Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 248
Lectionary: 248
The
wicked said among themselves,
thinking not aright:
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
thinking not aright:
“Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the LORD.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like that of others,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
and they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
Responsorial Psalm PS
34:17-18, 19-20, 21 AND 23
R.
(19a) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
Many are the troubles of the just man,
but out of them all the LORD delivers him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
Gospel JN 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Jesus
moved about within Galilee;
he did not wish to travel in Judea,
because the Jews were trying to kill him.
But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,
he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.
Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,
“Is he not the one they are trying to kill?
And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.
Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?
But we know where he is from.
When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,
“You know me and also know where I am from.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”
So they tried to arrest him,
but no one laid a hand upon him,
because his hour had not yet come.
he did not wish to travel in Judea,
because the Jews were trying to kill him.
But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,
he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.
Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,
“Is he not the one they are trying to kill?
And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.
Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?
But we know where he is from.
When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.”
So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,
“You know me and also know where I am from.
Yet I did not come on my own,
but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.
I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”
So they tried to arrest him,
but no one laid a hand upon him,
because his hour had not yet come.
Meditation: His hour had
not yet come
What
can hold us back from doing the will of God? Fear, especially the fear of death
and the fear of losing the approval of others, can easily rob us of courage and
the will to do what we know is right. Jesus met opposition and the threat of
death with grace and determination to accomplish his Father's will. Jesus knew
that his mission, his purpose in life, would entail sacrifice and suffering and
culminate with death on the cross. But that would not be the end. His
"hour" would crush defeat with victory over sin and Satan,
condemnation with pardon and freedom, and death with glory and everlasting
life. He willingly suffered for our sake and embraced the cross to redeem us
from sin and to restore us to new life and friendship with God our Father.
Saint
Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) wrote:
"Our
Lord had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. But we cannot
choose how long we shall live, and death comes to us even against our will.
Christ, by dying, has already overcome death. Our freedom from death comes only
through his death. To save us Christ had no need of us. Yet without him we can
do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him
we cannot live."
No
one can be indifferent with Jesus for very long. What he said and did - his
miraculous signs and wonders - he did in the name of God. Jesus not only
claimed to be the Messiah, God’s Anointed One. He claimed to be in a unique
relationship of sonship with God the Father and to know him as no one else did.
To the Jews this was utter blasphemy. The religious authorities did all they
could to put a stop to Jesus because they could not accept his claims and the
demands he made.
We
cannot be indifferent to the claims which Jesus makes on us. We are either for
him or against him. There is no middle ground. We can try to mold the Lord
Jesus to our own ideas and way of thinking or we can allow his word of truth to
free us from our own sinful blindness, stubborn pride, and ignorance. Do you
accept all that Jesus has taught and done for you with faith and reverence or
with disbelief and contempt? The consequences are enormous, both in this life
and in eternity.
"Eternal
God, who are the light of the minds that know you, the joy of the hearts that
love you, and the strength of the wills that serve you; grant us so to know
you, that we may truly love you, and so to love you that we may fully serve
you, whom to serve is perfect freedom, in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Prayer
of Saint Augustine)
 Trust; A Lenten Resolution |
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Friday of the Fourth
Week of Lent
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John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did
not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him. But
the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near. But when his brothers had gone up
to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.
So some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, "Is he not the one they
are trying to kill? And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to
him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ? But we know
where he is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is
from." So Jesus cried out in the Temple area as he was teaching and
said, "You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on
my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him,
because I am from him, and he sent me." So they tried to arrest him, but
no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.
Introductory Prayer: Jesus, I truly believe and hope in you and
your Gospel. You have touched me by the example of trust you had in your
Father’s plan. I adore you and thank you with my whole heart.
Petition: Lord, help me to trust more in your divine
providence.
1. A Way Out When Cornered: A cornered bear reacts by the instinct of
self-preservation and fights until death. Christ, however, shows an
altogether different attitude when challenged. He seems always to be calm and
in control of every situation. He knows that not a single hair will fall from
his head unless the Father deliberately permits it to occur. Many times our
fears corner us to the point that we get spooked. To conquer our fears, we
need to believe more, hope more, and love Christ much more.
2. The Force of Love: It is interesting to note that Jesus
originally planned to stay behind in Galilee. But out of charity and trust in
the Father’s will, Jesus set out on the perilous journey to Judea. Once
there, he forgot the danger that loomed before him. Christ felt a renewed
strength as he had compassion for the lost sheep in Judea. Nothing could
diminish his resolve to feed the spiritually hungry, cure the sick, and teach
the ignorant. Love gave Christ the capacity to give himself more. Love protects
life from prejudices and complaints.
