Friday 28 July 2023

Today is Friday 28 July, in the 16th week of Ordinary time.

The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing the Benedictus: ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, He has visited his people and redeemed them.’ As I enter into prayer today, I rest for a moment in the confidence that - whatever may seem wrong with the world, or with me or with my life - God’s love redeems it all: ‘The Lord has visited his people and redeemed them’.

Today’s reading is from the Book of Exodus.


Exodus 20: 1-17


Then God spoke all these words:

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; you shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

Honour your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

You shall not murder.
You shall not commit adultery.
You shall not steal.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.

When you hear these commandments, do you feel annoyed…grateful…humbled…? Take a moment to share your reaction, whatever it is, with the Lord…

When you have shared that reaction with the Lord, take a moment to pay attention to God. How does God respond?


As you listen to these commandments again, what one in particular do you hold in most reverence?

I am the Lord your God…You shall not make for yourself an idol…You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God… Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy…Honour your father and your mother…You shall not murder…You shall not commit adultery… You shall not steal…You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour…You shall not covet your neighbour’s house; you shall not covet your neighbour’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour….

As you open your heart to God, speak to him about the difficulty of keeping his commandments…ask him for whatever it is that you need to strengthen you in the day ahead…

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.