“We should make a dwelling place within ourselves where He can stay, He who is Lord God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” (St Francis of Assisi “The Rule of 1221”) Supreme One, I dream on, for I hope. I hope to go deeper in friendship with You. I long to go higher in worship of You. I would like to possess You more fully daily. I ask for You to possess me entirely, always. Please send me Your Spirit to this end. I cannot make You a dwelling place without Him. He is the Spirit of deference, of reverence. It was Your very own Spirit who called me, Called me to come and discover You, As the living Lord, our Father’s gift, My eternal Brother, Companion and beloved Teacher Saviour. Formerly I knew none of this, but wanted to. Your Spirit awakened my desire further, thank You. A dwelling place for You, Lord Jesus, Is not a building, nor church, nor cathedral, However imposing and grand and inspiring. You want to be within us, a part of our being, To this end You instituted the Holy Eucharist, Available to us as a grace and an anointed joyous favour. “...a dose of joy is a spiritual cure.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) We savour the moment we taste of Your company, We long to belong to You fully and to become holy. In the silence of reverence we can talk with You, A heart to heart, warm, open communion, The kind of union love necessitates for devotion, For emotion as love is vital to us, to love You, Lord Jesus. You are our safety, security in love’s generosity. You are our liberty from all that is evil. We want You to be fully at home in us. The invitation has to taste and see of God’s goodness. Christ Jesus, our Christmas Eucharist, still with us, You are our faith, our trust and our dependency. As we feel at home with You, comfortably, Let us offer You a home in us, our heart wide open. Come, dwell there as we journey on together, A blood bought son or daughter with Christ his (her) Saviour. The door to our heart is open for You and we rejoice. A dwelling place in the heart is the start of a life Given to our Father, by Your Spirit, honouring You, Lord Jesus. Then we look at the world differently, looking with eyes of faith. Thank You for feeding our spirit with Your body and blood. “May the power of the Holy Spirit work in us in such a way that we will always overflow with hope, expecting God’s best.” (based on Romans 15 v 13 The Truth) “The fullness of joy is to behold God in all.” (St Julian of Norwich 1343-1416) This is what You help me to do, Lord Jesus, all thanks to sending me Your life changing Holy Spirit, that together You are invaluable to me. You are my Teacher. You show me that peace which it is impossible to gain in the world. I have come to realise that peace lies not just in resignation to our Father’s will, but realisation that His will is the best for me. You convince me that Your life is perfect for You are the Father’s beloved Son, glorious and truthful, right in all You say and do. You share this quality with those who believe in You, gifting us a new birth full of hope, thank You. Your loving kindness is so good to know, such an amazing blessing, Lord. You are eternal kindness, eternal goodness and our eternal holiness. We are lost without You, lost to the hope of heaven. “For there is only one God and One who mediates between God and men, it is You, Lord Jesus, born as a man, the One who gave Yourself as a sacrifice on behalf of all men, to pay the necessary price to restore us to God.” (based on 1 Timothy 2 v 5 The Truth) Therefore I value You as Teacher and esteem You as my Saviour, enabling me to pray and seek mercy daily. I can ask for mercy because of being united with You in body. I can too, expect mercy for Your sanctifying blood was poured out at the †to save me. Thank You that the Holy Spirit unites us with Your infinite merits so we can approach the throne of grace. “Answer my prayers O LORD, for Your unfailing love is wonderful. Take care of me, for Your mercy is so plentiful.” (Psalm 69 v 16 NLT) I need Your help continuously, Lord Jesus. As both Saviour and Teacher You show me unconditional love, love in all its holy characteristics, that love You always exhibit in all You say and do. You convince me that faith fundamentally is about love. The things which will remain eternally are faith, hope and love, I learn. But the most important of these is love. Surely that is because faith is based upon love, the Trinity’s love for us and our love in return. Also hope is founded upon knowing Your love personally, being a recipient. It is the saving grace of Your ever loving Spirit gifted us who builds up our hope. Lord, it is all too easy to feel a failure as I make errors of judgment and fail to deal