The 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time | Sunday 16 July 2023

Today is Sunday the 16th of July, beginning the 15th week of Ordinary time.

Tenebrae, directed by Nigel Short, sing “Bless the Lord My Soul” from Rachmaninoff’s Vespers. “Bless the Lord, my soul. Lord God, how great you are!” As I begin to pray today, I acknowledge the greatness of God, who created me and everything around me, the earth, the moon, and the stars, who makes springs gush forth in the valleys and grass grow for the cattle. And I place myself in the hands of that great and wonderful God.

Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Gospoda, blagosloven esi, Gospodi.
Gospodi Bozhe moy, vozvelichilsya esi zelo.
Blagosloven esi, Gospodi.
Vo ispovedaniye i v velelepotu obleklsya esi.
Blagosloven esi, Gospodi.
Na gorakh stanut vody. Divna dela Tvoya, Gospodi.
Posrede gor proydut vody. Divna dela Tvoya, Gospodi
Vsya premudristiyu sotvoril esi.
Slava Ti, Gospodi, sotvorivshemu vsya.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, blessed art thou, O Lord.
O Lord my God, thou art very great.
Thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Blessed art thou, O Lord.
The waters stand upon the mountains.
Marvellous are thy works, O Lord.
In wisdom hast thou made all things.
Glory to thee, O Lord, who hast created all.

Today’s reading is from the Prophet Isaiah.


Isaiah 55:10-11

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

In one of his letters, St Paul writes that we should pray unceasingly. Indeed, Pray As You Go is here to help give time and space for prayer to take place, even in busy times.


Are there times when I am too busy to pray?

Have there been times when prayer has seemed useless or unanswered?

Have I ever felt that my prayer life has become dry?

What is my response in these circumstances?

Isaiah’s response is to look at the natural world, to see the circle of seasons and the rhythm of life that takes place under God’s guidance.


Any single moment may seem useless or uninteresting, but it is a step along the way.


As you listen again, hear the Lord’s assurance, ‘So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty.’

Spend some moments of prayer asking the Holy Spirit for the gifts that you need in your journey of faith. Perhaps today, take some time in nature to consider the fruitfulness of God’s creation.


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.