Daily Office Readings for Thursday of Proper 9: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 18:1-20; Evening, Psalm 18:21-50;
Deuteronomy 3: 18 -28; Romans 9:19-33; Matthew 24:1-14
“When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”” (Matthew 24:3)
Our Lord Jesus gives his listeners cautions about all the people and situations that will try to lead them (and us) away from righteous and faithful living. Twice our Lord Jesus uses the words “led astray” and he warns about steadfast attention to right living and inclusive loving, and not being led astray. And he ends with, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
Enduring to the end and being saved means never giving up our personal faith habits. We have many ways to keep our faith practices going. We have our Daily Office from our Book of Common Prayer, from which this meditational blog is based. We have the Forward Day by Day publication, and we have prayer beads and other personal prayer practices using the Bible and Christian writings to keep us steadfast in our commitment to prayer and adoration to God. Being saved means joining our Lord Jesus in eternal life. We must never give up our personal prayer practices.
I will never give up praying for Ukraine while they are suffering at the hands of Russia. I may move on to other concerns if they indeed reclaim their sovereignty.
Today’s message is not about waiting for “when” to begin. Today’s message is about NOW! It is about staying the course no matter what. It is about everyday prayerful living. Yes, we might slip occasionally, being led astray, but when it happens, there is no time to lose sulking. We must get back to doing our personal worship habits. This means individual Christian study and prayer until the end of this age arrives. If this becomes our daily practice, “when” really makes no difference because when “when” happens, we will be found praising God.
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 