Part 1 of 2:
Daily Office Readings for Sunday of the 2nd Week of Epiphany: Year 1
AM Psalms 148, 149, 150; PM Psalms 114 and 115;
Isaiah 43:14 to 44:5; Hebrews 6:17 to 7:10; John 4:27 to 42:
“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43: 18 and 19)
This, “doing something new,” has been true before time and remains the constant of God. The Israelites had no way of knowing that God was going to create an escape from the Egyptian forces through the sea. No one knew God was going to come and be with us, (Emanuel), by being born a vulnerable infant. Now that we know that God is full of surprises, can we be prepared? I doubt it.
What is God doing new, right now, in our presence? Do you not perceive it?
Part 2 of 2:
Eucharistic Readings for the 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany: Year B:
1st Samuel 3:1 to 20); Psalm 139:1 to 5 and 12-17; 1st Corinthians 6:12 to 20; John 1:43 to 51;
“Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” (John 1:48)
I have often pondered about what was going on with Nathanael under the fig tree. Was he praying? Was he in a deep state of darkness? Was God revealing something to him at that time? We will probably never know, that is, until we get to meet Nathanael in the next life.
Our Psalm for today is perfect for personal reflection: “Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar.” (Psalm139:1)
The message for us is that our Lord Jesus knows us even before we are called to Him. So our response is like that of Nathanael, “Teacher, you are truly the Son of God.”
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 