Lenten Meditations – Tuesday 20th March

Mar 20, 2018 by

 

Tue
Mar 20
am: 102:16-23
pm: 122
Numbers 21: 4-9 Acts 2:14-24 John 8:21-30 


FIFTH TUESDAY OF LENT
– St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 687

LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: Cuthbert, was the son of an Irish king was an influential churchman who entered the monastery at Melrose, where his devotion earned him high praise. When a monastery at Ripon was founded, it was Cuthbert who was chosen to be its master and then followed at Lindinsfarne He was a venerated religious figure, and a successful preacher who was responsible for the spread of Christianity in the North of England both as a preacher and a monastic hermit. The values that he lived by were humility, simplicity, respect and tolerance. He is also is reported to have performed many healing miracles while walking all over his diocese, and spending time as a hermit on Farne Island in between. After only a year however, he felt his end coming and resigned his office, dying on Farne in the company of a few of his monks.

After his death, his grave Cuthbert’s burial site became the greatest focus of pilgrimage in early medieval England until the death of Thomas Becket in 1170.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY: When one reads this section from Acts of the Apostles and ponders the life of St. Cuthbert, it should fill one with the humility that he lived as Peter articulates the call to repentance and faith, one must consider that was similar in message spread through Ireland by the likes of the great Celtic missionary monks, like Cuthbert. No doubt as we read in Acts 20:21, one “must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” Cuthbert must have been quite gifted given the ministry he had in the northern regions. Cuthbert knew well that preaching, teaching and catechizing are critical gifts from God that are bestowed upon the church. and so he desired greatly to live into the fullness of the mission in that region.

PRAYER OF THE DAY: Almighty God, who called your servant Cuthbert from following the flock to follow your Son and to be a shepherd of your people: in your mercy, grant that we, following his example, may bring those who are lost home to your fold; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

ANCIENT WORDS/PRESENT GRACE : “Do not ever think yourselves better than the rest of your companions who share the same faith.” ~ St. Cuthbert

Lenten Discipline In the Spirit of St. Cuthbert, find a quiet space or green space near your home, at a park or at a reserve. Visit the area with people you are in community with. While you are there, spend thirty minutes in silence opening your mind and heart to God. Give 10¢ in your mite box for every wild creature you see.

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