims peace Kindness and truth shall meet Justice and peace shall kiss O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? Here is the fast that I choose To loosen the bonds of the oppressed and break their chains Let righteousness and justice go out before you Then You will call out and I will hear O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? Near indeed is His salvation to those who call on Him He will incline His ear and hear their prayers Truth shall spring out of the earth And justice will rain down from heaven O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? The Lord will guide you on a righteous path His vindication will shine down forth as the dawn Your people will be called repairers of broken walls Making straight the path to proclaim His reign O God, will You restore us And grant us Your salvation? O God, will You restore us? Please grant us Your salvation Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 58:1-9 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practised righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. In today's reading, the Prophet Isaiah challenges us to consider that fasting does not just mean refraining from food and drink but is about how one's behaviour impacts on the lives of others. 'to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free'... This, we hear, is the kind of fasting God prefers. Fasting is connected to liberating the oppressed. How do you feel about this? '...to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house...'. Fasting is also connected to sharing with the hungry and sheltering the homeless. Would you like to reflect on how this could be a reality in your own life? As you listen to the passage again, why not consider how the passage might shape your own approach to fasting. Isaiah 58:1-9 Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practised righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgements, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?’ Look, you serve your own interest on your fast-day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am. In these closing moments, reflect on the moments in your prayer where you have felt consoled, close to God’s heart of love and light. Reflect too, on the moments where you felt drained, weighed down or far from God’s heart. Speak to God about these moments or anything else that is staying with you... You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Thursday 6 March 2025

Today is Thursday the 6th of March in the season of Lent.    Harpa Dei sing, Abune dbashmayo. As we begin our time of prayer today, we are hearing the Our Father sung in Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus... How does this speak to you today? You might like to pray an Our Father as you listen.   Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.    Luke 9:22-25  [Jesus said], ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’  Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?  In today's Gospel, we hear challenging words from Jesus. After speaking about his own future, Jesus addresses all.       'let him deny himself and take up his cross daily'. What does this mean to you? How do you 'take up your cross' in your own context?       ‘But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it'. What does it mean to lose your life for Jesus' sake? How do you make sense of this phrase?       Sometimes the words of Jesus are not so easy to grasp. We can grow over time in our appreciation and understanding of them. As you listen to the passage again, perhaps pray for the light to understand what Jesus is saying and how it might speak to you today.    Luke 9:22-25  [Jesus said], ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’  Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?  As we end this time of prayer, talk with Jesus as one friend to another about anything that is staying with you from your reflection time today.   You have given all to me   To you, Lord, I return it   Everything is Yours   Do with it what You will   Give me only Your love and Your grace   That is enough for me   Amen 

Thursday 6 March 2025

Today is Thursday the 6th of March in the season of Lent. Harpa Dei sing 'Abune dbashmayo'. As we begin our time of prayer today, we are hearing the Our Father sung in Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus… How does this speak to you today? You might like to pray an Our Father as you listen. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 9:22-25 [Jesus said], ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’ Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? In today's Gospel, we hear challenging words from Jesus. After speaking about his own future, Jesus addresses all. 'Let him deny himself and take up his cross daily'. What does this mean to you? How do you 'take up your cross' in your own context? ‘But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it'. What does it mean to lose your life for Jesus' sake? How do you make sense of this phrase? Sometimes the words of Jesus are not so easy to grasp. We can grow over time in our appreciation and understanding of them. As you listen to the passage again, perhaps pray for the light to understand what Jesus is saying and how it might speak to you today. Luke 9:22-25 [Jesus said], ‘The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.’ Then he said to them all, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? As we end this time of prayer, talk with Jesus as one friend to another about anything that is staying with you from your reflection time today. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Wednesday 5 March 2025

Today is Wednesday the 5th of March, Ash Wednesday. In today's reading, beginning the season of Lent, we hear the words of the prophet Joel: 'return to me with all your heart'. As you hear the Cape Town Camerata singing Allegri’s ‘Miserere Mei, Deus’ (Have Mercy on Me, God), you might like to consciously and deliberately make the decision to return to God with all your heart today... Today’s reading is from the Prophet Joel. Joel 2:12-18 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain-offering and a drink-offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, “Where is their God?” ’ Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 'Rend your hearts and not your clothing’. For the prophet, interior conversion of heart seems to be more important than outward displays. How do these words sit with you as you hear them today? In the Bible, the heart is described as the centre of the human person. How would you describe the state of your own heart as the season of Lent begins? What is it that is most occupying or concerning you in your life right now? As you listen to the passage again, notice any words or images that catch your attention. Joel 2:12-18 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain-offering and a drink-offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, “Where is their God?” ’ Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. A simple way of praying is simply to lift up one's heart as it is – whatever preoccupations, concerns or emotions you might be experiencing. Perhaps take some time to do this now as we enter into this season of Lent. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Wednesday 5 March 2025

