HOLY MONDAY

14 April, 2025

𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗬 : 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲

“𝙸𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗,” 𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖, “‘𝙼𝚢 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚊 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚛𝚊𝚢𝚎𝚛, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝 ‘𝚊 𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚜.” 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚠 𝟸𝟷:𝟷𝟹

On Holy Monday, Christians remember the moment when Jesus entered the temple and drove out the merchants and money changers. His actions reminded the people that the house of God is meant to be a place of worship, not a place for business. He declared, “Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace.”

This event proves that Jesus, like us, experienced human emotions—He too felt anger. Expressing anger is a natural and normal part of being human. However, it is rare for people to show intense anger, as we often choose to understand situations rather than react with rage. 

To manage and master our anger, one effective way is through prayer—a sincere prayer that brings clarity of mind and a heart that is ready to forgive. This day emphasizes the importance of purifying our hearts and returning to a genuine and faithful relationship with God.

Holy God, Yahweh, our Creator, you are the King of Glory and Majesty, Whose Church is the Temple of the Living God, and yet, wicked and self-serving human beings turned it into a den of thieves by carrying out worldly transactions in its precincts. Jesus righteously took corrective measures by clearing out all that was defiling your Holy Temple, which was a House of Prayer and communion with you. Jesus also proclaimed that he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days.

As human beings, devoid of the wisdom and understanding of your Holy Word and Holy Plans, we fail to realise that Christ is the Church, which he rebuilt by his resurrection, three days after he was crucified. With his resurrection, you have created a new order of priesthood, where all who belong to Christ’s Church, are members of the very Body of Christ and have all been called to priesthood and to sonship. We need to thus preserve our bodies as temples of God and live sanctified lives, fulfilling our mission, as priests, by carrying the Word of God to the peoples of all nations of the world.

Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair; the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil. Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples, and the one who would betray him, said, “Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days’ wages and given to the poor?”He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief and held the money bag and used to steal the contributions.

So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Let her keep this for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too, because many of the Jews were turning away and believing in Jesus because of him.

We reflect on the gospel reading from John 12:1-11, which narrates the beautiful story of Jesus’ anointing in Bethany.

In this passage, Mary of Bethany lovingly anoints Jesus’ feet with precious oil, preparing Him for His burial.

This significant event takes place before Palm Sunday, as noted in John 12:12-19. Let us pause and contemplate the profound meaning of this moment.

HOLY MONDAY PRAYER: CLEANSING FIRE (JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE)

Jesus, You drove out sin from the temple with righteous zeal. Purify my heart, Lord, and remove all that does not honor You. Make me a living sanctuary where Your Spirit dwells. Let my life be a reflection of Your holiness.

Lord God, may we realise that we are no longer our own, but belong to Christ and our bodies, as temples, should be kept pure, to honor You as our God. There are many ways we can honor You with our bodies. Jesus taught us to pray unceasingly, with no particular hour kept aside. We need to attune our minds to block out temptation by repeating Your Name, and by cleaving to Jesus, through the indwelling Spirit. We need to follow the promptings of the Spirit diligently and make prayer the fabric of our being, the only way that we can maintain constant dialogue and communion with You, calling on the Name of Jesus to be our guide, strength and consolation. Amen

Holy Monday is the second day of Holy Week, a time when Christians reflect on the final days of Jesus’ life before His crucifixion.

Holy Monday focuses on Jesus’ authority, His call to true worship, and His judgment against hypocrisy. It reminds believers to examine their hearts, seek purity in faith, and live out authentic devotion.

1. Cleansing of the Temple – Jesus drove out merchants and money changers, showing His passion for true worship and justice (Matthew 21:12–13).

2. Cursing the Fig Tree – Symbolized judgment on those who appear religious but lack spiritual fruit (Mark 11:12–14).

3. Confrontations Begin – Religious leaders begin challenging Jesus, foreshadowing the events that lead to His crucifixion. The incident where Mary washes Jesus’ feet with costly perfume, reflects that the imminent sacrifice of Jesus was near

In essence, Holy Monday calls Christians to reflect on their spiritual lives—cleansing the “temples” of their hearts and bearing good fruit in faith.