Our theme for the third week of Lent is God in our choices

Bible reading:  Isaiah 30.20,21

Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’

Prayer

O Spirit of God, we ask you to help orient

all our actions by your inspirations,

carry them on by your gracious assistance,

that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from you
and through you be happily ended.

Amen

Reflection by Aggy Palairet

A reflection on from Sunday’s gospel: John 2.13-22

Our passage took place near the time of Passover, a celebration where God’s people retell the story of their ancestors, of their experiences of God’s mighty deliverance. At the temple, with zeal, Jesus drove out the money changers, the traders and the animals from the court of the gentiles and hence re-established the place of worship and prayer.

Some of the people there challenged him, asking: ‘with what signs can you show us for doing this?’ And the disciples remembered Jesus words after his resurrection: ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up’. Speaking of the temple of his body and referring to his death and resurrection.

Scripture tells us that it was only after these two events, and upon remembering what had happened, did the disciples realise that Jesus was referring to the temple of his own body and not the temple in Jerusalem. This show us that sometimes we have to allow God to journey with us for a period of time, before we can put all the pieces together; that will enable us to see the bigger picture, to gain that understanding and discernment of what God might be saying to us.

So let us be watchful and humble ourselves before the presence of God, to reflect upon God’s presence in our experiences, and asking God to help guide us in our choices on our journey of faith and discipleship.