Monday in Holy Week

St. Columba’s invites you to Pray – Read – Be – Do this Holy Week at Home as we prepare for the Mystery of Easter. Each day this week, starting on Palm Sunday, we’ll have a prayer, a Gospel reading, something to meditate on as you just Be, and something to Do.

Pray: Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Read: John 12:1-11 NRSV

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me." When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Be: Sit in a quiet spot, inside or outside, close your eyes, and do the prayer of the three deep breaths. You’ll breathe in and out slowly, three times, for the Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. Then say Amen. Sit for a while and just be, breathing in and out.

Do: Take time to connect with someone today, think of someone who doesn’t live with you and say “Hello.”. This could look like a phone call with grandma, a video chat with a godparent, or perhaps a letter to someone at church!  If you like this, you might consider adding a call, letter, or chat with someone to your weekly routine.