Friday 25 October 2024 - Friday 15 October 2024

Today is Friday the 25th of October in the 29th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing, Sur tes murailles. ‘On your walls, Jerusalem, I set watchmen. Day or night they must never be silent.’ These words from the Prophet Isaiah speak of the care God has for his people, watching over them at every moment, to guard them, guide them, protect them. As you enter into prayer, ponder for a moment the care that God has for you, how God, even now, is holding you in the palm of his hand. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke. Luke 12:54-59 He also said to the crowds, ‘When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, “It is going to rain”; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, “There will be scorching heat”; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time? ‘And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? Thus, when you go with your accuser before a magistrate, on the way make an effort to settle the case, or you may be dragged before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the very last penny.’ Without looking up a weather forecast, what do you expect the weather to be like over the next day or so where you are? What makes you think that? Jesus suggests that we should be able to interpret what’s going on around us, and the consequences of this, by paying attention. What is there in your own life, or in the world around you, that is most holding your attention at the moment? What makes it difficult to “interpret the present time” in the way that Jesus asks us to? This time around, listen especially to the second half of the passage. It talks about judging for yourself what is right. How do you respond to that? There’s plenty to think about, to pray about, in this passage. Talk, finally, to Jesus about whatever has caught your attention here. 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.