Faith Daily | 2 November 2021

PRAYER of the DAY - PENTECOST

We thank you, loving God,

for all your servants, known to us and unknown,

who have departed this life in your faith and fear:

give us grace so to follow their good examples,

that with them we may be brought to a joyful resurrection,

and be made partakers of your heavenly kingdom;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: John 5: 19-29

19 Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father* does, the Son does likewise. 20The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. 21Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomsoever he wishes. 22The Father judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son, 23so that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him. 24Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life.

25 ‘Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; 27and he has given him authority to execute judgement, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by: Michelle Chapman

In the beginning of John 5:19 as Jesus gives an answer to the Jewish leaders Jesus said “very truly” or “truly, truly” (in different Bible versions). It has been reported that Jesus said the word “truly” fifty-one times in John’s Gospel. The verse could begin with ‘surely, surely’ because Jesus is noting the urgency of what he is about to say.

We are to honour Jesus as we are to honour God our Father who “has entrusted all judgement“ to his son (v 22-23). Again in v24 Jesus repeats “very truly” as an urgent call to us all so “whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from life to death”. John begins v25 with Jesus saying again “very truly I tell you…”. None of us knows our last day in this world so the urgency of the this gospel reading is about today, not tomorrow. Believe in Jesus and have eternal life today.

Today is All Souls Day, following All Hallows’ Day and All Saints Day. Today we remember in prayer the souls of those who have died. I am grateful to have known many believers, now passed away and none more precious than Ruth who wove my family into her family. Ruth showed me what it meant in “Your people will be my people” (Ruth 1:16) and she became very precious to my whole family. Ruth showed me by her powerfully strong faith that her God was my God, through Jesus Christ. Today I thank God again for Ruth in my life and the life of my family for 40 years.

FINAL PRAYER: Collect from “Exciting Holiness”

Eternal God, our Maker and Redeemer,

grant us, with all the faithful departed,

the sure benefits of your Son’s saving passion

and glorious resurrection

that, in the last day,

when you gather up all things in Christ,

we may with them enjoy the fullness of your promises;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.