Omnipotent Love

Monday, December 24, 2012 -- Week of 4 Advent, Year 1
Christmas Eve

[Go to http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html for an online version of the Daily Office including today's scripture readings.]

Today's Readings for the Daily Office (Book of Common Prayer, p. 938)
Morning Prayer
Psalms 45, 46
Isaiah 35:1-10
Revelation 22:12-17, 21
Luke 1:67-80

Evening Prayer - Christmas Eve
Psalms 89:1-29
Isaiah 59:15b-21
Philippians 2:5-11

Strengthen the weak hands,
     and support the unsteady knees.
Say to those who are panicking:
     "Be strong!  Don't fear!
Here's your God,
     ...God will come to save you."  Isaiah 35:3f


 
From Austin Farrer:

How can I matter to him? we say.  It makes no sense; he has the world, and even that he does not need.  It is folly even to imagine him like myself, to credit him with eyes into which I could ever look, a heart that could ever beat for my sorrows or joys, and a hand he could hold out to me.  For even if the childish picture be allowed, that hand must be cupped to hold the universe, and I am a speck of dust on the star-dust of the world. 

Yet Mary holds her finger out, and a divine hand closes on it.  The maker of the world is born a begging child; he begs for milk, and does not know that it is milk for which he begs.  We will not lift our hands to pull the love of God down to us, but he lifts his hands to pull human compassion down upon his cradle.  So the weakness of God proves stronger than men, and the folly of God proves wiser than men.  Love is the strongest instrument of omnipotence, for accomplishing those tasks he cares most dearly to perform; and this is how he brings his love to bear on human pride; by weakness not by strength, by need and not by bounty.

[Austin Farrer, Said or Sung, London, 1960, p. 34-5; quoted in Robert Atwell, Celebrating the Seasons, Canterbury Press, Norwich, 1999]

Lowell
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Audio podcast:  Listen to an audio podcast of the most recent Morning Reflections from today and the past week.  Go to: http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id244.html

About Morning Reflections

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.

Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at http://www.missionstclare.com/english/index.html

Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this location

-- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church

is to explore and celebrate

God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

See our Web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Our Rule of Life: 

We aspire to...

    worship weekly

    pray daily

    learn constantly

    serve joyfully 

    live generously.

Lowell Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church

Fayetteville, Arkansas