St Philip Neri | 26 May 2021

Today is Wednesday, the 26 May, the Memorial of St Philip Neri, in the Eighth week of Ordinary Time.    

Josh Garrels sings, ‘Exalt The Lord Our God’. As you begin to pray today, take a moment to exalt the Lord in your own heart…  

Today’s reading is from Psalm 78.  

Psalm 78

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
   incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 
I will open my mouth in a parable;
   I will utter dark sayings from of old, 
things that we have heard and known,
   that our ancestors have told us. 
We will not hide them from their children;
   we will tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,
   and the wonders that he has done.  He established a decree in Jacob,
   and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
   to teach to their children; 
that the next generation might know them,
   the children yet unborn,
and rise up and tell them to their children, 
   so that they should set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
   but keep his commandments; 
and that they should not be like their ancestors,
   a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
   whose spirit was not faithful to God.   

'Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth' – God is asking us to listen; to listen to Him and to ponder His teaching? How ready are you to listen to God today?  

I will open my mouth in a parable. What does this means? Might it say something to you about the way you live your life?  Our lives are supposed to say something of God’s goodness, are you able to look at your life, and see God’s goodness there?  

As you listen to the Psalm again, give thanks to God for the glorious deeds He has done in your life, but also say sorry for those times when you’ve rebelled. As human beings, we can often be stubborn and rebellious.   

Have there been times in your own life when you have been stubborn or rebellious.  Do you feel the need to ask forgiveness for them. If so, ask for it now.

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.