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A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Rt Revd Mary Stallard, Assistant Bishop in Bangor.

Good morning. On a visit to a local mosque open-day I met a woman who told me she was fasting for a sick friend; she was doing this as an act of prayer. I was interested. This wasn’t Ramadan, when Muslims fast; this was simply a voluntary, personal act she’d chosen to do for a friend in need. She told me that normally fasting is a private matter, and she was only telling me in order to explain why she wasn’t sharing the snacks she’d helped to provide. Fasting helped her to focus, she said, with hunger reminding her to think of her friend. She described this as a small way to show solidarity with someone else’s need and a prompt to pray for them.

This struck me as such a beautifully supportive act, and it made me reflect about what I’m doing as a Christian, or even simply as a friend, to show my care for others. There’s a history of fasting in a number of faith traditions including my own, although it’s perhaps less common than it once was. It’s amazing how grace can flourish through acts of loving support – doing things for others can rebound unexpectedly and encouragement can grow in surprising ways. Friends recently asked me to support someone who’s stressed. All they wanted was for me to send them a card, but they may not have realised how delighted I was to be asked to help, and how being given an opportunity to think about another’s needs has helped me put some of my own worries in a fresh perspective.

Thank you, gracious God, for all who show us how to pray. Open my eyes today to notice those who need encouragement and touch my heart so that I may be for others a sign of your unfailing love and care. Amen.