Living Intentionally
- davidwperk
- Mar 17
- 6 min read
Devotional Reflection, Monday, March 17, 2025
The week of the second Sunday in Lent
The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.
Key phrases for reflection from today’s Gospel reading:
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ 28Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ 30They left the city and were on their way to him. 31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ 32But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ 33So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ 34Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.
You will find the full text of today’s Gospel reading at the end of this reflection.
Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 952)
AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; PM Psalm 64, 65
Jer. 1:11-19; Rom. 1:1-15; John 4:27-42
Today we celebrate the Feast of Patrick of Ireland. (See below.)
David’s Reflections
Do the words of verse 34 have a haunting impact on you? They do on me. Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work.” Jesus found his deepest nourishment and fulfillment in doing the will of God, which in this case was to violate religious and gender boundaries to reach out to the woman at the well. That act for him was consistent with the intent of his life. In John, that intent is stated in a number of places—always it is to bring people to a transforming experience of God’s saving love.
What are your deepest intentions? Do you know what they are? One of the most refreshing and revealing exercises I’ve stumbled onto is the writing of a personal mission statement and bringing that mission statement to bear on all the roles and relationships in my life. Each transition requires another rewriting of that statement, as did changes in relationships, like the marriage of my daughter Katie, the births of her two sons, Aedan and Jonas, and the marriage of my son Ben to his beloved Jenny and the birth of their son, Will. Most recently, entering into a serious, long-term love relationship required yet another revisiting of intentions.
It is one thing to have a deep desire to love God and others. It is another to sharpen that desire into an intent. It is yet another to overcome the inner and outer forces that array against implementing that intent and begin shaping daily life around it.
Gerald G. May’s writing on intent has been very helpful to me. One statement of his summarizes his thought. "Intention needs space within which to express itself. It also requires two other things: human awakening and divine grace. Awakening is needed for appreciation; we cannot be intentional when we are asleep. Grace is needed for empowerment: for making intention possible in the first place, and for bringing it to fruition. With space, awakening, and grace, intention becomes our haqqodsh, our holy ground.” *
In the center of our being, we focus on certain desires that take specific form in our intentions. In this Lenten season, join me in praying that God will awaken us to what our intentions are and to those that would be most nourishing were we to live into them. We can also pray for the wisdom and grace to clarify our intentions, focus our energies on them, and to reshape our lives around them.
As May says, “No matter how oppressed we may be by internal addictions or external forces, love always ensures that some spark of freedom of choice remains alive within us.” *
*Gerald G. May, The Awakened Heart: Living Beyond Addiction (New York: HarperCollins, 1991), pp. 39, 49.
Collect of the Day, The Second Sunday in Lent
O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (BCP, 217)
Today we celebrate the Feast of Patrick of Ireland (died 17 Mar 461 CE).
Collect of the Feast of Patrick of Ireland
Almighty God, in your providence you chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle to the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of you: Grant us so to walk in that way that we may come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 99)
Of the Holy Spirit
Almighty and most merciful God, grant that by the indwelling of your Holy Spirit we may be enlightened and strengthened for your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now
and for ever. Amen. (BCP, 251)
A Prayer for Light
Almighty God, we give you thanks for surrounding us, as daylight fades, with the brightness of the vesper light; and we implore you of your great mercy that, as you enfold us with the radiance of this light, so you would shine into our hearts the brightness of your Holy Spirit; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 110)
A Collect for Mission
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100, 257)
The Daily Office Gospel, John 4:27-42
27 Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ 28Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, 29‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ 30They left the city and were on their way to him. 31Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ 32But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ 33So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ 34Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. 35Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. 36The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” 38I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.’ 39Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word. 42They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.’
Daily Prayer Offices in The Book of Common Prayer
Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, Book of Common Prayer
Noonday Prayer, p. 103, Book of Common Prayer
Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p. 109, Book of Common Prayer
Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer
Compline (Night Prayer), Page 127, Book of Common Prayer
Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer
Comments