sufficiently with flaws of character. But mercifully You send me the uplifting Spirit. I am so grateful to our Father’s mercies for this process which develops our faith. We learn of You, Lord Jesus, we turn to You and commit ourselves to You, prayerfully and regularly. In turn You offer us the world! You help us to know You and the Father as one, together with the all loving Holy Spirit. I gain Your friendship Lord Jesus, and I gain the Trinity. At Your banqueting table I receive Your real presence. I am filled with awe. I see a miracle happen, visibly at the hands of the priest, but actually by the work of the Holy Spirit. United with Your body and cleansed by Your blood, I can offer our Father all my intentions for the glory of the Holy Trinity, for I become a part of You. My sanctity is in You, Lord Jesus, my safety and security, my hope, my peace and my highest joy, that life enhancing, life fulfilling joy of Your being. I can plead before the throne of mercy feeling confident of being heard and answered. I can rely upon the answer being the best, not merely some human’s reasoning nor wishful thinking. Lord, You set truth before me and I am grateful for this certainly. Your wisdom is so beneficial. You open my eyes by Your Spirit, to make each day a journey of discovery in faith. This journey is both exacting and rewarding. I seek to draw closer to You and the Holy Spirit enables this to happen. Thank You for gifting me a love of the sacred Scriptures. Lord Jesus, it is of great benefit to regard You as the living Word of God’s truth, the holy wisdom we must live by. And in addition, You are our atonement for failure. O Lord, how different life is once we claim You, name You as Saviour, our Redeemer. And although sometimes my progress in sharing Your holiness is too slow, I remain hopeful. “I do not claim to have received all that God has for me, neither have I yet been made perfect. But I am always moving forward to take hold of everything that You have planned to give me when You laid hold of my life.” (based on Philippians 3 v 12 The Truth) I want to know You in all Your fullness Lord Jesus. I realise that this may have to include suffering, because that is a part of life. I ask for the support of Your Spirit at all times, to strengthen me. May the Holy Spirit make me fully compliant with Your teaching and instructions, no half-heartedness in my response. May I do all that I am asked to do, equipped to do, and do it well. I ask to be fully alert and attentive to the faith blessing, life upbuilding Spirit, enabling me to offer all thanks and praise for my liberation from the condemnation of sinful failure. The past is passed and cannot be undone, but mercifully You tell us not to worry about this, but to rely upon our Father’s merciful, ever loving kindness, in His sending You as my Saviour. I am so grateful to receive of Your Spirit, so a new principle of love now lives in me. The Holy Spirit sets us free through You, Lord Jesus. “Under the law I could not do what God wanted because of my weak, sinful nature.” (Romans 8 v 3 The Truth) This frustration could have overwhelmed me. But Your Spirit shows me I am one of Your countless good works in progress. I thank You, esteem You, exalt and glorify You, dear Friend, Saviour and Teacher. You make my life to be a sinless offering to our Father. You are my saving, sanctifying Brother. The Holy Eucharist is such an invaluable part of this salvation and sanctification. I ask please, to be always led by Your Spirit, enabling me to make You my life’s focus. To live through You, alert to Your Holy Spirit, means I can share in our Father’s love, know His mercy, gain His peace, all because You are my Saviour. All praise and thanks ever, ever be, as You enrich life way beyond all that I could ask or imagine. Amen. 30.12.20 Sue O’Donnell

“ ‘I am the way, the truth and the life’.” (John 14 v 6) God’s love gifts us a fuller life, Fuller because it is holier. Happier too, because of holiness, The life we share in Christ Jesus. God’s love means we lack no good thing. All things necessary for our existence Are lovingly, generously provided for. Provision comes in generous abundance. Life is bathed in God’s magnificence. The Lord Jesus fully alive in us, Is God with us, by the Spirit, The One ever promoting holiness. “May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in You.” (Psalm 25 v 21 NLT) All excellence in life is God given. Biblical truth has to be practised. The example of Christ Jesus is actually perfect. We must pray to live as He does, Making service in love our daily dedication, As we call upon the Spirit of motivation. He draws life out of us according to love, The law of love as witnessed in Christ Jesus. Our