5TH WEEK OF LENT
St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, bishop
Psalter: Week 1 / (Violet)
Ps 18:2-3a, 3bc-4, 5-6, 7
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
and he 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.
Reflections
IN MY DISTRESS, I CALLED ON THE LORD AND HE HEARD ME
This is a very consoling verse of the Psalm 18. When we are in distress, we need badly someone we can talk to, who will listen to us, who will help us in our need. Just knowing that someone is listening to us is already a help even if the situation does not change. It is consoling to know that we can always call on the Lord who always hears us. Maybe we may not experience right away the help we are asking for but we are sure that we are heard. Most of the time God uses people as messengers to tell us that we have been heard. All of a sudden we meet a friend, or a relative or maybe even a stranger who would show us the way we must go or will help us to decide what course of action to take or not to take. As Scripture says in other verses, “Seek and you shall find, ask and it shall be given unto you.”
Daily Reflection 2018
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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
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