Voice: Doreen
Today is Monday, 20th 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.
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 82
God has taken his place in the divine council;
in the midst of the gods he holds judgment:
2 “How long will you judge unjustly
and show partiality to the wicked? Selah
3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
4 Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
5 They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk about in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
6 I said, “You are gods,
sons of the Most High, all of you;
7 nevertheless, like men you shall die,
and fall like any prince.”[a]
8 Arise, O God, judge the earth;
for you shall inherit all the nations!
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 15:6-15
6 Now at the feast he used to release for them one prisoner for whom they asked.7 And among the rebels in prison, who had committed murder in the insurrection, there was a man called Barabbas. 8 And the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to do as he usually did for them. 9 And he answered them, saying, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” 10 For he perceived that it was out of envy that the chief priests had delivered him up. 11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release for them Barabbas instead. 12 And Pilate again said to them, “Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” 13 And they cried out again, “Crucify him.” 14 And Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.”15 So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Why Me?
Barabbas was a notorious prisoner, as Matthew tells us. He was guilty of his crime.
Murder was a capital offence. So Barabbas was not merely serving prison time — he was waiting for the day of his execution. He sat in his cell, the rough stone cold against his back. Each morning he scratched another mark into the wall — a tally of passing days, or perhaps of fading hope. The lines formed a pattern only he could understand: one for each sunrise seen through iron bars, one for each heartbeat closer to death.
He knew he deserved it. The look on his victim’s face as he plunged in the knife still haunted him.
He had grown familiar with the rhythm of footsteps in the corridor — the clank of keys, the cries of others condemned. Outside, the festival was drawing near; he could hear the hum of the crowds in Jerusalem. For Barabbas, the next time the guards came for him, it would be the end.
And then, they came.
The door burst open. Soldiers dragged him out. His heart pounded wildly. A dark dread, cold and suffocating, gripped him. This is it, he thought.
But something was different that day.
He saw another man — beaten, silent, and crowned with thorns. Though caked in blood, He looked strangely serene… almost innocent. Then it dawned on Barabbas what was happening. It was the custom to release one prisoner during the feast. Someone was going free — either this wounded stranger, or him.
“Who should be freed?” Pilate asked.
And suddenly he heard his name roar from the crowd:
“Barabbas! Barabbas!”
The soldiers unlocked his shackles.
A guard barked, “You’re free. Go.”
The crowd cheered, almost as if he were some kind of hero. Barabbas stumbled forward, dazed and trembling. He could not believe what was happening. Tears streaked his dirt-stained face.
Then he saw the stranger — the other man — being whipped and led away to be crucified.
Barabbas whispered,
“I could have been crucified instead of Him. Who was He? What could He have done that made the crowd choose me?”
He paused, still in disbelief.
“Why should He die in my place?”
He could still his name being chanted.
“Why me?”
We end with the Collect for the Day:
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us your gift of faith
that, forsaking what lies behind and reaching out to that which is before,
we may run the way of your commandments
and win the crown of everlasting joy;
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.
“Broke my chains, freed my soul, for the first time I had hope.” We leave you with this beautiful song of gratitude, Thank You Jesus for the Blood
I was a wretch, I remember who I was
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time
Sin separated, the breach was far too wide
But from the far side of the chasm
You held me in Your sight
So You made a way, across the great divide
Left behind, Heaven’s throne, to build it here inside
And there at the cross You paid the debt I owe
Broke my chains, freed my soul, for the first time I had hope
Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light
You took my place, laid inside my tomb of sin
You were buried for three days but then You walked right out again
And now death has no sting and life has no end
For I have been transformed by the blood of the Lamb
Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied (thank You, Jesus)
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light
There is nothing stronger
Than the wonder working power of the blood, the blood
That calls us sons and daughters
We are ransomed by our Father through the blood, the blood
There is nothing stronger
Oh, the wonder working power of the blood, the blood (it calls us)
That calls us sons and daughters
We are ransomed by our Father through the blood, the blood
Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light
Glory to His name
Glory to His name
There to my heart was the blood applied
Glory to His name
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 terrywong@anglican.org.sg
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