5TH WEEK OF LENT
Psalter: Week 1 / (Violet)
St. Isidore of Seville, bishop & doctor
Ps 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21
O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
1st Reading: Num 21:4-9
From Mount Hor they set out by the Red Sea road to go around the land of Edom. The people were discouraged by the journey and began to complain against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is neither bread nor water here and we are disgusted with this tasteless manna.”
Yahweh then sent fiery serpents against them. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, speaking against Yahweh and against you. Plead with Yahweh to take the serpents away.”
Moses pleaded for the people and Yahweh said to him, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a standard; whoever has been bitten and then looks at it shall live.”
So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a standard. Whenever a man was bitten, he looked towards the bronze serpent and he lived.
Gospel: Jn 8:21-30
Again, Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and though you look for me, you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” The Jews wondered, “Why does he say that we can’t come where he is going? Will he kill himself?”
But Jesus said, “You are from below and I am from above; you are of this world and I am not of this world. That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. And you shall die in your sins, unless you believe that I am He.”
They asked him, “Who are you?”; and Jesus said, “Just what I have told you from the beginning. I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the One who sent me is truthful and everything I learned from him, I proclaim to the world.”
They didn’t understand that Jesus was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He and that I do nothing of myself, but I say just what the Father taught me. He who sent me is with me and has not left me alone; because I always do what pleases him.”
As Jesus spoke like this, many believed in him.
REFLECTION:
One’s perspectives help a lot in seeing and processing things we perceive. We may see the same thing but could come up with different interpretations of the one thing seen. To achieve a common vision, we need to undergo the same process of formation. We need to seat at the feet of the same Master.
Jesus’ way of seeing is different from the Jews that He is talking to in this Gospel. This led to a different understanding to the point that they misunderstood the point of the Lord. This is not by itself reprehensible. We all start with our groping about trying to see what the Lord sees, and understand the way the Lord understand things. We start with unknowing and progress towards the marvelous light of God’s truth. That is why many who listened to Jesus believed. When comprehension dawned, a new world opened to them. A new form of life awaits those who are open to receive the truth of the Lord.
Daily Reflection
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Biblical Texts are taken from Christian Community Bible, Catholic Pastoral Edition (57th Edition) The New English Translation for the ROMAN MISSAL
With permission from the EPISCOPAL COMMISION ON LITURGY of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines
Readings and Reflections
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