Lenten Meditations: Friday 5 April

Apr 5, 2019 by

Fri
April 5
am: 101, 109
pm: 24
Dan 3.13-28 Romans 10.14-21 Jn 8.31-47

WEDNESDAY OF LENT V – St. Ethelburga, Abbess, 647

St. Ethelburga (Aethelburh) was born into the royal family of East Anglia, daughter of St. Ethelbert of Kent in the seventh century. She was also wife to King St. Edwin of Northumbria, England, (also called Tate. She King St. Edwin to faith in Christ and when he died, she as abbess until her death. Her sister, St. Erconwald (May 13), founded the monastery of Barking (Berecingum) in Essex which she became the abbess of after she founded a convent at Lyminge after the King’s death. She led a virtuous life and guided those who were under her spiritual care.

 

MEDITATION OF THE DAY: The Old Testament lesson from Daniel is a familiar one as we read again the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. While it is a stunning story it does have a simple but powerful message to convey. Faithfulness and Obedience to God is the always the driving, moral principle of our lives. .  Obedience to coaches, bosses even spouses has its place except when it conflicts with God’s laws and principle (even if you are royalty) The clear call to us is that we are to stand firm in our faith always in all places.  We must never compromise the one holy catholic and apostolic faith always choosing God over any opposing interests. It is unlikely that most of us in the West will be cast into fiery furnaces but whatever we face God is with us before, during, and after.   He will be faithful and present with us providing we render the same.

 PRAYER OF THE DAY: “Receive our prayers, dear Lord, for those who are persecuted and imprisoned for the faith this day. We ask You to stretch forth Your loving arms to these forgotten ones, and provide for them refreshment hope and peace through your compassions and the instruments of your peace that you provide for them. Amen.

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “The man who fears to be alone will never be anything but lonely, no matter how much he may surround himself with people. But the man, who learns, in solitude and recollection, to be at peace with his own loneliness, and to prefer its reality to the illusion of merely natural companionship, comes to know the invincible companionship of God.” –Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island

Lenten DisciplineTake 20 min in each part of your day, (morning, noon and night) to consider people around you in the places you are who are facing a fiery furnace. Offer a prayer above for them and then seek to offer them some refreshment through a kind word, deed or gracious act.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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