Faith Daily | 19 October 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - PENTECOST Pentecost 21

Almighty God,

your Son has opened for us

a new and living way into your presence:

give us pure hearts and steadfast wills

to worship you in spirit and in truth;

through the same Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Luke 12: 35-38

35 ‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; 36be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. 37Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. 38If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Mary Rose

Jesus is reminding us, as he did his disciples, that we don’t know when he will return to judge the ‘quick and the dead’ as the old versions put it. We are reminded that we must be always ready for our meeting with our Maker and he uses this analogy of what this bible version calls ‘watchful slaves’ whose master has gone to a wedding celebration. They must wait for his return ready to answer his knock with the lamps burning. Oil lamps needed constant attention so they had a ready supply of oil and that they didn’t blow out. The slaves needed to have hitched up their outer garments ready for work tending the master’s needs when he came home whatever the hour.

They needed to prepare for when he returned, it is an active waiting. The story tells us that no matter how late the hour of his return, not only will they be blessed for being ready but rewarded; the master will hitch up his outer coat, get them to sit down and serve them.

Jesus is telling us to be always ready to meet our Maker so we should always be actively preparing and doing what is necessary for our salvation and our reward!

FINAL PRAYER: Jim Cotter “An unfolding of the Te Deum, part 2” Out of the Silence…. Into the Silence

A Canticle Prayer:

Universal Christ,

we greet you in your glory,

hidden deep in the being of God,

Word made flesh to deliver us,

brought to life by human touch,

glad to be born of Mary,

embodying the divine,

withdrawing the sting of death,

terrifying us with love unbounded,

offering to fulfil all we could desire,

opening the road to God’s presence for ever,

guarding the freedom of the creation,

yearning for the gathering of the harvest.

Come, then, judge and deliver us,

who are freed at the cost of your life;

give us integrity to refuse what is evil,

give us your Spirit to discern what is true,

and lead us with all your saints

to lands of eternal glory.

Amen.