Reflection

Reflection: From Within (11th Feb, 2026, Year A)

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Readings

1 Kings 10.1–10 – When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, (fame due to the name of the Lord), she came to test him with hard questions. She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she told him all that was on her mind. Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing hidden from the king that he could not explain to her. When the queen of Sheba had observed all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food of his table, the seating of his officials, and the attendance of his servants, their clothing, his valets, and his burnt-offerings that he offered at the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her. So she said to the king, ‘The report was true that I heard in my own land of your accomplishments and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. Not even half had been told me; your wisdom and prosperity far surpass the report that I had heard. Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually attend you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord loved Israel for ever, he has made you king to execute justice and righteousness.’ Then she gave the king one hundred and twenty talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones; never again did spices come in such quantity as that which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

Mark 7.14–23 – Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’ When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, ‘Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?’ (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, ‘It is what comes out of a person that defiles. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’

Reflection

In our first reading today, the Queen of Sheba travels a great distance to see King Solomon. She has heard reports of his wisdom, his wealth, and the blessing of God upon his kingdom, and she comes with questions—hard questions, Scripture says—to test him. What she encounters leaves her almost breathless. Solomon’s wisdom, the ordering of his court, the generosity of his hospitality, and the depth of his understanding all bear witness to a gift that comes from God. She recognises that this is not simply human cleverness or success, but something rooted in faithfulness to the Lord.

At first glance, this might sound like a celebration of outward splendour: gold, spices, fine buildings, and impressive answers. Yet the heart of the story is not really about riches at all. It is about wisdom that listens, wisdom that responds, and wisdom that points beyond itself to God. The Queen of Sheba praises the Lord not because Solomon is impressive, but because she discerns that his wisdom is a sign of God’s love for his people and God’s desire for justice and right-ordered relationships.

When we turn to the Gospel reading from Mark, the focus shifts sharply inward. Jesus addresses the crowd and tells them that nothing entering a person from outside can defile them. Instead, it is what comes out from within—from the human heart—that can truly defile. He then lists attitudes and actions that flow from disordered hearts: envy, pride, deceit, malice, and greed. These, he says, are the things that corrupt human life.

Placed side by side, these readings invite us to ask probing questions: where does true wisdom begin? Is it something we display outwardly, or something that takes root deep within us?

The Queen of Sheba sees wisdom expressed outwardly—in Solomon’s words and actions—but she recognises that its source is deeper. In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that the deepest truths of our lives are not found in appearances, rituals, or even reputation, but in the condition of our hearts. A person may look impressive, religious, or successful, yet still be inwardly disordered. Equally, someone may appear ordinary or unimpressive, yet be shaped by a heart turned towards God.

This is challenging for us, because we live in a culture—perhaps not unlike Solomon’s court—that often values what can be seen: achievement, status, eloquence, and success. Even within the life of the Church, it can be tempting to focus on outward signs of health or holiness. Jesus does not dismiss outward practices altogether, but he insists that they are not enough on their own. Without inner transformation, they cannot give life.

True wisdom, then, is not simply about knowing the right answers, as impressive as Solomon’s answers were. It is about allowing God to shape our desires, our motivations, and our loves. It is about letting God’s Spirit work in the hidden places of our lives, where attitudes are formed and decisions are made.

The Queen of Sheba came with questions, and she left with praise—praise not just for Solomon, but for the Lord. In the Gospel, Jesus invites us to bring our own hearts into the light of God’s truth, trusting that God desires not to condemn but to heal and renew.

As we reflect on these readings today, we might ask ourselves: what would a wise heart look like in our own lives, in our communities, and in our Church? Where might God be inviting us to move beyond outward appearances and attend more carefully to what is going on within?

In the end, wisdom is not something we possess for our own glory. Like Solomon’s wisdom, at its best it points beyond us—to the God who longs for hearts made whole, and for lives that reflect God’s justice, mercy, and love.

