Voice: Keith Lim
Today is Thursday, 28th of August. It is also a day when we commemorate the ministry of St Augustine of Hippo, bishop and teacher of the faith (430).
As we start another day, let us observe a moment of silence.
We pray:
Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen
We praise and pray in the words of Psalm 78
Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
2 For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
9 For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
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 4:13-20
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Having good soil
We often read the parable of the sower as a lesson about evangelism—the spread of the gospel and the different responses of new believers.
But what if this parable also speaks to every Christian’s lifelong journey of faith? What if, within each of us, there are all four types of soil—areas where God’s Word bears fruit, and other places where our hearts are still hardened, shallow, or distracted?
In every season of life, the Word of God is continually being sown into us. In some places, it does not take root at all—sliding off our hearts like water off a duck’s back. In other areas, the seed lands on rocky ground; it sprouts quickly, but trials and difficulties soon wither it away.
Still in other areas, the Word falls among thorns, where worries, anxieties, and the cares of life choke out its growth. Yet, in some places, God’s Word has long been firmly established in us. There, we see steady fruitfulness and consistent obedience.
This is not the usual way we apply the parable, but it reminds us how relevant it is throughout our Christian walk. It speaks not only about beginnings, but about the whole of life.
Today, as we remember St. Augustine, we recall how the Word of God pierced his heart. In his moment of anguish, he overheard a child’s voice saying, “Take up and read!” Opening the Scriptures, he read Romans 13:13–14:
“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
That Word took deep root in his heart. He received it, accepted it, and bore fruit—“thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.” Augustine went on to become a towering teacher and theologian of the Church, his influence still felt today.
Let us then ask the Holy Spirit to till the soil of our hearts—breaking up the hardness, clearing away the stones, pulling out the thorns—so that, in every season of life, we may become more and more receptive to His Word, and so bear fruit for His glory.
We end with this prayer of St. Augustine:
Look upon us, O Lord, and let all the darkness of our souls vanish before the beams of your brightness. Fill us with holy love, and open to us the treasures of thy wisdom. All our desire is known unto you, therefore perfect what you have begun, and what your Spirit has awakened us to ask in prayer. We seek your face, turn your face unto us and show us your glory. Then shall our longing be satisfied, and our peace shall be perfect. Amen.
In closing, be blessed by this song, Drawn to You
All my devotion is like sinking sand
I’ve nothing to cling to but Your sweet hand
No clear emotions keeping me safe at night
Only Your presence, like a candle light
After everything I’ve had
After everything I’ve lost
Lord, I know this much is true
I’m still drawn to You
I pour out my sorrows just like a precious oil
I kiss Your feet, Lord, with a holy joy
My tears an offering of my highest praise!
Your eyes say “Welcome,” and I receive Your gaze
‘Cause after everything I’ve had
And after everything I’ve lost
Lord, I know this much is true
I’m still drawn to You!
After everything’s been said
After everything love costs
Lord, I know this much is true
I’m still drawn to You
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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