faith in Christ Jesus has to be a witness, A witness to all we do and say in love. May we be guided as we pray, For joy awaits all who place their life in Christ Jesus. “I will thank the LORD because He is just; I will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.” (Psalm 7 v 17 NLT) “I trust in the LORD for protection.” (Psalm 11 v 1 NLT) Father God, let us ever thank and praise You for the fullness of life we experience in turning to the Lord Jesus, claiming our belonging to Him. Let us pray joyously. For the hope we hold in Christ Jesus, let us pray expectantly. “True wisdom and power are found in God; counsel and understanding are His.” (Job 12 v 13 NLT) For the wisdom that comes through expectant joyous prayer, let us pray gratefully. “How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in Him should ponder them.” (Psalm 111 v 2 NLT) For all that we learn through the words of life, and the death of the Lord Jesus, let us pray confidently. “For the LORD grants wisdom! From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” (Proverbs 2 v 6 NLT) For the truth the Holy Spirit safeguards us by, let us pray. “He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.” (Proverbs 2 v 7 NLT) For the safety and security we enjoy as we place our life in Jesus, let us pray for a continuous help in developing holiness. “He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him.” (Proverbs 2 v 8 NLT) For us to be the servants of holy wisdom and truth, justice and peace, all gifted us in the Son, by the Spirit, according to the gracious love of God. Let us pray daily. “Then you will understand what is right, just and fair, and you will find the right way to go.” (Proverbs 2 v 9 NLT) Amen. 29.01.21 Sue O’Donnell

What makes the longevity of our Christmas seasonal festivity? Does outside need to be sunny? Do the steeple bells have to ring To bring in the joy of Christmas morn, When God’s own Son is born to Mary? Do we have to know exactly how many wise men Travelled from the Orient and whether they were Magi? What about all that is decorative, And certainly iconic like holly and a Christmas tree? Then what about the favourite robin Perched merrily atop a snow laden scarlet pillar box? What is it that unlocks our imagination? A silver thread of thought can wind its way Across the golden labyrinth of memory. Shepherds hurried to see the Baby born to Mary. We recall He is born in a stark, animal stall. So why all the colour, glitz and glamour, Always widely surrounding the Christmas festivity? All that really matters is the factual Nativity, The truth that the Christ Child was born amongst us. He is the holy One to save us from sinfulness. In this lies our full and eternal happiness. So what really makes our Christmas festivity? It is the Child born to Mary and foster father Joseph. It is He who sets love alight for us Shining as the bright light cutting across our darkness. Whatever causes the darkness, Jesus’ love for us Can obliterate the sadness and dark shadows. All that is asked of us is to pray. Pray and recall the amazing meaning of Christmas, This season that belongs to Christ Jesus, Our Brother, the promised Messiah, our Saviour. All that is actually necessary is faith. Faith given by the Holy Spirit, driven forwards That we find peace in sin’s release, And contented happiness in our progress in holiness. How do we portray such heartfelt happiness? Simply look at the Christmas joy of any girl or boy Too young to understand the season meaningfully, But trusting that something exciting is happening. The story of Father Christmas although delightfully happy, is imaginary. The narrative of the Nativity is factual. Christ Jesus was born amongst us for our joy, In a specified time and place in human history. This is the certainty we need for our Christmas festivity, And the longevity of the happiness far exceeding the season. As Jesus is the reason for Christmas, He is too, the Person who ensures our holiness, Lending, sending His own Spirit to accomplish this. Holiness and happiness, no one should miss out on this. Let us then spread the good news of Christmas. The Saviour is born amongst us in a Baby Boy, Hope, peace and joy have become ours to claim. Our Christmas Festivity ends with the Epiphany. This is a celebratory finale to emphasise, The wonder of meaningful discovery, an answer given. The three wise men, or Magi as they are frequently called, Travelled afar as they followed a star. It led them to Herod in Jerusalem, then on again. They were determined to find the new born King of the Jews, Who was born to set up a heavenly reign upon earth. The Saviour birth had long been foretold. What drove the earnestness of the Magi, Whose discovery caused them