Friday of the Fifth Week
The prophet Jeremiah was threatened and persecuted by the Jewish priests and by his own friends, for sharing with them the messages he received from God. Still, he affirmed his faith in the Lord: "But the LORD is with me, like a mighty champion. My persecutors will stumble, they will not triumph. In their failure they will be put to utter shame, to lasting, unforgettable confusion." He continued to say: "for to you I have entrusted my cause. Sing to the LORD, praise the LORD, For he has rescued the life of the poor from the power of the wicked!"
Jesus also faced scorn from the Pharisees, who wanted to stone him for blasphemy. The good works he performed didn't convince them of who He really was. He said to them"can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand…The Father is me and I am in the Father."
We can benefit from the example of Jeremiah, believing in God's promises that He, our Lord, is with us in our trials, and as Jeremiah said, He is our champion, our warrior. By the example of the life of Jesus, we should reach out to help those whom he leads us to with compassion and good works, helping others and showing love and support as He did. We can count on Him to be there for us, as the responsorial psalm says: "In my distress I called upon the Lord, and he heard my voice. My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!"
Prayer
Judy Palermo
Worshipping Community
Psalm 18:2-7
Gospel: John 10:31-42
Daily Scripture readings can be found online at the USCCB website
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