Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Lectionary: 252
Lectionary: 252
From Mount Hor the
children of Israel set out on the Red Sea road,
to bypass the land of Edom.
But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
to bypass the land of Edom.
But with their patience worn out by the journey,
the people complained against God and Moses,
“Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert,
where there is no food or water?
We are disgusted with this wretched food!”
In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents,
which bit the people so that many of them died.
Then the people came to Moses and said,
“We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you.
Pray the LORD to take the serpents away from us.”
So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses,
“Make a saraph and mount it on a pole,
and whoever looks at it after being bitten will live.”
Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole,
and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent
looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Responsorial PsalmPS 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21
R. (2) O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to
you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
O LORD, hear my prayer,
and let my cry come to you.
Hide not your face from me
in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
in the day when I call, answer me speedily.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
The nations shall revere your name, O LORD,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,
When the LORD has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in his glory;
When he has regarded the prayer of the destitute,
and not despised their prayer.
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Let this be written for the generation to come,
and let his future creatures praise the LORD:
“The LORD looked down from his holy height,
from heaven he beheld the earth,
To hear the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”
R. O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you.
Verse Before The Gospel
The seed is the
word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
all who come to him will live for ever.
GospelJN 8:21-30
Jesus said to the
Pharisees:
“I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come.”
So the Jews said,
“He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”
He said to them, “You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins.”
So they said to him, “Who are you?”
Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world.”
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
“When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him.”
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.
“I am going away and you will look for me,
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going you cannot come.”
So the Jews said,
“He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, ‘Where I am going you cannot come’?”
He said to them, “You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins.”
So they said to him, “Who are you?”
Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world.”
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father.
So Jesus said to them,
“When you lift up the Son of Man,
then you will realize that I AM,
and that I do nothing on my own,
but I say only what the Father taught me.
The one who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
because I always do what is pleasing to him.”
Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.
Meditation: "When you have lifted up the Son of man"
Do you know the healing power of the cross of
Jesus Christ? When the people of Israel were afflicted with serpents in the
wilderness because of their sin, God instructed Moses: "Make a fiery
serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it,
shall live" (Numbers 21:8). The visible sign of the "fiery bronze
serpent" being lifted up in the sight of the people reminded them of two
important facts - sin leads to death and repentance leads to God's mercy and
healing. The lifting up of the bronze serpent on a wooden pole points to Jesus
Christ being lifted up on the wooden cross at Calvary where he took our sins
upon himself to make atonement to the Father on our behalf. The cross of Christ
broke the curse of sin and death and won pardon, healing, and everlasting life
for all who believe in Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world.
Either for him or against him
While many believed in Jesus and his message, many others, including the religious leaders, opposed him. Some openly mocked him when he warned them about their sin of unbelief. It's impossible to be indifferent to Jesus' word and his judgments. We are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground or neutral parties.
While many believed in Jesus and his message, many others, including the religious leaders, opposed him. Some openly mocked him when he warned them about their sin of unbelief. It's impossible to be indifferent to Jesus' word and his judgments. We are either for him or against him. There is no middle ground or neutral parties.
When Jesus spoke about "going away" he
was referring to his return in glory to his Father in heaven. Jesus warned his
opponents that if they continued to disobey God's word and reject him, they
would shut themselves off from God and die in their sins.
Jesus' words echoed the prophetic warning given to Ezekiel (see Ezekiel 3:18
and 18:18) when God warned his people to heed his word before the time is too
late. God gives us time to turn to him and to receive his grace and pardon, but
that time is right now.
To sin literally means to miss the mark or to
be off target. The essence of sin is that it diverts us from God and from
our true purpose in life - to know the source of all truth and beauty which is
God himself and to be united with God in everlasting joy. When Adam and Eve
yielded to their first sin of disobedience, they literally tried to hide
themselves from God's presence (Genesis 3:8-10). That is what sin does; it
separates us from the One who is not only "all-seeing" and "ever
present", but who is also "all loving" and "merciful"
and eager to receive us. When God calls you to turn your gaze and attention
towards him, do you try to hide yourself from his presence with other
distractions and excuses that keep you from seeking him and listening to his
voice?
