A disciple of Christ

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Let Nothing Disturb You

Today is Friday the 5th of June, the feast of Saint Boniface, in the 9th week of Ordinary Time.

Paul Zach and Page CXVI sing, ‘Let Nothing Disturb You’.

Don't let anything disturb you;

Don't let this make you afraid.


Though the worst is getting worse now,

All these things will pass away.

Every morning has a sunset;

Every dark night has a dawn.

Patience tells you you're not done yet:

Day will come, and you'll go on.

Though you're tired and you're frightened;

Though your dreams are full of dread, 


Ttill, the love of God suffices

For whatever lies ahead.

Though the world is bent on conquest,

All its riches turn to rust.


You have God, so you have all things:

God alone will be enough.

For the sands of time are shifting, 


But God's love will never change.


When that final veil is lifted, 


You'll see you've always known his face.

God is with you now at midnight;

God is with you now at noon.

If you fall or if you still fight,

God will not abandon you.

3:14

Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:10-17

Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

5:14

Ordinary Bones

Paul spells out the cost of discipleship in no uncertain terms to Timothy: “All who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. What’s your first response to this? How far does it match your own experience?

Even when he faces this persecution, Paul tells his younger friend and protégé, Timothy shouldn’t panic, but carry on living in the way that he has learned and believed in. Can you recall times when you’ve found that your own best course of action has been simply to move forward by doing what you believe in?

Paul points to scripture as a solid foundation for his faith. When have you found the words of the Bible to be particularly important to you?

Listening to these words of scripture again, notice especially what Paul says about his own life as a disciple of Christ.

8:33

2 Timothy 3:10-17

Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.

10:20

You might like, in these final moments of prayer, to speak with God about the value of scripture in your own life, or of persecutions you’ve experienced and how you have dealt with them.

12:16

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