The 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time | Sunday 13 November 2022

Today is Sunday the 13th of November, beginning the 33rd week of Ordinary time.


The Porter’s Gate sings, ‘Keep Watch and Pray’.


Before the dark, before the pain
Before the beauty of the world had been unmade
Your voice, it rang, Your words, they stood
You breathed Your life into the world and called it good
You will come again
We will weep no more
I wanna be ready, ready
Will we walk with You
Like we did before?
I wanna be ready, ready
I wanna be ready, ready
These fields are dry, Your garden burns
And all the rocks, and trees, and fiеlds cry out in turn
Your promise rings, Your words are true
All crеation once again will be made new
And You will come again
We will weep no more
I wanna be ready, ready
Will we walk with You
Like we did before?
I wanna be ready, ready
I wanna be ready, ready
Keep watch and pray
Keep watch and pray
Keep watch and pray
Keep watch and pray
Keep watch and pray (I don't wanna be sleeping)
Keep watch and pray (I don't wanna be sleeping)
Keep watch and pray (I don't wanna be sleeping)
Keep watch and pray (I don't wanna be sleeping, I don't wanna be sleeping)
Keep watch and pray (I don't wanna be sleeping)
I wanna be ready, ready

Today’s reading is from St Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians.

2 Thess 3:7-12

For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labour we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

We hear from Paul that some of the Christians in Thessalonica seemed to be taking the foot off the pedal. Why work if Christ was coming soon? Paul encourages them not to give up doing good. In what way might you need encouraging at this time?

Paul offers his own behaviour as an example for the Thessalonians to follow. Bring to mind someone you know whose actions were those of a faithful witness. What did you receive through their example?

As you listen once more to the passage, what might be interesting Christ about your pattern of living at the moment?

Speak with the Lord about working and living and all the joys and challenges that this brings.


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.