Wednesday 27 May 2026 - The word of the Lord endures

Friday 12 June 2026 - Let us love one another

Friday 12 June 2026 Today is Friday the 12th of June, the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of the Abbey of Keur Moussa sing: This is the time, most Holy Spirit, when you, One with the Father and the Son, come to shed your light in the hearts of your faithful. Pause for a moment, and become aware of the Holy Spirit, present here, come to give life and light. Pause for a moment, and welcome that light into your life. Today’s reading is from the First Letter of John. 1 John 4:7-16 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and our reading gives us its deepest theological grounding: God is love. It’s not merely that God loves, but that love is God’s very nature. As you sit with those three words, what do they mean for you in the circumstances of your life right now? John writes that in this is love: not that we loved God, but that God loved us first. Our love for God and for one another is always a response to what has already been given. What difference does it make to begin with God’s initiative rather than your own? As you hear this reading again, notice where your heart is drawn. Perhaps it is to the simple declaration that God is love; perhaps to the image of God abiding in us and us in God. Stay with whatever draws you and let it become your prayer. 1 John 4:7-16 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Saviour of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. The feast of the Sacred Heart is an invitation to look at the heart of God – at what God most desires for us and for our world. It is not a sentimental image but a radical one: a love that goes all the way to a cross. Take time now to respond to that love in whatever way feels most honest and most true for you today. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Thursday 11 June 2026 - Steadfast devotion

Thursday 11 June 2026 Today is Thursday the 11th of June, the feast of Saint Barnabas, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. Liz Vice and Dee Wilson with Good Shepherd Collective sings ‘All Shall Be Well’. Let these words encourage you in your prayer today. Thank you for the sun Thank you for the moon Thank you for the stars above And the darkness too Bless you for your peace Bless you for your grace Bless you for your perfect love And your perfect ways And all shall be well All shall be well All manner of things shall be well Oh, use me as you will Remove my selfish pride Create in me a servant heart To bless your holy bride And when my work is done And the seeds are sown Please receive my spirit, Lord Welcome me home And all shall be well All shall be well All manner of things shall be well Today’s reading is from the Book of Acts. Acts 11:21-26, 13:1-3 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they associated with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’. Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Today is the feast of St Barnabas, whose name means ‘son of encouragement’. Barnabas’ first response on seeing God’s grace at work in Antioch among people he didn’t know was to rejoice and then to encourage them to hold fast to the Lord. Who has encouraged the faith in your own life and how have you been an encourager of the faith of others? It’s striking that the Holy Spirit’s call to mission comes during a time of prayer and fasting, when the community is gathered and attentive to God. Have you ever had a sense of being called by God to a particular work or service, like Paul and Barnabas? How did that call come to you, and how did you respond? As we hear the reading again, notice the movement from joy to encouragement to mission. The grace of God is received and then shared. Where in this dynamic do you find yourself most at home – and where might God be inviting you to go? Acts 11:21-26, 13:1-3 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they associated with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’. Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. Barnabas was ‘a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.’ That is a generous and beautiful description. Take time now to speak to God about your own desire to be filled with the Spirit and with faith, and to ask for whatever you need to continue the life to which you feel called. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Wednesday 10 June 2026 - Great in the kingdom of heaven

