Voice: Li Huan
Today is Monday, 13th of October. Take a moment to be still in His presence.
We pray:
Almighty and everlasting Father,
we thank you that you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day.
Keep us from falling into sin or running into danger;
order us in all our doings;
and guide us to do always what is right in your eyes:
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 71:5-14
For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
6 From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.
7 I have become a sign to many;
you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
declaring your splendor all day long.
9 Do not cast me away when I am old;
do not forsake me when my strength is gone.
10 For my enemies speak against me;
those who wait to kill me conspire together.
11 They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue him and seize him,
for no one will rescue him.”
12 Do not be far from me, my God;
come quickly, God, to help me.
13 May my accusers perish in shame;
may those who want to harm me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise you more and more.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as It was in the beginning, is
now, and shall be forever. Amen.
Mark 14:1-9
1 It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him,
2 for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.”
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.9 Truly I tell you, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
She Has Done a Beautiful Thing
While some hearts were dark and plotting to arrest Jesus, a fragrance arose — one born of love and gratitude.
A woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. She let down her hair before a man who was not her husband — a shocking act of humility and vulnerability. Then she broke the jar and poured out its contents. The scent filled the room. It was unmistakable — a costly perfume imported from northern India. In one moment, perfume worth a year’s wages was “wasted” on Jesus.
“This could have been sold and the money given to the poor,” they protested, rebuking her harshly.
But Jesus came to her defence. “The poor you will always have with you,” He said, “but you will not always have Me.” She had anointed Him beforehand for burial. She could not prevent what was coming, but she did what she could.
That fragrance would cling to Him in the coming days — through the Passover meal, the Garden of Gethsemane, Herod’s hall, Pilate’s courtyard, and finally, Calvary. Even those who cast lots for His clothing would catch a lingering trace of her devotion.
Can we put a price on love and affection? Was her act a waste? Jesus said that wherever the gospel is preached, what she did would be remembered. Indeed, this story continues to inspire countless believers across the centuries — men and women who have given their best for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.
One such example is Jim Elliot, the missionary who was martyred in Ecuador in 1956. He once wrote in his journal:
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
His words capture the same truth — that no sacrifice is too great for Christ, for what we gain in Him far surpasses all that we could ever give up.
Will you, too, love Christ so deeply that you would break your own alabaster jar — to pour out your devotion, your time, your talents, your very life — at the feet of your Lord?
We pray the Collect of the Day:
Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Be blessed by this Hymn, O Love that will never let me go
1. O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
2. O Light that follows all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
3. O Joy that seekest me thru’ pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow thru’ the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
4. O cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at info@mpcc.org.sg
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