Monday 22 January 2024

Today is Monday the 22nd of January, in the third week of Ordinary Time.

Salt of the Sound sings, ‘Praise to the Lord’. As you enter into prayer today, can you join in these words of praise with “glad adoration”?

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation
Come, all who hear; now to his temple draw near
Join me in glad adoration
Praise to the Lord, above all things so wondrously reigning
Sheltering you under his wings, and so gently sustaining
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do
If with his love he befriends you
Praise to the Lord! O let all that is in me adore him
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him
Let the Amen sound from his people again
Gladly forever adore him
Let the Amen sound from his people again
Gladly forever adore him




Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark.

Mark 3:22-30

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.’ And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, ‘How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

‘Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin’— for they had said, ‘He has an unclean spirit.’

Spend some time with Jesus after hearing this passage… How do you think Jesus is feeling after the accusation that he “has Beelzebub?”

Sit with him as he responds…what is his tone like in this moment?

Sometimes people get very worried about what Jesus says here: “whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness but is guilty of an eternal sin”. Do these words worry you at all? How would you advise someone who was worried or frightened by them?

Now listen to the passage again and notice that there are two opposing sides in the story. Ask yourself, “Which side would I like to be on? Which side am I on?”

As you have sat with Jesus during this prayer time, speak to him now as one friend speaks to another about anything that has come up for you…what wouldn’t you want to leave unfinished?

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.