Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent

VIEW TODAY'S READINGS

In today’s Gospel, we see “the powers that be” becoming very nervous because many are coming to believe in Jesus. Their discomfort comes from the idea that if many believe in Him, “the Romans will come and take away both our land and our nation.”

How often are we prevented from acting on our true beliefs because of fear that it might change things and take us out of our personal comfort zone? Are there times when we choose to suppress a growing truth that is coming to the forefront of our consciousness because it is inconvenient or does not fit in with my preconceived notions of the world around us?

As we are confronted daily with the post-pandemic dysfunctionality of our city, our nation and our world, we need to recognize that Jesus walks among us – in the poor, those displaced by war and economics, even those whose politics are different from ours. It is only when we notice the presence of those who are not like us, when we begin to care for the suffering of others, that we can rise above our concern for what we might have to sacrifice.

Even as Lent draws to a close, we still have time to learn the lesson taught by Jesus and His follower, Francis of Assisi – that people are more important than possessions, and our Good Fridays set the stage for a glorious Easter.

Brother Damian Novello, OSF