Faith Daily |11 April 2022

PRAYER of the DAY - APBA p 493

Almighty and everlasting God,

of your tender love towards us

you sent your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ,

to take upon him our flesh,

and to suffer death upon the cross,

that all should follow the example of his great humility:

mercifully grant

that we may both follow the example of his patience,

and also be made partakers of his resurrection;

through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

GOSPEL for the Day: John 12: 1-11

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Rev'd Jan

In 2012 I co-edited (with the Rev’d Gillian Moses) “Glorious Gifts: celebrating the Spirituality of Women Priests” on the occasion of 20 years priestly ordination for women. We gathered 41 creative offerings by women priests of this Diocese – writings, woodwork, needlework, paintings…. A diversity of mediums, a diversity of creative spirituality. I contributed a poem, a poem for Lent, and so I share it now as we conclude Lent 2022, ten years later……

Poetry Lent 2012

He came, entered water,

received recognition blessing,

was tempted as we are,

experienced angels as could happen, I am sure.

And then he began the tearing of the curtain.

He took our lives…. My life!

in his hands

and began deconstruction.

I cannot remember any message of love

at that point.

He usurped my life

and took my well thought through

goal-orientated life away

and shook it with his own news.

I remember hearing him say “good news”

at that point.

Then I had to start again to gather

the points of my life

from his viewpoint.

It was forced upon me, it seemed,

because I had turned my head, ever so slightly,

when he said, “Come and see”.

The two pieces of curtain on that Friday

therefore were no surprise to me.

The shredding began

well before that point.

My life, your life, his life.

The tear began in a hovering spirit

at no point.