‘A sincere and pure devotion to Christ …’ These words, from 2 Corinthians, are in our first reading today. They set out, in a way, the entire response of our Christian lives. St Benedict wrote that we should ‘prefer nothing to the love of Christ’ – ‘Nihil amori Christi præponere’.

The journey into the ‘pure devotion to Christ’ involves allowing everything that stands in the way of this pure devotion to be rooted out. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, but our willingness, our free consent, is required.

May we be willing to walk this way in its entirety, and may God bless you in it.