25th. September. 2021. Daily Devotion.
God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Genesis 1:2
Drip down, O heavens, from above, And let the clouds pour down righteousness; Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit, And righteousness spring up with it. I, the Lord, have created it. Isaiah 45:8
From Peter Millar:
Always we begin again
Recently I spent some time in hospital and I took with me one of my favourite books which I have had for many years. The book’s title is “Always We Begin Again” and the author, John McQuiston, is an American who worked as an attorney-at-law. John’s desire for a more profound connection with the spiritual life led him to study the Benedictines. Written in the 6th century, the original Rule of St Benedict emphasized discipline and routine and caused a revolution in monastic life. John has adapted the Rule for daily living in today’s world, using language that would not exclude followers of any faith. I feel it is a book which speaks to many who are seekers – exploring what a meaningful spirituality may look like within their lives.
Here is a short Mid-day Meditation from the book: if possible, read it slowly.
We give thanks for our existence……..we recognise that we rely on forces beyond our understanding……. we trust what this life brings………we trust ourselves; we trust our friends…. we trust our families…..we trust life……we trust the universe……we release our past to the past…..we release our future to the future…… we accept our present. ………. we give up our cares and fears.
We abandon our illusions of control……..we acknowledge our complete dependence on providence……. we relinquish our apprehension……. we rely on that which we do not always understand.
We have faith……. we have courage.
Keep us from all fear today……. open our hearts to the gift of this moment…….and bind us to the great unknown through complete trust.
Assist us in forming a loving image of the ultimate mystery…….to have faith, and the courage to give ourselves hope.
The whole and every grain of sand:
Lord, may I love all Thy creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it. May I love every leaf, every ray of Thy light. May I love the animals: Thou has given them the rudiments of joy and thought untroubled. Let me not trouble them, let me not harass them, let me not deprive them of their happiness, let me not work against Thine intent. For I acknowledge unto Thee that all is flowing and blending, and that to withhold any measure of love from anything in Thy universe is to withhold that same measure from Thee. Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881)
Prayer of Penitence
My God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong and failing to do good, I have sinned against You whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with Your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin. Our Saviour Jesus Christ suffered and died for us. In His name, my God, have mercy. Amen
