Tuesday 31 August 2021
Today is Tuesday the 31 August in the 22nd week of Ordinary time.
The Lord is my light, my hope, my salvation. In him I trust.
We rely on many things in our lives. On other people; on our wealth or our posessions; on our power, or reputation, or status; on our own ingenuity and talents.
But as I enter into prayer now, can I put all those things aside for a moment, and place all my trust in God, my light, my hope, my salvation?
Today’s reading is from St Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-6,9-11
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
Darkness, midnight thievery and labour pains, sleep, wakefulness, drunkenness and sobriety: these are challenging, contrasting, even alarming images of the second coming. Paul wrote them for a community trying to work out when the end times would be. But we also hear that we are ‘children of light’, destined for everlasting life in Christ. What does this mean for you?
What does staying awake mean, in this context? Being awake also means being aware: of the play of darkness and light in our lives, the draw towards or away from God’s abiding presence, the guiding light of the Spirit. How are you aware of this in your own life? What does ‘living with Jesus’ mean for you?
Listening again to the dramatic images used by Paul. Notice how each of them strikes you and makes you feel.
God destines us for salvation in Jesus. What do you want to say to Jesus about living every day with him?
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.