The letionary today remembers St Thomas Aquinas, who was a pretty cool bloke setting a great example to commitment to vocation – despite being locked up by his parents and various tricks played such as having a ‘temptress’ thrown into his cell to attempt to cause him to deny his calling. It makes fascinating reading!

This story today has challenged me in my commitment to my calling.

In the Anglican church one of the canticles that could be read this morning was A Song of the Word for the Lord which is based on Isaiah 55, which has always been a special chapter in the Bible for me and one that I needed reminding of in my current mind state. It speaks of God’s thoughts being different and not necessarily making a lot of sense at the the time. But more than this, Is. 55 states clearly that God’s thoughts are higher – they may not make a lot of sense but they are higher,or purer and sounder, than my thoughts could ever be.

A key verse is:

Return to the Lord who will have mercy
to our God who will richly pardon.

Today we have an opportunity to let people know that they can return to a God who has mercy and accepts (which I believe is what I am called to do) – how come too often we are able to portray a God who judges and rejects?