Morning Devotion for the Season after Pentecost
October 4, 2021
The Invitatory
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord's Name be praised.
Reading: Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?
2 My help comes from the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
5 The Lord himself watches over you; *
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.
8 The Lord shall watch over your going out and
your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.
Meditation: Jo Ann B. Jones
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Francis. Francis was born in 1182, the son of a wealthy cloth merchant. His early years were frivolous, but an experience of sickness and another of military service were instrumental in leading him to reflect on the purpose of life. One day, in the church of San Damiano, he seemed to hear Christ saying to him, "Francis, repair my falling house." He took the words literally, and sold a bale of silk from his father's warehouse to pay for repairs to the church of San Damiano. Outraged, his father disinherited and disowned him. Francis in turn renounced his father's wealth and all material possession, devoting himself to serving the poor. He moved in with priest, He got his meals, not by asking for money so that he might live at the expense of others, but by scrounging crusts and discarded vegetable from trash-bins, and by working as a day laborer, insisting on being paid in bread, milk, eggs, or vegetables rather than in money. Soon a few companions joined him.
In 1210 the Pope authorized the formation of the Order of the Friars Minor, the Franciscans. Francis and his companions took to heart the words of Jesus when he sent his disciples, “Preach as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ You have received the Gospel without payment, give it to others as freely. Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, no bag for your journey, no spare garment, no spare garment, nor sandals, nor staff.” They would have no money and no property. Their task was to preach, “using words if necessary,” but declaring by word and action the love of God in Christ.
Journeys tend to be significant times for those who take them.
A journey can lead to anything - a new home - a new beginning in life - memorable excursion. Journeys can involve challenging or even frightening destinations and eagerly anticipated returns home. The reality is that the journey itself can be at least as significant, if not even more, as the eventual destination.
Journeying was a major reality for ancient life. As a result, the ancients were likely to have had a far greater appreciation for what was involved in getting from one place to another that we ever can. Travel for the ancients was at best difficult and dangerous.
Psalm 121 is the second of the Psalms of Ascents. These texts seem to have been used by pilgrims during their travel to Jerusalem and/or as part of celebratory worship at the temple there. Individual cases have been made for the use of Psalm 121 by a traveler who is approaching and departing from Jerusalem. In either case we can say with some certainty that Psalm 121 deals with journeying. This Psalm responds to what must have been unavoidable misgivings about travel, with unwavering and profound reassurance that God always acts to protect his people. It may be enough that Psalm 121 offers such reassurance to the traveler moving from place to place. Yet it exceeds this particularity by reaching into the whole of the journey of human life itself.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
