Ordinary Time

Pause

… for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:26, 28 (NRSV)

Listen

God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves.

Ephesians 1:5-6

Think

Author Jan Richardson once wrote, “Loving is never just about opening our heart. It is about being willing to have our heart become larger as we make room for people and stories and experiences we never imagined holding. It is about being willing to have our heart become deeper as we move beyond the surface layers of our assumptions, prejudices, and habits in order to truly see and receive what — and who — is before us. It is about being willing to have our heart continually shattered and remade as we take in not only the brokenness of the world but also the beauty of it, the astounding wonder that will not allow us to remain the same.” (from paintedprayerbook.com)

God’s love is the greatest astounding wonder that we have ever known. What’s beautiful about this love is that not only does this love apply to Christ but we’re also invited into that same love as children of God through Christ. What a gift! What possibility!

Molly Brummett Wudel

Pray

God, help me be open to your astounding wonder of love this week that is most fully known through Christ. Help me recognize and name how that love changes, opens, deepens, and expands my heart and life. Amen.

Go

Christ with me,

Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me,

Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right,

Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down,

Christ when I sit down,

Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

A prayer from St. Patrick