Thursday 24 October 2024

Today is Thursday the 24th of October in the 29th week of Ordinary Time. Eliza King sings, ‘Christ Abides’. Become aware of Christ abiding in you, as you enter into prayer today. In the crowded thoughts, You are an open space And I hear Your voice, calling me to come away Where the eagles fly, You're raising me high with You To heavenly places, heavenly places I have the mind of Christ My portion is His perfect peace For Christ abides with me I'll seek You, Lord, and here in Your shadow hide I won't dread the day, nor fear the terror of the night Though thousands fall, I've been seated all along In heavenly places, in heavenly places I'm with you in heavenly places, in heavenly places I have the mind of Christ My portion is His perfect peace For Christ abides with me He's closer than a friend He takes the weary by the hand And says, "Come abide with me" "Come abide with me For my yoke is easy and my burden light I will raise you up like an eagle into flight You will not grow weary nor will you be faint In your every weakness, I will be your strength" I have the mind of Christ My portion is His perfect peace For Christ abides with me He's closer than a friend He takes the weary by the hand And says, "Come abide with me" Heavenly places, heavenly places Heavenly places, heavenly places Heavenly places, heavenly places I'm with you in heavenly places, heavenly places Heavenly, heavenly, heavenly places Heavenly, heavenly, heavenly places Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. Ephesians 3:14-21 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen. This whole passage is a prayer made by St Paul for those who read this letter. It is in this way a prayer that he makes for you. How does it feel to know that St Paul is praying for you as you hear his words? He first asks God that you might be “strengthened in your inner being”. Where do you most need that strength at the moment? Paul’s promise is that God can achieve in us more than we can ask or even imagine. What’s your response to hearing that? As the passage is read again, simply listen to how this prayer that is being made for you unfolds. Take a little time to respond to God the Father, who is working in these ways within you even as you pray. 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.