Monday 1 April 2024

Today is Monday 1 April, in the 1st week of Eastertide.

The University of Johannesburg Choir sing Ndisondela Kuwe: I come to you in prayer, almighty God. You are worthy to be praised.

As we journey now through the season of Easter, you might like to use this music to help you enter into the joy of the resurrection today…

Ndisondela kuwe (Ndisondela kuwe)
Thixo (Ndiza ndithandaza)
Thixo (Thixo uyingcwele)
Ufanelwe ufanelwe nal'udumo
Ndisondela kuwe (Ndisondela kuwe)
Thixo (Ndiza ndithandaza)
Thixo (Thixo uyingcwele)
Ufanelwe ufanelwe nal'udumo
Amen amen amen (Amen amen amen)
Amen (Amen amen amen)
Amen (Amen amen amen)
Amen amen amen amen haleluya
Amen amen amen (Amen amen amen)
Amen (Amen amen amen)
Amen (Amen amen amen)
Amen amen amen amen haleluya
Ndisondela kuwe (Ndisondela kuwe)
Thixo (Ndiza ndithandaza)
Thixo (Thixo uyingcwele)
Ufanelwe ufanelwe nal'udumo




Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew.

Matthew 28:8-15

So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ And they came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’

While they were going, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests everything that had happened. After the priests had assembled with the elders, they devised a plan to give a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, ‘You must say, “His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.” If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.’ So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.

We are now in the Easter season. We’ve been walking towards this point for some weeks. Today’s reading is taken from very nearly the last words of Matthew’s gospel.

We hear in the passage that the women are filled with “fear and great joy” as they left the tomb. Can you imagine what this would have felt like for them? Maybe you have even felt like this before…

Imagine the women telling this news to the disciples, telling them to go to Galilee to meet with Jesus…their friend who has been laid in a tomb not three days earlier… how would you react to this instruction?

Now listen as the story is read to you once more; does anything particularly grasp your attention here? Notice what that is…

Finally, look back over this time of prayer, and reflect on your experiences in the course of it. Can you draw them together to make a prayer to Jesus or to God?

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.