Daily Office Readings for Monday of Proper 2: Year 2
Morning, Psalm 1, 2 and 3; Evening, Psalm 4 and 7;
Proverbs 3:11 to 20; 1st John 3:18 to 4:6; Matthew 11:1 to 6:
“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” (1st John 18)
Both our Proverbs and 1st John Readings address their readers as “child” or “little children, in the NRSV translation.” And quickly after the word child or children, we are told what not to do. “My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments:” from Proverbs. And, “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action,” from 1st John.
I think keeping commandments by loving in action are the same message. I also believe that the only way to keep any behavior is to make such behavior a daily habit. We must practice doing over saying. We remember good lessons by regularly hearing them , even if the sound comes from our own voice. Therefore, we pray ourselves into keeping God’s Commandments and loving in action.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine and Russia, Israel and Palestine, and our schools including St. Augustine in Raleigh, North Carolina.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Today, we Episcopalians , recall our first Book of Common Prayer. This rich (and controversial) history can be found at: Book of Common Prayer (satucket.com). This could prove interesting as we journey into the “Propers” after the Sunday of Pentecost.
Let us pray:
Dear Holy Spirit of God, we ask you to let your Spirit dwell in us and give us a deep desire to keep your commandments of love in action, as we also strive to pray more deeply in order to do that behavior that is most pleasing in your sight. Amen.
onewhoponders 