Principles Day 16 – The Spirit Groans

Day Sixteen — The First Way of Service (continued)

Tertiaries recognise the power of intercessory prayer for furthering the purposes of God’s kingdom, and therefore seek a deepening fellowship with God in personal devotion, and constantly intercede for the needs of his church and his world. Those of us who have much time at our disposal give prayer a large part in our daily lives. Those of us with less time must not fail to see the importance of prayer and to guard the time we have allotted to it from interruption. Lastly, we are encouraged to avail ourselves of the sacrament of Reconciliation, through which the burden of past sin and failure is lifted and peace and hope restored.


Do we misjudge the God, to whom we pray,
as fickle, waiting on a whim to act,
or stern and fierce, preferring us guilt-racked?
Lordly, exacting pledges to obey,
a host of duties to perform each day?
Mysterious, a code that can’t be cracked,
or jealous, demanding fine words laced with tact?
The fount of goodness but with no real sway?

But Jesus says, ‘Come to me, rest from strife.
As bees dance round the flowers, dance with me
and sip sweet nectar from the cup of life.
Lay down these false conceits, and let the Dove
weave all your prayer and praise in unity
into a shimmering tapestry of love.’