St Ignatius of Antioch

This weekend is Saturday the 17 October, the feast of St Ignatius of Antioch and Sunday the 18 October, beginning the 29th week of Ordinary Time.

The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing the Benedictus: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel!  He has visited his people and redeemed them. He has raised up for us a mighty saviour in the house of David his servant, as he promised by the lips of holy men, those who were his prophets from of old. A saviour who would free us from our foes, from the hands of all who hate us.

This weekend’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
   whose right hand I have grasped
to subdue nations before him
   and strip kings of their robes,
to open doors before him—
   and the gates shall not be closed:
For the sake of my servant Jacob,
   and Israel my chosen,
I call you by your name,
   I surname you, though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, and there is no other;
   besides me there is no god.
   I arm you, though you do not know me,
so that they may know, from the rising of the sun
   and from the west, that there is no one besides me;
   I am the Lord, and there is no other.

The people of the Old Testament were growing in their understanding of who God was.  We do the same. There is mention of anointing here: a God who calls people to specific vocations. 

Do you know your anointing? . . . How does this speak to you?

As you listen again, imagine Jesus listening with you.

What do you and Jesus want to say to each other as this time draws to a close?

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. Amen.