Pray As You Go - Daily Prayer

Thursday 28 May 2026 - Have mercy on me

Thursday 28 May 2026 Today is Thursday the 28th of May, the feast of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, in the 8th week of Ordinary Time. Paul Zach sings, ‘Have Mercy On Me’, echoing the scripture we will pray with today. Allow the music to open your heart to the Lord today... Jesus, son of David Have mercy Have mercy on me Have mercy Have mercy Have mercy, mercy on me When I hear you passing by When the crowd ignores my cry With all my heart and soul and mind Louder still, O Lord, I cry Jesus, son of David Have mercy Have mercy on me Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 10:46-52 As [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. This is a very striking story. Place yourself in the scene... Hear Bartimaeus' cries: ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ What does he sound like? “Throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus.” Remembering that Bartimaeus is still blind at this point, can you imagine how the crowds were reacting? Were they helping him? Or perhaps they annoyed after his crying out? As we hear the passage again, notice as Jesus asks Bartimaeus, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ Was it not obvious what Bartimaeus wanted? Or is there something deeper going on here? Mark 10:46-52 As [Jesus] and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and said, ‘Call him here.’ And they called the blind man, saying to him, ‘Take heart; get up, he is calling you.’ So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ The blind man said to him, ‘My teacher, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go; your faith has made you well.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. “He regained his sight, and followed him on the way”. Stay with Bartimaeus in the scene. No more begging... no more sitting by the roadside. What is it like to be part of those following Jesus after this miracle? Speak with Jesus about what is going on for you. 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 27 May 2026 - The word of the Lord endures

Wednesday 27 May 2026 Today is Wednesday the 27th of May, the feast of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, in the 8th week of Ordinary Time. The Monks of Glenstal Abbey sing Nos autem gloriari: ‘We should glory in nothing other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; through him we are saved and set free. May God have mercy upon us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us and be merciful to us.’ Today’s reading is from the First Letter of Peter. 1 Peter 1:18-25 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures for ever.’ That word is the good news that was announced to you. Peter tells us that we have been “ransomed from futile ways”. Can you think of an example of “futile ways”? We hear that obedience to the truth leads to "genuine mutual love”, a love that moves “deeply from the heart”. Where do you recognise this playing out in your walk of faith? “The word of the Lord endures forever…the good news that was announced to you”. As you listen to the passage again, can you hear it all as “good news” afresh? 1 Peter 1:18-25 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures for ever.’ That word is the good news that was announced to you. What would you like to say now to the Lord, whose word endures forever? 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 27 May 2026 - The word of the Lord endures

Wednesday 27 May 2026 Today is Wednesday the 27th of May, the feast of Saint Augustine of Canterbury, in the 8th week of Ordinary Time. The Monks of Glenstal Abbey sing Nos autem gloriari: ‘We should glory in nothing other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; through him we are saved and set free. May God have mercy upon us and bless us; may he make his face shine upon us and be merciful to us.’ Today’s reading is from the First Letter of Peter. 1 Peter 1:18-25 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures for ever.’ That word is the good news that was announced to you. Peter tells us that we have been “ransomed from futile ways”. Can you think of an example of “futile ways”? We hear that obedience to the truth leads to "genuine mutual love”, a love that moves “deeply from the heart”. Where do you recognise this playing out in your walk of faith? “The word of the Lord endures forever…the good news that was announced to you”. As you listen to the passage again, can you hear it all as “good news” afresh? 1 Peter 1:18-25 You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was destined before the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures for ever.’ That word is the good news that was announced to you. What would you like to say now to the Lord, whose word endures forever? 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 26 May 2026 - The last will be first

Tuesday 26 May 2026 Today is Tuesday the 26th of May, the feast of Saint Philip Neri, in the 8th week of Ordinary Time. Jon Guerra sings, ‘Take Up Your Cross’. How does this song speak to you today? If anyone would come after me Let him deny himself Take up his cross Follow me If anyone would come after me Let him deny himself Take up his cross Follow me Whoever would save his life Will lose it Whoever loses his life for me Will find it If anyone claims to worship God Let him give all away Take up his cross Follow me Whoever would save his life Will lose it Whoever loses his life for me Will find it What would it profit a man If he gains the whole world And forfeits his soul What would it profit a man at all What would it profit a man If he dies with a barn full of silver and gold What would it profit a man at all If anyone would come after me Let him deny himself Take up his cross Follow me Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 10:28-31 Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ In this reading, Peter is starting to wonder “What’s in it for us?” or perhaps “What is the point of this discipleship?”. Have you ever felt like this? How did you handle it? Jesus replies that everyone who accepted the invitation to discipleship “will receive a hundredfold”. Have you found that to be true in your life? Jesus says, “many who are first will be last”. What does this mean to you? Prepare to hear the passage read a second time, listening with an attentive awareness... Mark 10:28-31 Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ Finally, as you look back over these last few minutes, what really stands out for you. Could you turn that into a prayer to God? 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 26 May 2026 - The last will be first

Tuesday 26 May 2026 Today is Tuesday the 26th of May, the feast of Saint Philip Neri, in the 8th week of Ordinary Time. Jon Guerra sings, ‘Take Up Your Cross’. How does this song speak to you today? If anyone would come after me Let him deny himself Take up his cross Follow me If anyone would come after me Let him deny himself Take up his cross Follow me Whoever would save his life Will lose it Whoever loses his life for me Will find it If anyone claims to worship God Let him give all away Take up his cross Follow me Whoever would save his life Will lose it Whoever loses his life for me Will find it What would it profit a man If he gains the whole world And forfeits his soul What would it profit a man at all What would it profit a man If he dies with a barn full of silver and gold What would it profit a man at all If anyone would come after me Let him deny himself Take up his cross Follow me Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Mark. Mark 10:28-31 Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ In this reading, Peter is starting to wonder “What’s in it for us?” or perhaps “What is the point of this discipleship?”. Have you ever felt like this? How did you handle it? Jesus replies that everyone who accepted the invitation to discipleship “will receive a hundredfold”. Have you found that to be true in your life? Jesus says, “many who are first will be last”. What does this mean to you? Prepare to hear the passage read a second time, listening with an attentive awareness... Mark 10:28-31 Peter began to say to him, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you.’ Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields, with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’ Finally, as you look back over these last few minutes, what really stands out for you. Could you turn that into a prayer to God? 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