Voice: Emily
Today is Friday, 5th of December. 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
and the new Season of Advent,
may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.
We read Psalm 26
Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have walked in my integrity,
and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
2 Prove me, O Lord, and try me;
test my heart and my mind.
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes,
and I walk in your faithfulness.
4 I do not sit with men of falsehood,
nor do I consort with hypocrites.
5 I hate the assembly of evildoers,
and I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence
and go around your altar, O Lord,
7 proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,
and telling all your wondrous deeds.
8 O Lord, I love the habitation of your house
and the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep my soul away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 in whose hands are evil devices,
and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity;
redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground;
in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.
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.
Isaiah 29:11-14
11 And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” 12 And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.”
13 And the Lord said:
“Because this people draw near with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
while their hearts are far from me,
and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,
14 therefore, behold, I will again
do wonderful things with this people,
with wonder upon wonder;
and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
The Sealed Book
In this vision, a book is given to the educated and literate. It should have been an easy task to glance at the characters and understand their meaning. But he could not read it, for the book was sealed.
When it was handed to another, he did not even attempt to open it. He simply said, “I can’t read,” for he was illiterate.
Both were shut out from the truth. Education, intelligence, or literacy offered no advantage at all. The literate remained as clueless as one who cannot read.
A sealed book. What a sad vision!
I recall a sad story of a friend who had been blind for many years. As his hearing also deteriorated, there came a day when it failed completely. I can still remember the look of fear on his face, for in that moment he no longer had access to the world around him—except through the faint touch of braille beneath his fingertips. It all went dark for him.
He has since gone home to the Lord, where he beholds His face and is surrounded by the beauty of heavenly praise.
But what if God is the One who keeps a person in the dark? Can hypocrisy cut someone off from access to His truth? Apparently so. For in verse 13 the Lord says, “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honour Me with their lips, while their hearts are far from Me…”
A person may think himself wise, but without access to eternal truth, his wisdom too will perish. It will be as mortal as the body that carries it.
Brothers and sisters, the Book of Wisdom and the Book of Life is not sealed to us. Do not take that for granted. Don’t merely digest the knowledge—ingest it, live it, and let it transform you.
And may our hearts always be in sync with the words we speak.
We pray this Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you. Amen.
As we close, be blessed by this sung compline by Ernest and Mingli.
O Lord support us all day long
Until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes
Let every hurry in this world be hushed
That the fever of life will soon be over
When our work is done
Then in Your mercy
Grant us safe havens and Your holy rest
When our work is done
Then in Your mercy
Grant us peace at last and a holy rest
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 terrywong@anglican.org.sg
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