Monday 26 August 2024

Today is Monday the 26th of August in the 21st week of Ordinary Time. Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life. The most important thing for me to do now, as I enter into prayer, is to let go for a moment, to let go of my own concerns, my own worries and fears and reluctance, and let myself be led by God, trusting that God, who loves me, will lead me into life. Bless the Lord, my soul, and bless God's holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, who leads me into life. Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians 1:1-5,11-12 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring. This is evidence of the righteous judgement of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering […] To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfil by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul’s letter to the troubled Thessalonians expresses his deep affection for the community and his desire for them to grow in faith, hope and love. It illustrates the loving bonds that can exist within the body of Christ. Have you experienced belonging within or exclusion from the community of faith? How has that felt? Paul assumes as a matter of course that all who are baptised in Christ have a sense of call. Is that true for you? The ritual of baptism tells us that we share in the threefold ministry of Jesus Christ as prophet, priest and member of the kingdom. What does that mean to you? As you hear the reading repeated, what phrases touch your mind and heart? What do you think God is trying to bring to your attention? Today’s reading speaks of ‘every good resolve and work of faith’ being fulfilled in us by God’s power. What might you want to say to God about the fulfilment of your own ‘good resolves’ and about God’s power at work within 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.