The prayer of the birds

A very powerful message on prayer from the Early Church Father Tertullian in this morning’s Office of Readings.  ‘Prayer is the one thing that can conquer God’, he writes.  This alone is a very beautiful thought – that we have the power to ‘conquer God’.  Then he goes on to a very beautiful paragraph: ‘All the angels pray. Every creature prays. Cattle and wild beasts pray and bend the knee. As they come from their barns and caves they look out to heaven and call out, lifting up their spirit in their own fashion. The birds too rise and lift themselves up to heaven: they open out their wings, instead of hands, in the form of a cross, and give voice to what seems to be a prayer.    What more need be said on the duty of prayer? Even the Lord himself prayed. To him be honour and power for ever and ever. Amen.’  I love the thought that the birds with their wings outstretched echo the shape of the cross.  This great teacher also offers some profound comparisons between Christian prayer and prayer in the times of the Old Covenant.  It was Carmel that drew me to include the Office of Readings in my daily routine, and I am so grateful for that.

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Theresa K, Fr Jon Bielowski (Plymouth Diocese), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children), Marie

Illness:  Katy Keeling

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Mark – brain infection

Michael – youngster with occult influences

Defence of the unborn and the elderly

RIP Connor Calleja (20 yrs old)