Tuesday 1st
Scripture: John 3:7-15
Reflection:
It seems that today, there are a lot of people like Nicodemus. They hear the words, but don’t comprehend their meaning. So they seek an easier, more understandable, answer elsewhere. How do you help those who seem confused and bewildered by the Word?
Wednesday 2nd
Scripture: John 3:16-21
Reflection:
Today the world would rather focus on condemnation. Many seem to be looking for reasons why such and such can’t be done, or why it is not right, or not legitimate, or just about any other negative terminology you can think of. Can you recall (without looking) the fourth word in verse 16? You don’t recall? Its “loved”. Perhaps we, who follow Christ, need to remind the world about “loved” and not “condemned”.
Thursday 3rd
Scripture: John 3:31-36
Reflection:
We have the choice about who to believe. We can make that choice freely, but Jesus warns us there are consequences of our choice. How have you chosen?
Friday 4th
Scripture: John 6:1-15
Reflection:
We read this passage and are tempted to think this can't happen today. Yet there are many instances where we are unexpectedly fed. Indeed, we may not recognise the instance at the time. Look back over the last week. Can you see an occurrence were you were unexpectedly fed?
Saturday 5th
Scripture: John 6:16-21
Reflection:
How do you view this passage? Do you believe that Jesus walked on the water, or do you think is this an allegory? If the opposite view to yours was the truth, what impact would this have on your faith? Why?
Sunday 6th
Scripture: Luke 24:13-35
Reflection:
There is a time in our lives, when like two disciples on the road, our hearts burn with the message we hear, but we are unable to understand what we hear. So we take no action, we continue on as before. Then we experience something, an event, a conversion, that moves us from the path we are on, to the path following Christ. Can you recall the ‘Road to Emmaus’ event in your life? How do you view the event now?
Monday 7th
Scripture: John 6:22-29
Reflection:
I wonder how many of us obtain the “food that endures” every day? Do we just wait for events like church services, or when some problem means we think about it? What do you do? Why?
Tuesday 8th
Scripture: John 6:30-35
Reflection:
The people wanted proof, they wanted something tangible, something physical on which they could base their belief. In many ways the same request is still being made today. Jesus response is still the same as it was almost 2,000 years ago. Our belief is in him. What sustains your belief?
Wednesday 9th
Scripture: John 6:35-40
Reflection:
Have another look at verse 35. If you ever feel that you are being driven away by others, remember always, that these are the actions of humans, and not God.
Thursday 10th
Scripture: John 6:44-51
Reflection:
Following a Christian, gospel life, is ultimately about belief - faith. For many these passages are hard to understand or accept. Perhaps this is because they are looking for some "evidence". Something to prove , or justify their belief. Jesus says it clearly in verse, 47 "whoever believes". Do you need proof, or can you simply believe?
Friday 11th
Scripture: John 6:52-59
Reflection:
This lies at the centre, the core, of the church sacrament, we know as the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, or The Lord's Supper (choose the description you are comfortable with). We may want, or be able to, avoid most of Jesus teachings, (and for some of us, this has become a fine art), but we cannot avoid this. Why? Look at verses 53 and 56. Our relationship with Christ is bereft, if we avoid this sacrament.
Saturday 12th
Scripture: John 6:60-69
Reflection:
There are some today who turn back. Who find the gospel life too difficult, too taxing, too challenging, too hard to understand, too uncomfortable. While we can, and do, pray for these people, we need to recall Jesus' words in verse 65. We need also to remember that their decisions are not ours. We can continue our gospel lives.
Sunday 13th
Scripture: John 10:1-10
Reflection:
Think about the words written in verse 9. Do you see Christ as a gate? Do you see him as the entrance to a full life? Or do you see him as the Shepherd, leading us, calling us to follow? Can you see the similarities in these two diverse images?
Monday 14th
Scripture: John 10:11-18
Reflection:
We read verse 16 and understand that Jesus was talking about gentiles, people other than the Jews of his day. But what does the verse say to us today? When we hear our religious leaders speaking of faith in today's ever increasingly "faith - less" world, does this passage have a different meaning for you?
Tuesday 15th
Scripture: John 10:22-30
Reflection:
Jesus said his sheep know him. Do you?
