Tag Archive for ‘prayer’
Friday 12 April
Acts 5:34-42, Ps 27, John 6:1-15 Over-reaction Both readings show over-reaction that was avoided. The Jewish leaders wanted to kill the apostles, but were persuaded by pragmatism while the apostles no doubt prayed in the courtyard. The 5,000 whom Jesus fed wanted to force him to be an earthly king, but Jesus escaped to pray. […]
These Japanese who know nothing about religion
by Otohiko Kaga In my opinion, in post- earthquake Japan, religion has a role to play, and a duty to fulfil. The change in civilisation which has come about since the Meiji era (i.e.1868) was significant in the domain of science and technology, but had no effect on religion. When the Japanese tried to understand […]
Cover Icon of the Resurrection
The Resurrection of Christ by Michael Galovic, © Copyright 1996 Artist. Tempera and gold leaf on gessoed board, 48×36 cm In traditional Orthodox iconography the actual moment of the Resurrection of Christ was never depicted. The two primary icons of the resurrection are those of the Descent into Hell and the Myrrhbearing Women at the […]
Wednesday 27 March
Psalm 69, Isaiah 50:4-9, Matthew 26:14-25 Their psalm … my psalm The psalmist is in trouble, up to his neck in water, sinking into mud. His throat is parched from calling out for help, his eyes fast becoming dim as his strength fails. This is David’s psalm. He knew what it was to be in […]
Monday 25 March
Psalm 27, Isaiah 42:1-7, John 12:1-11 A royal declaration The setting for Psalm 27 may well be a royal event such as the anniversary of a coronation. God’s covenant with David was eternal but it was renewed in the coronation of every new monarch. Annually the king would restate his coronation commitments, and he would […]
Friday 22 March
Psalm 18, Jeremiah 20:10-13, John 10:31-42 A royal song of praise Psalm 18 is a magnificent hymn of praise to God. The psalmist describes God as his rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, stronghold and horn of salvation. He lists the personal difficulties he faced. He was entangled by the cords of death, overwhelmed by the […]
Saturday 16 March
Psalm 7, Jeremiah 11:18-20, John 7:40-52 My shield is God It is thought that David wrote Psalm 7 in response to the slanderous accusations of those who claimed he was trying to kill King Saul and take his throne (1 Samuel 24: 9–11). Looking for refuge rather than revenge, David cries out to God. In […]
Saturday 9 March
Psalm 51, Hosea 5:15-6:6, Luke 18:9-14 When repentance meets forgiveness This is David’s prayer, his confession of sin and his plea for God’s forgiveness. David names his sin – transgression, iniquity, sin, evil. He declares, ‘Against you, you only, have I sinned’ (v. 4). The heart of the sin matter is always sin against God. […]
Tuesday 5 March
Psalm 25, Daniel 3:25-43, Matthew 18:21-35 Uprightness and integrity Psalm 25 is the prayer of one who has chosen to walk in righteousness, but is finding the way difficult. It is lined with enemies waiting to get him, wanting to put him to shame by proving the powerlessness of his God. At the same time […]
Presider Style
I am an academic rather than a parish priest, so I do not have a regular Sunday congregation. The benefit of this unfortunate reality is that I visit many different parish communities and have the chance to concelebrate in a variety of settings. This means I can play the ‘sit back and critique the presider’ […]
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