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   Number 1: Sunday 6 September 2026 - Love one another

   Sunday 6 September 2026 Today is Sunday the 6th of September, beginning the 23rd week of Ordinary Time. ‘God is nothing but love’. As you hear Paul Zach sing these words with The Porter’s Gate, notice how you feel about this idea: God is nothing but love. Let it fill your heart as you begin to pray. God is nothing but love Dare to give all for love Give yourselves without fear Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Romans 13:8-10 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. We are now coming very near to the end of Paul’s rather long and difficult letter to the Romans; and here he is getting them to think about how they might live together as Christians in Rome. Paul tells them that the only thing that matters is that they should “love one another”. What is your true response to hearing this? Paul tells them that love fulfils all the commandments. How does this kind of love play out in your life? As you listen again, simply reflect on the love of God in your life and how you reflect it to others... Romans 13:8-10 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet’; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. What would you like to say to the Lord as this time of prayer comes to a close? Where is love prompting you today? 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

   September 06, 2026·12min
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   Number 2: Saturday 5 September 2026 - The movements of God

   Saturday 5 September 2026 On Saturdays we like to look prayerfully and reflectively back at how we have done during this week, in both our activities and our praying, to get used to seeing where God has been present. This time of Examen isn’t a memory test (many of us can barely remember yesterday!) Instead, this is a moment to let God show you the movements of God, and the movements of your heart. If you’re finding it hard, simply ask for help, or return to a point of gratitude you have. Take a moment to slow down. Become aware of your breathing. To begin, let up to three things surface in your mind, possibly, but not necessarily, three moments in prayer, when you felt the touch of God this week. Now recall just two things for which you would like to tell God that you are sorry. Finally, think of just one thing that you are being challenged to work on in the coming week, and ask for God’s help.

   September 05, 2026·8min
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   Number 3: Saturday 29 August 2026 - This present moment

   Saturday 29 August 2026 Welcome to the Saturday Examen. Our theme this week has been preparing our hearts for the return of the Lord. As you begin the examen today, take time to arrive and to rest in his loving presence. Sit comfortably and become attentive to this present moment. If anything distracts you, notice it, then come gently back to the present moment. Become aware of the pace of your breathing. Take two deep breaths in and out. Then settle at the core of your being, imagine that your soul coming to rest in the Lord. We started our week with Jesus noticing Nathaneal, seeing that he was a man without deceit. The Lord is with you, so have a moment of quiet and simply letting him see you, just as you are on the outside and inside. As an excerpt of each daily scripture from the past week is read, let them remind you of your week in prayer, and perhaps notice which reading most moves you today. 'Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”' 'Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, he is coming to judge the earth.' 'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth.' 'Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.' 'As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’' Stay with the reading that has stood out to you and begin to speak with the Lord about this. You might like to ask God to help you carry this verse into the week ahead too. As you come to the end of your prayer, pray for the week ahead, knowing that the Holy Spirit goes before you and will remain with 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

   August 29, 2026·10min
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   Number 4: Wednesday 2 September 2026 - You are God's field

   Wednesday 2 September 2026 Today is Wednesday the 2nd of September, in the 22nd week of Ordinary Time. The monks of Pluscarden Abbey sing Ecce quam bonum: “How good and how pleasant it is when brothers and sisters live together in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes.” As you listen, reflect on the joy of unity; on the consolation that community can bring. Today’s reading is from Saint Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. The problem here is that the Corinthians have been squabbling. Does the passage resonate with any of your church or community experiences at all? It seems that there is tension in Corinth, about those who had preached the gospel to them; in this case it is “Paul” and “Apollos” who represent the different factions. How does Paul try to deal with the tension? As you hear the passage again, imagine you are hearing it afresh, as if you were a Corinthian receiving the message for the first time, with all the arguments happening around you... 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. In these closing moments, speak with God as one friend speaks to another about any tensions in your life concerning other people...listen to what God says in return... it could surprise 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

   September 02, 2026·13min
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   Number 5: Friday 28 August 2026 - Wise and foolish

   Friday 28 August 2026 Today is Friday the 28th of August, the feast of Saint Augustine, in the 21st week of Ordinary Time. Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum: My eyes are on the Lord God. As you journey through your life, are your eyes on the Lord? Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Like the deer that yearns for running streams So my soul is yearning for my God My tears have become my bread day and night As I hear it said: 'Where is your God?′ Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum By day the Lord will send His loving Spirit By night I will sing praises to the God of my life Send out Your light and Your truth as my guide To lead me to Your holy ground Oculi mei ad Dominum Deum Then shall I go to the God of my joy Singing praise, praise on the lyre and the harp Why so downcast my soul? Put your hope and trust in my Saviour, my God Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 25:1-13 ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.’ Wise and foolish. If we tend to arrive late to occasions, we might feel some sympathy for the foolish bridesmaids. In this parable Jesus is speaking about being well prepared for his return, when he will be the bridegroom. The bridesmaids need to trim their lamps to ensure that they have enough light. What preparations might you need to make to ensure that you would be ready for the hour when Jesus returns? When the bridegroom arrives, the wise bridesmaids accompany him into the wedding banquet. Try to imagine the procession of glowing lamps lighting up the hall, the lavish banquet, the joy of the wedding guests as they welcome the bridegroom, adorned in his wedding clothes, and try to imagine the jubilation that will be felt when the long wait is over. As you listen to the reading again, notice the activity of the foolish bridesmaids. Matthew 25:1-13 ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.’ “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” On his feast day, we remember St. Augustine as being someone known for overcoming his worldly desires through his passion for the Lord. So, as we approach the end of our prayer time today, consider: how can I keep my heart of love lit, aflame, and ready for the moment when the Lord arrives? 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

   August 28, 2026·15min
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