Holy Monday

Holy Monday. That's what today is called. In some Christian traditions the withering of the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22) is the focus. Others recall the story of Joseph starting in Genesis 37 as it parallels Christ's story in many ways. Still others read through the entire gospel of Matthew and some of Mark at various hours of the day as part of a three day reading through most of the gospels. The Roman Catholic church this year (in our part of the world anyway) is offering confession for a big part of the day. Maybe you noticed the full page ad in the paper yesterday. My 'boss' (in the military) is a priest and his schedule for the week is difficult to hear even in summary form. Today is a long day of ministry for him and his ilk.

Holy Monday. It almost seems like an oxymoron. For some of us, it's the one day of the week that doesn't feel holy. For me it has always been holy, a day off. Today I can't tell my family I'm too busy for them. Today I can't tell God I'm too busy doing His work to spend a little alone time with Him. Today I eat a real breakfast and read real books.

That fig tree account always makes me swallow hard and take a deep breath. Am I fruitful enough to escape withering? Am I faithful enough to move mountains? All creaturely holiness begins with the wholesale insufficiency created by these questions. "Woe is me, Lord. I need help. I need You."

Matthew 21:18-22 (NASB95)
Now in the morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. Seeing a lone fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves only; and He said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered. Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”