April 5, 2019

April 5

April 5, 2019:  Friday, 4th week, Lent

  • 'Pierced hearts' suspenders:  God is close to the brokenhearted (psalm)
  • 'Bony person' tie pin:  God watches over all the just person's bones (psalm)
  • 'Hands' tie:  Evildoers:  "If he's the son of God, God will deliver him from the hand of his foes" (1st reading); no one laid a hand on Jesus... (gospel)
  • 'Clock' pin:  ...because his hour had not yet come (gospel)
  • 'Eyeball' pin:  "Their wickedness blinded them" (1st reading)
  • Purple shirt:  Lenten season
Listen

For Psalm 34
Read
    • Wis 2:1a, 12-22  The wicked: “Let's beset the just one; he's against our doings, and seeing his ways is a hardship.  He professes to be a child of the Lord.  If he really is, God will deliver him, so let's torture and kill him to see.”  Their wickedness blinded them to God's counsels and the reward of the innocent.
    • Ps 34:17-21, 23  "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted."  The Lord confronts evildoers but hears, protects, and rescues the just.
    • Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30  The Jews were trying to kill Jesus.  Some said, “Isn't he the one they're trying to kill?  He's speaking openly, but they say nothing.  When the Christ comes, no one will know where he's from. but we do know where Jesus is from.”  Jesus:  “You know me and where I'm from, but I didn't come on my own.  You don't know the one who sent me, but I do and he's true.”  They tried to arrest him, but his hour hadn't yet come.
    Reflect
    • Creighton:  We're called to love and justice amidst the scorn, judgment, and ridicule we receive.  Jesus received the same as a fellow human being.  Let us press on in solidarity with and trust in God who became human....
    • One Bread, One Body:  Our trials can purify us and make us more fruitful disciples. "You may have to suffer trials; but this is so your faith... may lead to praise, glory, and honor when Christ appears." Those who try us are actually helping us grow in trust in Jesus.  "Count [trials] pure joy.  When your faith is tested, this makes for endurance."  "When you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials.  In fire gold is tested..."  "God won't let you be tested beyond your strength; he'll give you a way out."  "Many are the troubles of the just, but out of them all the Lord delivers them."
    • Passionist:  Today's gospel reports one of several instances of a group out to get Jesus.  The attitude among Jesus’ enemies suggested that if he could just be bumped off, they could get back to business as usual.  Jesus confronted the religious leaders' dishonesty; he testified to his Father even with thoughts of death becoming a reality.  If Jesus wasn’t part of my life, I'd be justifying actions to get ahead, to make money just as others do to justify price gouging, chemical dumping, genocide, human experimentation, or greed.  People thought like this before Jesus:  “Let us beset the just one;... he sets himself against our doings.”  If we're motivated only by personal fulfillment, temporary happiness, or false security, that self-centeredness can blind us....
    • DailyScripture.net:  "His hour had not yet come":  Fear, especially of death and of losing others' approval, can rob us of courage and the will to do what's right.  Jesus met opposition with determination to accomplish his Father's will; he knew his mission would entail sacrifice unto crucifixion but would ultimately crush sin, condemnation, and death with pardon, freedom, glory, and eternal life. 
    "Our Lord had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again.  We can't choose how long we'll live, and we die no matter what.  Christ overcame death.  Our freedom from death comes through his death.  He didn't need us to save us, but without without him we can do nothing.  He gave himself to us as vine to branches" (Augustine)....
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