FRIDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF LENT, MARCH 15, 2024

MASS READINGS:

Gospel

Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30

Jesus moved about within Galilee;

he did not wish to travel in Judea,

because the Jews were trying to kill him.

But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.

But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,

he himself also went up, not openly but as it were in secret.

Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said,

"Is he not the one they are trying to kill?"

And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him.

Could the authorities have realized that he is the Christ?

But we know where he is from.

When the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said,

"You know me and also know where I am from.

Yet I did not come on my own,

but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.

I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."

So they tried to arrest him,

but no one laid a hand upon him,

because his hour had not yet come.

REFLECTION

"You know me and also know where I am from.

Yet I did not come on my own,

but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.

I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."

Sometimes when people gather to talk, they remind me of bees and wasps buzzing

around a flower. They are all searching for their treasure of news or gossip and so they

spread their information like a bee pollinating.

I am told the sting of the honey bee is not as bad as the wasp. I have had several wasp

stings and the area gets very hot, edematous and red. The sting can cause some harm

and be life threatening, such as an anaphylactic reaction.

And so can our words and deeds.

The Feast of the Tabernacles or Sukkot was a gathering of the Jewish people to

remember God's provision and to worship the Lord. Jesus was there and openly

teaching.

And some of the inhabitants noticed Him and were trying to "size" up the Lord. Each

one had an opinion, a thought, a plan. They were buzzing around, presuming they knew

who He was. Jesus affirmed His equality with God, "You know me and also know

where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you

do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me."

As if they did not have enough work to do, to correct and unravel their own

imperfections, give thanks to God and worship Him, now they planned to arrest Jesus.

God is in full control. It was not yet the Lord's time. We must watch our words,

actions, thoughts and reactions. Quick opinions, decisions, biases, prejudices, going

with the crowd or accepting all that one tells us as truth, can get us in trouble.

Don't get caught up with the crowd. When faced with a problem or the unknown

critical thinking is needed. Always ask what is the problem. Question everything seen

and even the hidden. Obtain information or data to factor in all related subject matter.

Interpret the information. Do our assumptions factor in bias and prejudice, our own or

the author of the information? Can we formulate our own idea based on the

information? From what point of view are the assumptions made? What are the

implications and consequences of any decisions made?

Perhaps, instead of wanting to kill Jesus, they would have realized that God, the Son of

Man, was there amongst them.

God Bless You