Lent Wk 4th: Wednesday 13th March, 2024 March 13, 2024

Reflection on the WORD

Jesus’ Divinity – Faith: In today’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims His Divine Union with His Father.  This divine Truth and mystery made the Jews more intent on killing Him, for blasphemy.  Ponder on: In today’s secular world: pride, power; self-glory, and gratifications are the great temptations that deceive, divide and draw people away from Jesus who offers Eternal Life.

John 5:17-23

Jesus said to the Jews: ‘My Father still goes on working, and I am at work, too.’ But that only made the Jews even more intent on killing him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he spoke of God as his own Father and so made himself God's equal.

To this Jesus replied: ‘In all truth I tell you, by himself the Son can do nothing; he can do only what he sees the Father doing: and whatever the Father does the Son does too. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he himself does, and he will show him even greater things than these, works that will astonish you. Thus, as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to anyone he chooses; for the Father judges no one; he has entrusted all judgement to the Son, so that all may honour the Son as they honour the Father. Whoever refuses honour to the Son refuses honour to the Father who sent him.’

Today's Pointers on God's Word

As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?

  • When Jesus preached the Truth about Himself and how He is intimately united and equal to His Father, the people condemned Him.
  • There may be many teachings in the Church that we also “condemn” not so much because we are ignorant, but because we often want to live our lives in our self-centered ways e.g. not following the moral teachings of the Church.
  • Pray for the grace of sincerity and humility to live the faith in God’s ways and not for our self-centered interests.