Friday 9 August 2024

Today is Friday 9 August, the feast of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, in the 18th week of Ordinary Time. Eliza King sings, ‘My Beloved’. How do these words speak to you today? The bread that I feast on The well that I draw from The ground that I stand on And the name that I call My strength in the morning My peace in the evening My reason for living When life just feels too heavy So this is where you'll find me Leaning on my beloved I shelter in His mercy And in the shadow of His wings Yeah this is where you'll find me Leaning on my beloved Bearing all my weakness He makes up for all these things All I have to do is lean The bread that I feast on The well that I draw from The ground that I stand on And the name that I call My strength in the morning My peace in the evening My reason for living When life just feels too heavy So this is where you'll find me Leaning on my beloved I shelter in His mercy And in the shadow of His wings Yeah this is where you'll find me Leaning on my beloved Bearing all my weakness He makes up for all these things So let my eyes not look for anything but the gaze of my true love And let my hands not reach for anything that may come in between us Let my heart not search for refuge and strength in counterfeit places And let my feet not walk toward any rest that isn't Your presence No this is where you'll find me Leaning on my beloved Now I've seen His beauty I'm ruined for all the others Yeah this is where you'll find me Leaning on my beloved No one else could draw my heart away, my heart away For I am my beloved's, my beloved is mine I am my beloved's, my beloved is mine I am my beloved's, my beloved is mine I am my beloved's, my beloved is mine And all I have to do is lean All I have to do is lean So this is where you'll find me, where you'll find me This is where you'll find me Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 25:1-13 ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. This extraordinary story only appears in Matthew’s Gospel. How does this parable speak to you? Notice the “foolish” bridesmaids…what did they get wrong? Do you recognise anything similar in your own life? Notice now the attitude of the “wise” bridesmaids? What do you recognise of their behaviour in your life now? Now listen as the story is read to you once more. What really strikes you about it this time? Finally, can you recall where you were moved as you listened? Do you think that you might turn that into a prayer to God? 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.