The proof of God's love for us
Jesus went on to explain to people that if they could not recognize his voice when they heard his word, they would have the opportunity to recognize him when he is "lifted up" on the cross. Jesus pointed to the atoning sacrifice of his life on the cross as the true source of healing and victory over sin and reconciliation with God. The sacrifice of Jesus' life on the cross is the ultimate proof of God's love for us.
Jesus went on to explain to people that if they could not recognize his voice when they heard his word, they would have the opportunity to recognize him when he is "lifted up" on the cross. Jesus pointed to the atoning sacrifice of his life on the cross as the true source of healing and victory over sin and reconciliation with God. The sacrifice of Jesus' life on the cross is the ultimate proof of God's love for us.
God so
loved the world that he gave us his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
To fail to
recognize who Jesus is and where he came from is to remain in darkness - the
darkness of sin, ignorance, and unbelief. But if we look to Jesus and listen to
his word of life and truth, then we will find the way to lasting peace and joy
with God. The Lord Jesus invites each one of us to accept him as the Way, the
Truth, and the Life. Our time here in this present world is very limited and
short, but how we live it today has consequences not only for the present
moment but for our eternal destiny as well. Which direction is your life headed
in right now?
"Lord Jesus, grant this day, to direct and
sanctify, to rule and govern our hearts and bodies, so that all our thoughts,
words and deeds may be according to your Father's law and thus may we be saved
and protected through your mighty help."
 A Life Pleasing to God |
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March 24, 2015. Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
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John 8:21-30
Jesus said to the Pharisees: "I am going away and you
will look for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot
come." So the Jews said, "He is not going to kill himself, is he,
because he said, ´Where I am going you cannot come´?" He said to them,
"You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above. You
belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world. That is why I told
you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I AM, you
will die in your sins." So they said to him, "Who are you?"
Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the beginning. I have much to
say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent me is true, andwhat I
heard from him I tell the world." They did not realize that he was
speaking to them of the Father. So Jesus said to them, "When you lift up
the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my
own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with
me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what is pleasing to
him." Because he spoke this way, many came to believe in him.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, by doing your holy will the Church
grows and becomes more faithful in your service. 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: Lord, help me to please you in what I think, say and do.
1. In the World but not OF the World: We profess in the
Creed that Jesus Christ came down from heaven “for us and our salvation.”
This truth colors everything about the Savior. He comes into the world
without being of the world. His doctrine appeals to our highest and most
noble aspirations. His way, his lifestyle, clashes with the way and lifestyle
of the children of this world and therefore is never without resistance. In
my innermost thoughts, in my words and deeds, am I striving to belong to
“what is above”?
2. Lovingly Telling the Truth: When
we truly love someone, we tell that someone the truth about the things that
really matter, even when the truth could be perceived as inconvenient,
painful or demanding. God the Son has loved us from all eternity. His love
compels him to tell us the truth about the Father, which is a message of
infinite mercy and love. His love compels him to tell us the truth about our
relationship with that merciful Father: how it should be filled with
gratitude and loving obedience and devoid of anything that could separate us
from him. In order to belong to Jesus and to what is above, I must strive to
open my heart and mind to his truth, especially in those areas of my life
where he is asking for change and conversion.
3. Seeking to Please the Beloved: Love transforms our
intentions and desires. When we love someone, we want to please that person
in everything. Jesus loves the Father, and therefore he does what is pleasing
to him, even though the Father’s will leads Jesus to embrace suffering,
rejection, and death. He endures this agony so as to bring us the gift of
resurrection and eternal life. If I love Christ, then I necessarily wish to
do what is pleasing to him. And what pleases Christ? My faith, hope and love;
My obedience and my humility; So also my selfless service to him in those who
are materially, morally or spiritually needful of my attention and
support.