Wednesday 16th
Scripture: John 12:44-50
Reflection:
Notice again, that Jesus gives us a choice, We can choose to believe and keep his words or not. Oftentimes we make these choices, too glibly, without thinking. Yet they are important decisions. Have you made a glib, hasty decision about your faith, that perhaps you need to re-consider - before it is too late?
Thursday 17th
Scripture: John 13:16-20
Reflection:
Today, we messengers, are tempted to believe that we are greater than the "one who sent us". We like to believe that we are "better" than all who have come before us. It may be true that we think like this because, we can accomplish things to day, only dreamt of in the past. But this doesn't make us better than the one who sent us". Just, take a look at creation all around you.
Friday 18th
Reflection:
The first three verses of this section of scripture, asks us to not be troubled, to trust, to believe, to rest secure in the knowledge that God loves us. Can you do this? Why?
Saturday 19th
Reflection:
When we see Jesus we see the Father. We look beyond the visible to the hidden. This takes courage, patience and perseverance. But how often do we see him and fail to recognise him? How often do we turn away, when we should be turning to? How often do we know, really know, that he is with us still? We can avail ourselves of the promises Jesus makes. We can ask and we will receive - although it may not be in the form we expect - or want!
Sunday 20th
Reflection:
There are times when we have doubts, moments of unbelief, times when we think we have been abandoned, or have simply lost the path we thought we were treading. We all have experienced the dark valleys, the shadows and alley ways. Some of us are in these times now, some have just passed through, some about to enter. In these times let us pray that we always recall that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. He is our door to eternal life, he loves us unconditionally.
Monday 21st
Reflection:
Perhaps one of the hardest things we as Christians need to learn is to obey. It is not enough simply to hear the word - we have to obey the word. And here all our humanity raises its head. We can comfort ourselves with explanations, and reasons, maybe even excuses, but the risk is that they are just ways to avoid the need to obey? Try to recall that when we disobey, who it is that we are being disobedient to!
Tuesday 22nd
Reflection:
Peace, seems to be such a fleeting, idealistic concept in today's world. We often think of peace as just an absence of violence, but we also talk about being at peace, or possessing an inner peace or seeking peace. All are valid ways of looking at peace, but perhaps they are only a part of the picture. All of these description can be seen as human centred views, so what would peace be if we looked at it from the view point of the creation?
Wednesday 23rd
Reflection:
While we remain attached to the vine, we can produce much fruit - but apart or separated from the vine, we are barren and wither. How many of us focus only on making sure that we are producing fruit? Do we work at remaining attached to the vine, and let the Spirit produce the fruit? Or do we try to force the fruit to appear before it is ready? Is immature fruit as meaningless as no fruit?
Thursday 24th
Reflection:
Joy is another of those words that describe an emotion, but changes depending on one's perspective. We say that something - or someone - can bring us joy or we can get joy from doing (or not doing) something. We all know - don’t we- that joy is not a lasting emotion, at some point joy ends. Perhaps we do not think about connecting love to joy? But when we do, when we think of love (and especially God's love), as being at the core of joy, then perhaps we get a glimpse of how our joy can be complete.
Friday 25th
Reflection:
We are, each one of us, personally called to our lives. The way we respond to this calling is with, and in, love. Sadly we can (and sometimes too often), hide from or deny this love. Sadder still is that we do this to both ourselves and to others. Without love we become lost and wander aimlessly in darkness. It is love that sustains and carries us, and others, forward, into and through, our many and varied journeys. Is it any wonder then that Jesus says "love one another"?
Saturday 26th
Reflection:
We try to live our lives following the gospel and in serving others. So when our actions are met with hostility, anger, threats and perhaps even with real danger, we come to understand that we are hated. But we don’t stop living our lives, we keep going. Why? At these times we recall that Jesus calls us to follow, that he was hated before us, and because we are in, but not of, this world.
Sunday 27th
Reflection:
The Spirit of truth, the Advocate, shows us the truth. But are we ready to hear or see the truth? Does the idea of the Spirit revealing to us the nature of our and God's love scare us? Are we comfortable with the Spirit living with us? Are there times when we try to ignore, or silence, the Spirit? Perhaps we need to ask ourselves, how can one remain in God's love if we run from the truth.
Sunday 28th
Reflection:
Sunday 29th
Reflection:
Sunday 30th
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