The 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time | Sunday 9 July 2023

Today is Sunday the 9th of July, beginning the 14th week of Ordinary time.

The choir of Westminster Cathedral sing Haec Dies by William Byrd.

‘This is the day which the Lord has made: let us be glad and rejoice in it. Alleluia.’

Haec dies quam fecit Dominus:
exultemus et laetemur in ea,
alleluia.

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Zechariah.


Zechariah 9.9-10

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
Lo, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the warhorse from Jerusalem;
and the battle-bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.

In today’s passage, Zechariah prophesies the coming of the Messiah, who will be triumphant, victorious and humble. Jesus fulfils this prophecy when he enters Jerusalem on a donkey.

Am I aware of Jesus entering into my life?

If so, what difference has this made?

What is it about Jesus that makes me rejoice?

Where do I long for Jesus to reign as king?

I tell Jesus about these longings now.

‘He shall command peace to the nations’ - as I hear this prophecy read again, I lift to Jesus a place or situation that needs the peace of God today.

In the remaining silence, I imagine God’s reign of peace and justice filling the whole world and stretching to the ends of the earth.

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.