5th WEEK OF LENT
Psalter: Week 1 / (Violet)
St. John Baptist de la Salle, priest
Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7
In my distress I called upon the Lord, and heard my voice.
1st Reading: Jer 20:10-13
I hear many people whispering,
“Terror is all around!
Denounce him! Yes, denounce him!”
All my friends watch me to see if I will slip:
“Perhaps he can be deceived,” they say;
“then we can get the better of him
and have our revenge.”
But Yahweh, a mighty warrior, is with me.
My persecutors will stumble and not prevail;
that failure will be their shame
and their disgrace will never be forgotten.
Yahweh, God of Hosts,
you test the just and probe the heart and mind.
Let me see your revenge on them,
for to you I have entrusted my cause.
Sing to Yahweh! Praise Yahweh and say:
he has rescued the poor from the clutches of the wicked!
Gospel: Jn 10:31-42
The Jews then picked up stones to throw at him; so Jesus said, “I have openly done many good works among you, which the Father gave me to do. For which of these do you stone me?”
The Jews answered, “We are not stoning you for doing a good work, but for insulting God; you are only a man, and you make yourself God.”
Then Jesus replied, “Is this not written in your law: I said, you are gods? So those who received this word of God were called gods, and the Scripture is always true. What then should be said of the one anointed, and sent into the world, by the Father? Am I insulting God when I say, ‘I am the Son of God’?
If I am not doing the works of my Father, do not believe me. But if I do them, even if you have no faith in me, believe because of the works I do; and know that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.”
Again they tried to arrest him, but Jesus escaped from their hands. He went away again to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John had baptized, and there he stayed.
Many people came to Jesus, and said, “John worked no miracles, but he spoke about you, and everything he said was true.” And many in that place became believers.
REFLECTION:
Now the existential-spiritual blindness and deafness of the Jews become translated into action. Since it comes from a fragmented center the action manifests itself in violence. They picked up stones to hurt Jesus. Their rage wants to see blood as payment for their disturbed conscience. Unsuccessful, they want to imprison the truth. It is causing a lot of havoc.
It is funny how people expend a lot of energy to contain that which will make them truly free, and spend the rest of their lives wondering when they will be liberated from the oppression they find themselves in. If truth is not welcomed, it will move on and find a more hospitable welcome. That is why the poor are almost always the recipient of God’s grace of truth, more so especially the poor in heart and spirit. So Jesus went to the other side of the Jordan. Those who are authentic seekers of the truth will not hesitate to cross the river of doubts and uncertainty to find it.
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
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