Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 253
Lectionary: 253
King Nebuchadnezzar said:
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.”
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.”
Responsorial Psalm DN 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56
R. (52b) Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R. Glory and praise for ever!
Gospel JN 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”
Meditation: "The truth will make you
free"
What is the key mark of a disciple and follower of God?
Scripture unhesitatingly tells us that a true disciple and follower is one who
listens to God, who believes in him, and who obeys his word. Believing and
obeying are two sides of the same coin. They are both related to listening,
learning, imitating, and following. The word disciple literally
means one who learns and who listens to the voice of
the master. And the word forobedience literally means to listen
under the one who has rightful authority to teach and command what is
true, just, and good. Faith in God is fundamentally a relationship of trust and
obedience. God is trustworthy because he is utterly reliable, faithful, just,
and true. That is why we can believe and trust in God completely and wholeheartedly,
without any reservation, hesitation, or compromise. We can only come to know
who God truly is though the revelation of his word to us. That is why faith is
first and foremost a gift freely given by God to everyone who is open and
receptive to receive his word. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said,
"I believe, in order to understand - and I understand, the better to
believe" (Sermon 43:7,9).
In the Old Testament Book of Daniel we see a remarkable example
of faith being put to the test in the midst of trial and adversity. When
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed'nego, the three young companions of Daniel, were
commanded by the king of Persia to bow down and submit to the pagan idols of
his nation, they unhesitatingly said, "We will not serve your gods or
worship the golden image which you have set up" (Daniel 3:18). They
knew God's command, "Do not worship false idols"(Exodus 20:3-6;
Deuteronomy 12:29-31). They decided it was far better to obey God and entrust
their lives to him rather than give in to the threats of others. God gave them
courage to take a bold stand for their faith. They willingly accepted the
King's punishment as they were bound and thrown into a burning fiery furnace.
Daniel tells us how God was very present to these three young men as they
proclaimed their faith in him. God showed his presence to the three men and
walked with them in the fiery furnace. As a remarkable sign of God's power to
the pagan rulers of Persia, God kept the three men from harm and delivered them
from death (Daniel 3:25,28). Do you trust in God to give you his help and
strength when your faith is put to the test?
The scribes and Pharisees, who were the religious authorities of
the Jews, questioned Jesus' authority to speak and act in God's name. They
questioned Jesus' claim to forgive sins and to set people free from slavery to
sin. They understood that only God had power to forgive sins and to release
people from their burden of guilt and shame. They refused to accept that Jesus'
authority was given to him by his Father in heaven. Jesus tells them that they
think evil of him and desire to kill him because they follow a father who is
opposed to the true heavenly Father who created man and woman in his own image
and likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). Jesus explains that there are two
different senses of fatherhood. The first is a physical identity through
natural fatherhood. And the second and more significant identity is a
self-chosen one that is the result of being personally formed in a moral way of
thinking and living one's life that has been shaped through the example, words,
and influence of a role model (or models) one has decided to follow and
imitate. We do not grow or learn in a vacuum. We are shaped for better or for
worse by those we choose to follow. Sin leads us away from God's truth and the
help he gives us to follow him. Slavery to sin is ultimately rooted in the father
of lies (John 8:44), whom Scripture calls the devil(Luke
4:1) and Satan (Luke 10:18), the ruler of this
present world who is opposed to God (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians
4:4).
The freedom which Jesus offers his followers is freedom from the
power of sin, Satan, and the worldly influence of those who oppose God and his
ways. We are powerless to set ourselves free from bondage to Satan, sin, and
death (Romans 3:23; 5:6). That is why the Lord Jesus took our sins upon
himself and nailed them to the cross (1 Peter 2:24; Isaiah 53:5-6;
Colossians 2:14). His death on the cross has won victory and pardon for us, and
peace with God. Through Jesus' sacrifice we are not only forgiven and
reconciled with God - we become the adopted sons and daughters of God (Romans
8:14-16). We can call God our Father because the Lord Jesus has reconciled us
and redeemed us from slavery to sin and Satan.
