April 1
Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
Give a Mass Offering
Mass Intentions
7:45 AM – Mass League Intentions & Rosalie Doran / Pat Ryan
Prayer for Spiritual Communion
My Jesus, I believe that you are present in the most Blessed Sacrament. I love You above all things and I desire to receive You into my soul. Since I cannot now receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. I embrace You as if You were already there, and unite myself wholly to You. Never permit me to be separated from You. Amen.
Readings
First Reading
Wisdom 2:1a, 12-22
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalms 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.
Gospel Acclamation
Matthew 4:4b
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!
One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!
Gospel
John 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.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.”
Reflection
Our readings today are all about betrayal and murder. The Book of Wisdom was written long before the coming of Jesus, but the events depicted in it are very accurate portrayals of the events leading up to the passion and crucifixion of Jesus. It is a prophecy that comes to fruition in the cruel and evil way that Jesus was treated by a people that he only wanted to save.
The words that are used in the reading from the Book of Wisdom are pretty graphic: “Let us beset the just one because he is obnoxious to us.” They capture the feelings of the Jewish leaders in the gospels very clearly. We know that the Sanhedrin, the Pharisees, and the chief priests could have used the same language to describe their feelings about what Jesus was doing. He called them hypocrites and false leaders. He said that they did everything only to appear to be pious and faithful, but never did anything to help anyone. The part about committing the just one to a shameful death is a completely accurate depiction of what the Jews wanted to do and ultimately did in facilitating Jesus’ crucifixion and torture. The Book of Wisdom is prophecy at its most accurate.
In the gospel, we see the people continuing to speculate about whether or not Jesus would be killed. Jesus has shown great courage in coming to the Feast of Tabernacles publicly, but they don’t see his bravery and choose only to immerse themselves in the drama of the situation. They even try to arrest Jesus when he says things they don’t want to hear. As the season of Lent continues to unfold, we will see the worst that they can do. We wonder why they act like this, as puppets of their religious leaders. The only answer that we can come up with to account for their lack of conviction is that their leaders betrayed them, teaching them to simply follow along. We need to take an example from them and make a choice to be decisive followers of the Lord.
Be strong and fear not,
Deacon Dare
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