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 Saturday, January 20, 2024

The Rt. Rev. Archimandrite, Msgr. George Appleyard

An Invitation to Prayer

You ascended the Mount of Beatitudes
and gave us the charter of your Kingdom.
-Let us take it to heart
that we might be your good servants.

Psalm 17/18:46-51

The Lord lives! And blessed be my God.
Praise the God of my salvation.
God gives me my revenge,
and subdues the nations under me,
and saves me from enraged enemies.

You will set me over those who rise up against me.
From the evil individual deliver me.
And so I will proclaim you among the nations, Lord,
and sing to your name.

God extends the successes of his king,
and deals kindly with David, his Anointed,
and with his progeny forever.
End of psalm 17/18

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

In this fourth verse Scripture approves benign shrewdness as being a shield against life’s misfortunes which protects the souls of simpler people. Now we must look at how wisdom gives perception and insight to the young. As Paul says^{II Cor 4:16}, human nature has two dimensions, one internal and one external, corresponding to our visible aspect and to our invisible aspect. It would be ludicrous to pretend that the book gives a newborn perception and insight, since the child can see, touch and taste innately. Rather, it should be understood with respect to the inner, invisible child.^{Cf. Heb 5:12} The Scriptures speak of various “inner ages” of a person. Let us take youth here to mean the newly baptized, a person new to the faith. On the one hand this book teaches human truths and makes the true reality of things perceptible, so as to prevent an addiction to disgusting pleasures and the foolish vanities of the world. On the other hand it gives insight about the world to come. Through what it says it promotes belief in its promises.

A Prayer

O God, who has chosen us to be an Order of Knights under the blessed protection of Saint Lazarus, grant that we-in full devotion to You, and abounding in neighborly charity-may show ourselves invincible against the enemies of the Cross, remaining faithful unto death, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen!