St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Brady, TX

06/17/2026

WEDNESDAY, June 17

MARINA THE MONK, Monastic, 5th century

Psalm 119:97. Oh, how I love your law! All the day long it is in my mind.

Oh, how I love your law!—with an exclamation mark, even? Okay, Goody Two-Shoes. That’s some next-level apple-polishing right there.

That was my first reaction to Psalm 119. And, to be honest, my current reaction, as well. I just don’t get it. I like scripture as much as the next person, but I wouldn’t say that I think about God’s law—or even God—all day long. If I’m honest, I don’t even want to. I know some people live a life of pure contemplation, but to me, it seems… I don’t know. Nerdy? Boring? Impossible?

There’s a concept from Ignatian spirituality: Desiring to desire. When we feel like we should want something but don’t, we can either feel guilty, or we can desire to desire it. We can pray for a transformation, asking God for a change of heart.

I can’t honestly say that Psalm 119 resonates with me, but I’m hopeful that it might someday. I desire to desire to love God’s law… so much that I want to add an exclamation mark.

MOVING FORWARD: What do you desire to desire?

PRAY for the Diocese of Ajayi Crowther (Nigeria)

Psalm 119: Mem, Psalm 119: Nun, Psalm 119: Samekh * Psalm 81, Psalm 82 | Num. 11:24-33[34-35] | Rom. 1:28-2:11 | Matt. 18:1-9

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06/16/2026

TUESDAY, June 16 JOSEPH BUTLER, Bishop and Theologian, 1752

Numbers 11:1a. Now when the people complained in the hearing of the Lord about their misfortunes, the Lord heard it, and his anger was kindled.

To get to the trailhead in our mountain town, you have to gain about 300 feet of altitude. There are two options to get there, and we’ve given them nicknames. There’s the Church Path, the official hiking trail, fairly steep but efficient, extending straight up the road from the village church. Then there’s an unofficial trail. It is much closer to our house and much quicker to the trailhead, but much, much steeper. We call this the 8 a.m. Path.

At my old church, the 10:30 sung Eucharist typically featured the epistle, the psalm, and the gospel; at the earlier spoken Eucharist, all three of the scriptures were read, along with the Old Testament. I asked why once, and our priest replied jokingly that people who get up early enough to come to the 8 a.m. service are tough enough to handle four lessons.

That’s how the 8 a.m. Path got its name: it’s like the Church Path, only tougher. We don’t always take it—sometimes we’re too tired—but it’s worth it when we do.

MOVING FORWARD: Which path do you need to take today?

PRAY for the Diocese of Aipo Rongo (Papua New Guinea)

Psalm 78: Part I * Psalm 78: Part II | Num. 11:1-23 | Rom. 1:16-25 | Matt. 17:22-27

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06/15/2026

MONDAY, June 15 EVELYN UNDERHILL, Mystic and Writer, 1947

Romans 1:11a-12b. For I am longing to see you ... so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

I never signed up to be a eucharistic visitor; like with so many ministries, I was conscripted by the Holy Spirit. My church, Emmanuel, in Geneva, Switzerland, is the only Episcopal church in the country. We live four hours away from the church building and thus are “hybrid” members, making it to church in person every six weeks or so.

One day, the rector got an email from a couple in California asking whether it would be possible to provide pastoral care for their elderly mother, who lived in Switzerland. She wasn’t anywhere close to Geneva, but, it turns out, she was just ten minutes away from our tiny mountain town. The Lord works in mysterious ways, including geographically.

My husband and I now visit her regularly. We bring communion, which I collect in my little wooden eucharistic visitor kit whenever we’re in Geneva and transport cross-country. The three of us share together in the Eucharist, and, each time, I leave the visit having been strengthened by her spirit and encouraged by her faith.

MOVING FORWARD: Who has strengthened you? Thank them for their care.

PRAY for the Diocese of Ahoada (Nigeria)

Psalm 80 * Psalm 77, Psalm 79 | Num. 9:15-23,10:29-36 | Rom. 1:1-15 | Matt. 17:14-21

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06/14/2026

SUNDAY, June 14
The Third Sunday after Pentecost

Genesis 18:15. But Sarah denied, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “Oh yes, you did laugh.”

