4th WEEK OF LENT (A) : Saturday 21st March 2026

We are drawing closer to Holy Week. The readings have taken on an ominous tone. Our first reading comes from the prophet Jeremiah, a prophet like Jesus, who was like a trusting lamb led to the slaughter. Our Psalm reading is a lament in which the psalmist bemoans the attacks of his enemies, but like Jeremiah, places his trust in the Lord and is confident that he will be shielded by God.

In our Gospel we overhear the Pharisees and chief priests as they faulted the religious police for not having arrested Jesus as they were ordered and ridiculed them for being influenced by the crowd, some of whom believe Jesus is the Christ.

As we contemplate the scene and enter more deeply into the confusion of voices and opinions, we may recognise a situation not all that different from our own situation today. We too are faced with a question not any different from that which the various members of the crowd had to face – Who is this man?

There are those who see in him a prophet, others the Christ, the Pharisees and chief priests are convinced that he is a nobody from the countryside, while Nicodemus takes his side and wants to give him a hearing. The guards, charged with arresting Jesus, are fascinated by him and the words that he speaks.

In our own time, division of opinion over the identity of Jesus ranges widely in our very secular societies and even among Christians. Thus, we are challenged to answer the same question for ourselves – Who is this Jesus of Nazareth?

PRAYER:  Lord, I acknowledge You to be the Christ.