21 February 2021 Devotion for Invocavit Sunday
Dear Readers and Listeners, Friends in Jesus Christ,
The watchword for the First Sunday of Lent is taken from the First Epistle of John, Chapter 3 verse 8, “The reason the Son of God was made visible was to destroy the works the devil has done,” (Amplified Bible). This is the Gospel of the Cross, the Good News. Christ’s perfect work on the Cross destroyed every single evil work, thought and deed completely. This is the salvation and freedom that has been promised by God to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden after the Fall of Humanity. The First Sunday of Lent is named Invocavit Sunday after the Introit Psalm of this day. (The Introit is the Psalm that is said when the priest or minister approaches the altar for the Eucharist.). Our Introit Psalm is Psalm 91 verse 15, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer Him.” In Latin the verse reads, “Invocavit me et exaudiam eum.” The words of the psalm are interpreted from the point of view of the psalmist, on behalf of humanity, calling on the Lord God, and receiving deliverance. However, the words are also referring to Christ calling to God from the Cross, where He is strengthened in order to destroy, through his death and resurrection, all evil. God hears the calls of his children and comes to their aid.
Our watchword for today is taken from Psalm 102 verse 25, “Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands,” (NRSVB). Our Christian story begins at the beginning of “long, long ago,” when God existed with the Logos and the Spirit and created the universe. We cannot comprehend how long ago “the beginning” started, but the marvellous part of the story is that each one, past and present and future, has a part in this story and was already thought of and designed by God. The world and all that is in it have been created lovingly by God, the Creator God, who has planned the future of the world and its redemption through his mighty acts. His arm is not shortened, his ear not deafened. He hears and delivers mightily to this very day! Let us call on Him: Lord, hear me, Invocavit!
The Apostle Paul, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, writes in Chapter One verse 8, “Jesus Christ will also strengthen you to the end,” (NRSVB). As God strengthened Jesus throughout his ministry on earth, and in his death and resurrection; so Christ strengthens his children to fulfil their God-assigned tasks on earth. Once, when our tasks on earth are completed, God calls us home and takes us to him. Christ has promised that no one can snatch us out of his hand (John 10 verse 28). God started his good work in us. He will complete this work in us as he has completed the work of salvation through his Son, who lives and dwells in us. We celebrate the Story of Easter recollecting and being reminded of what Jesus did when He dwelled on earth. We follow him, like the crowds did, as we walk through Scripture reading and reliving the “Word of God becoming Flesh” for us. Emmanuel, God with us, that is Who Jesus is, was and shall be. May we experience his peace and his nearness as we come to him in this time of Lent and call on Him, our Redeemer and Saviour, who has walked every road and carried every imaginable sorrow, pain and fear for us. In this time of anguish in the world, let us gather together and come to the Lord who loves to hear and to answer us. “Why are you so fearful, my little ones?”
Father, we thank you that you appear to us through the pages of your Word. You manifest yourself to us in your presence and deliverance of each and every day. We come to you and we thank you that you have come to us. You stayed with us and shouldered our pain on the Cross, calling to your Father, for us. We thank you for the Cross, and ask that you will guide us on our way to Calvary with you. This we pray in the Name of Jesus, Amen.