In this situation, laughing is understandable. Sarah overheard something that surprised her—that she would bear a son, despite her age. She wasn’t expecting it, and it didn’t make sense, so she laughed.

We laugh for all sorts of reasons. There’s normal laughter, when things are funny, and nervous laughter, when things are not. We laugh when we’re stressed, confused, and scared. Nervous laughter is a defense mechanism; it helps us to steel ourselves against anxiety. We choose to laugh, especially when the alternative is to cry.

What Sarah heard wasn’t funny. It was surprising, but I suspect, somehow, that she knew it was true… and that made her nervous. Her mistake wasn’t laughing; it was denying it. Her mistake wasn’t in being surprised, confused, or scared; it was in hiding it. God can handle our surprise, anxiety, and confusion. It’s denying those emotions that can get us in trouble. God wants to hear us laugh and cry…and laugh again.

MOVING FORWARD: What do you need to offer to God wholeheartedly?

PRAY for the Church of the Province of South East Asia

Genesis 18:1-15; (21:1-7) | Psalm 116:1,10-17 | Romans 5:1-8 | Matthew 9:35-10:8,(9-23)

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06/13/2026

SATURDAY, June 13 THE FIRST BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, 1549

Galatians 6:11. See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!

If I were still in my tattoo phase, I would consider getting Galatians 6:11 inked onto my inner wrist. It would be ironic, of course; it’s not Philippians 4:13 or Jeremiah 29:11. If someone saw the chapter/verse and happened to look it up, it would not be what they expected.

But the ultimate irony is that I really do love this verse. It marks the point in Galatians where Paul took over from the scribe and finished writing on his own—the equivalent of typing and printing a twelve-page letter, and then signing it in ink with a handwritten PS.

Paul’s PS shows personality. The large, looping letters of Paul’s less-practiced hand would have contrasted sharply with the rest of the tight, orderly, scribe-written text. This line is lighthearted, which is not what you’d expect at the end of a letter that features phrases like “You foolish Galatians!” and “I’m afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.” This image is what resonates with me most—it shows that all his admonitions came from a place of love.

MOVING FORWARD: What passage of scripture has significant meaning for you? Why?

PRAY for the Diocese of Aguata (Nigeria)

Psalm 75, Psalm 76 * Psalm 23, Psalm 27 | Num. 3:1-13 | Gal. 6:11-18 | Matt. 17:1-13

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06/12/2026

FRIDAY, June 12 ENMEGAHBOWH, Priest and Missionary, 1902

Psalm 69:17. Let not the torrent of waters wash over me, neither let the deep swallow me up; do not let the Pit shut its mouth upon me.

There’s an old joke about a man sitting on his porch, praying, as floodwaters rise. A police officer drives up and tells the man he should evacuate immediately. “No,” says the man. “The Lord will save me.”

He keeps praying on the porch, and the waters cover the front steps. A boat comes by. “Jump in,” says the boat captain. “No,” says the man. “The Lord will save me.”

The waters keep rising, the porch washes away, and the man climbs onto his roof, still praying. A helicopter flies by and dangles a rope. “Grab on,” says the pilot. “No,” says the man. “The Lord will save me.” The waters keep rising, the house is swept away, and the man drowns. In heaven, he asks God angrily, “Why didn’t you save me?”

“What do you mean?” comes the answer. “I sent you a police car, a boat, and a helicopter.” God is always there, always listening. We need faith enough to accept answers to our prayers, even when they don’t look exactly the way we imagine.

MOVING FORWARD: Are you open to unexpected answers to prayer?

PRAY for the Diocese of Agra (North India)

Psalm 69 * Psalm 73 | Eccles. 11:9-12:14 | Gal. 5:25-6:10 | Matt. 16:21-28

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06/11/2026

THURSDAY, June 11 SAINT BARNABAS THE APOSTLE

Acts 11:25a. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus.

Rain is refreshing, especially in summer. A peaceful summer shower nourishes and encourages the crops in the field. Hail, on the other hand, is not good for crops. It batters and damages—the opposite of encouragement.

Saint Barnabas, whom we remember today, was called “Son of Encouragement” by the apostles. His encouraging, diplomatic manner made a mark on the early church; it was Barnabas who vouched for Paul when the apostles were leery of the genuineness of his conversion. Barnabas later went to Tarsus to find Paul and encourage him to join him in Antioch. Barnabas and Paul ministered together for more than a year, which probably also required some peacemaking—Paul was not known as the easiest colleague.

