Faith Daily | 25 February 2021

PRAYER of the WEEK Lent One

O Lord, who for our sake fasted forty days and forty nights:

give us grace to use such abstinence,

that, our flesh being subdued to the spirit,

we may ever obey your godly will

in righteousness and true holiness;

to your honour and glory,

who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,

one God, world without end.

Amen APBA p482

GOSPEL for the Day: Matthew 7: 7-12

7 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 9Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? 10Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? 11If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

12 ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

GOSPEL Reflection: Contributed by Helen Menzies

Jesus is stating as fact that you will receive what you ask for. Find what you are searching for and the door will definitely be opened if you knock. Some of the followers may have had doubts so he was pointing out that you would never let your children down so would your loving Heavenly Father not answer as soon as you call.

When I was a little girl I had a book called Tom and The Water Babies. When you opened it there were two Ely colour plates. One had a lady in along white dress with a white bonnet 'Mrs Do as you would be done by’. The other a lady all dressed in black ‘Mrs be done by as you did’. I don't remember any connection to Tom but a lovely illustration of the Golden Rule.

Let us take it into another Lenten day with us...

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FINAL PRAYER: A Prayer of St Anselm of Canterbury.(1033-1109)

O my God, teach my heart where and how to seek You, where and how to find You. You are my God and You are my all and I have never seen You. You have made me and remade me, You have bestowed on me all the good things I possess, Still I do not know You. I have not yet done that for which I was made. Teach me to seek You. I cannot seek You unless You teach me or find You unless You show Yourself to me. Let me seek You in my desire, let me desire You in my seeking. Let me find You by loving You, let me love You when I find You.

Amen