Patrick Comerford
Easter is a 50-day season that continues until the Day of Pentecost. The week began yesterday with the Third Sunday of Easter (Easter III). Throughout this Season of Easter, my morning reflections each day include the daily Gospel reading, the prayer in the USPG prayer diary, and the prayers in the Collects and Post-Communion Prayer of the day.
I am staying in Rethymnon for five days, having arrived here yesterday afternoon. I am staying in the Brascos Hotel in the centre of the town, and I awoke this morning to the sound of the church bells from the Church of the Four Martyrs, just a few steps away from the hotel, and the neigighbouring cathedral.
It is still Lent in the calendar of the Greek Orthodox Church. Today, the Fifth Thursday of Lent, is marked with the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete, which seems an appropriate coincidence as I am in Crete, although this service is usually held the previous (Wednesday) evening, as I found when I visited the cathedral.
The masterpiece of Saint Andrew of Crete, the Great Canon (also known as the Canon of Repentance or the Great Canon of Repentance), is the longest canon ever composed with 250 strophes, and it runs to 49 pages in the standard English translation. It is written primarily in the first person, and goes chronologically through the entire Old Testament and New Testament, drawing examples (both negative and positive) that it correlates to the need of the sinful soul for repentance and a humble return to God. It is divided into four parts (called methymony) that are chanted at Great Compline on the first four nights of Great Lent (one part per night). Later, it is chanted in its entirety at Matins on this Thursday in the fifth week of Great Lent.
Before this day begins, I am taking some quiet time to give thanks, for reflection, prayer and reading in these ways:
1, today’s Gospel reading;
2, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;
3, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.
John 6: 44-51 (NRSVA):
[Jesus said:] 44 ‘No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46 Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
Today’s Prayers (Thursday 18 April 2024):
The theme this week in ‘Pray With the World Church,’ the Prayer Diary of the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel), is ‘The effect of Climate Change in the Solomon Islands.’ This theme was introduced on Sunday by the Revd Kate Komepwaisiho, Trustee of the Melanesian Mission.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (18 April 2024) invites us to pray:
Lord God, we pray for the people of the Solomon Islands. May they continue to serve together as a community, caring for each other and their environment.
The Collect:
Almighty Father,
who in your great mercy gladdened the disciples
with the sight of the risen Lord:
give us such knowledge of his presence with us,
that we may be strengthened and sustained by his risen life
and serve you continually in righteousness and truth;
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.
Post Communion Prayer:
Living God,
your Son made himself known to his disciples
in the breaking of bread:
open the eyes of our faith,
that we may see him in all his redeeming work;
who is alive and reigns, now and for ever.
Additional Collect:
Risen Christ,
you filled your disciples with boldness and fresh hope:
strengthen us to proclaim your risen life
and fill us with your peace,
to the glory of God the Father.
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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