Thoughts for the Day

(St Luke writes the following in his second work, 'The Acts of the Apostles' , quoting words of St Paul to the elders at Ephesus):

I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or clothing. You know for yourselves that I worked with my own hands to support myself and my companions. In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”’

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Today is an Ember Day, and I have looked at these before (click on 'Ember Days' above - the first and last might be interesting). They are three days of prayer and fasting that occur four times a year in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. There is an old English rhyme about this ancient custom of the Church:

Fasting days and Emberings be
Lent, Whitsun, Holyrood (Holy Cross), and Lucie (St Lucy).

In the 1960s the Pope decreed that for Roman Catholics 'a fast' meant one full meal per day plus two partial, meat-less meals on all Ember Days. In other words no snacks between meals and substantially less food on the day itself. Sometimes these days appear in Christian Calendars as "days of prayer for peace". Anglican Churches have historically always observed these days of prayer, although the practice has become less so recently.

Perhaps today, and also on Friday and Saturday of this week we can pray for peace in Ukraine, and observe a partial fast.

Heavenly Father,
we pray this day for our world,
for all caught up in war and terror
wherever they may be;
for those travelling with no resources;
and for the homeless and refugees.
We ask Your blessings upon them.
Help us to remember that all things
come from You,
and encourage us to give until it hurts,
so that those in need can be helped.
Amen.