A redeemed slave is not entirely free until all of his chains
and weights have been broken and destroyed. The Lord Jesus alone has the power
to release us from every chain and burden that would keep us in bondage to
sinful habits and hurtful desires. Are there any chains - any sinful patterns,
harmful attitudes, and addictive behavior - that you need to be released from?
Allow the Lord Jesus to unbind you and bring you healing, pardon, and freedom
to walk in his way of love and truth. The Lord Jesus sets us free from slavery
to our own selfishness and sinful desires in order to set us free for a
joy-filled life of love and service for his kingdom. Paul the Apostle reminds
us that Christ has won freedom for each one of us - not to serve ourselves or
do as we please - but rather to please the Lord and to serve our neighbors in
love for their sake (Galatians 5:1,13). Do you accept and believe Christ's
word of truth, love, and freedom for your life?
"Lord Jesus, write your words of love and truth upon my
heart and make me a diligent student and a worthy disciple of your word."
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The Truth Will Set You Free |
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Wednesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
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John 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, "If you
remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the
truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are
descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How can you
say, ´You will become free´?" Jesus answered them, "Amen, amen, I
say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. A slave does not
remain in a household forever, but a son always remains. So if a son frees
you, then you will truly be free. I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me, because my word has no room among you. I tell
you what I have seen in the Father´s presence; then do what you have heard
from the Father." They answered and said to him, "Our father is
Abraham." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham´s children, you
would be doing the works of Abraham. But now you are trying to kill me, a man
who has told you the truth that I heard from God; Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!" So they said to him, "We
were not born of fornication. We have one Father, God." Jesus said to
them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God
and am here; I did not come on my own, but he sent me."
Introductory Prayer: Lord,
you are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace and mercy. How
grateful I am to have this moment to turn to you. Without you I can do
nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is you working through me, despite
my failings. Thank you, Lord. Here I am ready to love you more.
Petition: Grant me
the grace, Lord, to remain in your word and to be set free by your truth.
1. A Vibrant Faith: Faith
isn’t real until it touches our attitudes and, above all, our concrete
choices. To “remain” in the word of Christ means to conform our lives with
his life and his virtues, especially the virtue of charity, which is the very
essence of Christian doctrine and morality. To “remain” in his word is, as
some would say, “to walk the walk.” In another passage we are told that it is
not those who say “Lord, Lord…” who will enter the Kingdom, but only those
who actually do the Father’s will in their lives. Remaining in his word is
the stuff of sanctity – it’s also the stuff of daily perseverance and of
knowing how to get up, dust ourselves off, and begin again each time we falter
or fall along the way. How well do I “remain” in Christ’s word? Could an
impartial observer see from my attitudes and actions that I follow Christ?
2. A True Disciple Lives the Truth: Christ
seems to imply that there are true and false disciples. There is only one way
to tell the difference between the two: whether one actually embraces his
word not only as an ideal, but also as a rule of life. Today a plethora of
voices, even within the Christian community, would have us follow a purely
“therapeutic” Christianity – a form of Christianity in which we can
supposedly believe in Christ while adopting behaviors or attitudes which are
totally opposed to his “way” of discipleship as taught authoritatively by the
Church. The temptation to separate faith and practice is never far from us.
How much have these false voices impacted my own understanding of what it
means to follow Christ as a member of his body, the Church?
3. Authentic Freedom: The
freedom promised by Christ to those who remain in his word is much deeper
than the freedom offered by the world. Christ’s freedom is not simply a
political freedom. Neither is it the ability to choose whatever I want, when
I want, and how I want. The freedom of Christ’s disciple is spiritual, moral,
and interior; it is the freedom for which every person longs in the depths of
his heart. And only Christ gives this kind of freedom.
Conversation with Christ: Thank
you, Lord, for the freedom you have given me! With it I could seek happiness
in broken vessels of clay, forgetting you, the fountain of living waters. You
could have made me not free.... But thus you have created me, and I want to
be free. I want to know how to be free. I want to demonstrate that I am free,
with the most sovereign act of my freedom: Lord, since I am free, I give my
freedom, my will, to you, so that your will may be done.