Reflection: To Lead and Live Humbly (4th Feb, 2026, Year A)

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Readings

2 Samuel 24.2, 9–17 – So the king said to Joab and the commanders of the army, who were with him, ‘Go through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beer-sheba, and take a census of the people, so that I may know how many there are.’ Joab reported to the king the number of those who had been recorded: in Israel there were eight hundred thousand soldiers able to draw the sword, and those of Judah were five hundred thousand.But afterwards, David was stricken to the heart because he had numbered the people. David said to the Lord, ‘I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, I pray you, take away the guilt of your servant; for I have done very foolishly.’ When David rose in the morning, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, ‘Go and say to David: Thus says the Lord: Three things I offer you; choose one of them, and I will do it to you.’ So Gad came to David and told him; he asked him, ‘Shall three years of famine come to you on your land? Or will you flee for three months before your foes while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ pestilence in your land? Now consider, and decide what answer I shall return to the one who sent me.’ Then David said to Gad, ‘I am in great distress; let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but let me not fall into human hands.’ So the Lord sent a pestilence on Israel from that morning until the appointed time; and seventy thousand of the people died, from Dan to Beer-sheba. But when the angel stretched out his hand towards Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented concerning the evil, and said to the angel who was bringing destruction among the people, ‘It is enough; now stay your hand.’ The angel of the Lord was then by the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite. When David saw the angel who was destroying the people, he said to the Lord, ‘I alone have sinned, and I alone have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.’

Mark 6.1–6 – He left that place and came to his home town, and his disciples followed him. On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, ‘Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?’ And they took offence at him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honour, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.

Reflection

In our two readings today we meet a difficult and uncomfortable theme: the misuse of power, and the cost that follows when leaders forget their dependence on God.

In the reading from 2 Samuel, King David orders a census of Israel. On the surface, it sounds like a sensible, administrative act. Leaders need information; numbers matter. But the text is clear that something deeper is going on. David wants to count his people in a way that shifts trust from God to human strength. The census becomes a symbol of control, security, and self-reliance. Even Joab, hardly a moral compass, senses that something is wrong.

After the census is completed, David is struck with remorse. He recognises that he has sinned—not simply by counting, but by forgetting who truly sustains Israel. What follows is deeply troubling: the consequences of David’s decision fall not on him alone, but on the people he leads. A plague comes upon the land, and many die.

This passage confronts us with a hard truth: the choices of those in power matter, and they often affect the most vulnerable. Yet it also shows us something vital about God’s character. When David throws himself on God’s mercy, he discovers that mercy is indeed greater than punishment. At the threshing floor of Araunah, judgment is halted. God’s compassion interrupts destruction.

That threshing floor, a place of judgment turned into a place of mercy, will later become the site of the Temple—a reminder that worship begins with humility, repentance, and grace.

Turning to the Gospel reading from Mark, we meet Jesus in his hometown. Here, power takes a very different form. Jesus comes not as a king, but as a carpenter, a familiar face. And because he is familiar, he is dismissed. “Where did this man get all this?” they ask. Their amazement quickly hardens into offence.

Mark tells us that Jesus “could do no deed of power there,” not because his power was limited, but because their lack of faith closed them off to what God was offering. This is not divine punishment; it is human refusal. God does not force transformation upon those who will not receive it.

Placed side by side, these readings offer a striking contrast. David overreaches—grasping at control that does not belong to him—and people suffer. Jesus, by contrast, refuses to impose himself. He respects human freedom, even when it leads to missed blessing.

Both readings ask questions of us.

Where do we place our trust? In numbers, strategies, and self-sufficiency—or in God’s mercy and guidance? And how do we respond when God comes to us in familiar, ordinary forms?

In the life of the Church, we can be tempted toward David’s census: measuring success by attendance, budgets, and statistics. None of these things are unimportant—but they become dangerous when they replace trust in God rather than serve it. Leadership, whether in church, community, or family life, always carries responsibility. Our decisions can heal, or they can harm.

At the same time, the people of Nazareth warn us about another danger: becoming so accustomed to God that we stop expecting anything new. Jesus is present among them, teaching with wisdom and authority, yet they cannot see beyond what they think they already know.

Perhaps the invitation of these readings is this: to lead and to live humbly, knowing our dependence on God; and to remain open, expectant, and receptive when God speaks—especially when God speaks through what feels ordinary.

In both judgment and rejection, mercy is still at work. God stops the plague. Jesus keeps teaching in other villages. God does not give up. And that, ultimately, is good news for us all.

Amen.

Reflection: God’s Light in Our Hands (29th Jan, 2026, Year A)

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Readings

2 Samuel 7.18–19, 24–end – Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and said, ‘Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far? And yet this was a small thing in your eyes, O Lord God; you have spoken also of your servant’s house for a great while to come. May this be instruction for the people, O Lord God! And you established your people Israel for yourself to be your people for ever; and you, O Lord, became their God. And now, O Lord God, as for the word that you have spoken concerning your servant and concerning his house, confirm it for ever; do as you have promised. Thus your name will be magnified for ever in the saying, “The Lord of hosts is God over Israel”; and the house of your servant David will be established before you. For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, “I will build you a house”; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue for ever before you; for you, O Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed for ever.’

