The Oratorio ex Ospizio Briati is the chapel of a former Carmelite convent on the island of Murano in the Venetian lagoon (Photograph: Patrick Comerford)
Patrick Comerford
The countdown to Lent began yesterday, which was the Fourth Sunday before Lent.
But, before this busy day begins, I am taking some time early this morning for prayer, reflection and reading.
The Church Calendar is now in Ordinary Time until Ash Wednesday, 2 March 2022. During this month in Ordinary Time, I hope to continue this Prayer Diary on my blog each morning, reflecting in these ways:
1, Short reflections drawing on the writings of a great saint or spiritual writer;
2, the day’s Gospel reading;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.
At present, I am exploring the writings of the great Carmelite mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), so my quotations over these few days are from her writings:
‘Whenever we think of Christ, we should recall the love that led Him to bestow on us so many graces and favours, and also the great love God showed in giving us in Christ a pledge of His love; for love calls for love in return. Let us strive to keep this always before our eyes and to rouse ourselves to love Him.’
Mark 6: 53-56 (NRSVA):
53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the market-places, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.
The Prayer in the USPG Prayer Diary today (7 February 2022) invites us to pray:
Let us pray for the Nippon Sei Ko Kai, the Anglican Church in Japan.
Yesterday’s reflection
Continued tomorrow
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition copyright © 1989, 1995, National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
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