Presence

“Come to me all you who are burdened and I will give you rest”. (Matthew 11:28). Here I am, Lord. I come to seek Your presence. I long for Your healing power.

Freedom

God is not foreign to my freedom.
Instead, the Spirit breathes life into my most intimate desires,
gently nudging me towards all that is good.
I ask for the grace to let myself be enfolded by the Spirit.

Consciousness

I am surrounded by Your loving presence, Lord,
but I am aware of my fragility and weakness.
Thank You that I can face my shortcomings
in Your merciful embrace.

The Word of God

¹³“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. ¹⁴Indeed, at the judgment it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. ¹⁵And you, Capernaum,

will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades.

¹⁶“Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

Inspiration

Tyre and Sidon rejected God’s message but they did not witness the person and ministry of Jesus. Chorazin and Bethsaida were more familiar with Jesus but they were unwilling to respond. We pray for the faith to receive the message, learning from those who rejected it, and to realise it is the way to life.

God’s word is proclaimed as good news. The invitation is to listen and take it to heart. It is the acceptance or rejection of Jesus, not just his word. May we have ears to hear and hearts to live his message as our good news of salvation.

Conversation

“There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 8:1). I turn to the One who loves me and knows me better than I can love or know myself. I ask Him for whatever it is I need right now.

Conclusion

Filled with the loving presence of God,
I ask Him to bless me and guide my steps
as I go to do His work in my daily life.

Amen