Resolution: I will
exercise my freedom responsibly, as Christ would have me do.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, JOHN 8:31-42
Lenten Weekday (Daniel 3:14-20, 91-92, 95; Psalm: Daniel 3) KEY VERSE: "So if the son frees you, then you will truly be free" (v 36). READING: Throughout history, Israel had been enslaved by one foreign nation after another. In the time of Jesus they were subject to the Roman Empire. Jesus said that if people really lived by his words, they would be free from oppression. Thinking that Jesus meant political freedom, his enemies boasted that they had never been subjected to anyone. As sons of Abraham, they thought that no liberator was needed. Jesus told them that ancestral heritage did not make one a child of Abraham. True believers were those who followed Abraham's example of faith and trust in God. Unbelievers were those enslaved to sin. Jesus said that if people really knew God as their Father, they would be set free and believe that God had sent him. Since God is the source of all truth, then the closer we listen to God's word, the more we grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God's truth, which liberates us from doubts and fears. REFLECTING: Does slavery to sin hold me in bondage? PRAYING: Lord Jesus, free me from anything that enslaves me.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Feeding the Hungry
We can hardly think of Jesus without remembering the times he
miraculously fed the crowds who followed him. Not everyone can expect miracles,
though, and we should always be mindful of those who do not have enough.
— from Table of Plenty
Glory and praise for ever!
‘You want to kill me, while I tell you the truth.’How far would you go for your faith? How firm is your belief? Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were placed in a fiery furnace for their faith. Jesus was constantly questioned and ultimately killed. How far would I go? In western society, Christianity is becoming countercultural. We do not face death, jail, torture or other atrocities for our faith, and yet we talk of it being difficult to live our faith in the world. How far are we prepared to go for our faith? Lent is a time to look to those who show us how to truly believe, to speak truth and stand firm trusting in God. ‘You must know, O king, that we will not worship the statue you have erected.’
April
9
St. Casilda
(11th century)
St. Casilda
(11th century)
Some saints’ names are far more familiar to us than others, but
even the lives of obscure holy persons teach us something.
And so it
is with St. Casilda, the daughter of a Muslim leader in Toledo, Spain, in the
10th century. Casilda was herself raised as a Muslim and showed
special kindness to Christian prisoners. She became ill as a young woman but
was not convinced that any of the local Arab doctors could cure her. So, she
made a pilgrimage to the shrine of San Vicenzo in northern Spain. Like so many
other people who made their way there—many of them suffering from
hemorrhages—Casilda sought the healing waters of the shrine. We’re uncertain
what brought her to the shrine, but we do know that she left it relieved of
illness.
In
response, she became a Christian and lived a life of solitude and penance not
far from the miraculous spring. It’s said that she lived to be 100 years old.
Her death likely occurred around the year 1050.
Tensions
between Muslims and Christians have often existed throughout history, sometimes
resulting in bloody conflict. Through her quiet, simple life Casilda served her
Creator—first in one faith, then another.
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 8,31-42
Lectio:
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Lent Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Lord our God,
you call us to be free people.
Help us to give you always
a response of freedom.
Set free by Christ’s
liberating word and death,
may we never again
shackle ourselves with self-made chains,
of selfish sin and false attachments.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
you call us to be free people.
Help us to give you always
a response of freedom.
Set free by Christ’s
liberating word and death,
may we never again
shackle ourselves with self-made chains,
of selfish sin and false attachments.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 8,31-42
To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: If you make my word
your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and
the truth will set you free. They answered, 'We are descended from Abraham and
we have never been the slaves of anyone; what do you mean, "You will be
set free?" '
Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, everyone who commits sin
is a slave. Now a slave has no permanent standing in the household, but a son
belongs to it for ever. So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free. I
know that you are descended from Abraham; but you want to kill me because my
word finds no place in you. What I speak of is what I have seen at my Father's
side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from your father.
They repeated, 'Our father is Abraham.'
Jesus said to them: If you are Abraham's children, do as Abraham
did. As it is, you want to kill me, a man who has told you the truth as I have
learnt it from God; that is not what Abraham did.
You are doing your father's work. They replied, 'We were not
born illegitimate, the only father we have is God.'
