Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 27:Year 2
Morning, Psalm 78:1to39; Evening, Psalm 78:40 to72;
Joel 1:15 to 2:11; Revelation 19:1-10; Luke 14:25-35
“To you, O Lord, I cry. For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and flames have burned all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals cry to you because the watercourses are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.” (Joel 1:19 and 20)
I am currently living next to a fire station. I have gotten used to their sirens randomly sounding at any part of the day or night. I often wonder how “can so many fires be started?” I think many of their calls are for traffic accidents. But any fire emergency is very serious.
Firefighters are one of those vocations that a community must have and maintain should the need ever occur. Better to have and not need, than to need and not have. Fires, whether homes, businesses, traffic or our woodlands are a serious matter. The Ultimate Firefighter is God. And our prayers, especially with tears, are the sirens and alarms that call God to our aid, no matter where God is needed or the kind of fire we are dealing with, burning homes or burning hearts.
Crying to the Lord is prayer, and prayer works. I believe “God’s ears hears tears.” God hears our prayers, and God will respond. And God responds in surprising ways. However, we must remember that God comes to us, through us. And, as revealed in the Joel reading, we must keep our non-human friends in thought, prayer, and response as well. You may be God’s response to a squirrel or rabbit, or even a wolf. I believe we humans were brought into being to care for, and maintain this fragile earth, our island home.
Today we remember Leo of Rome, Bishop of Rome, Doctor (November 10, 461) and his information may be found at: Leo the Great.
Today, November 10th is also my Marine Corps Birthday! Semper Fi.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and to serve, and to teach others to love and to serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
Let us pray:
O Almighty God, through whom all life came into being, please let your life-giving hand extinguish the fires that harm life and turn our tears into waters of life, for the sake of all life. Amen.
