Voice: Hambali
Today is Tuesday, 19th of August. Take a moment to be still in His presence.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
We praise the Lord in the words of Psalm 48:1-3 & 8
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God!
His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3 Within her citadels God
has made himself known as a fortress.
…
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God will establish forever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Mark 1:14-20
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Reflection
Fishers of Men
Fishing as a livelihood must be one of the oldest professions.
For most fishermen along the Sea of Galilee, it was a lifelong calling—skills passed down from fathers, uncles, and grandfathers. Mending nets, casting them, reading the tides, hauling in the catch—these were arts refined over a lifetime.
Their families, friends, and communities were bound together by this work. Skin tanned and weathered by the elements, fishing was their purpose in life, their Ikigai.
For Simon, Andrew, James, and John, leaving all this behind was no small matter. Yet something in this Rabbi Jesus drew them—something so compelling they dropped their nets at once. Then were responding to His strange invitation: “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” We do not know if they thought it temporary or forever.
Fishers of men—what a thought. Were they to catch people as they once caught fish? The meaning would unfold as they walked with Him. The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost, calling men and women to return to the Father, to their true spiritual home. To be fishers of men was to join in this mission.
In Acts, we see these former fishermen leading the newborn Church, casting the net of the Gospel to the nations.
Peter, Andrew, James, and John—had they not followed Jesus, they would be nameless in history, long dead and forgotten. Instead, they changed their profession and then, the world.
Not all of us are called to leave our jobs. But all of us are called to reach a soul or two. Will you cast your net today?
Be blessed by this prayer of St Aidan, which captures the twin work of prayer and mission beautifully:
Leave me alone with God as much as may be.
As the tide draws the waters close in upon the shore,
Make me an island,
set apart, alone with you, God, holy to you.
Then with the turning of the tide
prepare me to carry your presence to the busy world beyond,
the world that rushes in on me
till the waters come again and fold me back to you. Amen.
Be blessed by this song, Lord You have come
Lord, you have come to the seashore,
neither searching for the rich nor the wise,
desiring only that I should follow.
O, Lord, with your eyes set upon me,
gently smiling, you have spoken my name;
all I longed for I have found by the water,
at your side, I will seek other shores.
Lord, see my goods, my possessions;
in my boat you find no power, no wealth.
Will you accept, then, my nets and labor?
O, Lord, with your eyes set upon me,
gently smiling, you have spoken my name;
all I longed for I have found by the water,
at your side, I will seek other shores.
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
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