Â鶹ԼÅÄ

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Janet Fife, retired vicar and one of the first women to be ordained.

Good morning.

43 years ago the UK had its first woman prime minister. 28 years ago the Church of England ordained its first female priests; I was among them. Those ordinations were joyous occasions. We knew that we were making history and blazing a trail for other women and girls. It was a good feeling.

Amid the joy, however, there were shadows. There were people for whom our ordination was a source not of happiness but of pain. We were mindful, too, of all the women for whom the Church’s decision came too late, whose vocation to the priesthood was never recognised. That was both their loss and the Church’s.

All too many people know the frustration of not finding an outlet for their abilities. My parents, intelligent people, were denied an education because they came from poor families. My mother had to leave school at 14, and my father at 16, to go out to work. That was a common enough story in their day.

People of all ages are still disadvantaged for reasons such as gender, disability, ethnicity, class, financial status, or sexual orientation. Those able to exercise their talents to the full have always been a privileged few.

In the Parable of the Talents Jesus taught that we will be required to give good account of our abilities and resources. We are not held responsible for the circumstances which hinder us, however painful we may find them. It is the willingness to be of service that God honours. As the poet John Milton wrote: ‘They also serve, who only stand, and wait.’

Faithful God, help us to use our own gifts for the good of all; to encourage others to exercise their talents; and to be thankful for those who serve us.

Amen.

Show less