3. Proof of God’s Love: The soldiers tried to arrest Jesus, but they
were thwarted. The Father had decided that his Son was not to be given up
yet. Cancer, global warming, the nuclear bomb, terrorism and natural disasters
– things that might seem to be threats to us – should not make us fearful.
Trust is really trust! Jesus invites us to trust, and this is powerful. Saint
Paul says, “All things work together for good for those who love God” (Romans
8:28). The important thing in life is for us to keep our thoughts and
efforts focused on God’s will and to go about doing good, generously serving
others. “Seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides”
(Luke 12:31).
Conversation with Christ: My Lord and Savior, I know that my vision is
often short-sighted. Teach me to love and to trust. Enlarge my heart so that
I can endure adverse situations and predicaments for the sake of my eternal
salvation. Jesus, I trust in you!
Resolution: Today when contradictions flare up at the
workplace or at home, I will not sigh in despair. Rather, I will make an act
of hope: “Long live Christ the King!”
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FRIDAY, APRIL 4, JOHN 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
Lenten Weekday; Day of Abstinence
(Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22; Psalm 34)
Lenten Weekday; Day of Abstinence
(Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22; Psalm 34)
KEY VERSE: "I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true" (v 28).
READING: The Jews annually celebrated three major feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. The Feast of Tabernacles was also known as the Feast of Booths (Hebrew, Sukkot). During the seven day feast, the people dwelt in branched "booths" (or tents). This was a commemoration of the time when their ancestors lived in tents during their wilderness journey (Lev 23:43). During the celebrations, the people offered thanksgiving for the temple, the place of worship given them to them in the Promised Land (1 Kgs 8:2; 12:32). They also offered thanks for the crops harvested that year (Deut 16:13; Ex 23:16). When some relatives of Jesus urged him to go to the feast and publicly perform his miracles, he knew that his life would be at risk. So Jesus went in secret and, while he was there, he taught in the temple. Some people knew Jesus' human origin. They knew that his home was in Nazareth; they knew his parents; and they knew his brothers and sisters (close relatives). There was no mystery about that. But they questioned whether he could possibly be the Messiah. Popular belief in that day held that the Messiah would appear suddenly and no one would know where he had come from. Jesus declared that he had not come on his own. He had been sent by God, the one whom they did not know.
REFLECTING: Am I growing in God's revelation through Jesus this Lent?
PRAYING: Lord Jesus, dwell with me throughout my life's journey.
Optional Memorial of Isidore, bishop and
doctor of the Church
Isidore became Archbishop of Seville c.601, succeeding his brother to the position. Teacher, founder and reformer, Isidore required seminaries in every diocese, and wrote a rule for religious orders. He was a prolific writer, including a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the world beginning with creation. Isidore introduced the works of Aristotle to Spain, and completed the Mozarabic liturgy which is still in use in Toledo. He presided at the Second Council of Seville, and the Fourth Council of Toledo. The Archbishop of Seville was considered the most learned man of his century. Knowledge permeated his whole being, but it was sanctity that surely made such a learned man of him. Isidore was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in 1722, and became the leading candidate for the patron of computer users and the Internet in 1999.
“All spiritual growth comes from reading and reflection. By reading we learn what we did not know; by reflection we retain what we have learned. Reading the holy Scriptures confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God.—St. Isidore
Isidore became Archbishop of Seville c.601, succeeding his brother to the position. Teacher, founder and reformer, Isidore required seminaries in every diocese, and wrote a rule for religious orders. He was a prolific writer, including a dictionary, an encyclopedia, a history of Goths, and a history of the world beginning with creation. Isidore introduced the works of Aristotle to Spain, and completed the Mozarabic liturgy which is still in use in Toledo. He presided at the Second Council of Seville, and the Fourth Council of Toledo. The Archbishop of Seville was considered the most learned man of his century. Knowledge permeated his whole being, but it was sanctity that surely made such a learned man of him. Isidore was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XIV in 1722, and became the leading candidate for the patron of computer users and the Internet in 1999.
“All spiritual growth comes from reading and reflection. By reading we learn what we did not know; by reflection we retain what we have learned. Reading the holy Scriptures confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God.—St. Isidore
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
Created to Love
To follow Christ, in its simplest articulation, is to love. And
love we must. We are created for and called to love to the point of suffering,
perhaps even suffering to death.