Today is Wednesday the 5th of March, Ash Wednesday.    In today's reading, beginning the season of Lent, we hear the words of the prophet Joel: 'return to me with all your heart'. As you hear the Cape Town Camerata singing Allegri’s ‘Miserere Mei, Deus’ (Have Mercy on Me, God), you might like to consciously and deliberately make the decision to return to God with all your heart today...   Today’s reading is from the Prophet Joel.    Joel 2:12-18 Yet even now, says the Lord, 
   return to me with all your heart, 
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 
   rend your hearts and not your clothing. 
 Return to the Lord, your God, 
   for he is gracious and merciful, 
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, 
   and relents from punishing. 
 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, 
   and leave a blessing behind him, 
a grain-offering and a drink-offering 
   for the Lord, your God?  
    Blow the trumpet in Zion; 
   sanctify a fast; 
call a solemn assembly; 
   gather the people. 
 Sanctify the congregation; 
   assemble the aged; 
gather the children, 
   even infants at the breast. 
 Let the bridegroom leave his room, 
   and the bride her canopy.  
    Between the vestibule and the altar 
   let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. 
 Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, 
   and do not make your heritage a mockery, 
   a byword among the nations. 
 Why should it be said among the peoples, 
   “Where is their God?” ’  
  Then the Lord became jealous for his land, 
   and had pity on his people.  'Rend your hearts and not your clothing’. For the prophet, interior conversion of heart seems to be more important than outward displays. How do these words sit with you as you hear them today?     In the Bible, the heart is described as the centre of the human person. How would you describe the state of your own heart as the season of Lent begins? What is it that is most occupying or concerning you in your life right now?     As you listen to the passage again, notice any words or images that catch your attention.  Joel 2:12-18 Yet even now, says the Lord, 
   return to me with all your heart, 
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 
   rend your hearts and not your clothing. 
 Return to the Lord, your God, 
   for he is gracious and merciful, 
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, 
   and relents from punishing. 
 Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, 
   and leave a blessing behind him, 
a grain-offering and a drink-offering 
   for the Lord, your God?  
    Blow the trumpet in Zion; 
   sanctify a fast; 
call a solemn assembly; 
   gather the people. 
 Sanctify the congregation; 
   assemble the aged; 
gather the children, 
   even infants at the breast. 
 Let the bridegroom leave his room, 
   and the bride her canopy.  
    Between the vestibule and the altar 
   let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. 
 Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, 
   and do not make your heritage a mockery, 
   a byword among the nations. 
 Why should it be said among the peoples, 
   “Where is their God?” ’  
  Then the Lord became jealous for his land, 
   and had pity on his people.  A simple way of praying is simply to lift up one's heart as it is – whatever preoccupations, concerns or emotions you might be experiencing. Perhaps take some time to do this now as we enter into this season of Lent.   You have given all to me   To you, Lord, I return it   Everything is Yours   Do with it what You will   Give me only Your love and Your grace   That is enough for me   Amen 

Wednesday 5 March 2025

Today is Wednesday the 5th of March, Ash Wednesday. In today's reading, beginning the season of Lent, we hear the words of the prophet Joel: 'return to me with all your heart'. As you hear the Cape Town Camerata singing Allegri’s ‘Miserere Mei, Deus’ (Have Mercy on Me, God), you might like to consciously and deliberately make the decision to return to God with all your heart today… Today’s reading is from the Prophet Joel. Joel 2:12-18 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain-offering and a drink-offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, “Where is their God?” ’ Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. 'Rend your hearts and not your clothing’. For the prophet, interior conversion of heart seems to be more important than outward displays. How do these words sit with you as you hear them today? In the Bible, the heart is described as the centre of the human person. How would you describe the state of your own heart as the season of Lent begins? What is it that is most occupying or concerning you in your life right now? As you listen to the passage again, notice any words or images that catch your attention. Joel 2:12-18 Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. Who knows whether he will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind him, a grain-offering and a drink-offering for the Lord, your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children, even infants at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy. Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord, and do not make your heritage a mockery, a byword among the nations. Why should it be said among the peoples, “Where is their God?” ’ Then the Lord became jealous for his land, and had pity on his people. A simple way of praying is simply to lift up one's heart as it is – whatever preoccupations, concerns or emotions you might be experiencing. Perhaps take some time to do this now as we enter into this season of Lent. You have given all to me To you, Lord, I return it Everything is Yours Do with it what You will Give me only Your love and Your grace That is enough for me Amen

Tuesday 4 March 2025

Today is Tuesday the 4th of March in the 8th week of Ordinary Time.    The community of Taizé sing Dans nos obscurités: ‘In our darkness, light the fire that never goes out.’    Dans nos obscurités 
 Allume le feu qui ne s'éteint jamais  
Qui ne s'éteint jamais  Jésus Christ 
 Je suis venu apporter le feu  
Sur la Terre  Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 10:28-31   Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’    In this passage, we hear words of promise for those who follow Jesus and the Gospel: namely, that they will receive a hundredfold now and, in the age to come, eternal life. How do you feel about such a promise? Talk freely to God about this.     Those who follow Jesus are promised '...brothers and sisters, and mothers, and children...' Can you think of people in your own life who have become like family to you? Perhaps take a moment to life them up in prayer now.     As you listen to the passage again, notice if any words or phrases of Jesus particularly touch you.  Mark 10:28-31   Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’    'But many who are last will be first'. These are words which Jesus often utters in the scriptures. What do these words mean to you? Reflect on what they mean in your own life and experience today.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

