Lenten Meditations: Friday 12 February
| Fri Feb 12 |
am: 95, 31 pm: 35 |
Eze 18:1-4, 25-32 | Phil 4:1-9 | John 17:9-19 |
Friday After Ash Wednesday – St. Meletius, Patriarch of Antioch, 381
LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: Today, we remember Meletius of Antioch who was a blameless, just, reverent, sincere, and gentlest soul. Consecrated Bishop of Sebaste in 357, he was later banished from his throne and departed for Beroea of Syria (this is the present-day Aleppo). After the Arian bishop of Antioch had been deposed, the Orthodox and the Arians each strove to have a man of like mind with themselves become the next Bishop of Antioch. Meletius was highly esteemed by all, and since the Arians believed him to share their own opinion, they had him raised to the throne of Antioch. As soon as he had taken the helm of the Church of Antioch, however, he began preaching the faith once delivered to the saints and was banished.
MEDITATION OF THE DAY: We all recognize these opening words from the lesson from Philippians: REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS!!! I remember working at the Diocesan youth camp and that was the song we sang every morning as we gathered. Those words are hard to shake!!!! Behind that little hymn was the profundity of Paul’s teaching:
Let all know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand. Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything REJOICE!!!! How does one get to that station in life? As with the meditation yesterday, it is through Grace and Will and certainly requires some spiritual discipline such as prayer. In fact, Paul goes on to write that the effect of prayer that is properly made is peace of mind and soul. This is hard for us as much our prayer is petition but to get to this state requires supplication and adoration as core components to one’s prayer life
PRAYER OF THE DAY: Show gracious favor, O Lord, we pray, as we begin this lent the works of submission in grace. May we have strength to accomplish with sincerity the observances we undertake. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lenten Discipline – Go to http://www.matthewhenry.org/read/esv-corporate/chapter-one/#.Vrq6bSorKUk and read Matthew Henry’s essay on Prayer and Adoration as part of the process to fully embrace peace of mind!
ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “There is nothing that makes us love a man so much as praying for him.” — William Law, Holy Living, Holy Dying
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