SATURDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT - Gospel (John 11:45-56) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“It is better for you that one man should die instead of the people, so that the whole nation may not perish.” (Jn 11:50)

FIRST READING - Ez 37:21-28

A reading from the Book of Ezekiel

Thus says the Lord GOD:

I will take the children of Israel from among the nations

to which they have come,

and gather them from all sides to bring them back to their land.

I will make them one nation upon the land,

in the mountains of Israel,

and there shall be one prince for them all.

Never again shall they be two nations,

and never again shall they be divided into two kingdoms.

No longer shall they defile themselves with their idols,

their abominations, and all their transgressions.

I will deliver them from all their sins of apostasy,

and cleanse them so that they may be my people

and I may be their God.

My servant David shall be prince over them,

and there shall be one shepherd for them all;

they shall live by my statutes and carefully observe my decrees.

They shall live on the land that I gave to my servant Jacob,

the land where their fathers lived;

they shall live on it forever,

they, and their children, and their children’s children,

with my servant David their prince forever.

I will make with them a covenant of peace;

it shall be an everlasting covenant with them,

and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.

My dwelling shall be with them;

I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Thus the nations shall know that it is I, the LORD,

who make Israel holy,

when my sanctuary shall be set up among them forever.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Jn 11:45-56

From the Gospel according to John

Many of the Jews who had come to Mary

and seen what Jesus had done began to believe in him.

But some of them went to the Pharisees

and told them what Jesus had done.

So the chief priests and the Pharisees

convened the Sanhedrin and said,

“What are we going to do?

This man is performing many signs.

If we leave him alone, all will believe in him,

and the Romans will come

and take away both our land and our nation.”

But one of them, Caiaphas,

who was high priest that year, said to them,

“You know nothing,

nor do you consider that it is better for you

that one man should die instead of the people,

so that the whole nation may not perish.”

He did not say this on his own,

but since he was high priest for that year,

he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

and not only for the nation,

but also to gather into one the dispersed children of God.

So from that day on they planned to kill him.

So Jesus no longer walked about in public among the Jews,

but he left for the region near the desert,

to a town called Ephraim,

and there he remained with his disciples.

Now the Passover of the Jews was near,

and many went up from the country to Jerusalem

before Passover to purify themselves.

They looked for Jesus and said to one another

as they were in the temple area, “What do you think?

That he will not come to the feast?”

SATURDAY OF THE FIFTH WEEK OF LENT - Gospel (John 11:45-56)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

Today's Word of God helps people realize that the death of Jesus Christ has been fulfilled in the Bible.

The Word of God, once written, never changes, and that Word has been fulfilled in the very life of Jesus Christ, the Second Person of God, who came to earth and became a human being. Jesus Christ is the new Adam, in whom there is no end, while the old Adam has an end. The death of Jesus Christ was fulfilled to bring life to humanity and to gather all His children, who are scattered everywhere, to return to God the Father and enjoy eternal life with Him. It is the death of Jesus that established the bond of love between humanity and God. However, because of human pride and jealousy, mankind did not recognize the love of Jesus Christ, who sacrificed His life for them. People only thought about the glory, wealth, and benefits of this world, not considering the life of the Kingdom of Heaven in the future. Therefore, they were jealous of the miracles that Jesus performed and sought every way to kill Him.

Today's Word of God is also fulfilled for all those who love, worship, and obey God the Father in all things. They, too, will be rejected and condemned by the world for blasphemy. But God wants people to be at peace, to accept that condemnation, so that they can cooperate in God's work of salvation and enjoy an eternal, glorious life with God the Father in Heaven.

Thanks be to God. Amen.