Monday 3 March 2025

Today is Monday the 3rd of March in the 8th week of Ordinary Time. Josh Garrels sings, ‘Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus’. As we begin walking towards the season of Lent, how can you turn your eyes upon Jesus as we begin to pray? Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim In the light of His Glory and Grace Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 10:17-27 As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’ Take a moment to picture the scene of Jesus' encounter with this man. Where do you place yourself? With whom - if anyone - do you identify? 'And Jesus, looking at him, loved him'. Consider how Jesus looks upon this young man whom he encounters. Can you imagine Jesus' expression and feelings towards this young man? In the scene the young man '…went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions'. The young man hears Jesus' command but feels unable to live by it. Is this ever the case for you? As you listen to the passage again, notice the point of hope on which it concludes. Mark 10:17-27 As [Jesus] was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’ '…for all things are possible with God', says Jesus. What might it be like for you to return to these words at times when it feels challenging to follow the commandments of Jesus? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Sunday 2 March 2025

Today is Sunday the 2nd of March, beginning the 8th week of Ordinary Time.    Harpa Dei sing the Creed in Latin: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”   Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 10:13-16    People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.    Much of the gospel is taken up with Jesus’s reactions to the adults he encounters: Pharisees and scribes, tax-collectors and fishermen, centurions and wealthy women. Here, by contrast, he meets with little children. What first strikes you about his reaction to them?    The disciples clearly think that this is a waste of Jesus’s precious time. Do you agree with them? Why, or why not?    As you listen again, ask yourself what it might mean to “receive the kingdom of God as a little child”.    Mark 10:13-16    People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, ‘Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.’ And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.  Conclude this time of prayer by asking Jesus to bless you, as he blesses the children at the end of this passage.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.  

Today is Sunday 2nd March beginning the 8th week of Ordinary Time

Today is Sunday the 2nd of March, beginning the 8th week of Ordinary Time.    Harpa Dei sing the Creed in Latin: “I believe in one God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.”   Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.    Luke 6:39-42 He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.   How easy it can be for us to judge others. Have you ever felt angry at the fault of others? Can you remember it? What was it about? Was there some weakness in yourself that was at the heart of your anger, or was it “all them”? Have you ever felt judged by someone else? What was that like? How did it feel to you? Listen to the reading again, and to the invitation Jesus makes to us, to look with kind eyes at those around us. Luke 6:39-42 He also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher. Why do you see the speck in your neighbour’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbour, ‘Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbour’s eye.   What can you ask of God now, that might help you see yourself and others, the way God does? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.  

Saturday 1 March 2025

Welcome to the Saturday Examen.    Several of our readings this week come from the book of Ecclesiasticus. Its writer offers a kind of “distilled wisdom”, reflecting on what it means to live a good life in a complex society. In our examen this week, you might ask for a wisdom of this kind. Start by asking God to help you bring to mind one situation in which you have behaved wisely this week.    Now notice more fully the way in which God has led you through the last week. Where were you aware of being led by God at the time? Where, perhaps, can you see more clearly God’s guidance now?     As Ecclesiasticus recognises, it is one thing to know what God wants, and another thing to carry out God’s wishes. How have you reacted, in the last few days, to the knowledge of what God wants from you?    Now speak to God for a few moments of what you’ve been noting in this prayer: the highs and lows, the different moments, good and bad.    Finally, look forward to the week ahead. What wisdom will you need from God to live faithfully as a disciple of Christ in the days ahead...    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

Friday 28 February 2025

Today is Friday the 28th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time.    Emoni Wilkins with the Porter’s Gate sings, ‘By My Side’. As you listen, call to mind your friendships...  with the Lord....  and with those who walk alongside you on your journey of faith...   Today’s reading is from the Book of Ecclesiasticus.    Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17    Pleasant speech multiplies friends,     and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.  Let those who are friendly with you be many,     but let your advisers be one in a thousand.  When you gain friends, gain them through testing,     and do not trust them hastily.  For there are friends who are such when it suits them,     but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.  And there are friends who change into enemies,     and tell of the quarrel to your disgrace.  And there are friends who sit at your table,     but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.  When you are prosperous, they become your second self,     and lord it over your servants;  but if you are brought low, they turn against you,     and hide themselves from you.  Keep away from your enemies,     and be on guard with your friends.    Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:     whoever finds one has found a treasure.  Faithful friends are beyond price;     no amount can balance their worth.  Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;     and those who fear the Lord will find them.  Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright,     for as they are, so are their neighbours also.    Today the author of Ecclesiasticus turns his thoughts towards friendship. You might begin this time of prayer, then, by thinking of three people who you consider to be your friends. What are they like? What attracts you to them?    Much of this passage concerns enemies and false friends. Perhaps our author has been let down by someone close to him in the past. Is there anything in this that echoes with your own experience?    Despite the caution that Ecclesiasticus shows, the passage ends by placing a high value on friendship. How far does that side of what is said echo your own experience?    In listening to the reading again, note especially the images that Ecclesiasticus uses in describing what good friends are like.    Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17    Pleasant speech multiplies friends,     and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.  Let those who are friendly with you be many,     but let your advisers be one in a thousand.  When you gain friends, gain them through testing,     and do not trust them hastily.  For there are friends who are such when it suits them,     but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.  And there are friends who change into enemies,     and tell of the quarrel to your disgrace.  And there are friends who sit at your table,     but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.  When you are prosperous, they become your second self,     and lord it over your servants;  but if you are brought low, they turn against you,     and hide themselves from you.  Keep away from your enemies,     and be on guard with your friends.    Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:     whoever finds one has found a treasure.  Faithful friends are beyond price;     no amount can balance their worth.  Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;     and those who fear the Lord will find them.  Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright,     for as they are, so are their neighbours also.    You might like to finish this prayer by holding your own friends before God; or by talking to Jesus as a friend about what his friendship means to you.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

