Pray As You Go - Daily Prayer

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

Monday 25 May 2026 - Here is your mother

Monday 25 May 2026 Today is Monday the 25th of May, the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, in the 8th week of Ordinary Time. The Gaudete Ensemble sings Ave Maria by Margaret Rizza: ‘Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with you.’ Today’s reading is from the Gospel of John. John 19:25-27 Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. Today we celebrate the memory of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. Our reading gives us an agonising picture of that 'motherhood'. The dying Jesus is attended by his mother and Mary Magdalene and 'the disciple whom he loved'. What emotions are going through them at this moment? “Here is your son”…”here is your mother”. Hold the weight of this moment with the Lord now. What is Jesus really saying to them here? “The disciple took her into his own home”. Spend some time imagining their life after this moment... What is it like? What would you like to ask them? Now listen as the passage is read for you once more. This time what do you find touches you most? John 19:25-27 Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. As this time of prayer comes to a close, speak with Jesus about what has arisen for you. What is staying with you? Linger there with the Lord. 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

Sunday 24 May 2026 - A violent wind

Sunday 24 May 2026 Today is Pentecost Sunday, the 24th of May. Juliano Ravanello sings Veni creator spiritus: Come, Creator Spirit. On this Pentecost Sunday, you might like to invite the Holy Spirit to bring a fresh experience of the God of love today. Today’s reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. Acts 2:1-11 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ Have you ever had the experience of being in a foreign country, or a place where people speak differently, and unexpectedly hearing someone speak your mother tongue, or your local dialect? Can you remember what that felt like? The surprise? The strangely familiar words and cadences? That moment of feeling a little bit “at home”? Is that, perhaps, one way that God speaks to you? When you feel you are being told something that somehow, and perhaps a little strangely, is not alien, not foreign, but from deep within you, “at home” in you, already in your mouth and in your heart? And have you ever had the experience of managing to communicate with someone even though you don’t speak their language? By pointing, perhaps, or signing, or by the expression on your face? ....managing to understand each other because there are basic human experiences we all share – and needs, and desires, and hopes – so that we easily recognise them in others? Might that too be a way in which God communicates with you? Speaking to you not in words, but in your experiences, in your needs, your desires and hopes, stirring feelings in your heart – or, less poetically, in your gut! – reaching you in a way that you just instinctively recognise? The Pentecost scene described here is a vivid and colourful one – tongues of fire, a powerful wind... As the passage is read again, how does the scene play out in your mind’s eye? What did it all look like, and sound like? Acts 2:1-11 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ Our day-to-day lives, on the whole, are probably a little less spectacular than that dramatic scene, but the Holy Spirit is no less present to us now than it was to them, then. There may not be tongues of flame and the sound of a powerful wind, but God’s Spirit is present here now, present in this place, present within you, because you are a temple of the Holy Spirit. Knowing that God’s Spirit is with you right now, what do you want to say to him? Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. Amen

Saturday 23 May 2026 - Living better

Saturday 23 May 2026 Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Ask God for the light to see, beyond your capacities, God's work this week. Start by reviewing the week, day by day, just noticing those things that stand out. How did those moments leave you feeling? Hopeful, trusting, loving? Dry, despondent, frustrated? When you recall those moments, how close or distant did you feel God's presence, pointers or nudges? This week what are you thankful, or grateful for, or what has pleasantly surprised you? Call to mind all those people in your life you have commitments towards; how can you better live out those commitments? Take time to ask God for help living better those commitments next week and express thanks for the week that has been. 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