Lent

5th Week of Lent, Monday

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In today’s First Reading the people of Israel believed the corrupt old judges’ testimony, and the Lord intervened through young Daniel to prove that it was false. In today’s Gospel the religious authorities claim that Jesus’ testimony, from a legal perspective, doesn’t have enough witnesses to corroborate it. Jesus responds, independent of legal technicalities, that his testimony is true. In the First Reading the abuse of authority was so severe that the Lord himself intervened to save poor Susanna from her false accusers. Now, similar to yesterday, the religious authorities are putting Our Lord on trial, and he is telling them that his testimony is not something to be accepted through rigorous legal process, but something to accept in faith as true.

At this point in John’s Gospel Our Lord has performed various signs to show that he was sent on his mission from God, but, as he told the religious authorities a few days ago, they don’t know God and so they can’t believe or trust Jesus. The elders in today’s First Reading knew the game well, but they forget that the true Judge was always on watch to make sure the game was played fairly. In today’s Gospel the religious authorities want to draw Our Lord into their game, and he doesn’t play. Susanna was spared by a miraculous intervention by the Lord; Our Lord went down into the depths of injustice, dying on the Cross, and in his Resurrection showed that the games of evil conceited men are in vain, no matter how powerful or skillful they think they are.

Thanks to Jesus we know Our Father and we know Jesus’ testimony is true. Let’s be witnesses to it as well.

Readings: Daniel 13:1–9, 15–17, 19–30, 33–62 ; Psalm 23:1–6; John 8:12–20 (Year C).

5th Sunday of Lent, Cycle C

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In today’s Gospel Jesus drives home his teaching, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get” (Matthew 7:1-2). The scribes and Pharisees are looking for a trial, and they have the criminal caught in flagrante delicto and the Law on their side. The adulteress knows that too, which is why she is silent. She knew her fate was now out of her hands. The legal case is clear, and the “jury” had already convicted her and wanted the sentence to be given. She had to throw herself on the mercy of the court, but Jesus teaches us that justice and mercy are for all, so the “jury” in this case was put on trial too.

It took a just man to pronounce sentence on her; that’s what the Law prescribed. When they invited the just man, the man without sin, to come forward and throw the first stone, they found themselves on trial. They’d only come to trap Jesus in the situation, to put him on trial. They weren’t really seeking justice. They came to him as if they considered him a just man, but their actions showed they were sinners just like she was. They wanted a rubber stamp or a political scapegoat, not justice, and so they found they were the most unjust of men, and they skulked off, one by one, until only the adulteress remained, alone before the only just person who could pronounce the verdict.

When we demand justice at the expense of mercy, everyone and everything goes on trial. They walked off because they didn’t want to accept the injustice in their own lives. The Rich Young Man went away sad because he had many possessions and didn’t want to give them up to follow Jesus (see Matthew 19:22); the “jury” didn’t want to give up their pride, so they skulked off in plain sight. We have to always examine ourselves when the moment comes to stone and condemn others for what they have done. God alone is the judge. There is no mob in our conscience egging us on to cast stones at others. We stand alone with God. The other voices, one by one, leave and attend to their own consciences, knowing that they can only judge themselves so much before the case comes to the Divine Judge. In the end we too will stand speechless and hopeful for mercy, just like the adulteress.

Ashamed and silent, sorry for what we have done, we have to stand before Jesus and answer for it in the light of day. Each “jury” member that had been united around condemning another walked off alone. No one wanted to face up to Jesus for what they had done; they changed their vote with their feet. The adulteress was ready to accept her judgment. Jesus confirmed the jury’s revised verdict: since they had un-decided to condemn her, he would not condemn her either, but he also told her the truth about herself, just like he always does in each of our hearts: “Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”

As we being the next to last week of Lent, let’s take Our Lord’s words to heart. Let’s not put others on trial without being willing to put ourselves on trial too. Let’s stand before Our Lord and be truly sorry for our sins. Let’s have that compunction of heart to go and to sin no more. The truth about ourselves hurts sometimes, but it is the truth that sets us free.

Readings: Isaiah 43:16–21; Psalm 126:1–6; Philippians 3:8–14; John 8:1–11.

4th Week of Lent, Saturday

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Today’s First Reading continues to foreshadow the approach of the Passion of Our Lord within just a few weeks. The lamb is an apt image for describing him and his ministry. Usually a public official responsible for law and order is not quick to consider someone completely harmless, but today the Temple guards shock their bosses by saying they couldn’t find any motive for bringing Our Lord in, despite a direct order to do so. They’re left speechless by the Lamb. As Nicodemus’ comment reveals, the religious authorities are not interested in bringing him in for questioning; little do they know that by accusing Nicodemus being a Galilean, a flippant insult, they are foreshadowing the day when Christ’s disciples will be called Christians and suffer for his name (cf. Acts 5:41, 9:36, 11:26).

