Daily Prayer - 2023-03-22
Presence
Lord, help me to be fully alive to your holy presence. Enfold me in your love. Let my heart become one with yours.
Freedom
Lord grant me the grace to have freedom of the spirit. Cleanse my heart and soul so I may live joyously in your love.
Consciousness
Lord, grant that I may always desire to spend time in your presence. May I not forget your goodness to me. Guide me to share your blessings with others.
The Word of God
John 5:17-30 NRSV
But Jesus answered them, "My Father is still working, and I also am working." For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God. Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise. The Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing; and he will show him greater works than these, so that you will be astonished. Indeed, just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. The Father judges no one but has given all judgement to the Son, so that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. Anyone who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent him. Very truly, I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and does not come under judgement, but has passed from death to life. "Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgement, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out-- those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. "I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
Such was the unity of the Father and Jesus that the work of one is the work of the other. Jesus trusts me enough to call me into the same closeness. He reminds me that whatever I do I do with him and that what I do to others, I do to him.We tend to imagine that God has nothing to do all day! But here we are shown that the Father is working, and the Son is working in harmony with him. They are busy about the saving of the world. They know my particular needs and they work ‘to bring me from death to life’. I take time to thank them.
Conversation
Remembering that I am still in God's presence, I imagine Jesus himself standing or sitting beside me, and say whatever is on my mind, whatever is in my heart, speaking as one friend to another.
Conclusion
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.