Mark 4.21–25 – He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’

Reflection

In our reading from 2 Samuel, we hear King David responding to God’s promise with humility and wonder. Having been told that God will establish his house and his kingdom, David does not rush to claim honour or status. Instead, he sits before the Lord and asks a striking question: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me thus far?”

David recognises that God’s generosity goes far beyond anything he could have expected or deserved. What God has promised is not simply for David’s own benefit, but for the sake of God’s people and for generations yet to come. David’s response is grounded in gratitude, awe, and trust. He acknowledges that it is God who has made Israel God’s own people forever, and that it is God’s name, not David’s, that will be made great.

There is a deep sense here that faith begins with receiving rather than achieving. David does not build God a house; instead, God promises to establish David’s house. God is the initiator, the giver of light and life, and David’s calling is to live in response to that grace.

That posture of response carries us into the Gospel reading from Mark. Jesus speaks in images that are simple yet unsettling. A lamp, he says, is not brought in to be hidden under a bowl or a bed, but to be put on a lampstand so that it gives light. Light, by its very nature, is meant to be seen. And faith, by its nature, is not meant to be hoarded or concealed.

Yet Jesus also adds a note of warning and challenge: “Pay attention to what you hear.” The measure we use will be the measure we receive, and more besides. This is not about earning God’s favour, but about how we respond to what God has already given us. Light that is welcomed and shared grows brighter; light that is ignored or hidden begins to fade.

When we place these readings alongside one another, a pattern emerges. David receives God’s promise with humility and thanksgiving, recognising that it is God’s work from beginning to end. Jesus invites his hearers to receive God’s word with attentiveness and courage, allowing it to shine outwards rather than remain private or hidden.

For us today, this raises searching questions. Do we, like David, recognise our lives as gifts shaped by God’s grace? Are we attentive to what we hear from God, or do we allow familiarity to dull our listening? And when God’s light is placed in our hands, do we try to keep it safe and contained, or do we allow it to be seen in the way we live?

In the life of faith, God does not ask us to manufacture the light. The lamp is already given. Our calling is to place it where it can do what it was always meant to do: illuminate, guide, and give hope. As God established David’s people in love and faithfulness, so God continues to work through ordinary lives, attentive hearts, and quiet acts of faithfulness.

May we, like David, sit before the Lord in humility and trust, and may we, like the lamp on its stand, allow the light of Christ to be seen—so that God’s name, and not our own, is made great.

Amen.

Reflection: Words of Grace (28th Jan, 2026, Year A)

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Readings

2 Samuel 7.4–17 – But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle. Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever. In accordance with all these words and with all this vision, Nathan spoke to David.

Mark 4.1–20 – Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that “they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” ’ And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’

Reflection

In our two readings this morning we hear about God’s word being spoken — and about how that word is received.

In the reading from 2 Samuel, King David has settled into his palace. Life feels secure. Looking around, David realises something feels wrong: he lives in comfort, while the ark of God still rests in a tent. David’s instinct is a good one. He wants to do something for God. He wants to build a house for the Lord.

At first, the prophet Nathan affirms him. But then God speaks again — and gently turns the whole idea on its head. God does not ask David to build him a house. Instead, God promises to build David a house — not of stone and cedar, but a living house: a dynasty, a future, a people held within God’s faithfulness.

It is a striking moment. David’s plans are not wrong, but they are not the point. God reminds David that it has always been God who acts first: I took you from the pasture… I have been with you wherever you went… I will make for you a great name. God’s purposes do not depend on human effort or impressive structures, but on God’s own gracious initiative.

That theme carries through into the Gospel reading.

Jesus sits beside the lake and tells a story about a sower scattering seed. The seed is generously sown, almost wastefully so. It falls on all kinds of ground: the path, rocky places, among thorns, and finally on good soil. The focus of the parable is not really on the skill of the sower, or even on the seed itself — but on the soil that receives it.

Jesus explains that the seed is the word of God. The same word is offered to all, but it is received in very different ways. Some hear it and it barely touches them before it is lost. Others receive it gladly, but it never puts down roots. Some allow it to grow, but other things — worry, wealth, distraction — slowly choke it. And then there are those who hear the word, hold onto it, and allow it to bear fruit.

When we hear these words in church, it is tempting to place ourselves immediately in the category of “good soil”. But Jesus tells this parable not to reassure us, but to invite us to honesty. What kind of soil are we today?