Conversation with Christ:
I will love all my brothers, Lord. The small ones, lowering myself to their abyss; the clean of heart, becoming as they; the naked, clothing them; the sick, consoling them; the imprisoned, visiting them, my brothers of every tribe, language, and race, spilling my sweetness as a gentle perfume because kindness in love is the strongest of all chains.
Resolution: I will strive to please Christ today in all my
thoughts, words and deeds.
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TUESDAY, MARCH 24, JOHN 8:21-30
Lenten Weekday
(Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 102)
Lenten Weekday
(Numbers 21:4-9; Psalm 102)
KEY VERSE: "When you lift up the Son of Man, you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own" (v 28).
TO KNOW: Jesus uttered a warning against those who persisted in their unbelief, refusing to accept him as God's Anointed One. Only those who believed in him could go with him to the Father; those who opposed him would die in their sins. The unbelievers sarcastically asked Jesus if he intended to kill himself. The irony was that Jesus would freely lay down his life on the cross. He compared his being "lifted up" on the cross to the bronze serpent that Moses elevated in the desert to heal those who had been bitten by poisonous snakes (Nm 21:4-9). The cross is a paradoxical symbol of life and death, sin and grace, suffering and healing. Jesus used the powerful I AM, egō eimi, the divine name, stating that he and the Father were one.
TO LOVE: Gaze upon a crucifix and contemplate its meaning for your life.
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, heal me by the mercy of your cross.
Martyrdom of Archbishop Oscar Romero, March
24, 1980
"If they kill me, I will rise again in the Salvadoran people" Archbishop Oscar Romero 1917-1980
Pope Francis has officially declared that Archbishop Oscar Romero, assassinated by a death squad in 1980 while celebrating Mass in El Salvador, was a martyr for the faith, clearing the way for his beatification. Francis, the first Latin American pope, has often said he thought Romero was a martyr worthy of consideration for sainthood. Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, was assassinated a day after he delivered a homily calling for soldiers to lay down their guns and end government repression in the country’s bloody civil war. Romero’s death at the altar came early on in a civil war that would result in the deaths of 75,000 Salvadorans. In his sermon on March 24, 1980, just minutes before his death, Romero concluded with these words on the parable of the grain of wheat. “Those who surrender to the service of the poor through love of Christ, will live like the grain of wheat that dies,” he said. “It only apparently dies. If it were not to die, it would remain a solitary grain. The harvest comes because of the grain that dies. … We know that every effort to improve society, above all when society is so full of injustice and sin, is an effort that God blesses; that God wants; that God demands of us."
Tuesday 24 March 2015
Numbers 21:4-9. O Lord hear
my prayer, and let my cry come to you—Ps 101(102):2-3, 16-21. John 8:21-30.
‘You cannot go where I am
going.’
Jesus said the same words
at the Last Supper to Peter, as he protested that he was ready to die for
Jesus. The Jewish authorities make a different response. They cynically remark
that Jesus must be about to kill himself and that is why they cannot follow
him. How different the outcome was to be. They were the ones who would kill
him!
But the love of Christ would
not give up, even on them, and in Acts 6:7 we read: ‘And so the word of God
continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem grew larger, and a
great number of priests accepted the faith.’ As Jesus himself said, ‘When I am
lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me’ (John 12:33).
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
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Choosing Beauty
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Lord, you have made me beautiful. You have crowned me with glory
and honor (Psalm 8:5). I choose to allow your beauty to shine in me. Let it
flourish, Lord, that I may be your spotless bride.
March
24
St. Catherine of Genoa
(1447-1510)
St. Catherine of Genoa
(1447-1510)
Going to confession one day was the turning point of Catherine’s
life.
When
Catherine was born, many Italian nobles were supporting Renaissance artists and
writers. The needs of the poor and the sick were often overshadowed by a hunger
for luxury and self-indulgence.
Catherine’s
parents were members of the nobility in Genoa. At 13 she attempted to become a
nun but failed because of her age. At 16 she married Julian, a nobleman who
turned out to be selfish and unfaithful. For a while she tried to numb her disappointment
by a life of selfish pleasure.
