PRAYER PAUSE
Saturday 24 February 2018
LOVE
YOUR ENEMIES
Enter
into the stillness of God within.
Reading: “But I say this to you:
love your enemies and and pray for thse
who persecute you; in this way you will be sons and daughters of your Father in
heaven.” (Matthew 5:43-48)
Reflection. But I don’t have any
enemies! Well, maybe not, in the sense of those who are at war with us and
threaten our lives – as is happening in Syria, South Sudan, the Congo, Yemen
and Afghanistan. But there are people we avoid: awkward people or the
handicapped or the poor or just those I cannot get on with. If our “virtue is
to go deeper” this Lent there is a call at least to embrace others in our
hearts, examine our prejudices and do what we can – be it ever so little – to break
down barriers that divide. If we really welcome the gospel it stretches us beyond
our settled ways and carries us deeper into the heart of God’s plan for all his
people.
Prayer. Lord, console, strengthen
and liberate our brothers and sisters in Syria, South Sudan, the Congo, Yemen
and Afghanistan. And may we all stretch out our hands and hearts to one
another, especially those who are “enemies.” Amen.
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