HOLY MONDAY – ‘Throwing out the money changers’
BREATHE
Calm your head, heart, and hands as you slowly breathe in . . . and out.
Collect for the day
True and humble king, hailed by the crowd as Messiah: grant us the faith to know you and love you, that we may be found beside you on the way of the cross which is the path of glory; for you live and reign in the unity of the Holy Trinity, one God, in glory everlasting.
Amen
Read: Mark 11: 12-19
Wonder
In this passage, Jesus was hungry and angry. What are some of the things that make you angry? How do you communicate your feelings?
Jesus was angry at the way the money changers were profiting from the religious rites performed in the temple. What are the ways that we have seen people profiting from religion? How do we make God a consumer good in our life?
Pray
Lord Jesus Christ,
inspire us through your dedication,
your willingness to take the costly path of sacrifice
in order to make us whole.
Though we will always fall short,
give us something of your courage and commitment,
your selfless love for all.
Keep our eyes,
like yours,
fixed on the joy set before us,
the things you have kept for us in heaven,
so that we may walk faithfully in your footsteps,
running the race with perseverance to our journey’s end.
Amen
(by Nick Fawcett)
Meditative Moment
The way of the cross
by John Harvey
Jesus, as we start once again to follow you on the way of the cross, we are apprehensive. For we are not sure of ourselves. On our journey we have often been afraid, often sought the safe options, often fudged the sharp solution. On our journey we have often tried to hide our real selves from others, from ourselves and from you. We, who dare to say we are following you, know how faltering are our footsteps, how delicate our discipleships, how feeble our faith. Yet still you call us by name and invite us into your company and onto your road.
So give us the courage and the commitment we need: help us look out for one another on the road; show us how we may share the duty and the joy of discipleship, knowing that, in the end, it is you who have blazed the trail, you who accompany us all the way, you who will meet us in the road, and say our name.
Amen
Holy Monday
Something else to do:
Jesus visited the Temple in Jerusalem and was shocked at what it had become. The outer courtyard was filled with shops and the shop keepers were cheating people. Jesus said, “Didn’t God say, ‘My house will be called the house of prayer for all people,’ but you have made it a den of robbers”?! And he turned over the shop-keeper’s tables and stopped people from carrying things for sale through the Temple. This upset some people so much that they began to think of a way to get rid of Jesus. (For more of the story, check out Mark 11:15-18)
Shortbread Rounds
1 cup soft butter
½ cup icing sugar
2 cups flour
Set oven to 180°C and prepare a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the flour and combine until the mixture forms a dough. It will crumble at first but keep mixing until it forms into a ball in your hands.
- Dust a flat surface and rolling pin with flour or icing sugar and roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick.
- Cut into rounds with a round cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheets.
- If you want, use a toothpick to draw coin designs into your soft biscuits.
The shops in the Temple were distracting people and even stopping some people from worshipping God. Worship is about noticing God. Worship recognises how big and important God is and how much we need him. Can you think of a time when you noticed this? Worship is about spending not our money but our time with God. There are lots of ways to spend time with God such as praying to him, singing to him, being still, reading your Bible, enjoying nature, doing the things you are good at, or acting in a way that pleases him. Is there anything that gets in the way of you worshiping God? How could this change?
- Bake for 12-18 minutes or until the they have turned a pale golden brown. Allow to cool.