Diocesan Prayer Fellowship

Diocesan Prayer Fellowship

Abu Dhabi

16th September, 2007
The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinityr
Friday: Matthew the Apostle

In the Gospel reading for today, Jesus is shown as consorting with the people whom respectable society despised and treated as outcasts. St. Matthew, whom we celebrate this week, was one of these "tax collectors and sinners". He was also called Levi, which was an honoured name in Jewish tradition, as the Levites were the priestly caste. So we can surmise that, when Jesus called him, Matthew was already deeply ashamed of his occupation and on the verge of conversion. From very early times he has been regarded as the author of the first of the four Gospels and, from the moment of his conversion, must have been deeply committed, identified as he was with those "constantly devoting themselves to prayer".

May we at St. Andrew's be as prayerful and committed. May we carry the word of God into all the social circles that make up the expatriate community of Abu Dhabi. In particular, at this time, we pray for God's help and guidance in refreshing and refurbishing the Compound after twenty-five years of heavy use. May the guest congregations cooperate and respect St. Andrew's Ce4ntre as sacred and holy. As we continue all our regular events, meetings and celebrations in ever-increasing numbers as Abu Dhabi grows, grant to us fresh vision, fresh focus and fresh reserves of energy in God's service.