Faith Daily | 21 February 2023

PRAYER of the DAY - PRAYER OF THE WEEK UNTIL ASH WEDNESDAY APBA p544

Almighty God,

you have given your only Son

to be for us both a sacrifice for sin,

and also an example of godly life:

give us grace that we may always thankfully receive

the benefits of his sacrifice,

and also daily endeavour to follow

the blessed steps of his most holy life;

through the same Jesus Christ our Lord,

who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

Amen.

GOSPEL for the Day: Mark 9: 30-37

30They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; 31for 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.” 32But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

33Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. 35He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” 36Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 37“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”

GOSPEL REFLECTION: Pamela Davey

Sometimes our lack of understanding leads to fearfulness.

Rowan Williams in Meeting God in Mark says when Jesus makes comparisons, parables; they are his way of saying that we know more than we realize about God – our trouble is we listen and don’t understand, look, but do not see.

This was brought home to me at the beginning of an RI class last year when I asked the children what they most liked about RI – Bible stories, music, craft, drama etc. They told me they most liked learning more about God!

Then he took a little child and put it among them:

FINAL PRAYER

And a prayer of reflection from Rowan Williams –

God works outwards from the heart of being into the life of every day.

Amen.