Barnabas’s gentle encouragement and ability to smooth over conflicts made him instrumental in growing and nourishing the early church. Today, he is honored as the patron saint of peacemakers—and invoked for protection from hailstorms.

MOVING FORWARD: How can you model Barnabas’s spirit of encouragement this week?

PRAY for the Diocese of North Africa (Alexandria)

Isaiah 42:5-12 | Psalm 112 | Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3 | Matthew 10:7-16

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06/10/2026

WEDNESDAY, June 10 EPHREM OF NISIBIS, Deacon and Poet, 373

Matthew 16:2-3. He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.”

“The sunrise is beautiful,” my husband said. We were on the balcony, watching the sky brighten from burgundy into magenta.

“Yes,” I agreed, “But you know what they say: red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in the morning…” A sip of coffee for a dramatic pause. “Sailor’s warning.” I gazed out at the horizon, feeling wise.

Now, I have never sailed in my life. I’ve manned a canoe once or twice, but I am neither a mariner nor a meteorologist. I have no expertise in this matter, no depth of knowledge that would justify making sweeping atmospheric pronouncements. I heard a soundbite once, and it seemed to fit into this conversation, so I used it—and felt wise.

It’s easy to repeat things, to parrot others, without taking the time to interpret the signs ourselves. But that’s not wisdom, and that’s not what Jesus calls us to do.

MOVING FORWARD: Read through all the scripture passages for the day.

PRAY for the Diocese of Afikpo (Nigeria)

Psalm 72 * Psalm 119: Yodh, Psalm 119: Kaph, Psalm 119: Lamedh | Eccles. 9:11-18 | Gal. 5:1-15 | Matt. 16:1-12

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06/09/2026

TUESDAY, June 9 COLUMBA OF IONA, Monastic, 567

Psalm 62:1. For God alone my soul in silence waits; from him comes my salvation.

A six-day silent retreat. No talking, no computing, no looking at my phone. There would be a 45-minute session with a spiritual director each morning, but 98.2% of my time would be spent in silence. Just me and God and my little yellow copy of The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius.

I had it all planned out. By lunchtime on Wednesday, I would be through the First Week, having realized that I was a wretched sinner, all the more ready to follow Jesus into the Second Week. On Friday morning, I’d launch into the Third Week and then finish up with the Fourth Week starting Saturday afternoon. I had my Rules, I had my structure, and I was ready to roll.

But then I got there, and on the first night, before the retreat had technically started, God spoke. I heard, very clearly, the phrase “Release the agenda.” I wasn’t in charge of this retreat—God was. My job was to sit in silence and wait.

MOVING FORWARD: Set aside a period of silence for each day this week.

PRAY for the Diocese of Adelaide (Australia)

Psalm 61, Psalm 62 * Psalm 68 | Eccles. 8:14-9:10 | Gal. 4:21-31 | Matt. 15:29-39

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06/08/2026

MONDAY, June 8 MELANIA THE ELDER, Monastic, 410

Galatians 4:16. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

A few years ago, my husband and I wrote down our “Principles,” a set of values that we try to live by. We review them every few weeks, going down the list and discussing how we’ve lived up to—or fallen short of—these aspirations.

Principle #1 is “Be Truthful.” We strive to be truthful with each other, with others, and with ourselves. This is more than just being honest; it’s about caring enough to make an effort, to speak the truth, in love, even when it’s uncomfortable. Speaking the truth can be hard, and hearing the truth can be harder. I often have to work through a level of defensiveness before I can actually hear and digest feedback.

We usually review our Principles in the car. Something about that context works for us, maybe because it prevents us from jumping straight into problem-solving. No action is expected—only listening. Having this space to offer truthfulnesses to each other and to ourselves makes speaking them—and hearing them—a little easier.

MOVING FORWARD: How do you tell the truth with love? How do you react to being told an unpleasant truth?

PRAY for the Diocese of Accra (West Africa)

Psalm 56, Psalm 57, Psalm 58 * Psalm 64, Psalm 65 | Eccles. 7:1-14 | Gal. 4:12-20 | Matt. 15:21-28

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