As we saw yesterday, the rational obstacle to considering Jesus a prophet or the Messiah was the fact that he came from Galilee. The religious authorities have already made up their mind and have no interest in checking their facts: they’ve judged him as a rebellious Galilean and now they just need some way to bring him in and punish him. Popular opinion for them is a fruit of ignorance, and their guards have been deceived too. For them it is a cut and dry case, but as Jeremiah reminds us in today’s First Reading, they’re actually trying to lead a lamb to the slaughter. Even in the framework of their own worship a lamb was valuable to sacrifice because it was pure and without blemish; soon they’ll see how valuable this Lamb is.

Have you judged Our Lord without giving him a fair trial? We are quick to blame the Lord for many things, but the fair thing to do is to speak with him and see where the true blame lies. Guaranteed is it not the Lamb; it is us. Let’s welcome the Lamb in our hearts and learn purity and innocence.

Readings: Jeremiah 11:18–20; Psalm 7:2–3, 9b–12; John 7:40–53.

4th Week of Lent, Friday

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As we draw clearer to Holy Week the readings take a more menacing tone. Today’s First Reading echoes perfectly the mentality of the scribes and Pharisees who seek to kill him (the wicked), and their reasons why, even though they probably don’t consider themselves wicked. Their description of the just man who is detestable to them can fit Our Lord perfectly, and so will the outcome.

In today’s Gospel we see Our Lord starting to be more careful when entering Judea, knowing his life is in danger. The crowds aren’t sure what to make of the lack of action on the part of the authorities. Some think the authorities also believe he is the Christ, but the main point of confusion is the interpretation of prophecies regarding the Messiah. The Messiah will come from Bethlehem, although not everyone knew that, and Jesus was known to be from Nazareth in Galilee. Interpretations of Isaiah also said that the Messiah would have a mysterious, unknown origin, so even Jesus being from Bethlehem would be problematic.

The dilemma is resolved in faith and a deeper understanding. If the crowds had done a little more legwork they would have discovered that Our Lord was born in Bethlehem. That wouldn’t have been enough, and it would have been the harder way. The easier way, which Our Lord encourages them to take, is to believe in him and by whom he has been sent. That is the mysterious and unknown origin attributed to Isaiah’s prophecy: not only that he comes from God, but that he is God. The only way to arrive at that conclusion is to believe in the signs Jesus has performed as testifying to his divine, mysterious origin.

Christ is always veiled in mystery; the only way to part the veil and gain a deeper understanding of him is to have faith in him and ask him to help you understand the mysteries of God. Ask, and you will receive.

Readings: Wisdom 2:1a, 12–22; Psalm 34:17–21, 23; John 7:1–2, 10, 25–30.

4th Week of Lent, Thursday

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The scribes and Pharisees sat on the seat of Moses, inheritors of his authority over the People of God, but didn’t give the example that they should (cf. Matthew 23:1–3). What a great contrast between Moses and the Lord, in today’s First Reading, and Our Lord and those who succeeded Moses in authority in today’s Gospel. Moses interceded when the Lord wished to wipe out the People of God for their obstinacy. In today’s Gospel, Our Lord tries to show Moses’ successors their obstinacy, not to condemn them as they’re trying to condemn him, but, in his own words, “I say this so that you may be saved.”

What’s the diagnosis? That John the Baptist testified to Our Lord’s mission, but the scribes and Pharisees didn’t accept everything John preached and taught; they feared going against him due to public opinion, even though they admired it when he laid down the Law. They questioned John, but only accepted what suited them. Therefore it’s no surprise that when Our Lord gave greater testimony and backed it up with signs they wouldn’t believe either. Furthermore, the Father himself has given testimony to sending his Son; if they had had a loving relationship with the Father they would have recognized the Lord and believed in him, but they don’t, therefore not even searching Scripture do they manage to find testimony to Our Lord. Lastly, and worst of all, Moses himself, whom they revere as the keeper of the Law and consider as their guide and exemplar, will condemn them for not believing in Jesus, showing them how shaky their “legal” case is against him.

Our Lord may have been harsh with them, but he had their salvation in mind and knew, as the First Reading reminds us, how stubborn they could be. Maybe these words didn’t convert them en masse, but we can hope a few in the back of their crowd opened their hearts, just as Nicodemus did. Lent will be over soon. Let’s examine whether there’s any spiritual obstinacy in our hearts that blinds us and separates us from God. Have we made some legal case against him? Have we read Scripture with a myopia that blinds us to his love for us? It’s not too late for the Lord to give us a diagnosis too.

Readings: Exodus 32:7–14; Psalm 106:19–23; John 5:31–47.