Tuesday in Holy Week

Psalm 71:1-14   •   Isaiah 49:1-7   •   1 Corinthians 1:18-31    •   John 12:20-36

The thing about the grain of wheat is that it doesn’t really die, not ultimately.  Just as we take refuge in the Lord in today’s Psalm, the grain takes refuge in the earth, which warms it, shelters it, and nourishes it, enabling it to transform from its nascent form into a tall, vibrant plant, providing sustenance for the world around it. In the same way, we appear, to the rest of the world, to die, to age, to diminish. Instead, however, we take refuge in the Lord, shedding the hard shell we wear to protect ourselves from the world, from our fears, from our sins. Strengthened and protected by God’s nourishing love, we “die” to our past selves, our incomplete selves, and become our new, best selves, the people God creates and calls us to be.

― Beth Molmen