March 28, 2026 Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent Gospel: John 11:45-56
Today is the Saturday of the Fifth Week of Lent. The passage from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John continues to present us with a narrative of Jesus before His Passion.
We often handle our interpersonal relationships according to our own thoughts and concerns. Some of us are unwilling to point out others’ mistakes and shortcomings face-to-face; instead, we prefer to criticize them behind their backs, even magnifying the slightest errors or flaws they have committed, yet we are reluctant to first reflect on whether we ourselves share similar shortcomings.
We often seek various reasons and excuses for the sins we commit, unwilling to confront the sins we have committed or accept who we are in the present moment. With eyes filled with hatred and jealousy, we drive out of our lives those sacred ministers of God’s Church who preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and set a holy example through their personal practice, as well as those brothers and sisters sent by the Lord to manifest His infinite mercy. We even report everything about them to their adversaries, hoping to ensure they never appear in our faith life again—just as the Jews did who came from Bethany (cf. John 11:45-46). For their hearts were so hardened that they refused to accept all that God revealed to them through His only Son and tried every means possible to prevent others from turning to God. Therefore, if we are unwilling to first examine our faith, accept who we are in the present, and follow Christ’s example by practicing charity in daily life—imitating Christ and attracting others to God through our acts of love—we will be like the chief priests and Pharisees who resolved to put Jesus to death (cf. John 11:47-50). They pursued all worldly power, refusing to completely surrender themselves to God to fulfil His will in all things.
As we draw nearer to Holy Week, let us now offer this prayer to God:
O God, who have made all those reborn in Christ a chosen race and a royal priesthood, grant us, we pray, the grace to will and to do what you command, that the people called to eternal life may be one in the faith of their hearts and the homage of their deeds. 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. Amen.
March 27, 2026 Friday in the Fifth Week of Lent Gospel: John 10:31-42
Today is Friday of the Fifth Week of Lent. The passage from the Gospel according to Saint John continues to present the dialogue between Jesus and the Jews.
We often judge those around us by our own standards, choosing friends from those who obey us and viewing those who do not conform to our wishes as enemies. At times, we may even act like those Jews, unwilling to accept those who, following their conscience, do what the Lord considers good—even if they do not submit to our desires (cf. John 10:31-33). This is because we refuse to embrace the light of the World (cf. John 8:12), preferring to remain enslaved to the ruler of this world and his minions.
In reality, a perfect Christian does not live by their own will, nor do they judge others arbitrarily by their own standards. Instead, they strive to imitate Christ in every aspect of life, fulfilling the will of God the Father. Those who act according to God’s holy will no longer follow the cravings of the flesh, which alienates them from God and makes them His enemies. Rather, they are guided by the Holy Spirit, longing to receive God’s Word and the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, uniting perfectly with Him. They no longer see God with mortal, earthly eyes but with immortal, spiritual ones. Their actions are no longer as fickle as those of people living in a transient world; instead, they resemble Jesus Christ, always fulfilling God’s will. Through their lives, others see the face of the merciful Father, come to believe in the Word of God preached by Jesus Christ, and resolve to join Him in building the Kingdom of God in this passing world.
The Kingdom of God spoken of by Jesus is a kingdom where the only God is the God of love, a kingdom cantered entirely on God, where there are no more political parties or classes—only the God who loves and the people loved by God. Those who belong to this Kingdom no longer pursue personal gain but the good of all.
As we draw closer to Holy Week, let us now offer this prayer to God:
O God, who in this season give your Church the grace to imitate devoutly the Blessed Virgin Mary in contemplating the Passion of Christ, grant, we pray, through her intercession, that we may cling more firmly each day to your Only Begotten Son and come at last to the fullness of his grace. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
March 26, 2026 Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent Gospel: John 8:51-59
Today is the Thursday of the Fifth Week of Lent. The passage from the Gospel of Saint John describes a conversation between Jesus and the Jews shortly before His Passion.
In the Jews who spoke with Jesus, we see a reflection of ourselves—for we often act like them, interpreting God’s Word according to our own thoughts. The reason the Jews thought Jesus was “possessed” (cf. John 8:52) was because He said to them: “Whoever keeps my word will never see death” (John 8:51). To them, human life is finite and can never be extended indefinitely; thus, they understood Jesus’ words as: “Whoever keeps Jesus’ words will never taste death” (John 8:52). They did not believe that Jesus was God, greater than Abraham.
Jesus wants to tell us: If we want to live, we must unite ourselves closely with Him through receiving His Baptism, the Holy Spirit He shares with the Father, the Eucharist (His Body and Blood given out of love for us), the Scriptures, prayer, and the practice of charity. For only then can we receive the full nourishment of His life from the Eucharist, which we share together. He wants to tell us even more: Whoever keeps His word, receives His Baptism, and receives the Holy Spirit He shares with the Father—though living in this changing world—has already entered the world of God. In God’s world, all are alive.
As Jesus said: “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing; it is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ and you do not know him. But I know him, and if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be like you, a liar. But I do know him, and I keep his word” (John 8:54-55). If we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and desire what the Holy Spirit desires, we will be able to rely on the Holy Spirit to mortify the unruly impulses of the flesh and completely break free from the bondage brought by sin. Then, we will be satisfied by prefiguring the world of God on earth and experiencing all the good things that God’s Word gives us.
Be near, O Lord, to those who plead before you, and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy, that, cleansed from the stain of their sins, they may persevere in holy living and be made full heirs of your promise. 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. Amen.
全属于祢 
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