Shortcuts are always way easier, many would even say practical. Why travel a more dangerous road when there is a safer alternate route? These may be true in general life situations but not so in the matters of faith.
When we surrender fully to the Lord our God and allow ourselves to be docile to the promptings of the Holy Spirit we find ourselves led to a deeper loving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ such that we are willing to endure hardship and great personal challenges to bring Him glory and praise. For we know that come what may, He will always be with us and eventually when the time comes He will lead us home to Him.
Some real life examples are, at a prayer meeting we will not rush through it trying to keep to a timeline. We will not cutout a hymn to safe time or be annoyed when someone leading a prayer takes too long. We will not use battery operated candles unless it is a public function room we booked which has rules against the use of firelit candles. When asked to organise say a feast day celebration we will not stick to tried and tested methods but discern and pray how the Holy Spirit wants us to take it to the next level to lead the parishioners to a greater sense of Communion and by and large greater worship of the Lord our God. Then there are times we would rather be quiet and at peace rather than to speak up for truth or an injustice against someone who cannot defend themselves. This is the time we need to pray and allow the Holy Spirit to use us if He wills, to be an instrument of His grace.
O God Almighty Father let Your Will be done always not my own. May I be led always by the Holy Spirit. Amen
First reading
Acts 25:13-21 †
‘I ordered Paul to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar’
King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus. Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody, and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation. But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge. So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and had the man brought in. When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected; but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive. Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue. But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.’
Gospel
John 21:15-19
Feed my lambs, feed my sheep
Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.
‘I tell you most solemnly,
when you were young
you put on your own belt
and walked where you liked;
but when you grow old
you will stretch out your hands,
and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.’
In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me.’
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