Daily Lenten Reflections

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Saturday of the Fourth Week

Reflection

It is hard to make sense of the first reading (Jeremiah 11:18-20) unless one reads it in the context of the rest of the chapter. The Lord, through His prophet Jeremiah, is lecturing His people and scolding them for not honoring the covenant, for worshipping false gods, etc. The people do not like this criticism and plot against him, even planning to kill him. But Jeremiah puts his trust in the Lord and urges Him to take vengeance on those plotting against him.

The Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 7:2-3, 9b-12) reads almost like a continuation of Jeremiah’s words, placing trust in the Lord and seeking His protection.

The Gospel (John 7:40-53) finds Jesus preaching in the temple. As in the first reading, He is lecturing the people, and while some believe Him to be the Christ, others do not, because He is from Galilee and they believe from the Scriptures that the Christ would come from Bethlehem. I find it odd that someone (or Jesus Himself) didn’t just say that He was born in Bethlehem but moved to Galilee later. It seems that the Pharisees held Galileans in low esteem, as they declared that no prophet would come from there.

Prayer

Lord, make me unafraid to speak and seek the truth. Give me an open mind to see the truth when it is before me.

Bill Thompson, Member of the Worshipping Community

Scripture

First Reading: Jeremiah 11:18-20

Psalm 7:2-3, 9bc-12

Gospel: John 7:40-53

Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website

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Mission of Edmundite Campus Ministry

The Mission of Edmundite Campus Ministry at Saint Michael’s College is to share the Good News of the Gospel with the College community by facilitating encounter with Jesus Christ. We do this through the celebration of the Church’s Liturgy, in programs promoting knowledge of the Catholic faith, by developing ecumenical and interreligious relationships, and providing retreats and other opportunities for personal spiritual growth.

The Catholic and Edmundite tradition upon which the College was founded is grounded in the conviction that all women and men are created in the image and likeness of God providing a special dignity unique to each person. Such dignity requires human life to be respected in all of its stages recognizing that we are all children of God.

Therefore, in its pursuit of furthering the Reign of God, the Edmundite Campus Ministry staff seeks to interact with and support every member of the College community in their search for Truth, contributing to the “enhancement of the human person and to the advancement of human culture in light of the Catholic faith.”