Wednesday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time
Heb 2:14-18
Mk 1:29-39
In the morning, long before dawn, he got up and left the house, and went off to a lonely place and prayed there.
There is a sweet spot in the day, if one rises early enough, when the sun has yet to rise and the world has yet to awaken. I love that part of day. The air smells fresher and the trees smell greener, carried on the breeze of the promise of a new day. It is during this time that I feel most connected to my inner self and for me, the best time to talk to God.
My life has gotten terribly busy of late, and I miss those quiet moments. I do wake before dawn on most days, not to throw open my windows and breathe in the scent of a fresh morning, but mainly to tend to my young one. Even so, in that stillness when it is just my little one and me, I try to find that space to have a chat with God, before the worries of the day start clamouring for a piece of my mind.
Perhaps this craving for that quiet moment is telling me that my soul is missing my conversations with God, and isn’t that what prayer essentially is? A conversation with God? Maybe I have not done enough of it, waking up each day to respond to other’s needs instead of tending firstly to my inherent need to spend time with my Creator. Jesus spent quiet time with his Father first thing in the morning, in a deserted place with no one around, so that he could have a one-on-one conversation with Him without any distractions. In the stillness, we can prepare ourselves for prayer, to quieten our mind and breathe and open our hearts to God. In the stillness, we are also able to listen less to ourselves and more to God. Psalm 46:10 reminds us to “Be still and know that I am God,” to be in His presence.
As we start 2023 afresh, let prayer time be one of our goals, our daily practices, challenging as it may be. After a tumultuous year, I think we need more prayers. The world needs more prayers. Regardless of when and how you choose your time with God, let us strive to make our prayer time reflective, whilst acknowledging God’s presence and resting in that stillness with Him.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Annette Soo)
Prayer: Lord, as our troubles increase, instead of making more time with you, we spend less with you, in time and in meaning. Help us to understand that you hold all the help we need and the only way we can unlock this is through prayer with you. Help us make quiet time with you a daily practice, even if it is just to be still in your presence, Lord.
Thanksgiving: Thank you Lord, for our conversations, for giving me the opportunity to come to you as I am each time we speak. With you, there is no need to hide, for you know everything. Thank you for allowing me to pour out my soul to you and filling it back up with your spirit.
OXYGEN 
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