Monday 23 January 2023

Today is Monday the 23rd of January, in the third week of Ordinary time.

Wherever you find yourself in prayer today, whether you’re off to work, staying at home, meeting a friend, driving a child to school, know that God watches over your comings and goings; God knows the number of hairs on your head and loves you. Become aware of this now as Salt of the Sound guide us into prayer with ‘How Great Thou Art’.


When Christ shall come with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim: "My God, how great thou art!"
Then sings my soul, my Saviour-God, to thee
How great thou art! How great thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour-God, to thee
How great thou art! How great thou art!
How great thou art! How great thou art!

Today’s reading is from the letter to the Hebrews.

Hebrews 9: 15, 24-28

For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, because a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions under the first covenant. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own; for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

The letter to the Hebrews presents us with one of the theologies of salvation: Christ has dealt with sin by his own sacrifice. However we understand the significance of the suffering and death of Jesus, it is undeniable that he did sacrifice his own life for love. How do you understand the sacrifice of Jesus? Why did Jesus die?

Hebrews speaks of the way that Jesus’s death is a source of life for us. It shows us the depth of God’s love. It shows us that Jesus understands suffering. It shows us that devastation is not the final word. How do you find all these things sitting with you today? Perhaps something is staying with you in particular…

Listen again and see if you can follow some of the argument that is presented here.

Spend a moment before Jesus on the cross. Let go of your thinking if you can . . . gaze on him there . . . . . . what do you want to say to him?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.