Gospel: March 13, 2024
(Wednesday)
4th Week of Lent
Psalter: Week 4 / (Violet)
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 145: 8-9, 13cd-14, 17-18
The Lord is gracious and merciful.
1st Reading: Isaiah 49: 8-15
Gospel: John 5: 17-30
Jesus replied, “My Father goes on working and so do I.” And the Jews tried all the harder to kill him, for Jesus not only broke the Sabbath observance, but also made himself equal with God, calling God his own Father. Jesus said to them, “Truly, I assure you, the Son cannot do anything by himself, but only what he sees the Father do. And whatever he does, the Son also does. The Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does; and he will show him even greater things than these, so that you will be amazed.
As the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whom he wills. In the same way, the Father judges no one, for he has entrusted all judgment to the Son, and he wants all to honor the Son, as they honor the Father. Whoever ignores the Son, ignores as well the Father who sent him. Truly, I say to you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; and there is no judgment for him, because he has passed from death to life. Truly, the hour is coming and has indeed come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and, on hearing it, will live. For the Father has life in himself, and he has given to the Son also to have life in himself. And he has empowered him as well to carry out Judgment, for he is Son of Man.
Do not be surprised at this: the hour is coming when all those lying in tombs will hear my voice and come out; those who have done good shall rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. I can do nothing of myself. As I hear, so I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will, but the will of him who sent me.
Reflection:“Never stop doing good.”
As followers of Jesus, there are times when we feel so inspired to do good works. However, there are also times when such inspiration lasts only for a time. Enthusiasm is one thing. Commitment is another. Often, we get excited to do good and want to finish everything within a day, and then we get tired of it and stop the work the following day. But Jesus invites us to keep doing good works. The challenge to do acts of loving kindness requires no particular time. Goodness needs to be concretized all the time. We should not stop doing good works. Today’s Gospel tells how Jesus answered those who were accusing him of violating the Sabbath law after healing a lame man on a Sabbath. According to them, Jesus must not perform the healing on a Sabbath and must have done his good deed on any other day except on a Sabbath. Jesus told them that he must keep working as his Father also continues working. God’s goodness never stops for a single moment. Hence, committed Christians must never stop reaching out to others while doing them good.
