Gospel: April 12, 2025

April 12, 2025 (Saturday)

5th Week of Lent

Psalter: Week 1 / (Violet)

Jer 31:10, 11-12, 13

The Lord will guard us, as a shepherd guards his flock.

1st Reading: Ezekiel 37:21-28

Gospel: John 11:45-56

Many of the Jews who had come with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw what he did; but some went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees called together the Council. They said, “What are we to do? For this man keeps on performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, all the people will believe in him and, as a result of this, the Romans will come and destroy our Holy Place and our nation.”

Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! It is better to have one man die for the people than to let the whole nation be destroyed.” In saying this Caiaphas did not speak for himself, but being High Priest that year, he foretold like a prophet that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also would die in order to gather into one the scattered children of God.

So, from that day on, they were determined to kill him. Because of this, Jesus no longer moved about freely among the Jews. He withdrew instead to the country near the wilderness, and stayed with his disciples in a town called Ephraim. The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and people from everywhere were coming to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. They looked for Jesus and, as they stood in the temple, they talked with one another, “What do you think? Will he come to the festival?”

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Reflection:

“The Shepherd of David’s line.”

“What do you think? Will he come to the festival?” The scene is set for Christ’s entry into Jerusalem and our entry into Holy Week. The storm clouds of envy and murderous intent are gathering, and Jesus takes a brief respite in the wilderness before his Passion begins. Just as he went into the wilderness before his ministry of preaching God’s Kingdom, now he withdraws to the wilderness before undergoing his priestly ministry of self-sacrifice, a reconciling death that would “gather into one the scattered children of God.”

This time, he is not alone, though. He is at a village with his disciples, who are still with him before they also scatter in fear. Christ knew what awaited him in Jerusalem and what it was for. He would fulfill what was prophesied by Ezekiel: God’s people would be reconciled once more, gathered together under one Shepherd in a new covenant of peace. Christ is that Shepherd of David’s line, who will bring healing and peace.

So, “What do you think? Will he come to the festival?” Of course, he will, for that is why he came. What about you? Will you come too? Let’s go with him to Jerusalem.