7th week in Ordinary Timee

Today is Friday the 28th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time.    Emoni Wilkins with the Porter’s Gate sings, ‘By My Side’. As you listen, call to mind your friendships...  with the Lord....  and with those who walk alongside you on your journey of faith...   Today’s reading is from the Book of Ecclesiasticus.    Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17    Pleasant speech multiplies friends,     and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.  Let those who are friendly with you be many,     but let your advisers be one in a thousand.  When you gain friends, gain them through testing,     and do not trust them hastily.  For there are friends who are such when it suits them,     but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.  And there are friends who change into enemies,     and tell of the quarrel to your disgrace.  And there are friends who sit at your table,     but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.  When you are prosperous, they become your second self,     and lord it over your servants;  but if you are brought low, they turn against you,     and hide themselves from you.  Keep away from your enemies,     and be on guard with your friends.    Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:     whoever finds one has found a treasure.  Faithful friends are beyond price;     no amount can balance their worth.  Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;     and those who fear the Lord will find them.  Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright,     for as they are, so are their neighbours also.    Today the author of Ecclesiasticus turns his thoughts towards friendship. You might begin this time of prayer, then, by thinking of three people who you consider to be your friends. What are they like? What attracts you to them?    Much of this passage concerns enemies and false friends. Perhaps our author has been let down by someone close to him in the past. Is there anything in this that echoes with your own experience?    Despite the caution that Ecclesiasticus shows, the passage ends by placing a high value on friendship. How far does that side of what is said echo your own experience?    In listening to the reading again, note especially the images that Ecclesiasticus uses in describing what good friends are like.  Ecclesiasticus 6:5-17    Pleasant speech multiplies friends,     and a gracious tongue multiplies courtesies.  Let those who are friendly with you be many,     but let your advisers be one in a thousand.  When you gain friends, gain them through testing,     and do not trust them hastily.  For there are friends who are such when it suits them,     but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.  And there are friends who change into enemies,     and tell of the quarrel to your disgrace.  And there are friends who sit at your table,     but they will not stand by you in time of trouble.  When you are prosperous, they become your second self,     and lord it over your servants;  but if you are brought low, they turn against you,     and hide themselves from you.  Keep away from your enemies,     and be on guard with your friends.    Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:     whoever finds one has found a treasure.  Faithful friends are beyond price;     no amount can balance their worth.  Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;     and those who fear the Lord will find them.  Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright,     for as they are, so are their neighbours also.    You might like to finish this prayer by holding your own friends before God; or by talking to Jesus as a friend about what his friendship means to you.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

Thursday 27 February 2025

Today is Thursday the 27th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. The community of Taizé sing Behüte mich, Gott: “Keep me God, for I trust in you. You show me the path of life. With you there is fulness of joy.” Today’s reading is from the Book of Ecclesiasticus. Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8 Do not rely on your wealth, or say, ‘I have enough.’ Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. Do not say, ‘Who can have power over me?’ for the Lord will surely punish you. Do not say, ‘I sinned, yet what has happened to me?’ for the Lord is slow to anger. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. Do not say, ‘His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins’, for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity. Many of our societies, at least in the Western world, place a high value on self-reliance. If you have health, strength, and money, you can steer your own way through life without needing anyone’s help. The writer of Ecclesiasticus sees things very differently. What is your first response to his words? The second part of the passage moves beyond a picture of a typical “self-made woman or man”. It focuses on someone aware of their own sinfulness. Here, this person seems to be over-confident on God’s forgiveness, perhaps forgetting God’s justice. Do you find yourself more inclined to fear God’s judgement, or to take his mercy for granted? How do you go about balancing making best use of your own gifts and talents, and relying wholly on God? As the passage is read again, notice the different ways in which the writer thinks that your relationship with God can be disrupted by the ways in which you respond to God. Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8 Do not rely on your wealth, or say, ‘I have enough.’ Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. Do not say, ‘Who can have power over me?’ for the Lord will surely punish you. Do not say, ‘I sinned, yet what has happened to me?’ for the Lord is slow to anger. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. Do not say, ‘His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins’, for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity. Speak, finally, to the merciful God who doesn’t want his mercy taken for granted. What is it that you want to say to him now? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thursday 27 February 2025