One day
in confession she had a new sense of her own sins and how much God loved her.
She reformed her life and gave good example to Julian, who soon turned from his
self-centered life of distraction.
Julian’s
spending, however, had ruined them financially. He and Catherine decided to
live in the Pammatone, a large hospital in Genoa, and to dedicate themselves to
works of charity there. After Julian’s death in 1497, Catherine took over
management of the hospital.
She wrote
about purgatory which, she said, begins on earth for souls open to God. Life
with God in heaven is a continuation and perfection of the life with God begun
on earth.
Exhausted
by her life of self-sacrifice, she died September 15, 1510, and was canonized
in 1737.
Comment:
Regular confessions and frequent Communion can help us see the direction (or drift) of our life with God. People who have a realistic sense of their own sinfulness and of the greatness of God are often the ones who are most ready to meet the needs of their neighbors. Catherine began her hospital work with enthusiasm and was faithful to it through difficult times because she was inspired by the love of God, a love which was renewed in her by the Scriptures and the sacraments.
Regular confessions and frequent Communion can help us see the direction (or drift) of our life with God. People who have a realistic sense of their own sinfulness and of the greatness of God are often the ones who are most ready to meet the needs of their neighbors. Catherine began her hospital work with enthusiasm and was faithful to it through difficult times because she was inspired by the love of God, a love which was renewed in her by the Scriptures and the sacraments.
Quote:
Shortly before Catherine’s death she told her goddaughter: "Tomasina! Jesus in your heart! Eternity in your mind! The will of God in all your actions! But above all, love, God’s love, entire love!" (Marion A. Habig, O.F.M., The Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 212).
Shortly before Catherine’s death she told her goddaughter: "Tomasina! Jesus in your heart! Eternity in your mind! The will of God in all your actions! But above all, love, God’s love, entire love!" (Marion A. Habig, O.F.M., The Franciscan Book of Saints, p. 212).
LECTIO DIVINA:
JOHN 8,21-30
Lectio:
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Lent Time
1)
OPENING PRAYER
Our saving, merciful God,
wandering in our deserts
of injustice and lack of love,we cry out with fear
or are stunned into silence,
some into doubt or despair.
Give us enough trusting faith
to look up to him
who took our evil and doubts upon himself,
suffered for them on a cross, and rose from them,
Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our Lord.
wandering in our deserts
of injustice and lack of love,we cry out with fear
or are stunned into silence,
some into doubt or despair.
Give us enough trusting faith
to look up to him
who took our evil and doubts upon himself,
suffered for them on a cross, and rose from them,
Jesus Christ, our Saviour and our Lord.
2)
GOSPEL READING - JOHN 8, 21-30
Jesus said to them: I am going away; you will look for me and
you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come. So the Jews said
to one another, 'Is he going to kill himself, that he says, "Where I am
going, you cannot come?" '
Jesus went on: You are from below; I am from above. You are of
this world; I am not of this world. I have told you already: You will die in
your sins. Yes, if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.
So they said to him, 'Who are you?' Jesus answered: What I have
told you from the outset. About you I have much to say and much to judge; but
the one who sent me is true, and what I declare to the world I have learnt from
him. They did not recognise that he was talking 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 my own accord. What I say is
what the Father has taught me; he who sent me is with me, and has not left me
to myself, for I always do what pleases him. As he was saying this, many came
to believe in him.
3)
REFLECTION
• Last week, the Liturgy led us to meditate on chapter five of
the Gospel of John. This week it confronts us with chapter 8 of the same
Gospel. Like chapter 5, chapter 8 also contains profound reflections on the
mystery of God which surrounds the person of Jesus. Apparently, it is a
question of dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees (Jn 8, 13). The Pharisees
want to know who Jesus is. They criticize him because he gives testimony of
himself without any proof or witness to legitimize himself before the people
(Jn 8, 13). Jesus responds by saying that he does not speak in his own name,
but always for the Father and in the name of the Father (Jn 8, 14-19).
