The 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time | Sunday 5 November 2023

Today is Sunday 5 November, beginning the 31st week of Ordinary time.

The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing Psalm 114, “I love the Lord, he hears my cry, he bends down to listen to me when I call” – words which paint a beautiful picture of God bending down to me like a mother or father bending down to their child, full of tenderness and love. As I listen, I reflect for a moment on that ‘tender, loving care’ – that love that God has for me… and the love which I, in return, have for God.

Today’s reading is from St Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians 2:7-9, 13

We might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.

You remember our labour and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.

Today’s reading is taken from the very first New Testament document to be written. If you look carefully, you will find how fond Paul is of this community in the northern part of Greece. Spend a moment with the language Paul uses… what draws you?


What does Paul say as he reflects on his mission to the Thessalonians? How does this letter help you to get to know Paul a little better?


‘We also constantly give thanks to God for this…’ Is there anything you constantly give thanks to God for? Perhaps there is something you can think of for this moment…

Now listen as the reading is given to you once more: is there perhaps just one thing that God is saying to you in this passage?

Finally see if you can gather together all the thoughts and reflections that have come to you during this time of prayer and see if you can make them into a petition to God.

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.