St Cecilia
Readings:
Apocalypse 10: 8-11
Luke 19: 45-48
Reflection:
The risk of two short readings at this time of year is that if you blink you miss them. As we approach the end of the Liturgical Year there is an increased anticipation of what still needs to be done before Christmas, and the end of the calendar year. The frenetic pace of life hardly gives us time to reflect on the here and now. And today we have Jesus clearing the temple. It seems timely that in the marketplace of life Jesus tells us clearly not to interfere with the ‘house of prayer’. A place where God comes first, a place of calm and reflection. A place to seek the wisdom and courage needed to face the hard decisions in life; the challenges of this time of year and above all a place to be with our Creator.
Today the Church also marks the feast of St Cecilia. We don’t pay much attention to Saints these days, but through years of learning music and singing (and the dreaded recorder) every lesson began and finished with the prayer ‘St Cecilia, offer our music to God’. No matter the talent or lack of it, it was an offering of praise. Perhaps that was what was lacking in the Temple courtyard and in our lives today.
I hope you find time for the house of prayer today.
Margaret Bentley is a Salesian Sister and is currently the Academic Manager at the English Language Studies for Pastoral Ministry (ELSPM) begun by the Passionists in 2014 to enable their students to learn English before continuing to the Novitiate or theological studies.