Like David, we may come to God with good intentions. We may want to do the right things, to build something worthwhile, to be faithful. But both readings remind us that faith is not first about what we do for God, but about how open we are to what God is doing in us.

The promise to David is not built by David’s effort; it is received by trust. The harvest in Jesus’ parable does not come from frantic activity, but from soil that is deep, open, and receptive.

In a Church of England context — with our long traditions, our beautiful buildings, our busy diaries — this is an important word. God does not reject our plans or our structures, but neither are they the heart of the matter. What matters is whether God’s word is finding room to take root in us: in our worship, in our common life, and in the quiet, unseen places of our hearts.

So this morning’s question is a gentle one. Where might the soil of our lives have become compacted, shallow, or crowded? And where might God be patiently at work, preparing deeper ground?

The good news, in both readings, is that God is faithful. God continues to speak. God continues to sow. And God delights to bring growth — not by our strength, but by grace.

May we be given ears to hear, hearts ready to receive, and lives in which God’s promise can truly take root and bear fruit for our community.

Amen.

Reflection: I Do Choose (15th Jan, 2026, Year A)

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Readings

1 Samuel 4.1–11 – And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. In those days the Philistines mustered for war against Israel, and Israel went out to battle against them; they encamped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines encamped at Aphek. The Philistines drew up in line against Israel, and when the battle was joined, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand men on the field of battle. When the troops came to the camp, the elders of Israel said, ‘Why has the Lord put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, so that he may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.’ So the people sent to Shiloh, and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. When the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel gave a mighty shout, so that the earth resounded. When the Philistines heard the noise of the shouting, they said, ‘What does this great shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?’ When they learned that the ark of the Lord had come to the camp, the Philistines were afraid; for they said, ‘Gods have come into the camp.’ They also said, ‘Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with every sort of plague in the wilderness. Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, in order not to become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you; be men and fight.’ So the Philistines fought; Israel was defeated, and they fled, everyone to his home. There was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot-soldiers. The ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Mark 1.40–end – A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, ‘If you choose, you can make me clean.’ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I do choose. Be made clean!’ Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.’ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Reflection

In our two readings today we are presented with two very different pictures of how people relate to God — and, perhaps more importantly, how God relates to people.

In the reading from 1 Samuel, Israel is in crisis. They are at war with the Philistines and have already suffered defeat. In their desperation, they decide to bring the Ark of the Covenant into the battlefield. The Ark, the sacred symbol of God’s presence, is carried out with great ceremony. There is shouting, confidence, even triumph before the battle has begun. Surely now, with the Ark among them, God must give them victory.

But the result is devastating. Israel is defeated again, the Ark is captured, and many lives are lost.

The shock of this story lies in its uncomfortable truth: the people treat the Ark as if it were a lucky charm, something to be used, rather than a sign of a living relationship with God. They want God’s power, but without the humility, repentance, and trust that faithful living requires. God is reduced to an object they hope will guarantee success.

Contrast this with the Gospel reading from Mark.

Here we meet a man with leprosy — someone excluded, feared, and pushed to the margins of society. He comes to Jesus not with shouting or confidence, but with vulnerability. He kneels and says, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” There is no attempt to control Jesus, no assumption of entitlement. Only trust.

And Jesus’ response is striking. Moved with compassion, he reaches out and touches the man — something that would have made Jesus himself ritually unclean. He crosses boundaries of fear and exclusion and says, “I do choose. Be made clean.”

In this moment, power flows not through an object or ritual used for advantage, but through compassion, relationship, and mercy. God’s holiness is not diminished by contact with suffering — instead, healing and restoration flow outward.

Placed side by side, these readings ask us a searching question: how do we approach God?

Do we, like Israel in Samuel, sometimes treat God as a means to an end — something to help us succeed, to fix our problems, to confirm our own plans? Even our religious practices, good as they are, can slip into that pattern if we are not careful: prayers that are really demands, worship that seeks reassurance without transformation.

Or do we come like the man in the Gospel — aware of our need, honest about our brokenness, trusting not in outcomes but in the character of Jesus?

The good news is that Jesus does not turn away those who come in humility. He does not require perfect faith or impressive words. He responds to honesty and trust. He touches what others avoid. He restores dignity where it has been lost.

For us, in the life of the Church, this is both a comfort and a challenge. God is not something we possess or control. Yet God is closer than we dare to imagine — present not as a tool for our success, but as a companion who brings healing, even when the path is costly.

As we reflect on these readings, we are invited to lay aside any temptation to use God for our own purposes, and instead to place ourselves before Christ as we are — trusting that, in his compassion, he still says: “I do choose.”

Amen.