March 24, 2026
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
Gospel: John 8:21–30

Today’s Gospel reading continues the dialogue between Jesus and the Pharisees, as recorded in the Gospel of Saint John. I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on it.

We often live in this world according to our own preferences, choosing the way we think best suits us. In our view, if we can pass through this life in peace and security, nothing more is needed. The security we seek is, in fact, the complete possession of all that belongs to this world—its power, its influence, and the vanity it offers. This is precisely what the Jews of Jesus’ time were seeking: they longed for a political Messiah who would lead them to victory over the Roman Empire and restore the former glory of Israel. Clearly, their ultimate goal was very different from the end that Jesus came to offer them.

In the Church today, such attitudes are not uncommon. We often present Jesus in the image we desire. For example, if a catechumen refuses to follow the pastoral arrangements made by the parish, some catechists may portray Jesus as a God of strict justice. Likewise, in a parish where there have been no new baptisms for many years, those responsible for catechesis may present Jesus as a healer of every physical ailment, in order to attract people to the church. But when these catechumens discover that the Jesus they hear about in the Liturgy of the Word is quite different from the one they were taught in the catechism class, they may choose to leave—choosing instead the Jesus proclaimed to them through His Church, founded upon Saint Peter.

Some readers often ask me: “To whom do we belong?” My response is this: before receiving the baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we belonged to this world, which is passing away. But once we have received the baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, we no longer belong to this world—just as Jesus Himself does not belong to this world. Since we belong to Jesus, our words and actions must be consistent with Him. Only then can we proclaim everything Jesus has taught us completely, faithfully, and in its fullness.

Grant us, we pray, O Lord, perseverance in obeying your will, that in our days the people dedicated to your service may grow in both merit and number. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever

©Totus Tuus 2026
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica