The First Day
Wake in the morning
with the Christ child
in your midst,
not distant or near, but here –
tangible and touchable.
Hear his cry, his coo, his sigh,
feel His breath.
Wake in the morning
and know His reality
is not just a dream.
Wake in the morning
with God’s promise
fulfilled.
(c) June G. Paul, All Rights Reserved 2019
I originally wrote this with the word “To” in front of the word Wake – –…..
I have been reflecting on the Gospel Readings from the Daily Office, Year One Readings, as posted at www.missionstclare.com
Today’s Gospel Reading is Luke 1:39-48 and the verse that stood out to me is this:
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord……
The full passage is Matthew 3:1-12.
It seems we sometimes prefer to think that some of us are wheat and some of us are chaff. But if we are honest, we all have a little chaff on our souls.
When John was talking to the Pharisees and Sadducees he mentions ‘the wrath to come.’ Typically when we think of wrath, we think of a severe, out of control anger. If this wrath to come is from God, we should…..
New things, most of us love receiving and giving new things. During the Christmas and Holiday Seasons we are surrounded by new things every where we turn. New dolls and sleds, new toys and gadgets, new clothes, new books, new cars, new houses, new relationships (engagements, weddings).
If you’ve been a Christian for your entire life or most of it, the Christmas services may have lost some deeper sense of newness. Oh, the pageant might have new players, but…..
So often people think or feel there is nothing they can do to help someone who is suffering through addiction or withdrawal. But there is something almost everyone can do and that is pray for increased faith in those who want to help themselves and others to help. Yesterday I read a poet’s blog post titled 3 Days Without about Heroin Addiction. (www.douglassteelepoetry.com) One of the lines in Doug’s poem is “help him help himself.” I wrote the following comment…..
When Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray he replied by saying, Pray ‘Our Father’
Many people place the emphasis on the word father and the parent child relationship. We are used to thinking about the prayer in that way. Perhaps in part because of Matthew 23:9 where Jesus says don’t call anyone ‘your father on earth, for you have one…..
Years ago a young woman whom I worked with asked me why it was that the women in Jesus’ life went to the tomb so soon after Jesus died. Her question took me off guard and I could only answer that it must have been their grief. This young woman had come to my home…..
There are three Gospel readings for Holy Saturday. I’m being drawn to write briefly about Matthew 27:63. The Chief Priest and Pharisees call Jesus an ‘imposter’ and then tell Pilate they remember what Jesus said about rising in three days.
These are enemies of his and they remember some of the same things Jesus’ friends…..
Today’s reading is John13:1-17 and 31b-35. What stands out to me most isn’t all the dialogue and action around the washing of the disciples feet. I’m a little surprised by that, probably because that’s what I’m most familiar with and the tradition held in the church I have attended through the years. I’ve had my feet washed at…..