Today is Thursday the 27th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. The community of Taizé sing Behüte mich, Gott: “Keep me God, for I trust in you. You show me the path of life. With you there is fulness of joy.” Today’s reading is from the Book of Ecclesiasticus. Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8 Do not rely on your wealth, or say, ‘I have enough.’ Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. Do not say, ‘Who can have power over me?’ for the Lord will surely punish you. Do not say, ‘I sinned, yet what has happened to me?’ for the Lord is slow to anger. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. Do not say, ‘His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins’, for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity. Many of our societies, at least in the Western world, place a high value on self-reliance. If you have health, strength, and money, you can steer your own way through life without needing anyone’s help. The writer of Ecclesiasticus sees things very differently. What is your first response to his words? The second part of the passage moves beyond a picture of a typical “self-made woman or man”. It focuses on someone aware of their own sinfulness. Here, this person seems to be over-confident on God’s forgiveness, perhaps forgetting God’s justice. Do you find yourself more inclined to fear God’s judgement, or to take his mercy for granted? How do you go about balancing making best use of your own gifts and talents, and relying wholly on God? As the passage is read again, notice the different ways in which the writer thinks that your relationship with God can be disrupted by the ways in which you respond to God. Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8 Do not rely on your wealth, or say, ‘I have enough.’ Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. Do not say, ‘Who can have power over me?’ for the Lord will surely punish you. Do not say, ‘I sinned, yet what has happened to me?’ for the Lord is slow to anger. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. Do not say, ‘His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins’, for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity. Speak, finally, to the merciful God who doesn’t want his mercy taken for granted. What is it that you want to say to him now? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Thursday 27 February 2025

Today is Thursday the 27th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. The community of Taizé sing Behüte mich, Gott: “Keep me God, for I trust in you. You show me the path of life. With you there is fulness of joy.” Today’s reading is from the Book of Ecclesiasticus. Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8 Do not rely on your wealth, or say, ‘I have enough.’ Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. Do not say, ‘Who can have power over me?’ for the Lord will surely punish you. Do not say, ‘I sinned, yet what has happened to me?’ for the Lord is slow to anger. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. Do not say, ‘His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins’, for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity. Many of our societies, at least in the Western world, place a high value on self-reliance. If you have health, strength, and money, you can steer your own way through life without needing anyone’s help. The writer of Ecclesiasticus sees things very differently. What is your first response to his words? The second part of the passage moves beyond a picture of a typical “self-made woman or man”. It focuses on someone aware of their own sinfulness. Here, this person seems to be over-confident on God’s forgiveness, perhaps forgetting God’s justice. Do you find yourself more inclined to fear God’s judgement, or to take his mercy for granted? How do you go about balancing making best use of your own gifts and talents, and relying wholly on God? As the passage is read again, notice the different ways in which the writer thinks that your relationship with God can be disrupted by the ways in which you respond to God. Ecclesiasticus 5:1-8 Do not rely on your wealth, or say, ‘I have enough.’ Do not follow your inclination and strength in pursuing the desires of your heart. Do not say, ‘Who can have power over me?’ for the Lord will surely punish you. Do not say, ‘I sinned, yet what has happened to me?’ for the Lord is slow to anger. Do not be so confident of forgiveness that you add sin to sin. Do not say, ‘His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins’, for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger will rest on sinners. Do not delay to turn back to the Lord, and do not postpone it from day to day; for suddenly the wrath of the Lord will come upon you, and at the time of punishment you will perish. Do not depend on dishonest wealth, for it will not benefit you on the day of calamity. Speak, finally, to the merciful God who doesn’t want his mercy taken for granted. What is it that you want to say to him now? Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

7th week in Ordinary Time

Today is Wednesday the 26th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time.    One Hope Project sing, ‘In Your Truth’. As you listen, notice the ways in which you are trusting in Jesus’ truth in this season...     I’ve found hope in one unchanging  I’ve found a friend in the great I Am  I’ve found peace in the Lord Almighty  Perfect love meets me as I am    In Your truth I am found  In Your arms I am home  In Your grace I’m restored  In Your love is where I belong    I’ve been saved by the King of Kingdoms  I’ve found life in the Risen One  I’m set free by the Lord of justice  Perfect peace tеlls me who I am    In Your loving arms  I am safe and sеcure  In Your loving arms  I’m adored  Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 9:38-40    John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.    At the start of this short passage, it looks as if the disciple John thinks that Jesus’s followers ought to have a monopoly on exorcism. No-one else should be allowed to cast out demons. Why might he think this?    Jesus, by contrast, seems content that all sorts of people might be sharing in this work. Why, do you think, does Jesus take the opposite view from John’s?    Notice that both John and Jesus are talking about people who cast out demons in the name of Jesus. What difference might this make to the debate?    As you listen again, notice why Jesus thinks that this unnamed exorcist should not be stopped.    Mark 9:38-40    John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.    Finish your prayer by responding to Jesus’s final words here: “Whoever is not against us is for us”.    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