Jesus answered: If God were your father, you would love me,
since I have my origin in God and have come from him; I did not come of my own
accord, but he sent me.
3)
REFLECTION
• The reflection on chapter 8 of the Gospel of John continues
today. In the form of concentric circles, John deepens the mystery of God which
envelopes the person of Jesus. It seems like a repetition, because he always
goes back to speak of the same point. In reality, it is the same point, but
every time at a more profound level. Today’s Gospel treats the theme of the
relationship of Jesus with Abraham, the Father of the People of God. John tries
to help the communities to understand how Jesus places himself within the whole
history of the People of God. He helps them to perceive the difference that
existed between Jesus and the Jews, and also the Jews and the others, all of us
are sons and daughters of Abraham.
• John 8, 31-32: The liberty which comes from fidelity to the
word of Jesus. Jesus affirms to the Jews: “If you make my word your home you
will indeed be my disciples; 32 you will come to know the truth and the truth
will set you free”. To be a disciple of Jesus is the same as opening oneself to
God. The words of Jesus are in reality words of God. They communicate the
truth, because they make things known as they are in the eyes of God and not in
the eyes of the Pharisees. Later, during the Last Supper, Jesus will teach the
same thing to the disciples.
• John 8, 33.38: What is it to be a son or a daughter of
Abraham? The reaction of the Jews is immediate: “We are descended from Abraham
and we have never been the slaves of anyone: what do you mean: You will be set
free?” Jesus repeats and confirms making a distinction between son and slave
and says: “Everyone who commits sin is a slave. The slave has no permanent
standing in the household, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets
you free, you will indeed be free”. Jesus is the son and remains in the house
of the Father. The slave does not live in the house of the Father. To live
outside the house, outside of God means to live in sin. If they would accept
the word of Jesus they could become sons and attain liberty. They would no
longer be slaves. And Jesus continues: “I know that you are descended from
Abraham; but you want to kill me, because my word finds no place in you”. The
distinction is immediately very clear: “What I speak of is what I have seen at
my Father’s side, and you too put into action the lessons you have learnt from
your father”. Jesus denies to them the right to say that they are sons of
Abraham, because their works affirm the contrary.
• John 8, 39-41ª: A son of Abraham fulfils the works of Abraham.
They insist in affirming: “Our father is Abraham!” as if they wanted to present
to Jesus a document of their identity. Jesus repeats: “If you are sons of
Abraham do the works of Abraham! 40 Now, instead you are seeking to kill me,
because I have told you the truth heard from God; Abraham has not done this. 41
You do the works of your father”. Between the lines, he suggests that their
father is Satan (Jn 8, 44). He suggests that they are sons of prostitution.
• John 8, 41b-42: If God was your Father, certainly, you would
love me, because I have my origin in God and I come from Him; I did not come of
my own accord, but he sent me”. Jesus repeats the same truth using diverse
words: “Whoever comes from God listens to the words of God”. The origin of this
affirmation is from Jeremiah who says: “Within them I shall plant my Law,
writing it on their hearts. Then I shall be their God and they will be my
people. There will be no further need for everyone to teach neighbour or
brother, saying: ‘Learn to know Yahweh!’ No, they will all know me, from the
least to the greatest, Yahweh declares, since I shall forgive their guilt and
never more call their sin to mind” (Jr 31, 33-34). But they will not open
themselves to this new experience of God, and because of this they will not
recognize Jesus as the one sent by the Father.
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Liberty which submits itself totally to the Father. Does
something of this type exist in you? Do you know persons who are like that?
• Which is the deepest experience in me which leads me to
recognize Jesus as the one sent by God?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
May you be blessed, Lord, God of our ancestors,
be praised and extolled for ever.
Blessed be your glorious and holy name,
praised and extolled for ever.
Blessed on the throne of your kingdom,
exalted above all, glorified for ever. (Dn 3,52.54)
be praised and extolled for ever.
Blessed be your glorious and holy name,
praised and extolled for ever.
Blessed on the throne of your kingdom,
exalted above all, glorified for ever. (Dn 3,52.54)
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