Daily Devotion - The Grand Priory of America

This Daily Devotion is to help our members and others reflect on the understanding of Christian service to our Lord.

Devotion for Friday, January 12, 2024

The Rt. Rev. Archimandrite, Msgr. George Appleyard

An Invitation to Prayer

I baptize you with water,
but one stronger than I is coming.
-He will baptize us with fire and the Holy Spirit! ^{Lk 3:16}

Psalm 76/7:11-16

And I said, now I am shut out-
the right hand of the Most High has changed.
I remembered the works of the Lord,
to consider all his wonders from the beginning.
And I will meditate on all your works,
and ponder on all your deeds.

O God, your way is in the holy.
What God is as great as our God?
You are the God who works wonders,
you have made known your power among the peoples.
You have redeemed your people by your own arm,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.

A reading adapted from Basil’s, Homily on Proverbs 1:1-5

Now let us turn to the phrase, “grasping the subtlety of words.”^v.3 A proposition from a sound mind is simple and straightforward, and always consistent. But the rhetoric and elocution of a schemer takes twists and turns, often to the delight of the audience. So our ability to refute a schemer is greatly aided by the Proverbs. Anyone who has read the Proverbs carefully, and not simply in a casual fashion, can rebut specious arguments without violating the truth. Those with a taste for argument usually disdain the Spirit’s straightforward teaching. They often use plausible arguments to overturn the strength of truth by sophistry. Someone trained in the Proverbs will not be tripped up even when faced with conundrums of logic where two sides of an issue seem to be equally true and it becomes difficult to decide which is correct.

A Prayer

Holy Spirit, Lord of light, imparted to me in my baptism perhaps as a flickering flame, yet now I beg you to ignite my mind and heart by the fire of your wonderful gifts, the treasures and tools of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, discernment and interpretation.^{Cf. I Cor 12:8} Lead me to use the talents you have invested in me and which may have remained immature, or at least less than they could be, from lack of zeal on my part to advance the Kingdom of the Christ. Baptize me in your fire!
Amen!