Saturday of the Fourth Week in Lent

Reading:  Gospel JN 7:40-53

Some in the crowd who heard these words of Jesus said,
“This is truly the Prophet.”
Others said, “This is the Christ.”
But others said, “The Christ will not come from Galilee, will he?
Does not Scripture say that the Christ will be of David’s family
and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.
Some of them even wanted to arrest him,
but no one laid hands on him.

So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees,
who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?”
The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this man.”
So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived?
Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?
But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.”
Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,
“Does our law condemn a man before it first hears him
and finds out what he is doing?”
They answered and said to him,
“You are not from Galilee also, are you?
Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

Then each went to his own house.

Reflection:

Our Lord Jesus Christ is our refuge, and we take shelter in Him.  He changes hearts and transforms those He encounters.  When we take refuge in God we rest In His love for us.  Even when we struggle to feel God’s love for us, we can know that deep and abiding love is present.  God’s love for us is not dependent on our feelings.  When Jesus encountered the guards, they were moved by His words.  In the same way, we are transformed through Scripture and the Eucharist, two powerful ways we are called to encounter our Lord.

Action:

Pray this prayer as many times as you can throughout the day: “Jesus, Son of the Living God, fill my heart with your love and shelter me from harm.”

Rev. Fr. Jason Lody, FCM

Pastor, St. Anthony of Padua ANCC