The
Lord is near to broken hearts
‘Isn’t this the man they want to kill?’It is hard to stand away from the expectation of family and friends. But it is a worthwhile chance to focus on or renegotiate the most important directions of our life. Jesus could have been swept along to the feast with the implication to make himself into a public figure. He refused these invitations and after a quiet, solo journey, he made for the Temple, where he taught the amazed crowd. A talented poet from Eureka Street wrote this line, ‘Make the rut you’re in as uncomfortable as possible.’ A strong challenge. Yes. Being reflective about your rut may be a useful tool for new life. Fr Peter Steele chose different words when he wrote this line: ‘If you lean beyond the place of your balance ...’ Today, let us pray to recognise the dead wood of our life so that new life can grow.
April
4
St. Isidore of Seville
(560?-636)
St. Isidore of Seville
(560?-636)
The 76 years of Isidore's life were a time of conflict and growth
for the Church in Spain. The Visigoths had invaded the land a century and a
half earlier, and shortly before Isidore's birth they set up their own capital.
They were Arians—Christians who said Christ was not God. Thus Spain was split
in two: One people (Catholic Romans) struggled with another (Arian Goths).
Isidore
reunited Spain, making it a center of culture and learning. The country served
as a teacher and guide for other European countries whose culture was also
threatened by barbarian invaders.
Born in
Cartagena of a family that included three other sibling saints (Leander,
Fulgentius and Florentina), he was educated (severely) by his elder brother,
whom he succeeded as bishop of Seville.
An
amazingly learned man, he was sometimes called "The Schoolmaster of the
Middle Ages" because the encyclopedia he wrote was used as a textbook for
nine centuries. He required seminaries to be built in every diocese, wrote a
Rule for religious orders and founded schools that taught every branch of
learning. Isidore wrote numerous books, including a dictionary, an
encyclopedia, a history of Goths and a history of the world—beginning with
creation! He completed the Mozarabic liturgy, which is still in use in Toledo,
Spain. For all these reasons, Isidore has been suggested as patron of the
Internet. Several others (including Anthony of Paduia) have also been
suggested.
He
continued his austerities even as he approached 80. During the last six months
of his life, he increased his charities so much that his house was crowded from
morning till night with the poor of the countryside.
Stories:
Once, when Isidore was a boy, he ran away from home and from school. His brother Leander, some twenty years older than he, was his teacher, and a very demanding one. While Isidore sat by himself out in the woods, loafing, he watched some drops of water falling on a rock. Then he noticed that the dripping water had worn a hold in the hard rock! The thought came to him that he could do what the little drops of water did. Little by little, by sticking to it, he could learn all his brother demanded, and maybe even more.
Once, when Isidore was a boy, he ran away from home and from school. His brother Leander, some twenty years older than he, was his teacher, and a very demanding one. While Isidore sat by himself out in the woods, loafing, he watched some drops of water falling on a rock. Then he noticed that the dripping water had worn a hold in the hard rock! The thought came to him that he could do what the little drops of water did. Little by little, by sticking to it, he could learn all his brother demanded, and maybe even more.
Comment:
Our society can well use Isidore's spirit of combining learning and holiness. Loving, understanding and knowledge can heal and bring a broken people back together. We are not barbarians like the invaders of Isidore's Spain. But people who are swamped by riches and overwhelmed by scientific and technological advances can lose much of their understanding love for one another.
Our society can well use Isidore's spirit of combining learning and holiness. Loving, understanding and knowledge can heal and bring a broken people back together. We are not barbarians like the invaders of Isidore's Spain. But people who are swamped by riches and overwhelmed by scientific and technological advances can lose much of their understanding love for one another.
Patron Saint of:
Computers
Internet
Computers
Internet
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 7, 1-2.10.25-30
Lectio:
Friday, April 4, 2014
Lent Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Our God and Father,
we claim to be your sons and daughters,
who know that you love us,
and that you call us to live
the life of Jesus, your Son.
Give us the courage
to live this life consistently
not to show off, not to reprove others,
but simply because we know
that you are our Father
and we your sons and daughters,
brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
we claim to be your sons and daughters,
who know that you love us,
and that you call us to live
the life of Jesus, your Son.
