Voice: Kae Chee
Today is Tuesday, 14th of October. Whether you are in your room, driving or taking public transport, take a moment to be aware of His presence wherever you are.
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Psalm 73:16-28
But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.
18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.
23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength[b] of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.
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 14:17-25
17 And when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is one of the twelve, one who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”
22 And as they were eating, he took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Is It I?
We are often reminded of the betrayal of Jesus in our Communion liturgy, where the priest says:
“Who, in the same night that He was betrayed, took bread and gave You thanks…”
To betray someone is to break trust. The word carries the sense of “handing over”—from its Latin root. And only someone close can hand you over. Only a friend can betray you.
This is why we do not say that the Pharisees or the crowds betrayed Jesus. They never pretended to be His friends, nor made pledges of loyalty to Him. The betrayer had a name. He was one of the Twelve. He was Judas.
If the very sound of “Judas” feels dark, it is because betrayal is one of the most grievous evils. Persecutors can wound our bodies, but betrayers wound our hearts. For at the moment we expect loyalty and protection, they “handed us over” instead.
In the words of the singer-songwriter, Michael Card:
Why did it have to be a friend
Who chose to betray the Lord?
And why did he use a kiss to show them
That’s not what a kiss is for?
Only a friend can betray a friend
A stranger has nothing to gain
And only a friend comes close enough
To ever cause so much pain
This was why Jesus’ quiet disclosure of a betrayer among them troubled the disciples so deeply.
“Is it I?” they asked.
We too ask the same question. Is it I?
For we have made many pledges to follow Jesus. We sing about it every Sunday—with raised hands, sometimes even with tears in our eyes.
Yet, when faith demands a price, we falter.
We fall asleep.
We run away.
We deny that we have ever known Him.
And God forbid, that we should ever go so far as to hand Him over for thirty pieces of silver.
Too easily, we find ourselves unfaithful to Jesus—again and again.
So, is it I?
There is no easy answer to that question. But asking it sincerely may be the first step in the right direction.
Let the Holy Spirit search your heart. And as He does, may your sorrow lead not to despair—but to a renewed love and faithfulness toward the One who never betrays us.
We pray this Prayer of St. Jerome (342-420 AD)
O good shepherd, seek me out, and bring me home to your fold again.
Deal favorably with me according to thy good pleasure,
till I may dwell in your house all the days of my life,
and praise you forever and ever with them that are there. Amen.
Be blessed by this song, Why by Michael Card and Sara Groves.
Why did it have to be a friend
Who chose to betray the Lord?
And why did he use a kiss to show them
That’s not what a kiss is for?
Only a friend can betray a friend
A stranger has nothing to gain
And only a friend comes close enough
To ever cause so much pain
And why did it have to be a thorny
Crown pressed upon his head?
It should have been a royal one
Made of jewels and gold instead
It had to be a crown of thorns
Because in this life that we live
For all that would seek to love
A thorn is all the world has to give
Why did it have to be a heavy cross
He was made to bear?
And why did they nail His feet and hands
His love would have held him there
It was a cross for on a cross
A thief was supposed to pay
And Jesus had come into the world
To steal every heart away
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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