Reflection for the week ahead: Sunday 25th February:Lent II: Prayer after Communion:‘Almighty God, you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord.’Reflection:Have we really no power to help ourselves? Bookshops have whole sections devoted to self help. An increasing number of self-help books are published each year. Some make statements which are so obvious that we wonder why they bother. Some contain one simple idea spun out over fifty or more pages. Some directly contradict others. In spite of our best efforts we can never have total control of our lives. As human beings we are vulnerable to accidents, natural disasters, illness, terrorism, random attacks; and also to our own weaknesses and ‘evil thoughts’. No books on self help can afford us protection against these. Jesus was as exposed as any of us to both physical and spiritual dangers. We pray in humility and faith for his protection against things that we in our own strength are unable to change or prevent.Revd Rosemary
Scripture:9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved;[a] with you I am well pleased.’12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. (Mark 1.9-13)ReflectionJesus is in the wilderness where he encounters Satan, wild animals and angels, and he emerges stronger, focused and holy. It is heartening to know that the wilderness contains angels - angels who waited on Jesus. In our own wilderness it is also heartening to know that ‘angels’ are looking out for us - the positives and gifts that occur amid the desolation, the people who are there for us, who have our back - who we mostly do not recognise until after the event!God may also use us as angels - a loving word or action can make a significant difference to someone in the wilderness, enabling them to catch hold of hope and be strengthened.Though we may not be able to avoid wilderness experiences in our lives, we can prepare for them, we can survive them and we can emerge stronger by having faith in Jesus and being open to the possibilty that we may well be entertaining angels unawares.Lyn Hayes, ALM