7th week in Ordinary Time

Today is Wednesday the 26th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. One Hope Project sing, ‘In Your Truth’. As you listen, notice the ways in which you are trusting in Jesus’ truth in this season… I’ve found hope in one unchanging I’ve found a friend in the great I Am I’ve found peace in the Lord Almighty Perfect love meets me as I am In Your truth I am found In Your arms I am home In Your grace I’m restored In Your love is where I belong I’ve been saved by the King of Kingdoms I’ve found life in the Risen One I’m set free by the Lord of justice Perfect peace tеlls me who I am In Your loving arms I am safe and sеcure In Your loving arms I’m adored Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 9:38-40 John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. At the start of this short passage, it looks as if the disciple John thinks that Jesus’s followers ought to have a monopoly on exorcism. No-one else should be allowed to cast out demons. Why might he think this? Jesus, by contrast, seems content that all sorts of people might be sharing in this work. Why, do you think, does Jesus take the opposite view from John’s? Notice that both John and Jesus are talking about people who cast out demons in the name of Jesus. What difference might this make to the debate? As you listen again, notice why Jesus thinks that this unnamed exorcist should not be stopped. Mark 9:38-40 John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. Finish your prayer by responding to Jesus’s final words here: “Whoever is not against us is for us”. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Wednesday 26 February 2025

Today is Wednesday the 26th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time.    One Hope Project sing, ‘In Your Truth’. As you listen, notice the ways in which you are trusting in Jesus’ truth in this season...     I’ve found hope in one unchanging  I’ve found a friend in the great I Am  I’ve found peace in the Lord Almighty  Perfect love meets me as I am    In Your truth I am found  In Your arms I am home  In Your grace I’m restored  In Your love is where I belong    I’ve been saved by the King of Kingdoms  I’ve found life in the Risen One  I’m set free by the Lord of justice  Perfect peace tеlls me who I am    In Your loving arms  I am safe and sеcure  In Your loving arms  I’m adored  Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 9:38-40    John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us.    At the start of this short passage, it looks as if the disciple John thinks that Jesus’s followers ought to have a monopoly on exorcism. No-one else should be allowed to cast out demons. Why might he think this?    Jesus, by contrast, seems content that all sorts of people might be sharing in this work. Why, do you think, does Jesus take the opposite view from John’s?    Notice that both John and Jesus are talking about people who cast out demons in the name of Jesus. What difference might this make to the debate?    As you listen again, notice why Jesus thinks that this unnamed exorcist should not be stopped.    Finish your prayer by responding to Jesus’s final words here: “Whoever is not against us is for us”.    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

Tuesday 25 February 2025

Today is Tuesday the 25th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time.    The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing Psalm 114, “I love the Lord, he hears my cry, he bends down to listen to me when I call” – words which paint a beautiful picture of God bending down to me like a mother or father bending down to their child, full of tenderness and love.   As you listen, reflect for a moment on that ‘tender, loving care’ – that love that God has for you…and the love that you, in turn, have for God.  Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 9:30-37    They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.    Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’    One of Mark’s favourite images is of Jesus striding along a road, with his disciples hurrying to keep up with him. As they walk, Jesus offers them teaching that they often misunderstand. Here, he starts by pointing to his own suffering and death. How do you think they would have reacted to these words?    Shortly afterwards, it seems, the disciples start arguing about seniority. Why do you think that Jesus’s words about his passion prompt them to start a discission of this kind?    Children had little power or influence in the society of Jesus’s time. In Mark’s gospel, unlike some of the others, we’re not asked to become like children again. Rather, we should welcome the children. Why might this be important in this context?    As the passage is read again, notice what Jesus wants his disciples to be like.    Mark 9:30-37    They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.    Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’  As the prayer comes to a close, ask God for whatever you need to be the kind of follower that he is looking for today.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

