Patrick Comerford
We are still in the season of Christmas, which is a 40-day season and it did not end yesterday, on the Feast of the Epiphany (6 January), but continues until Candlemas or the Feast of the Presentation (2 February).
Before today begins, I am taking some quiet time this morning to give thanks, to reflect, to pray and to read in these ways:
1, today’s Gospel reading;
2, a short reflection;
3, a prayer from the USPG prayer diary;
4, the Collects and Post-Communion prayer of the day.
Matthew 4: 12-17, 23-25 (NRSVA):
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the lake, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:
15 ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,
on the road by the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles –
16 the people who sat in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death
light has dawned.’
17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he cured them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
Today’s Reflection:
In the Gospel reading at the Eucharist, we move immediately from yesterday’s account of the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2: 1-12) to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and mission (Matthew 4: 12-17, 23-25), when he moves from Nazareth to Capernaum.
Throughout Galilee and Syria, the priorities at the beginning of his ministry and mission are teaching as a rabbi in the synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, curing disease, sickness and pain among the people, as wellthe demoniacs, epileptics and paralytics.
There is a well-known prayer, often titled ‘A Franciscan blessing’, that has been described by someone else as a good counter-balance to the cosy ‘Francis of the birdbath’ spirituality, but that is also an interesting reminder of the priorities of any Christ-like ministry:
May God bless you with a restless discomfort
about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,
so that you may seek truth boldly
and love deep within your heart.
May God bless you with holy anger
at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for
justice, freedom, and peace among all people.
May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer
from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish,
so that you may reach out your hand
to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe
that you really can make a difference in this world,
so that you are able, with God’s grace,
to do what others claim cannot be done.
And the blessing of God the Supreme Majesty and our Creator,
Jesus Christ the Incarnate Word who is our brother and Saviour,
and the Holy Spirit, our Advocate and Guide, be with you
and remain with you, this day and forevermore. Amen.
Although it is popularly known as ‘A Franciscan blessing’, it is sometimes known as a ‘Four-Fold Benedictine Blessing’, but it was originally called ‘A Non-traditional Blessing’, and was first written 40 years ago in 1985 for a student group by a Benedictine nun, Sister Ruth (Marlene) Fox (1936-2023) of the Sacred Heart Convent, Richardton, North Dakota.
Sister Ruth was born on 24 January 1936 in Stanley, North Dakota, and grew up on the family farm with her older sister and three brothers, and entered the novitiate and made her monastic profession at the Sacred Heart Convent.
She was prioress for two four-year terms before studying scripture and theology in Israel, Rome, and Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. After several years as campus minister at Dickinson State University, in 1990 she was elected president of the Federation of Saint Gertrude, linking 18 monasteries of Benedictine women in the US and Canada.
She conducted retreats in several Benedictine monasteries, published numerous papers on spirituality, and wrote a book on monastic leadership, Wisdom Leadership. She guided the ecumenical Benedictine Spirituality Centre at her monastery from 2000 until 2005, when she was again elected prioress of her monastery for six years.
Sister Ruth compiled the history of her community, played the organ for daily monastic liturgies, oversaw the monastery archives, and assisted with housekeeping chores.
She was very involved in Benedictine life beyond the US. She was a member of the Monastic Interreligious Dialogue Board and spent three months in India on a monastic exchange programme. She was a member of the American Benedictine Academy and its president from 1986 to 1999. Due to failing health, Sister Ruth moved to Saint Vincent’s in Bismarck in late 2022, and died on 13 September 2023.
It appears that Sister Ruth wrote her four-fold ‘blessing’, now known as ‘A Franciscan Benediction’, at Sacred Heart Monastery. Her original blessing prays seems to have prayed:
May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships,
So that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears,
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand
to comfort and to turn their pain to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done,
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
Today’s Prayers (Tuesday 7 January 2025):
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 Melanesian Brotherhood Centenary’. This theme was introduced on Sunday with a Programme Update by Ella Sibley, Regional Manager for Europe and Oceania, USPG.
The USPG Prayer Diary today (Tuesday 7 January 2025) invites us to pray:
Father, we pray for the centenary celebrations of the Melanesian Brotherhood, asking for your presence as thousands gather to worship and celebrate your faithfulness together.
The Collect:
O God,
who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
mercifully grant that we,
who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory face to face;
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,
the bright splendour whom the nations seek:
may we who with the wise men have been drawn by your light
discern the glory of your presence in your Son,
the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Additional Collect:
Creator of the heavens,
who led the Magi by a star
to worship the Christ-child:
guide and sustain us,
that we may find our journey’s end
in Jesus Christ our Lord.
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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