Pray As You Go - Daily Prayer

Today is Monday 27 May, the feast of St Augustine of Canterbury, in the 8th week of Ordinary Time. IAMSON, Paul Zach and Jessica Fox sing, ‘Just A Closer Walk With Thee’. I am weak, but thou art strong Jesus, keep me from all wrong I'll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee Just a closer walk with Thee Grant it, Jesus, is my plea Daily walking close to Thee Let it be, dear Lord, let it be Through this world of toil and snares If I falter, Lord, who cares? Who with me my burden shares? None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee Just a closer walk with Thee Grant it, Jesus, is my plea Daily walking close to Thee Let it be, dear Lord, let it be When my feeble life is o'er Time for me will be no more Guide me gently, safely o'er To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore Just a closer walk with Thee Grant it, Jesus, is my plea Daily walking close to Thee Let it be, dear Lord, let it be Let it be, dear Lord, let it be Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 10: 17-27 As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’ He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’ Here's a young man with a passion. He wants to inherit eternal life, to live with God forever. Imagine him, running up and throwing himself at Jesus’s feet, eager to know what Jesus has to say… how do you picture the scene? What is it about Jesus that so draws this young man? And what is it about this young man that moves Jesus to look at him with love? Hear Jesus’s challenge to him to let go of his treasured possessions …. how do you feel about that? And, as you listen to the passage again, notice the young man grieving… Jesus invites the young man to “Come, follow me” - inviting him to a new way of life. Perhaps you long to follow Jesus more closely; perhaps you feel there is something getting in the way. In your own words, talk to Jesus about how you feel, and hear his response. 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 26 May, the feast of the Most Holy Trinity, beginning the 8th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing Passer invenit sibi domum. “The sparrow has found a home for itself, and the dove a nest where she may lay her chicks: - your altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God! Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they will praise you for ever.” Passer invenit sibi domum, et turtur nidum, ubi reponat pullos suos: altaria tua Domine virtutum, Rex meus, et Deus meus: beati qui habitant in domo tua, in saeculum saeculi laudabunt te. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 28:16-20 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ All four gospels tell a story which many in today’s world have forgotten, or have never even known. It is the story of how Jesus became the king of the world. That’s where we have been going, ever since, back near the beginning, Jesus came into Galilee announcing that ‘heaven’s kingdom is at hand’. Is this how you think of the Gospels? This is the great message of the whole gospel. Jesus is King and Lord, not just ‘in heaven’ (that would be quite a ‘safe’ idea) but on earth as well. But what – what on earth, we might say – does that actually mean? If Jesus is really King and Lord, why is the world still in such a mess? How does he exercise this ‘lordship’? How does this sovereignty, claimed so strongly in this passage, work out on the ground? As you hear this short passage read again, ask yourself this question: how did Jesus come to this point of being king? You might like to end this time of prayer with those encouraging words of Jesus: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Speak with Jesus as one friend speaks to another about what these words mean to you today. 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. Spend a moment becoming still. Today, we will revisit a slightly different style of Examen reflection we have used before: Imagine yourself in a place where you feel at peace. It might be your own room at home. There are two chairs there and you sit on one of these. There is a knock on the door and you open it. It is Jesus. You invite him to sit down. What is it like to have him there? He has brought a book with him and you realise that it is a photograph album of the week… He has taken pictures of you throughout the week. You and Jesus look through the photos talking about them. If one in particular catches your eye, for which you are grateful, spend some time with it and talk to Jesus about it . . . Is there a particular picture Jesus wants you to look at? What do you feel about his choice? What do you say to him about it? Is there a picture there which you wish wasn’t there? Talk to him about that too. When you are ready the album is closed. What do you ask of Jesus before he departs, to help you for the week ahead? How do you take leave of each other? How do you feel 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 24 May, in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. The St Thomas Music Group sing the Prayer of St Theresa by Margaret Rizza. “Let nothing disturb you, nothing distress you. While all things fade away, God is unchanging. Be patient, for with God in your heart, nothing is lacking. God is enough.” Today’s reading is from the letter of James. James 5: 9-12 Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation. No one likes to think of themselves as a grumbler, but most of us do it from time to time. Grumbling is what we tend to resort to when it's all we have left to do, when we feel something is wrong but we're powerless to change it. What are the situations you face where you have perhaps given up and resorted to grumbling? James also talks here about suffering, patience and endurance. Where might God be calling you to patient endurance in your life? Is it in some of the same situations you thought of before, where you have lost hope? As you hear the reading again, listen out for the encouragement that God is trying to give you through these words. What is God trying to say to you? 'Let your "Yes" be yes and your "No" be no.' Speak plainly and simply, honestly and openly, says James. And you can do the same with God, who is listening to you now. Speak honestly now, as one friend speaks to another, about whatever this prayer time has stirred in 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.

