Pray As You Go - Daily Prayer

Today is Sunday 16 June, beginning the 11th week of Ordinary Time. The Kyiv Chamber Choir sings In Thy Kingdom from One Thousand Years Of Ukrainian Sacred Music. (Lyrics currently unavailable) Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 4: 26-34 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’ He also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’ With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. In this passage, Jesus tells two stories about something called “the Kingdom of God”. What do you think this “Kingdom of God” is? The two stories both talk about the astonishing process of growth - something that was perhaps more familiar to Jesus and his audience than it is to us. What is the point that these two stories make, do you think? Why do you suppose it was that Jesus taught the crowds in parables, but “explained everything in private to his disciples”? Now listen to the passage again. Ask yourself, “Is Jesus challenging me to do something here? What does he want me to do? Am I willing to do it?” Finally sum up all that you have felt and thought in the last few minutes and offer it as a prayer to God the Father, or to Jesus, or to the Holy Spirit. 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.

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. As you enter this time of reflection, take time to arrive and stop. Become aware of your surroundings. Take a slow breath in… and a slow breath out. Be aware of the presence of God all around you and within you. Ask God to illuminate this time. Cast your mind over the last week. What has been life-giving? Give thanks for this. Where have you struggled to believe and have hope? Bring these to God, now. “Ask and it shall be given”. What do you want to ask God for in the coming week? As this time comes to a close, you may like to ask God to be filled afresh with strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow. 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.

Today is Friday 14 June, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. The choir of Westminster Cathedral sing the Sanctus from Palestrina’s Missa Brevis: ‘Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Heaven and earth are full of your glory’. What is God’s glory if it is not God’s presence and God’s grace made known? Take a moment to look for the glory of God wherever you find yourself now. Looking around you, at yourself and at anyone else nearby, or animals, or carefully made furniture or objects, can you find the glory of God where you are? Can you recognise God’s presence here? Today’s reading is from the First Book of Kings. 1 Kings 19:11-16 He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He answered, ‘I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. The great prophet, Elijah, was a man of God. He had gone up the holy mountain to be closer to God in solitude. Now surely if God is going to appear it should be in a suitably dramatic way - a tornado, an earthquake, a great forest fire? But because he was a man of God, Elijah was aware of God’s presence, not in such dramatic events, but in peaceful silence. Have you ever sensed the presence of God? Have you ever felt a sense of being held, of being loved? If you have, go back to that feeling and remember it again. Live it again. If you have never felt such a presence, ask God for a sense of that presence. Listen again to the reading and if you can, be quiet and try and get in touch with that ‘sheer silence’ within, that ‘still small voice’. Like Elijah, most of us need to go from time to time into that cave on the mountain of God, that place of quiet. If you can make that moment now, and that place here, what do you want to say 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.

Today is Thursday 13 June, the feast of St Anthony of Padua, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. O Lord, my heart is not proud. As I enter into prayer now, can I put aside for a moment my pride, any sense of self-importance I may have and place myself humbly into the hands of my God, who knows all my faults and failings and loves me still? O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor haughty my eyes. I have not gone after things too great, nor marvels beyond me. Truly I have set my soul in silence and peace; at rest, as a child in its mother’s arms, so is my soul. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:20-26 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. There is a high chance that most of us have thought of someone else as “a fool” over the course of our lifetime. These words of Jesus are not intended to make us all feel guilty. They are meant rather to encourage us not to judge others. Ponder for a moment if there is anyone who has anything against you. Thinking about that person, did you feel the temptation to judge them? How did you deal with it? Now consider, is there any way that you can reach out in reconciliation towards anyone who has anything against you? If there is someone you need to make your peace with, but you can’t think of any way, ask God to enlighten you and suggest something. In the light of all this, and maybe thinking about that person, listen to the reading again. Can you ask God now for the grace to hold back from judging, and to live in peace and harmony with others? 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.

Today is Wednesday the 12th of June, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. Ladysmith Black Mambazo sings Ngaza Ngambona: ‘They are blessed who keep his commandments; they will have their eternal place. Come in, all of you, so that you may be happy and be able to say, I’ve seen him on the cross, the one who loves me. Teach me, Father, to love you, praise you and pray to you.’ (Lyrics currently unavailable) Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:17-19 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Certain laws seem to be inscribed in the human heart, laws of justice and fairness. When we encounter these there is a sense of rightness about it. What are the laws inscribed in your heart? What are the fundamental principles that you think are true and will always be true? Can you think of some situation in the last day or so that demanded some kind of response from you, where you had to make a decision about how to respond? How did you respond at the time? And can you ask yourself now, ‘what is the law – perhaps an unwritten law in my heart – that caused me to respond in this way?’ As you listen to the gospel again, be aware that when Jesus talks of the law, this is not some alien, arbitrary code he is talking about, but the law that comes from the heart of God. Is there an area of your life where you’re not sure what the right thing to do is? – what the ‘law of God’s love’ is asking of you? You might like to talk to God about this now. 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.

