Presence

“You show me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.” (Psalm 16). Lord, help me to live in Your presence today.

Freedom

By God’s grace I was born to live in freedom,
free to enjoy the pleasures He created for me.
Dear Lord, grant that I may live as You intended,
with complete confidence in Your loving care.

Consciousness

How do I find myself today?
Where am I with God? With others?
Do I have something to be grateful for? Then I give thanks.
Is there something I am sorry for? Then I ask forgiveness.

The Word of God

³³Then they said to him, “John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink.” ³⁴Jesus said to them, “You cannot make wedding attendants fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? ³⁵The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” ³⁶He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise, not only will one tear the new garment, but the piece from the new will not match the old garment. ³⁷Similarly, no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and will spill out, and the skins will be ruined. ³⁸But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. ³⁹And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine but says, ‘The old is good.’ ”

Inspiration

In the army, they say there is a time for staying motionless, a time for advancing and a time for rest. Jesus indicated to the disciples that there are times in life for celebration as well as times when self-discipline is required. Guide us, Lord, towards being able to recognise our motives and make sensible choices, so that we make the best of the situations in which we find ourselves.

Conversation

How has God’s Word moved me?
Has it left me cold?
Has it consoled me or moved me to act in a new way?
I imagine Jesus standing or sitting beside me and
I turn and share my feelings with Him.

Conclusion

I thank God for these few moments we have spent alone together and for any insights I may have been given concerning the text.

Amen