Daily Prayer: a resource of Forward Movement

The Forward Day by Day Meditation for May 30, 2018

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WEDNESDAY, May 30

Matthew 14:8 Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter.”

While New Testament scholars are doubtful about the historical veracity of this particular story, what is almost certainly true is the capricious cruelty and darkness that marked the reign of Herod Antipas.

Multiple historical records describe Herod as an especially cruel tyrant, abusive of power and responsible for hundreds (if not thousands) of deaths during his time on the throne. This is significant— in part because Jesus is born during Herod’s reign, a sign of hope in the midst of darkness. In the Gospel of Luke, Mary’s Magnificat is sung with Herod’s cruelty in the background.

God’s presence can seem like a tiny spark in the midst of great darkness. How are we called to join in this work of being light in a dark world?

MOVING FORWARD: Light a candle as part of your prayer time today.

PRAY for the Diocese of Connecticut

Psalm 38 * 119:25-48 | Proverbs 17:1-20 | 1 Timothy 3:1-16 | Matthew 12:43-50