Saturday - that's your day off isn't it?

Of course it is - everyone knows that the pastoral challenges all stop at midnight on a Friday and start again at ten on a Monday.

Today has been about writing, responding and generally clearing the backlog of paperwork in the study but that hasn't stopped the issues of others from popping up - in fact some of the people, without the hustle and bustle of the normal week find the weekend to be one of the most challenging times they have each week.

And when it goes wrong, who you gonna call?

The andswer is God (hopefully) and since God has made incarnacy something salvific and personal, why wouldn't people think that they need a warm body and audible voice with them? It doesn't need to be a priest that turns up but there is something about being presbyteros that makes sense in others wanting us around (and others still, for many reasons, not relishing the thought!).

Lord, where I was found, may your love, your truth and my integrity have.been found too.
Today in the lighter load may I have still be obviously yours in my thinking and my actions - may the encounters have built bridges, mended lives, demonstrated your love and cleaned the windows of the sound that your lights could illumine the darkest places.

For those caring for loved ones who are approaching the end of their lives, I pray for courage and comfort - and for those for whom they care, may they know the peace of the triune God at work in their lives.

For those who are lonely, may we be a place of acceptance and affirmation: to be lonely in a crowd is surely one of the greatest curses we can know. Make all we do and are be open-handed and welcoming and, in the most proper sense of the world, inclusive.

Bless all who are seeking to discern and respond to a call upon their life - help me to spark conversations and point them to the road that leads to the cross and to the fulfilment of the their baptismal calling.

Lord, give me rest and make me ready to preach your word wherever I go.

I love you.