Patrick Comerford
The Season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday (14 February 2024), and today is the First Sunday in Lent (Lent I, 18 February 2024).
This year, I am taking time each morning in Lent to reflect on the lives of early, pre-Reformation English saints commemorated by the Church of England in the Calendar of Common Worship.
Later this morning, I plan to be at the Parish Eucharist in Saint Mary and Saint Giles Church, Stony Stratford. But, before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning for reflection, prayer and reading in these ways:
1, A reflection on an early, pre-Reformation English saint;
2, today’s Gospel reading;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary.
Early English pre-Reformation saints: 5, Saint Oswald (642), King of Northumbria, Martyr
Saint Oswald (642), King of Northumbria, Martyr, is commemorated in Common Worship on 5 August.
Saint Oswald was born ca 605, the son of King Ælfrith of Northumbria. When he was forced to leave home after his father’s death, he moved to Iona. There he was influenced by the monks of Saint Columba and he was baptised.
Oswald returned to Northumbria in 634, Oswald and defeated the British king, setting up a cross as his standard and gathering his men around it to pray the night before the battle.
A man of humility and generosity, Saint Oswald worked closely with his friend Saint Aidan of Lindisfarne, travelling with him on his missionary journeys and acting as his interpreter.
Saint Oswald died in battle on 5 August 642 defending his kingdom from the Mercians.
Mark 1: 9-15 (NRSVA):
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15 and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’
Today’s Prayers (Sunday 18 February 2024, Lent I):
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 ‘Stories of Hope, Ukraine – Two years on …’ This theme is introduced today by Rachel Weller, Digital Communications Officer, USPG:
On a rainy afternoon in Bytom, southern Poland, an art class is taking place for those displaced by the nearby Russian invasion. Whilst the children run around and play with a volunteer, the adults try their hand at some painting. ‘It feels like home here,’ says one Ukrainian mother. ‘I work from my flat a lot because my company is based in Ukraine, so I often don’t see anyone. Coming here gives me a chance to chat and spend time with friends.’
For her daughter, the story is similar. In a predominantly Polish school, her daughter often feels lonely and isolated, and she struggles to be understood because of the language barrier. As the team leader explains, the project has evolved significantly since the first few families arrived within a week of war breaking out. What started out as a facility for short-term aid has now grown and developed because the Lutheran World Federation ‘has listened to people’s needs’. Now the focus has shifted to long-term assistance related to mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS).
Services such as counselling and community centres are therefore key in helping Ukrainians overcome the many obstacles encountered while fleeing their home country and settling somewhere new. LWF Community Centres (six in total) serve the Ukrainian refugees as well as the local Polish communities and bring both together in common understanding and tolerance.
Find out more: https://www.lutheranworld.org/what-we-do/ humanitarian-and-development-work/where-we-work/poland.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (18 February 2024) invites us to pray, keeping these words in mind:
‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ (Jeremiah 29: 11).
The Collect:
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ fasted forty days in the wilderness,
and was tempted as we are, yet without sin:
give us grace to discipline ourselves in obedience to your Spirit;
and, as you know our weakness,
so may we know your power to save;
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.
The Post-Communion Prayer:
Lord God,
you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven;
by it you nourish our faith,
increase our hope,
and strengthen our love:
teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread,
and enable us to live by every word
that proceeds from out of your mouth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Additional Collect:
Heavenly Father,
your Son battled with the powers of darkness,
and grew closer to you in the desert:
help us to use these days to grow in wisdom and prayer
that we may witness to your saving love
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Yesterday’s Reflection: Saint Mellitus (624), first Bishop of London
Tomorrow: Saint Paulinus (644), Bishop of York, Missionary
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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