Sunday 15 January 2023

Today is Sunday the 15th of January, beginning the second week of Ordinary time.

The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing Psalm 146: “It is good to sing in honour of our God - sweet is his praise. The Lord, Restorer of Jerusalem! He brought back Israel's exiles, healing their broken hearts, and binding up their wounds.”

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 49:3, 5-6
And he said to me, ‘You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.’
And now the Lord says,**
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honoured in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—
he says,
‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

Now Christmas is truly over, and Jesus starts out on his work of preaching the gospel; and so, of course, do we at this time. “…that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” How do you recognise yourself as a part of this?
“To bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might be gathered to him”. Might that restoration of harmony be a part of your mission this week?
“I will give you as a light for the nations”; are these words spoken to you? If so, are you “up for it”?
Now pay gentle attention as the passage is read once more to you. Is there anything that now demands a response from you?
Finally, see if you can gather the thoughts and emotions that have been in your heart during this time; is there anything there that you can turn into a prayer to God?
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.