This Daily Devotion is to help our members and others reflect on the understanding of Christian service to our Lord.
Devotion for Wednesday, January 24, 2024
The Rt. Rev. Archimandrite, Msgr. George Appleyard
An Invitation to Prayer
“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.” Matt 5:6
– For speaking truth and doing justice is more pleasing to God
then the blood of sacrifices.Prov 21:3
Lead us to do so, O Lord!
Psalm 61/62:9-13
Hope in him, all you gatherings of people.
Pour out your hearts to him,
for God is our helper.
Human beings are foolish,
the human race is crooked-
they deceive when they are put on the scale-
all of them conditioned by foolishness.
Never trust wrong doing,
do not lust for ill-gotten gain.
If wealth comes your way,
do not settle your heart on it.
God spoke once-
and two things I heard:
that power comes from God,
and that mercy is yours, O God,
for you will repay everyone
according to their deeds.
A reading adapted from Basil’s, Homily on Proverbs 1:1-5
So, do you want me to speak of another kind of ship that needs to be steered? “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant.”Mt 13:35 So all of us who travel the way of the Gospel are merchants trading in heavenly goods through the profits we make by keeping the commandments. We must gather abundant heavenly wealth of all kinds if we do not want to be embarrassed on the day when we will be required to give our accounting, like those who received the talents but later heard, “You wicked and lazy servant!” We must put our goods on board and take them through this life safely. There are many people who accumulated many goods while young, but when they reached middle age and were attacked by the spirits of wickedness, they could not maneuver in the storm because they could not steer, and so lost everything.
A Prayer
O Eternal Judge, arbiter of all things because you are truth and justice itself, give me-through the power and indwelling of your Holy Spirit-the spiritual skill to guide and teach others who look to me for advice or for support in their just causes. May your law of love be written large upon my heart, and may its true interpretation always shine in my mind, that I may also promote the justice you proclaim. Grant that I come to desire justice for all as much as I crave my daily bread.
Amen!