• In reality, the dialogues are also an expression of how the
faith was transmitted in the catechesis in the communities of the beloved
disciple toward the end of the first century. They show the prayerful reading
of the word of Jesus that the Christians did, considering it Word of God. The
method of question and answer helped to find the response to the problems which
toward the end of the first century, the Jews raised to the Christians. It was
a concrete way to help the community to deepen its faith in Jesus and in his
message.
• John 8, 21-22: Where I am going, you cannot come. Here John
presents a new theme or another aspect which surrounds the person of Jesus.
Jesus speaks about his departure and says that where he is going the Pharisees
cannot follow him. “I am going away; you will look for me and you will die in
your sin“. They will look for Jesus, but will not find him, because they do not
know him and will look for him with mistaken criteria. They live in sin and
will die in sin. To live in sin is to live far away from God. They imagine God
in a certain way, but God is different from what they imagine. This is why they
are not capable to recognize the presence of God in Jesus. The Pharisees do not
understand what Jesus wants to say and they take everything just literally: “Is
he going to kill himself?”
• John 8, 23-24: You are from here below; I am from above. The
Pharisees consider everything according to the criteria of this world. “You are
from this world; I am not from this world!” The framework of reference which
guides Jesus in everything which he says and does is the world above, that is,
God, Father, and the mission which he has received from the Father. The
framework of reference of the Pharisees is the world below, without openness,
closed up in its own criteria. This is why they live in sin. To live in sin is
not to have the gaze of Jesus on their life. The look of Jesus is totally open
toward God up to the point that God himself is in him in all his fullness (cf.
Col 1, 19). We say: “Jesus is God”. John invites us to say: “God is Jesus!”.
This is why Jesus says: “If you do not believe that I AM HE, you will die in
your sins”. I AM is the affirmation with which God presents himself to Moses at
the moment of liberating his people from the oppression of Egypt (Ex 3, 13-14).
This is the maximum expression of the absolute certainty of the fact that God
is in our midst in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the definitive proof of the
fact that God is with us. Emmanuel.
• John 8, 25-26: Who are you? The mystery of God in Jesus does
not fit in the criteria with which the Pharisees look toward Jesus. Once again
they ask: “who are you?” They did not understand because they do not understand
Jesus’ language. Jesus was very careful to speak to them according to all that
he experienced and lived in union with the Father and for the knowledge and
awareness of his mission. Jesus does not promote himself. He only says and
expresses what he hears from the Father. He is the pure revelation because he
is pure and total obedience.
• John 8, 27-30: When you have lifted up the Son of man, then
you will know that I AM HE. The Pharisees did not understand that Jesus, in
everything he says and does, is the expression of the Father. They will
understand it only after the Son of man will be lifted up. “Then you will know
that I AM HE”. The word lifted up has a double sense, to be lifted up on the
Cross and to be lifted up to the right hand of the Father. The Good News of the
death and resurrection reveals who Jesus is, and they will know that Jesus is
the presence of God in our midst. The foundation of this certainty of our faith
is twofold: on the one side, the certainty that the Father is always with Jesus
and he never remains alone and, on the other side, the radical and total
obedience of Jesus to the Father, which becomes total openness and total
transparency of the Father for us.
4)
PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• The one who closes up in his own criteria and thinks that he
already knows everything, will never be capable to understand others. This is
the way the Pharisees were before Jesus. And I, how do I behave before others?
• Jesus is radical obedience to the Father and because of this
he is total revelation of the Father. And which is the image of God which I
show, which comes from me?
5)
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Yahweh, hear my prayer,
let my cry for help reach you.
Do not turn away your face from me
when I am in trouble;
bend down and listen to me, when I call,
be quick to answer me! (Ps 102,1-2)
let my cry for help reach you.
Do not turn away your face from me
when I am in trouble;
bend down and listen to me, when I call,
be quick to answer me! (Ps 102,1-2)
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