Monday 24 February 2025

Today is Monday the 24th of February in the 7th week of Ordinary Time.    Salt of the Sound sing, ‘Come Thou Fount’.     Come, Thou Fount of every blessing  Tune my heart to sing Thy grace  Streams of mercy, never ceasing  Call for songs of loudest praise  Teach me some melodious sonnet  Sung by flaming tongues above  Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it  Mount of Thy redeeming love  Here I raise to Thee an altar  Hither by Thy help I'm come  And I hope, by Thy good pleasure  Safely to arrive at home  Jesus sought me when a stranger  Wandering from the fold of God  He, to rescue me from danger  Interposed his precious blood  O to grace how great a debtor  Daily I'm constrained to be  Let Thy goodness, like a fetter  Bind my wandering heart to Thee  Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it  Prone to leave the God I love  Here's my heart, O take and seal it  Seal it for Thy courts above  Here's my heart, O take and seal it  Seal it for Thy courts above  Today’s reading is from the Book of Ecclesiasticus.    Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10    All wisdom is from the Lord,     and with him it remains for ever.  The sand of the sea, the drops of rain,     and the days of eternity—who can count them?  The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth,     the abyss, and wisdom—who can search them out?  Wisdom was created before all other things,     and prudent understanding from eternity.  The root of wisdom—to whom has it been revealed?     Her subtleties—who knows them?  There is but one who is wise, greatly to be feared,     seated upon his throne—the Lord.  It is he who created her;     he saw her and took her measure;     he poured her out upon all his works,  upon all the living according to his gift;     he lavished her upon those who love him.    Several of this week’s readings come from the book of Ecclesiasticus. This is said to have been written by an experienced civil servant living in Jerusalem a couple of centuries before Christ. He wants to pass on to future generations what he has learnt from his long years of public service. What’s your first impression of these opening verses?    The writer is very aware of the limits of what human beings can know, without the help of God. But his response isn’t to commission new research, or to give up all hope of ever reaching deeper insight. He invites us, instead, to ask for wisdom as a gift from God. How do you react to that invitation in your own life?    Listening to the passage a second time, notice the kind of things that the writer thinks that it is difficult to discover.  Ecclesiasticus 1:1-10    All wisdom is from the Lord,     and with him it remains for ever.  The sand of the sea, the drops of rain,     and the days of eternity—who can count them?  The height of heaven, the breadth of the earth,     the abyss, and wisdom—who can search them out?  Wisdom was created before all other things,     and prudent understanding from eternity.  The root of wisdom—to whom has it been revealed?     Her subtleties—who knows them?  There is but one who is wise, greatly to be feared,     seated upon his throne—the Lord.  It is he who created her;     he saw her and took her measure;     he poured her out upon all his works,  upon all the living according to his gift;     he lavished her upon those who love him.  You might like to finish this prayer by asking God for the kind of wisdom that you yourself need at the moment.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

Sunday 23rd February

Today is Sunday the 23rd of February, beginning the 7th week of Ordinary Time.    The Porter’s Gate sings, ‘Blessed Are The Merciful’.     Blessed are the merciful Blessed are the merciful Blessed are the merciful For they shall receive mercy, mercy Forgive us as we forgive those who sin against us Forgive us as we forgive those who sin against us Lord have mercy on us Show Your mercy through us Lord have mercy on us Show Your mercy through us Lord have mercy on us Show Your mercy through us Mercy  Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.    Luke 6:27-38  ‘But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.  ‘If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  ‘Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.’      Jesus is asking a lot here.  ‘Love your enemies’ is easy to say but very hard to do.  You can well imagine his audience listening and thinking, “Come on, no one loves their enemies.”  Yet there is an undeniable truth here – anyone can love the people who love them; anyone can ‘be nice’ to people who are nice to them.  It comes naturally.  But can I do any better than what comes naturally?  Can I sense God asking any more than that of me?    And Jesus touches on another truth here: if you only give love or care or kindness when you can be sure of getting it back, it’s not real kindness, not real care, not real love that you’re giving.  Real love is not a deal, a transaction.  Real love is given freely.  Where in my life do I see God inviting me to love more like that?    As this passage is read again, imagine Jesus looking you in the eye, looking at you with love, and speaking these words to you.    Jesus is present here now, so speak to him about how what he says relates to your life – to the way you live and the way you love.    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.  

Saturday 22nd February in the 6th week of Ordinary Time

Welcome to the Saturday Examen.    Take a moment to become still before God.     Where can you recognise God wherever you are right now? Perhaps in another person... perhaps in creation or in something in your house...    Begin to let the events of your week naturally rise to the surface of your mind.     As you look back over this week of prayer, what really stands out for you? Did you at all feel the presence of God in your prayer this week?    Was there one particular scripture passage or verse that really spoke to you this week? What do you think it is saying to you now?    Was there a point when you really experienced a lightness of heart, and felt that God was there?    Was there a moment when you had no sense at all of the presence of God? Why do you think that might have been?    What do you think God is saying to you today in your prayer? How are you going to respond?    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

Today is Friday the 21st of February in the 6th week of Ordinary Time.    Salt of the Sound sing, ‘Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross’.     In the cross, in the cross  Be my glory ever  'Til at last soul shall find  Rest beyond the river  Jesus, keep me near the cross  There a precious fountain  Free to all, a healing stream  Flows from Calvary's mountain  In the cross, in the cross  Be my glory ever  'Til at last soul shall find  Rest beyond the river  Near the cross, O Lamb of God  Bring its scenes before me  Help me walk from day to day  With its shadow o'er me  In the cross, in the cross  Be my glory ever  'Til at last soul shall find  Rest beyond the river  Near the cross I'll watch and wait  Hoping, trusting ever  Till I reach the golden strand  Just beyond the river  In the cross, in the cross  Be my glory ever  'Til at last my soul shall find  Rest beyond the river Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 8:34-9:1  He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.’ And he said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.’      By this time, Jesus had quite a large crowd of followers, admirers, people who liked the way he talked, who were encouraged by his Good News.  But then he comes out with this stuff about ‘losing your life’.  And he talks about the ‘cross’ - the Roman form of execution.  How do you think this change in tone might have sounded to his followers?    Suppose you’d been part of that crowd…. how would you have reacted?…. what would you have said to the person next to you?   Can you imagine how it would have felt?    What comes to mind when you hear those words of Jesus again?  What might have been the reaction in the crowd?  Think for a moment what it might have been like … a shocked silence maybe, then a growing murmur ... this teaching would have been too much for some.    Is there something that is preventing you from hearing what Jesus wants to say to you?…. Something you need to lose, to let go of? Let the Spirit of God show you what you need to let go of … and let it go.    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

