The Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius | Tuesday 14 February 2023

Today is Tuesday the 14th of February, the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, in the sixth week of Ordinary time.

The Community of Taizé sing “the Kingdom of God is justice and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Come, Lord, and open in us the gates of your kingdom.”

Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Luke.


Luke 10:1-9

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.”

In today’s passage, I hear how Jesus sends his followers out in pairs ahead of him to prepare the way. I listen to the clear instructions given for the task.

How have I experienced preparing the way for Jesus?

Who is alongside me in this task?

Which of these instructions from Jesus to his followers is drawing me?

And which feels difficult or challenging?

I tell Jesus about this.

How does Jesus respond?

‘…the Kingdom of God has come near to you’.

As I listen again I think about how I experience the Kingdom of God coming near to me. How do I know when the Kingdom of God is close by?

As I conclude this time of prayer, I ask the Spirit to bring to mind a place where the love of Jesus is needed. I ask for imagination and strength to prepare the way for Jesus in that place.


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.