Friday 10 January 2025

Today is Friday the 10th of January in the season of Christmas. One Hope Project sings, ‘My Soul Rests’. Take a moment to become aware of Jesus’ presence with you now… Here in this mystery Here in Your majesty I find myself With nothing to offer Your love surrounds me You give me yourself My soul rests, my soul rests In your embrace My spirit sings, my spirit sings All your praise Here in your presence The whole host of heaven Bows down low There’s no higher honour No love that’s greater You make us your own You’re so close, Jesus, so close to me Like the breath in my lungs You’re so close, Jesus, so close to me Like the breath in my lungs Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 5:12-16 Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.’ Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.’ Immediately the leprosy left him. And he ordered him to tell no one. ‘Go’, he said, ‘and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.’ But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray. Picture the scene. Leprosy: highly contagious, damaging, disfiguring. What do you notice about how Jesus responds physically to the man with leprosy. What does that tell you about Jesus? How does Jesus respond verbally to the man’s request? He echoes the man’s words. How does it make you feel when someone who is listening to you echoes your very words? It’s a good listening technique. It inspires confidence, it’s reassuring, it’s even empowering. Might that be your prayer experience? Might Jesus be echoing your very words when you pray? Listen to the passage again and simply embrace whatever comes to the surface. Speak to God about whatever is on your heart. You might ask for a conversation to take place. There might be a word or a phrase from today’s passage that you want to echo in your prayer. 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.