to kneel and worship? It could only have been the Holy Spirit of revelation, He who enlightens and builds on the dedication of faith in Christ Jesus. A memorable end to a truly momentous story. The Nativity of Christ Jesus is our Christmas festivity. The discovery of the Magi is our revelation too, Through the blessed work of the Spirit ever holy. The beauty of life is God given, Both in nature and features of personality, Where such beauty lies in faith’s depth, The height it soars too, the breadth of life it covers. Holiness is us alive in Christ Jesus, The discovery of Christmas hope, peace and joy Come to us in Mary’s Baby Boy. We see His glory; the glory as of The One and Only Son, come to us as Saviour. May the beauty of innocence within childhood Ever be protected and promoted by true love, That love offered us by Christ Jesus, Fully gracious gift of our Father, Holy Spirit encouraged. “Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, Give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD, the glory due His name, Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29 v 1, 2) Let us offer all thanks for the hope, the peace and the joy found in the festivity of Christmas, our discovery that “The LORD sits as King forever. The Lord will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace,” (v 10, 11) now and eternally. All praise, all thanks and all glory ever, ever be. Amen. 06.01.21 Sue O’Donnell

Bite of ginger turmeric, terrific. Spice of cinnamon orange, tangy. Burst of pink ice, nice. Crunch of brown carrot cake, take. Sweetness of white icing, frosting. Hint of ripening berry, sherry. Delicious coffee cappuccino, frothy. Indulgence of brown dark chocolate, fantastic. Richness of double cream, a dream. Ripeness of red raspberry, tutti fruiti. Freshness of green mint, a hint. Sharpness of lemon lime, fine. “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34 v 8) Lord God, how many delicious flavours You have gifted us to add to life’s richness. Thank You so much. Amen. 01.08.20 Sue O’Donnell

The trees are decorated, Stockings are hung, Tonight is the night Someone special will come! Santa Claus busy on his way, Presents piled high loading his sleigh. He comes to all children, Showing such loving kindness. May this be a reminder Of the arrival of Christ Jesus, His heart of love Is why we celebrate Christmas, Santa and Jesus both come with a purpose, A purpose for which our Father in heaven wishes. Therefore He portrayed to all mankind A love truly beneficial we can readily find. For whereas Saint Nicholas’ kindness is confined to Christmas, The Child we call ‘Jesus’ will ever be with us. Ever amongst us God’s kindly love and mercy to show Encouraging us in this love our faith to grow. For the lasting benefits of Christmas are joy indeed. Love tends to smother whatever their need. True love likes to give, give and give. This is the reason why Jesus did live. He was born with a holy purpose. Love comes to earth tangibly at Christmas. A season opens of goodwill to all men, Holiness offers us happiness again and again. The long lasting message of this time of year, Is the Lord God of heaven to earth draws near. Jesus our joy is the ever living hope, Love finds a way with plenty of scope. Every kindly act of self giving, A sign that the Lord Jesus still is living. For the story of Christmas, the Nativity When to Mary, in a stable is born a Baby, This is no ordinary, everyday birth, A thing most miraculous has happened on earth. We love Him because He first loved us, Love is God’s meaning and message at Christmas. Joy to our world, each and every day, Love born as Jesus in a manger lay. Goodwill is truly sent on its heavenly way. Let this kindness move freely amongst us, The world will see we’ve been influenced by Jesus. Lord, when the angels appeared in the night sky, announcing the wonderful news of the Lord Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, the words they sang said: “ ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men’.” (Luke 2 v 14). Now it is up to us to make this a reality. May it happen for this truly would be joy to the earth. Amen. 19.12.20 Sue O’Donnell

