Sue O’Donnell. 03.10.20
“Listen carefully to Me and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. Incline your ear and come to Me, hear and your soul shall live.” (Isaiah 55 v 2, 3)
To discover the truest, deepest, fullest, richest
Real joy in life,
You need to come to the Lord Jesus
By means of His sacramental Presence.
The sacred mystery of the Holy Trinity,
Gifting us their love and mercy in entirety,
Through the body and blood of Christ Jesus.
He who resides in the Father heart of love,
Comes down from above to be with us.
Truly this is miraculous!
“Earnestly desire the best gifts.” (1 Corinthians 12 v 31)
The transformation which happens at the altar,
The bread and wine transubstantiated into Jesus’ actual presence,
Is the work of the Spirit of holiness,
Gifting us the very presence of Christ Jesus.
What mercy, what joy, such joy, a joy not to be taken for granted.
For the joy of the holy Eucharist is God with us,
In us as possessed of the Lord Jesus,
According to the most marvellous working of the Spirit,
That the power of love be evident to us.
We are recalling the †of the Lord Jesus,
Where mercy reigns supremely, lovingly over all.
“Forgiveness lies at the heart of Christian faith. It can heal broken families, it can restore friendships and it can reconcile divided communities.” (Queen Elizabeth II)
“It is in forgiveness that we feel the power of God’s love.” (Queen Elizabeth II)
Lord God, You save us from hell, the final, everlasting separation from You, for that is what we deserve. But lovingly You look upon us mercifully, because of the sacrifice the Lord Jesus made for us at the †of our healing from all iniquity. Oh, the blessings of this grace, it is a real joy.
You say “I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.” (Zechariah 9 v 11)
In this doubled up gift, may we experience hope and peace alongside joy, knowing that in all things You work for the good of those who love You. I ask too, for safety and security felt in the friendship of the Lord Jesus.
May the ends of the earth know the salvation offered us at the †, re-presented to us in each and every world wide celebration of this Sacred Mystery. For Jesus tells us “ ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven
and on earth’.” (Matthew 28 v 18)
Therefore there is no doubt that whoever calls on the name of the Lord Jesus, the Divine Healer, will be saved from captivity, the bondage of satan. We become pilgrims on an exciting journey instead.
Thank You that this pilgrimage is made secure by faith, receiving the body and the blood of the Lord Jesus, such a protective love, a profound mercy. It is good to become a prisoner of hope.
“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth,” (Psalm 34 v 1) for we become so happy when we seek refuge in our Saviour Brother.
“My soul shall make its boast in the LORD,” (Psalm 34 v 2) for I am a sinner saved for eternity oh so wondrously, compassionately, mercifully. My happiness is secured in the friendship of the Lord Jesus. He who gifts us freedom from sin and thereby freedom from fear and anxiety.
“The humble shall hear of it” (v 2) this most powerful loving kindness snatching us from the power of death. In listening, hearing and responding to the protective love of the Lord Jesus, they shall be made glad by peace of mind.
“Oh, magnify the LORD with me and let us exalt His name together,” (v 3) for we have a Saviour who gives witness to life. Fullness of life in His company now and fullness eternally, overjoyed to be in Your
heavenly company.
In coming to You, dearest Father, in receiving Your Son, by Your Spirit, in this way and only in this way, can we say in all sincerity “I sought the LORD and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”
(Psalm 34 v 4)
Trust and dependency must be another doubled up blessing which go together. May we fully trust in our Saviour, so as to depend upon Your mercy of forgiveness for all our faults and failings, Lord God.
For when we do, oh the happy result: “They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed,” (Psalm 34 v 5) for the Lord Jesus has taken our blame upon Himself at the † of forgiveness.
It is this very mercy we receive when we taste and see of Your goodness towards us. “Blessed is the (wo)man who trusts in You,” (based on Psalm 34 v 8) Father God, for then “There is no want” (v 9) no shortage of protection against satan. “Those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.” (v 10) For all thanks ever be, the Lord Jesus does consecrate us to become holy.
