THE TIME HAS COME

PRAYER MOMENT Monday 12 January 2015 THE TIME HAS COME Pause. Enter into the stillness of God within. Reading: “Jesus went in to Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come,’ he said, ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand’” (Mark 1:14-20) Reflection. We are back again in ‘ordinary’ time. Years ago when we studied medieval philosophy in an austere college in the woods and used to live ‘ordinary’ lives for two weeks around Chrismas with music and drama and freedom from timetables. I used to hate it when suddenly, around this time, we were back in what the church calls ‘ordinary time’ but which for us was the ususal rather extraordinary existence we then had. Now I realise that all time is precious and every ‘ordinary’ moment can be charged with the divine. Jesus announced the kingdom. It has come. But it has to be grasped and owned. Otherwise it remains simply ‘close at hand.’ Prayer. Lord, fill us with the joy of your kingdom which is both within and all around us. Amen. David Harold-Barry SJ