Devotion
Be Prepared
Frances Taylor
What will we be doing when the Master comes? Will we be faithful servants waiting for our Lord's return, or will we be waiting until we're older or sick, or dying? The parable goes on to tell how much more so, if he comes in the second or third watch. As the year winds down we will continue to be reminded to be prepared to meet God. There is a song that was popular several years ago called "Live Like We're Dying." Although not specifically geared toward being prepared to die, it does invite us to live each moment of every day loving others, letting those we love know it and not wasting a single second. In fact the song tells us exactly how many seconds there are in a day – 36,400! If we knew we were dying, who would we want to spend time with or who do we need to forgive? Who needs to know that we love them? If you had answers for these questions, then what are you waiting for? What do we need to do to prepare for eternity? How is our prayer life? Do we need to put a little more time into reading the Bible? Are we as kind to our friends and family as we could be? Each day is a day to witness God's love to others; each day is a day to grow in our faith; each day is important and one in which we need to be prepared to meet our Lord.
Prayer
Dear God, we don't know the day or the hour, all we can do is be the best Christian we can be each day of our lives. We depend on you to help us and we thank you for being there beside us. Amen.
Devotion
Love the Foreigners
Frances Taylor
Have you ever thought that the Holy Family were refugees just as Israel and his family were when they went to Egypt to escape the famine? They fled from those who would kill them to a country not their own, trusting that they would be safe. They weren't asked for a passport; they weren't asked if someone there would vouch for them; they most likely didn't know the language and they probably didn't have a job lined up. Joseph did what he needed to do to keep Mary and the child Jesus safe. How many fathers and mothers today must flee from persecution? How many leave everything they know to find safety for their children? Those of us who have always lived in freedom can't begin to understand what this means. Yes, many of us know poverty, discrimination, fear of the violence of the streets, but not the unrelenting fear that many of our neighbors have faced. How might our attitudes be different if we looked at every family seeking asylum as a "holy ...
Morning Prayer
He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
Inspiration
It is easy to lash out at others, as with a "knee-jerk reaction, " but it takes wisdom and patience to hold our tongues or "hold our peace. " It is not always the right time and place to shout out accusations at others, even when others are in the wrong. And it matters also the manner in which we deal with others as to their faults.
Prayer
Teach me, Lord, to be patient with others, kind, forgiving, tender-hearted, and meek. When it is right for me to speak out over a wrong done by someone else, help me to do it in the right way. Help me to know when to hold my peace and when to speak out. Amen.