“Your faith will enable you to be one with Jesus Christ when He is revealed in His full praise, glory and honour.” (1 Peter 1 v 7 The Truth) In the meantime however, I say as I pray: My Lord, My life, My hope, My purpose, My progress, I admire and esteem You, All You do, All You say, All You stand for, All You offer us on the †. All You did suffer for us. “With joy we will draw water out of the wells of salvation.” (based on Isaiah 12 v 3) I admire and extol You, My Saviour, My Brother, My Shepherd, My King, My All. I praise and thank You, Honour and adore You, Bow low before You. Lord Jesus, God with us, Christ the King, My Everything. “I have never seen you in the flesh, yet still I love You. Even though I cannot see You physically now, I still believe in You and are filled with a tremendous sense of glorious joy!” (based on 1 Peter 1 v 8 The Truth, personalised) “For even now I am in the process of receiving the objective of my faith, the salvation of my soul.” (based on 1 Peter 1 v 9 The Truth, personalised) My Redeemer, my Restorer, my Renewer, my Word from God, my hope, my peace, my joy, my gladness, my assurance, my deliverance. “Because I have now received this revelation I need to have the mindset of one who is ready for action and will be self controlled in my way of life.” I think of all believers in the King of Glory, who “Have already received grace from God, so our hope for the future is that this grace will be given to us fully when Jesus Christ returns. We are called to be obedient children,” (1 Peter 1 v 13, 14 The Truth, personalised) therefore let us pray. Amen. 02.08.20 Sue O’Donnell

“You made known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16 v 11 ESV) Live life in the Holy Spirit. What joy, hope and peace you will inherit. For it is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, Our Father of love gifts us. This Spirit of holiness is a reflection Of all that the Father is, Kindly, just, true to mercy, Being filled by love, A love offered us in the Lord Jesus. He reflects our Father’s personality In all His individuality and humanity. “May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you His favour and give you His peace.” (Numbers 6 v 24, 25, 26 NLT) Live life in the Holy Spirit. You gain access to this, The life and the love of Father and Son, What a joyous existence has begun. If you live prayerfully, uprightly, This joyous experience will continue Through thick and thin, up and down. No longer any need to frown! Life in the Holy Spirit gifts happiness in Jesus. “Now you have a new self that receives fresh revelation of God your Creator and makes you more and more like Him.” (Colossians 3 v 16 The Truth) We have been re-created anew Through Christ Jesus, in the Holy Spirit. We keep Jesus love uppermost amongst us By calling on His Spirit of holiness. “I will keep on hoping for Your help; I will praise You more and more... All day long I will proclaim Your saving power.” (Psalm 71 v 14, 15 NLT) We belong to the One who rescues us, From sin, from suffering, from separation. Jesus in the Spirit, is the strength of our faith. “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” (Philippians 4 v 8 NLT) As the answer to prayer, the Lord Jesus is our sure hope. Peace and love are His to gift To uplift minds and hearts heavenwards securely, For Jesus works with us through the Holy Spirit, That we come to recognise and respond to our Father’s loving plan, Our redemption, salvation and restoration are secured. More and more through the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, We become alert to the Father’s love for us. Trustingly we respond to holy mercy and faith flourishes. Life in the Holy Spirit is holiness, our happiness in Christ Jesus. “I will praise Your mighty deeds, O Sovereign LORD, I will tell everyone that You alone are just.” (Psalm 71 v 16 NLT) “Let me proclaim Your power to this new generation, Your mighty miracles to all who come after me.” (Psalm 71 v 18 NLT) Oh the joy that awaits us now and the joy that is yet to come eternally. Let us pray gratefully! Oh the peace re-established through forgiveness won for us at the † of the Lord Jesus. Let us pray rejoicingly. Oh the hope we live by, made sure and steadfast as the Lord Jesus takes up residence within us. Let us pray wholeheartedly. Oh the love we are freely offered to motivate our Christian service, to dedicate us to this endeavour. Let us pray continuously. Oh the support and strength we receive from the Holy Spirit ever at work with us. Let us pray confidently. Oh the impact upon daily life when we open to the Holy Spirit, making our Father and the Lord Jesus accessible to us. Let us pray appreciatively. Oh the difference to daily life when the Holy Spirit teaches the untaught and reaches the unreached. Let us pray imploringly. Oh the lifting of the curses of negativity, apathy and atheism, replaced by the blessings of faith in prayers of trust and dependency. Let us pray praisingly. Oh the breakthrough in faith when we respond to the Spirit of the Father and the Son. Let us pray trustingly. Oh the certainty that countless blessings are unfolding as the Holy Spirit draws us tirelessly into the love of the Holy Trinity. Let us pray exuberantly. Amen. 25.01.21 Sue O’Donnell