Give us the courage
to live this life consistently
not to show off, not to reprove others,
but simply because we know
that you are our Father
and we your sons and daughters,
brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 7, 1-2.10.25-30
After this Jesus travelled round Galilee; he could not travel
round Judaea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
As the Jewish feast of Shelters drew near, his brothers had left
for the festival, he went up as well, not publicly but secretly.
Meanwhile some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, 'Isn't
this the man they want to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they have
nothing to say to him! Can it be true the authorities have recognised that he
is the Christ? Yet we all know where he comes from, but when the Christ appears
no one will know where he comes from.' Then, as Jesus was teaching in the
Temple, he cried out: You know me and you know where I came from. Yet I have
not come of my own accord: but he who sent me is true; You do not know him, but
I know him because I have my being from him and it was he who sent me.
They wanted to arrest him then, but because his hour had not yet
come no one laid a hand on him.
3)
REFLECTION
• Throughout the chapters from 1 to 12 of the Gospel of John, one
discovers the progressive revelation which Jesus makes of himself to the
disciples and to the people. At the same time and in the same proportion, the
closing up and the opposition of the authority against Jesus increases, up to
the point of deciding to condemn him to death (Jn 11, 45-54). Chapter 7, on
which we are meditating in today’s Gospel, is a type of evaluation in the
middle of the journey. It helps to foresee what will be the implication at the
end.
• John 7, 1-2.10: Jesus decides to go to the feast of
the Tabernacles in Jerusalem. The geography of the life of Jesus in
the Gospel of John is different from the geography in the other three Gospels.
It is more complete. According to the other Gospels, Jesus went only once to
Jerusalem, the time when he was taken and condemned to death. According to the
Gospel of John he went there at least two or three times to Jerusalem for the
feast of the Passover. This is why we know that the public life of Jesus lasted
approximately three years. Today’s Gospel informs us that Jesus directed
himself more than once to Jerusalem, but not publicly; hidden because in Judah
the Jews wanted to kill him.
• In this chapter 7 as well as in the other chapters, John
speaks about the “Jews”and of “you Jews”, as if he and
Jesus were not Jews. This way of speaking shows the situation of a tragic
breaking which took place at the end of the first century between the Jews
(Synagogue) and the Christians (Ecclesia). Throughout the centuries, this way
of speaking in the Gospel of John contributes to make anti-Semitism grow.
Today, it is very important to keep away from this type of polemics so as not
to foster anti-Semitism. We can never forget that Jesus is a Jew. He was born a
Jew, lives as a Jew and dies as a Jew. He received all his formation from the
Jewish religion and culture.
• John 7, 25-27: Doubts of the people of Jerusalem
regarding Jesus. Jesus is in Jerusalem and he speaks publicly to those
who want to listen to him. People remain confused. They know that the
authorities want to kill Jesus and he does not hide from them. Would it be that
the authorities have come to believe in him and recognize that he is the
Messiah? But how could Jesus be the Messiah? Everybody knows that he comes from
Nazareth, but nobody knows the origin of the Messiah, from where he comes.
• John 7, 28-29: Clarification on the part of Jesus. Jesus
speaks about his origin.“You know me and you know where I come from”. But
what people do not know is the vocation and the mission which Jesus received
from God. He did not come on his own accord, but like any prophet he has come
to obey a vocation, which is the secret of his life. ”Yet, I have not come of
my own accord but he who sent me is true, and you do not know him. But I know
him, because I have my being from him and it was he who sent me”.
• John 7, 30: His hour had not yet come. They wanted to arrest
him, but no one laid a hand on him, “because his hour had not yet come”. In
John’s Gospel the one who determines the hour and the events which will take
place are not those who have the power, but it is Jesus. He is the one who
determines the hour (cf. Jn 2, 4; 4, 23; 8, 20; 12.23.27; 13, 1; 17, 1). Even
up to the time when he was nailed to the Cross, it is Jesus who determines the
hour of his death (Jn 19, 29-30).
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• How do I live my relationship with the Jews? Have I discovered
sometimes some anti Semitism in me? Have I succeeded in eliminating it?
• Like in the time of Jesus, today also, there are many new
ideas and opinions on things which refer to faith. What do I do? Am I attached
firmly to the old ideas and close myself up in them, or do I try to understand
the why, the reason for the novelty?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Yahweh ransoms the lives of those who serve him,
and there will be no penalty
for those who take refuge in him. (Ps 34,24)
and there will be no penalty
for those who take refuge in him. (Ps 34,24)
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