6th week in Ordinary Time

Today is Thursday the 20th of February in the 6th week of Ordinary Time.    Harpa Dei sing the Te Deum:  ‘We praise you, O God, we acknowledge you to be the Lord.’  As I enter into prayer now, can I begin by acknowledging the Lord? - by recognising the greatness of the One, True, Eternal God, the Holy One in whose presence I stand, right now?  Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.  Mark 8:27-33  Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.  Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’  Jesus is on the road yet again when he decides it’s time to ask his closest followers a direct question.  The first question might have been almost casual, but then he makes it much more personal – “but who do you say that I am?” Perhaps he asked the first question as they walked along but then stopped and looked at them as he asked the second question.  How do you imagine it happening?  Can you picture the scene?  The faces?  The voices?    Now imagine yourself being asked that question, “but who do you say that I am?” – either as one of the disciples in this scene, or right here, right now.  Pause with that question for a moment.  Who is he … for you? Who do you hope he is?  Who do you long for him to be … for you ... for the world?    As you hear the passage once more, notice how the conversation continues after Peter’s confession of faith.  Mark 8:27-33  Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say that I am?’ And they answered him, ‘John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.’ He asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah.’ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.  Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.’  Jesus goes on to speak of being rejected by everyone, suffering and even being killed.   Peter finds this so difficult to hear that an argument breaks out between him and Jesus.   What feelings does this talk of suffering give rise to in you?  Speak to Jesus now about this – perhaps you want to argue with him, too, or say something about your own pain and suffering. Whatever it is you want to say, speak freely.  Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

6th week of Ordinary Time

Today is Wednesday the 19th of February in the 6th week of Ordinary Time.    The community of Taizé sing Da Pacem Cordium:  “Give peace to our hearts”.  As I listen, I might join in this prayer, asking the Lord for peace in my heart, asking God to help me still myself for a moment, so I can listen to his gentle voice, speaking to my heart.  Today’s reading is from the Book of Genesis.  Genesis 8:6-13, 20-22  At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more.  In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and saw that the face of the ground was drying.  Then Noah built an altar to the Lord, and took of every clean animal and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelt the pleasing odour, the Lord said in his heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, for the inclination of the human heart is evil from youth; nor will I ever again destroy every living creature as I have done. 
As long as the earth endures, 
   seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, 
summer and winter, day and night, 
   shall not cease.’      Noah has been on the ark for forty days. Can you imagine what this might have been like? How might you have been feeling, restless, unsure of what was to come, or perhaps hopeful, and looking towards the future?    Imagine this boat, this ark, what does it look like, how does it smell, what can you hear?    As you hear this reading a second time, stand beside Noah as he waits patiently for the Dove to return, and notice how this makes you feel.    Talk to God now, the God who holds you, keeps you, and protects you, and always will.    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen. 

6th week of Ordinary Time

Today is Tuesday the 18th of February in the 6th week of Ordinary Time.  Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum:  My eyes are on the Lord God.  Wherever you are right now, on the way to work, walking in the park, sitting at home… what can you see?  What can you see around you?  Pause and remember for a moment, that all of this has been made by God, and is loved by God, that God holds you, and all of this, in the palm of God’s hand.  Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Like the deer that yearns for running streams So my soul is yearning for my God My tears have become my bread day and night As I hear it said：'Where is your God?' Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum By day the Lord will send His loving Spirit By night I will sing praises to the God of my life Send out Your light and Your truth as my guide To lead me to Your holy ground Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Then shall I go to the God of my joy Singing praise, praise on the lyre and the harp Why so downcast my soul? Put your hope and trust in my Saviour, my God Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.    Mark 8:14-21  Now the disciples had forgotten to bring any bread; and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, ‘Watch out—beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.’ They said to one another, ‘It is because we have no bread.’ And becoming aware of it, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes, and fail to see? Do you have ears, and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ They said to him, ‘Twelve.’ ‘And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect?’ And they said to him, ‘Seven.’ Then he said to them, ‘Do you not yet understand?’      ‘Do you still not perceive or understand?’ -- What is it that stops you from seeing, from hearing, from perceiving, from understanding?      But notice also your desire to see … to hear … to perceive … and to understand.  Where is that desire in you?  What do you want to see, hear, understand?     As you hear the reading again, imagine yourself as one of them, in that boat, puzzled, trying to do or say the right thing but not quite managing it.  How does Jesus look at you?  Is he angry … or is he willing you to understand?  How do you imagine it?    Speak to the Lord now and tell him about what you want to see ... to hear … to perceive and to understand.  Ask God to help you and pray that you may let yourself be helped.    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.