May this ongoing work delight and honour You, Father God, Lord and Protector. As we desire the life in all fullness as the Lord Jesus promises us, we have to do our part from an obedient heart.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12 v 21) we are told. May we, strengthened by the presence of our Saviour in the Holy Eucharist, accomplish this through prayer and perseverance.
Let us “Keep our tongue from evil and our lips from speaking deceit. May we depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it,” (Psalm 34 v 13, 14) being sorrowfully repentant when we fail.
Thank You Lord God, for being “Near to those who have a broken heart, and for saving such as have a contrite spirit.” (based on Psalm 34 v 18)
May our love for the Holy Trinity ensure this.
Where is our real joy?“You, LORD redeems the soul of Your servants, and none of those who trust in You shall be condemned,” (based on Psalm 34 v 22) for we have the † and the Holy Eucharist.
Profoundly we are blessed, incredibly so. “My tongue shall speak of Your righteousness.” (Psalm 35 v 28) for I can see that it has no limits and too, I long to speak of “Your praise all the day long.” (v 28) I so rejoice to belong to Your family of cherished children. Your mercy, O Lord, is endless.
As a Trinity, You are the ever living source of all that is good, truly worthy, and we must keep serving You to honour this reality. The reality of the wisdom and truth we benefit from. Thank You, I praise You that the power of holy love is life giving, inviting us to serve in faith, by love in return. In the Sacred Mystery we find unsurpassed joy.
May this joy keep us in Your presence Lord God. Oh how I look forward to the day when this rejoicing includes “...having believed in You with all my household.” (Acts 16 v 34 personalised)
You instituted the family unit as a source of joy, for there we find acceptance, comfort, consolation in the face of sorrow and the happy contentment of a sense of belonging. I ask that we gain this regarding Your family, according to our way of life adhering to Jesus.
He was Your faithful Servant, may we be too. Jesus gave His whole life in service of others. May we too strive after this self giving love, helping many to enjoy the saving power of our Saviour.
As we partake of the Bread of Life, food given from heaven, Your work in our life graciously bringing us to the full joy of Your promise here, now, and one day we will reach eternal life with You.
Cleansed from sin, freed from guilt, Your promise of the salvation offered at the Lord Jesus’ †, brings such joy to us, a joy replicated in the Holy Eucharist. What hope, peace and joy have been made ours, entirely
unmerited!
Dearest Father, You are our Protector, the Lord Jesus our Saviour and the Holy Spirit our Sanctifier, although of course, You are each fully involved in these roles undertaken together.
I ask for mankind to have a continual growth in faith, hope and love as we offer ourselves in service to our Saviour Brother, calling on the Spirit of Pentecost to keep us always in Your love and mercy.
Enriched by the Sacred Mystery in a joy that actually is indescribable, may we praise You as our Father, our Brother who is Saviour and the Holy Spirit who is our Sanctifier, never losing sight of this blessing.
You have given the Bread of Heaven to those who reverence You, through the Lord Jesus, by means of the Spirit. Your works Lord, “Are verity and justice; all of Your precepts are sure, standing forever and ever, being done in truth and uprightness.” (based on Psalm 111 v 7, 8)
“You have sent redemption to Your people. You have commanded Your covenant forever” (based on Psalm 111 v 9) fulfilling this by sending us a Saviour. “Holy and awesome is Your name.” (based on v 9)
May Your praise as the Holy Trinity endure forever as Your joy is our strength. At the †and in the Holy Eucharist, we enter the blessed state of those who are being made righteous. May we ever honour this process,
to Your praise and glory, for You are the Lord God of mercy whose presence is such joy. Amen.
Images by Artist Christine Garwood
http://www.christinegarwoodartist.co.uk/
Season
Key Themes
EUCHARIST
MERCY
