Weekly Thoughts

As I write there is a bowl of daffodils on our dining table. They arrived as tight buds which over the coming days exploded into a blaze of vivid yellow flowers. This explosion of colour enlivened the dark January days and held out the tantalising promise of spring. This is surprising in a way because in other cultures the daffodil is a symbol of death. But for us these indoor cultivars foreshadow what we can also see already in our gardens as tiny green shoots bravely pop up between snow and ice carrying with them the expectation that the cold weather and early evenings will give way brighter, sunnier and longer, warmer days.

Talk of longer days reminds me that the next church season we have to work through is Lent (it gets its name from the lengthening days at that time of the year). Easter is early this year (on 5 April) and consequently so is Ash Wednesday (18 February). It will be upon us almost before we realise it. But that’s the way it goes, life is cyclic: cold and heat, light and dark, summer and winter succeed one another in a never-ending progression. You can’t have one without the other.

The same goes for life in general. As the years unfold good times and bad will succeed one another but life, our lives, go on. When challenging times come we must press on never giving up hope that better times will come, rather as the winter daffodils remind us that spring is on the way. The days are already getting a little longer and a little brighter, almost before we realise it spring will be here with promise of summer and sunshine. The same goes for the changing seasons of our spiritual life. As the Easter hymn says “All the winter of our sins, long and dark is flying” So for us these January daffodils far from symbolising death offer the promise of spring forgiveness and the fulness of life.

 

READINGS AND PRAYERS

18 JANUARY – SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY (The Confession of St Peter) Week of prayer for Christian Unity begins – Matthew 16.13-19 – “You are Messiah the Son of the living God” – thanksgiving that all Christians are united by the faith in Jesus

19 JANUARY - Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095 – Matthew 24.42-46 – who then is the faithful and wise slave – all Bishops

20 JANUARY – Richard Rolle of Hampole, Spiritual Writer, 1349 – Ecclesiasticus 39.1-10 – the Lord will direct his counsel and knowledge – spiritual writers of all traditions

21 JANUARY – Agnes, Child Martyr at Rome, 304 – Revelation 7.13-end – who are these, robed in white? – all who suffer for the faith today

22 JANUARY – Thursday – Mark 3 7-12 – Jesus heals the sick – all Christian healing ministries

23 JANUARY- Friday – Mark 3.13-19 – the twelve apostles – all Christian leaders

24 JANUARY – Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, Teacher of the Faith, 1622 – John 3.17-21 – those who do what is right come to the light – all who teach and preach the Christian faith