Today is Tuesday 11 June, the feast of St Barnabas, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. The Community of Taizé sing “the Kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 10:7-13 As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for labourers deserve their food. Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. As you enter the house, greet it. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. Jesus instructed the apostles before they were sent out to “proclaim the good news.” How do you “proclaim the good news” in your day to day living? What good news could you bring to the people you meet over the next few days? Perhaps there is someone specific who springs to mind… Listen to the reading again and, as you do, listen out for the very clear instructions that Jesus gives. Can you imagine Jesus saying these words to you now? As this passage of prayer draws to a close, take a moment to pray and prepare yourself to go out into the world that God has given you and proclaim the good news… 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.

Today is Monday 10 June, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. Jon Guerra sings, ‘The Kingdom of God’. Reflect today on the mercy and compassion of God as you enter into prayer… Oh that I could see your face How I’m longing for that day Brighter sun of holy grace Make my heart a holy place Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God Beauty shining from your face Always longed to see this place Is there somewhere I can stay? Even just a couple days? Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want In valley or pasture, we shall not want Our cup runneth over and over For now and forever For now and forever The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want In valley or pasture, we shall not want Our cup runneth over and over For now and forever For now and forever For now and forever For now and forever Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God Oh that I could see your face How I’m longing for that day Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. We are invited today to be once again captivated by this famous and stunning passage. We hear a royal announcement that God is turning the world upside down – or, rather, the right way up. Go with the crowd that has followed Jesus away from the villages and up onto the hillside. What can you hear? What does it mean to the people listening? Can you feel their excitement? This crowd of people, fed up with the way they’re being treated by their rulers, wants to hear that God is going to help them. But Jesus is not only saying that! He’s saying that it’s the meek who will inherit the earth – not the rich, the powerful, the violent or the pushy. How does this make you feel, comfortable perhaps or a bit uneasy? Listen to the reading again, but this time notice your reaction to what Jesus is saying here. Would you be one of the few to leave everything and follow him? As this prayer time comes to a close, perhaps I can ask the Lord to help me to hear His voice, to accept His challenge, and for the strength to follow in the way of His kingdom. 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.

Today is Sunday 9 June, beginning the 10th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing Ecce quam bonum: “How good and how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 3: 20-35 And the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, ‘He has gone out of his mind.’ And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. ‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’ Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, ‘Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.’ And he replied, ‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ And looking at those who sat around him, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.’ In today’s passage, we hear a warning about the danger of a house divided against itself. Does this warning bring to mind any divisions you are aware of in the world around you that are unnecessary, or destructive? Yet, as well as a warning, there is also a promise here, that a greater power has entered the world, a greater power than the forces of division and hatred. What signs of this greater power can you recognise in the world around you, and in your own life? As you listen to the passage from Mark’s gospel again, can you hear Jesus’s promise of something radical occurring, and hear it as relevant to your own circumstances, your own life? What might you be able to do in the circumstances of your life to overcome division? Can you talk to God now about what you might be called to do to build up and unite, to be an instrument of healing and reconciliation? 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.

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. As we enter into a time of prayer today, on this the feast of the Immaculate heart of Mary, you might like to spend a moment in gratitude to God… perhaps you might like to ask God for a pure heart. Now look back at the places where you have spent this week… the people you have met… how you have spent your time. What most stands out as gifts to be grateful for? How have you reacted to God’s presence in your life this week? Where have you been aware of it? Where are you most aware of it now, a little while later? Notice how you’ve responded to God this week, both the highs and the lows. Speak to God for a few moments now about whatever you’re noticing here. Finally, look forward to the week ahead. Perhaps it’s all planned out, perhaps there are surprises around the corner. What do you most need from God in the next few days? Ask for those gifts now. 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.

Today is Friday 7 June, the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the 9th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing Psalm 114: “I love the Lord, he hears my cry, he bends down to listen to me when I call.” As I listen, I become aware that I am in the presence of that God right now, the God who loves me, who hears my cry, and responds…. and that, as I turn my mind and my heart to Him now, He bends down to listen. Today’s reading is from the Prophet Hosea. Hosea 11: 1,3-4, 8-9 When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love. I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them. How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath. Imagine you are looking at a mother or a father with a very young child. Perhaps you can see a parent and child in front of you right now. If not, try and imagine it for a moment. That is how Hosea paints the picture of the relationship between God and his people, here called “Israel” or “Ephraim”. God notices, even complains about their unfaithfulness, but that complaint is held in balance by his memories of loving Ephraim as a child. Some people carry a photograph around with them to remind them of someone they love, someone who loves them. Perhaps you do. Which person who loves you, or whom you love, does all this bring to mind? On this feast of the Sacred Heart, when we are called to recognise God’s love in the world, what experiences have I had, what memories do I have, that remind me of God’s love for me? Listen to the reading again; note how in the passage, God both lifts us up to his level and also comes down to our level. Can I ask God now to help me grasp, with my mind and with my heart, just how much he loves me? 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.