Wednesday 10 June 2026 Today is Wednesday the 10th of June, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing the Benedictus: “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel! He has visited his people and redeemed them. He has raised up for us a mighty saviour in the house of David his servant, as he promised by the lips of holy men, those who were his prophets from of old. A saviour who would free us from our foes, from the hands of all who hate us. So his love for our ancestors is fulfilled and his holy covenant remembered. He swore to Abraham our father to grant us, that free from fear, and saved from the hands of our foes, we might serve him in holiness and justice all the days of our life in his presence.” Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:17-19 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus insists that he has come not to abolish but to fulfil. He comes to bring to completion what God has always been working towards in human history, embedded in the Covenant and the richness of prophetic tradition. What part of that tradition have you most lived and taught by your life? Over the coming days in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus will take the law and deepen it, moving from external compliance to interior transformation. He is interested not so much in what we do as in who we are becoming. As you think about your own life of faith, where do you feel God inviting you to move beyond outward observance to something deeper? Listen again to these words of Jesus about the law and the prophets being fulfilled. Notice what stirs in you – perhaps reassurance, perhaps challenge, perhaps questions. Allow whatever arises to be part of your prayer. Matthew 5:17-19 ‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus speaks of those who do and teach his commandments as great in the kingdom of heaven. He is calling us to integrity – a life in which our actions and our words reflect one another. Take time now to speak to God about where you feel that integrity most and least in your own life. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Tuesday 9 June 2026 - Salt and light

Tuesday 9 June 2026 Today is Tuesday the 9th of June, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. Veni, lumen cordium, veni sancte spiritus. ‘Come Holy Spirit. Come, light of our hearts.’ When we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays in us. As I begin my prayer today, I pause for a few moments to ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten me, to invite the Holy Spirit into my life, into my mind and into my heart. Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:13-16 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.’ Yesterday Jesus gave us a portrait of blessedness. Today he tells us what that blessedness is for. In calling us salt and light for the world, he affirms what we already are in him. Does it feel true to you that you are salt and light? What makes it easy or difficult to believe this about yourself? Salt’s power lies in enhancing flavour that is already there: it becomes useless when it can no longer bring that flavour out. Jesus is inviting us to ask honest questions about how we are living. Is there any way in which you feel you may have lost some of your ‘saltiness’ – your distinctiveness as a follower of Christ? What would it take to recover it? As the reading is repeated, notice whether the images of salt and light speak to different parts of your life – your work, your relationships, your inner life. Where does God seem to be calling you to shine more brightly? Matthew 5:13-16 ‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. ‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.’ Jesus says: let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. The goal is not self-promotion but God’s glory. Take time to speak to God about where your light is shining and where you feel it might be dimmed and why. Ask for whatever grace you need. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen

Monday 8 June 2026 - Blessed are the peacemakers

Monday 8 June 2026 Today is Monday the 8th of June, the feast of Saint James Berthieu SJ, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. The Porters Gate and Pray As You Go have been accompanying people’s daily prayers together for almost a decade. The Porter’s Gate will be joining us in London to celebrate our 20th anniversary year this Saturday 13th June with a celebration concert and evening of prayer at Holy Sepulchre Church at 7pm. Tickets are still available and we would love to see you there. We have written an album together called ‘Companion Songs’ and as we enter into prayer today, we will hear our first song, sung by Dee Wilson. It’s called ‘This Present Moment’; it is inspired by the prayer, ‘Patient Trust’, by Jesuit Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ. How does it speak to you? This present moment This present moment This present moment is filled with God. This in between This in between This between is filled with God This silent waiting This silent waiting This silent waiting is filled with God So trust in the slow work, Slow work, Trust in the slow work of God Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.' Today is the feast of St James Berthieu, the Jesuit martyr of Madagascar, who was killed in 1896 rather than renounce his faith. Jesus’ Beatitudes describe precisely the kind of person James became: poor in spirit, merciful, a peacemaker persecuted for righteousness’ sake. As you hear these blessings, which of them speaks most directly to where you are in your own life right now? The Beatitudes don’t describe qualities we achieve by our own effort – they describe the character of those who allow God to work in them. They are a portrait of Jesus himself. Which of the Beatitudes feels most challenging or alien to you at this time, and why is that? As we hear the reading again, let the Beatitudes wash over you slowly, one by one. Notice which words or phrases seem to light up for you and why. Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.' Jesus pronounces blessings on those whom the world regards as losers, showing us where God’s heart truly lies. Take time now to speak to Jesus from your own heart – perhaps to give thanks, perhaps to ask him for one of the qualities he blesses here, or simply to sit quietly in his presence. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be World without end Amen