READ, MEDITATE, PRAY

PSALM 143.

ISAIAH 65: 17-25.

JOHN CH. 21.

2 CORINTHIANS CH. 6.

Come now, turn aside for a while from your daily employment, escape for a moment from the tumult of your thoughts and worries. Put aside your weighty cares, let your distractions wait, free yourself a while for God and rest a while in Him. Enter the inner chamber of your soul, shut out everything except God’s Word and meditate on Jesus’ Resurrection as He brought good news to the poor, healing to the broken-hearted, freedom for the captives, release from lockdowns for many, proclaiming a year of the Lord’s favour by creating new heavens and new earth.

Let us reflect on our experience of God this week. We are hard pressed on every side but not crushed; perplexed, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed. We fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen and eternal, that His faithfulness and righteousness may come to our relief. Let the day bring us Word of His unfailing love and let us put our trust always in Him who can preserve our lives and bring us out of this trouble.

The question of the Risen One as it came three times to Peter: –Do you (still) love me ?

May our prayers keep on answering it faithfully during the week !

LET US PRAY FOR:

– all who still believe in the Risen Christ,

– each other, our Congregation  and loved ones,

– infected people who are unable to be taken to hospitals,

– medical staff and care-workers worst exposed to infections,

– patience to endure lockdown,

– those who keep our country going,

– the blessing of God Almighty on all of us !

Don’t hesitate to say the Lord’s Prayer as often as you search for words of prayer: OUR FATHER, WHO ART IN HEAVEN…

MAY THE LORD SANCTIFY AND BLESS YOU; THE LORD POUR THE RICHES OF HIS GRACE UPON YOU, THAT YOU MAY PLEASE HIM AND LIVE IN HOLY LOVE TO YOUR LIFE’S END; AND MAY THE BLESSING OF GOD ALMIGHTY, THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT, BE AMONG YOU, AND UPON ALL WHOM YOU LOVE, AND REMAIN WITH YOU ALWAYS.  AMEN.

(The blessing of John Knox,1513-1572.)