Thursday 27 June 2024

Today is Thursday 27 June, in the 12th week of Ordinary Time.

One Hope Project sings, ‘My Soul Rests’.

Here in this mystery
Here in Your majesty
I find myself
With nothing to offer
Your love surrounds me
You give me yourself
My soul rests, my soul rests
In your embrace
My spirit sings, my spirit sings
All your praise
Here in your presence
The whole host of heaven
Bows down low
There’s no higher honour
No love that’s greater
You make us your own
You’re so close, Jesus, so close to me
Like the breath in my lungs
You’re so close, Jesus, so close to me
Like the breath in my lungs




Today's reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 7: 21-29

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

'Easier said than done,' people say. 'Talk is cheap.' There are often gaps between what we say and what we do. Think back for a moment over the last month, say, or even the last week, about what you have been saying and what you have been doing. How well do the two line up?

The words of Jesus are the words of eternal life. Without this foundation, without this anchor, our lives can drift or fall apart. To what extent is your life anchored in Jesus? And how much do you want it to be?

As you hear the passage again, try to imagine Jesus speaking these words - think perhaps of his tone of voice or of the look in his eyes. What is it that gave his words authority, unlike the scribes?

God's passion for us is that we live lives founded on his love. Talk with God now about your deepest desire for his love to be the anchor of your life today.

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.