Tuesday 20 October 2020

Today is Tuesday the 20 October, in the 29th week of Ordinary Time.  

Jessica Fox, with the Porter’s Gate sings, ‘All Of Your Ways Are Peace’ from ‘Justice Songs’. As you listen can you make these your own words too, and recognise God’s ways of peace?  

Today’s reading is from the Letter to the Ephesians.  

Ephesians 2:12-22

Remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, so that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.  

The letter says that, “Christ is our peace”? What does this mean for you at the moment?  

At the end, there is the lovely image of a building, “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone”.  Does this idea fit your situation today?  

Now listen as the passage is read again, and see if you can work out what the author means when he says that “through [Christ] we have access in one Spirit to the Father”.  

Lastly, what is going on inside you at the end of this time of prayer? See if you can pull it all together by speaking to God from your heart.  

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.