Friday 6 October 2023

Today is Friday 6 October, in the 26th week of Ordinary time.

Paul Zach sings, ‘Nothing To Fear’.


When you pass through the waters
I will be with you
And the depths of the rivers
Shall not overwhelm
When you walk through the fire
You will not be burned
I am the Lord, I am the Lord
And there is nothing to fear, nothing to fear
There is nothing to fear, nothing to fear
For I am with you always
In the depths of your sorrow
I wept beside you
When you walked through the shadow
I drew you near
Yesterday, today, tomorrow,
Always the same
I am the Lord, I am the Lord
And there is nothing to fear, nothing to fear
There is nothing to fear, nothing to fear
For I am with you always
What can separate you from my perfect love?
What can separate you from my perfect love?
What can separate you from my perfect love?
Do not fear, do not fear, do not fear

Today’s reading is from the Book of Baruch.


Baruch 1:15-22

And you shall say: The Lord our God is in the right, but there is open shame on us today, on the people of Judah, on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on our kings, our rulers, our priests, our prophets, and our ancestors, because we have sinned before the Lord. We have disobeyed him, and have not heeded the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in the statutes of the Lord that he set before us. From the time when the Lord brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt until today, we have been disobedient to the Lord our God, and we have been negligent, in not heeding his voice. So to this day there have clung to us the calamities and the curse that the Lord declared through his servant Moses at the time when he brought our ancestors out of the land of Egypt to give to us a land flowing with milk and honey. We did not listen to the voice of the Lord our God in all the words of the prophets whom he sent to us, but all of us followed the intent of our own wicked hearts by serving other gods and doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord our God.

Baruch reminds the people of Israel that they have not been listening to the voice of the Lord. Although the people of Israel have not always been on God’s side, God has been on their side, speaking through the prophets, accompanying them on their journey to the promised land…

The great gift that God gives the people of Israel is their freedom from oppression. We all have moments when we feel oppressed… by other people… by ideas… by situations… Spend a moment relishing the knowledge that God wants your freedom. He is on your side even when you feel overwhelmed…

The freedom that God grants to each one of us is available in every single moment. As you listen again, notice what Baruch says we should do to do to receive it…

In conversation with God, speak about the ways you feel oppressed or overwhelmed in your life and heed his response. Even in the moments you gave up on God, God never gave up on you…

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.