Slowly, gently the leaves drift down In autumn woodland and about the town. For the October wind plays its part To sever the leaf from its heart. Wander into woodland, you do not need to go far To discover just how many abandoned leaves there are. The leaves fall seasonally for the better, They heap up to make a deep leaf litter. What could be better for childhood delight Than a heap of leaves to plunder and scatter! Throw up in the air, watch floating down, Spread a colourful carpet on the ground, Where much of the fun is in the sound. Crunch, scrunch, make a new beach, Then dare to throw up in the air so high, Will these autumn leaves reach up to the sky? Childhood delight in all its simplicity, Is all that can happen in what is imaginary. The woods in autumn offer a wealth of opportunity. Every child should spend time out of doors exploratory. Make then the most of October’s fine weather, Before heavy rain and frost destroy the leaves forever. Yes, even then, the good thing is When childhood is happy, more fun comes along. For a child believes in the best which is His or her experience of life when allowed freely To experiment and explore in the great out of doors. How good is our Lord to make it so, Do you ever see a youngster bored? No! They make the most of everyday, Always finding something with which to play. Their interest very wide ranging indeed, The Lord God has provided for their inquisitive need. A need to be busy, to search, find and enjoy, So many a thing in the realm of each day. Yes, an autumn woodland is quite an adventure! As children venture to spend time with nature. Lord, childhood delight is Your gift to mankind. Thank You for making the earliest years of life one of exciting discovery. Amen. 28.10.20 Sue O’Donnell

Yesterday we celebrated the Epiphany, Reminding us of the importance of Christ Jesus. For these three men came from afar, Narrative tells us they followed a star. This led to Jerusalem, where they made ready, Enquiring ‘Where is this new born Baby?’ They asked of King Herod, the tyrannical ruler, Who feared for his role and authority. Fortunately the travellers were wise, Giving nothing away with regards to this Baby, The precious Son born to Mary, His cradle a stable! Insistent upon discovery the wise men journeyed on, Are we as persistent in our faith? Do we too, long for discovery With regards to this Baby, asking who He actually is? Why is He a King? Where is His kingdom? Who conferred regal authority upon Him? Somehow, we do not know how. I imagine it was the Holy Spirit. These wise men trusted their urgent need to discover, To uncover the facts as to who Christ Jesus is. We too, should do this with urgency. Who knows how many tomorrows are written into our personal history? The travellers brought to Jesus as gifts, The most expensive items they could imagine. What have we brought Him this Christmas? Will we like them, bow down and worship? Angels adore Him, His parents ponder. Mary His mother did treasure much in her heart. Christmas sees the start of a new realm for humanity. Our own identity lovingly linked with that of Christ Jesus, The Son of God was born for us! How truly marvellous, all glory be in the heavenly realm. And on earth, when the release of peace Which belongs to Christ Jesus, is extended by us. There is a point of significance in all of this. The biblical book of Proverbs tells us that Angels speak to those who – this is important – Silence their minds long enough to hear. We must then, live prayerfully seeking awareness of Christ Jesus. The more we do, the closer we will grow to know. The King of Glory, the Magi came to worship. We have exactly the same opportunity, Holy Spirit given that faith be driven forwards, With joy to the world in the Lord, Christ Jesus. Yes, holy love is born amongst us, let us now rejoice! Lord, dearest Father, for all the joys of the Christmas season, the Saviour of the world born to us, we praise and thank You. May the Holy Spirit always remind us of the importance of our faith in Christ Jesus, so we know Him as our hope, our peace and our joy. Our discovery must come through prayer and the careful study of the sacred Scriptures, the two ways to open up faith for us. May the Holy Spirit keep a firm hand upon us, of encouragement in the need to discover. Thank You that as we seek to find You, meeting with success in our Saviour Brother, according to the working of the Holy Spirit, life takes on an altogether different aspect. Whereas long ago You spoke at many times, in many places to our ancestors through the prophets, now You speak to us in the living and abiding Word of truth, Your Son, our Saviour. Thank You for His birth and all the ensuing blessings of faith. Amen. 07.01.21 Sue O’Donnell