Sunday before Advent
Christ the King
Below is the very first ‘Praying together’ in March 2020, written in the concern of the unknown potential effect of the virus called Covid -19. Today, that virus is still around – but globally, there are now additional threats we have to face. On this Sunday – the feast of Christ the King, we ask for the faith of Simeon, that the coming Messiah will bring peace to a troubled world.
Collect
Lord God, whose blessed Son our Saviour gave his back to His tormentors but did not hide his face from shame: Give us grace to endure the sufferings of this present time with sure confidence in the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Luke 2: 25 – 35
Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when
the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, ‘This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’
Simeon gives us a lesson in patience, hope and faith; he has trusted in the Holy Spirit’s promise. It must have been very difficult to maintain that trust – living in a country under occupation by a pagan army, seeing the elders of the Temple and his own King happy to be little more than the Roman governor’s puppets for the sake of an easy life – there must have been times when his faith was stretched thin. But that faith was rewarded in the fulfilment of the promise that he would see and proclaim the Lord’s Messiah.
We are living in a difficult time ourselves – uncertainty about the future, fear of illness, separation from our families – wondering how long this pandemic will last, and perhaps even more fearful of what the long term social and economic effects will be.
That is why Simeon’s example in scripture is so important. It offers us encouragement and the promise that whatever our circumstances, we can hold on to the promise of salvation through the child brought to the temple by his parents, the child who will become the man who climbs a cross for our sake.
Tis grace has brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.
*****
Today as we celebrate the coming of Christ the King, we dread turning on the TV news – war, violence, cruelty, the refusal to accept that we have to (MUST) change our behaviour if we are to prevent climate disaster.
The temptation is to despair. But we won’t. Because we know how it ends:
To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving* his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.
‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
Previous Posts
Praying Together 6th November 2022
Human structures, societies and cultures will always eventually crumble. God’s Kingdom is everlasting. And it’s free for the asking.
Praying together 30th October 2022
Luke 18: 9-14Ephesians 1:11-23 ‘Saint’ Defn. #1: a person acknowledged as holy or virtuous and regarded in Christian faith as being in heaven after death. Well, I’m not dead yet (or at least I wasn’t at the time of writing.) So that’s not me. ‘Saint’ Defn. #2: a very...
Praying Together 23rd October 2022
We don’t stop doing right because of the fear of becoming proud – and we don’t let past failure stop us from living in His house.
Praying Together 16th October 2022
2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5 Are we there yet? (Title courtesy of Marjorie)Just stop for a moment. Take a look around. How did you get to where you are at this instant in time? Now have a look into yourself, your heart and mind, and reflect on your journey in faith –...
Praying Together 9th October 2022
Collect for Trinity 17 Almighty God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you: Teach us to offer ourselves to your service, that here we may have your peace, and in the world to come may see you face to face;through...
An Ordination at St Michael and All Angels, Waterville
On Thursday last, 29th September - the feast of Michaelmas - members of all four churches of our Union joined together to witness The Reverend Barbara Irrgang-Buckley being ordained Priest by the Bishop of Tuam Limerick and Killaloe, the Right Reverend Michael...
Praying Together 25th September 2022
Luke 16: 19-31 What will it take to convince you? With thanks to Anselm of Canterbury, and his inspiration Augustine of Hippo, there are two approaches to faith. (Excuse the Latin, but I had five years of it at school and I can’t help showing off sometimes as a...
Praying Together 18th September 2022
Luke 16: 1-13 To whom do we owe our allegiance? You cannot serve God and ‘wealth’ Bah. If ever there was a misleading Biblical translation, that’s it. It’s bad enough when the translated phrase reads ‘You cannot serve God and money’. Neither of those words...
Praying Together – 11 September 2022
Collect for Trinity 13 Almighty God, who called your Church to bear witness that you were in Christ reconciling the world to yourself: Help us to proclaim the good news of your love, that all who hear it may be drawn to you; through him who was lifted up on the...
Arthur and Martha: Christ the King
This is the day we remember that Jesus is the king of all the world and that He is the greatest king of all. Just imagine. Jesus is our very best friend, but He’s a king!
The Road to Emmaus | Luke 24: 13-35
The Road to Emmaus : Luke 24:13-35
Mary’s Story
Hello little one. Pleased to meet you. It’s been an eventful few months while I’ve been waiting for you to arrive. Let me tell you all about it.
It started on an ordinary day. I was going about as normal, feeding the chickens, tidying up and that sort of thing. I wasn’t really concentrating, I was thinking about my wedding to Joseph in a few weeks time.