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SOMETHING TO THINK AND PRAY ABOUT THIS WEEK
The burning coal
There is a favourite preacher’s story that goes like this: a member of a certain parish, who previously had been attending Mass regularly, suddenly stopped going. After a few weeks, the priest decided to visit him. It was a cold evening, and the priest found the man alone at home, sitting before a blazing coal fire.
Guessing the reason for the priest’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the heavy silence, he just sat and looked at the fire.
After a few minutes, the priest took the fire tongs, carefully picked a brightly burning coal from the fire, and placed it to one side of the hearth, all by itself. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. Both of them watched the coal. Gradually, the coal’s flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire went. Soon it was cold and dead. The priest got up again, picked up the cold, dead coal and put it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately, it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it.
The moral was simple. A single lump of coal cannot burn on its own; it takes many lumps of coal to make a fire that does not go out. No Christian can burn for God for very long without the constant support of the rest of the Church.
Paul O’Reilly SJ, Hope in All Things
We remember at this time...
We have a brand New Year before us, full of potential and waiting to be embraced. How will we approach it – with enthusiasm, with reluctance, or with the quiet hope that this year will be better than the last one? As we step forward, may we hold on to the promise found in Scripture:
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit”. Romans 15:13
Sacred Space – Daily Prayer for 25 Years
Sacred Space began in 1999 and has offered new content every day since then. You can learn more about Sacred Space on our About page, or if you are a regular, you can share your Sacred Space Story on our Feedback page. For our 25th anniversary, we are featuring stories from people for whom Sacred Space has played a special part in their lives. Please consider sharing your Sacred Space Story.
Sacred Space Feedback