Today is Thursday 23 May, the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. Eliza King sings, ‘All Things New’. How is God creating a newness in your life and the world around you at this moment? You break like the light of the sun Bringing colour to shadows Christ, it was you all along You’re the words of an ancient song, we’ve been singing Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new You rise, as the bright morning star We were blind but we see you now The light of the world here with us You’re a fire making holy ground, by your spirit Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new You’re the treasure of the ages Sort for generations How the prophets longed to see what we have seen You’re the final word incarnate Leaping from the pages You’re the burning heart behind the mystery Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Behold, He makes all things new Today’s reading is from the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah 31:31-34 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the Lord’, for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. The prophet Jeremiah speaks here of a ‘new covenant’ – a new understanding, a new relationship between God and his people, in which God will “forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.” What does that offer of forgiveness mean to you? What are the wrongs – in yourself or in the world around you – that most need forgiving? In this new covenant, we are told, God will ‘write his law in our hearts’ and we will know him without needing to be told. That might sound like a vision of Utopia, of a perfect world. But can you perhaps detect signs or glimpses of this prophecy being fulfilled? Is it ‘coming true’ in any people you can think of? Is it coming true, even partly, in you? Christians would interpret these words of Jeremiah as a prophecy about Jesus – through whose life, death and resurrection a new covenant was forged between God and humanity. Listen to the reading again in the light of that thought. What do you want to say now to Jesus about forgiveness? 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 22 May, in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. The Porter’s Gate sings, ‘Instrument of Peace’. Can you make these words your own today? Lord make me An instrument of peace An instrument of peace Where is there hatred let me sow love Where there is darkness let me sow light For in the giving we shall receive And in the dying we’re given life Lord make me An instrument of peace An instrument of peace Where there is sorrow let me sow hope Where there is doubt let me sow faith Where there is injury your pardon give Your consolation to those in pain Lord make me An instrument of peace An instrument of peace Amen Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 9:38-40 John said to [Jesus], ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. John complains about other people doing things in the name of Jesus, and tries to stop them. Does this have any echoes for you of the situation today among different groups of Jesus's followers - the different churches? Does it even reflect something of your own feelings or attitude? Jesus could have said "Whoever is not with us is against us", excluding all but his immediate friends… but he doesn't - he says "whoever is not against us is for us". What might this say about the divisions among Christians today, and Jesus's attitude to those divisions? As you hear this short passage read again, imagine yourself overhearing this conversation from a distance, as someone who has never met Jesus, who is not part of the "in-crowd", but wants to get closer to him. How do you feel when you overhear all this? What feelings has praying with this scene stirred in you? Is there something you have learned, or something you want to say to Jesus now? Speak to him freely now - tell him whatever you want to tell him. 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 21 May, in the 7th 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 Mark. Mark 9:30-37 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, ‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’ But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him. Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.’ More than once in his teaching, Jesus chooses a child as an example. As you hear Jesus speak of the little child, what do you hear him saying to you? Have you ever sensed that God was speaking to you through a child? What could a child teach you? As you listen to the reading again, focus on the way Jesus takes the child in his arms and speaks of welcome… How did you feel as you heard the passage that second time? Did you sense that Jesus saying was something to you? Maybe, through the example of this child, Jesus is drawing you into a more intimate relationship with him. Speak to Jesus now about your feelings as you listened to his words. 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 20 May, the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church, in the 7th week of Ordinary Time. On this feast day, Juliano Ravanello sings The Magnificat, Mary’s song: ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.’ Today’s reading is from the book of Genesis. Genesis 3: 9-15, 20 But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.’ The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all who live. Can you place yourself in this scene? Imagine yourself now as Adam or Eve… We hear God calling to them: “Where are you?” What does God sound like to you? Do you ever hear God calling to you with this very question in your own life? ”Where are you?” Why do you think Adam and Eve are suddenly so ashamed of being naked? Can you imagine what they must have been feeling at this moment? What about Adam’s subtle blaming of God when he says those words, “the woman you gave to be with me…”? As you listen again, notice this moment, and what it stirs in you. At the end of this meditation, can I turn to God for consolation and hope that God might overcome in me my resistance to living in a daily rhythm of gratitude? 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 19th May, the feast of Pentecost, beginning the 7th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing: This is the time, most Holy Spirit, when you, One with the Father and the Son, come to shed your light in the hearts of your faithful. Pause for a moment, and become aware of the Holy Spirit, present here, come to give life and light. Pause for a moment, and welcome that light into your life. (Lyrics currently unavailable) Today’s reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 2:1-11 "When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’" Instead of repeating the scripture today, we will pray through it a little bit at a time throughout our reflection. We hear that all the disciples were gathered into one place… how do you think they were during that time? What do you think they were saying to one another? "And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them." A sound like a violent wind, fire like divided tongues. How do you think they or you would have reacted on witnessing that? "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability." The sound and the fire have gone, but something has changed. What do you think is going on in the room, in their hearts? "Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?" Imagine you in the scene, in the crowd or a bystander. What do you notice? What can you hear? What are you thinking when you experience this? Take time to talk with Jesus about where your heart has been this week and what you would like the Spirit to kindle in your heart for next week. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. Amen

Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Ask God for the light to see, beyond your capacities, God's work this week. Start by reviewing the week, day by day, just noticing those things that stand out. How did those moments leave you feeling? Hopeful, trusting, loving? Dry, despondent, frustrated? When you recall those moments, how close or distant did you feel to God's presence, pointers or nudges? This week what are you thankful or grateful for, or what has pleasantly surprised you? Call to mind all those people in your life you have commitments towards. How can you better live out those commitments? Take time to ask God for help living better those commitments next week and express thanks for the week that has been. 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.