March 22, 2026 Fifth Sunday of Lent Gospel: John 11:1-45
Today is the last Sunday of Lent before Holy Week. The passage from the Gospel according to Saint John presents to us the greatest sign worked by Jesus in Bethany: there, He raised Lazarus, who had been dead for four days, thereby revealing that He is the Lord of life. This scene resonates with our experiences in daily life.
We often face separation and loss of loved ones. In our view, when a dear one departs from us, we believe we have forever lost them, that they are no longer with us. In truth, those who are separated from us in this earthly life are only temporarily parted; on the last day, when souls and bodies are reunited, we will be with them again. Just as today, when Jesus heard that His friend Lazarus was ill, He did not go immediately to Bethany but remained where He was for two more days, then set out with His disciples for Bethany (cf. John 11:1-7), in order to bring glory to God.
We often think about our relationship with God based on our own understanding of things. Just as the disciples who were traveling with Jesus that day said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews have recently sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” (John 11:8). For in their eyes, this earthly life seemed more important than eternal life. Their concern for Jesus’ safety stemmed from the fear that if they lost Him, they would lose what they believed to be the Messiah who would restore all Israel—just as Saint John records elsewhere: “You are seeking Me not because you saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled” (John 6:26). If Jesus were stoned to death by the Jews, all their hopes would be shattered.
In truth, by the Sacrament of Baptism we have received, we have been cleansed of original sin by the abundant mercy of God, who pours out the living water flowing from the heart of Jesus—the very water He proclaimed in the temple on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles: “Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water” (cf. John 7:37-39). Through Baptism, we are united with Christ, and our souls have been set free, as Paul says: “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10).
By your help, we beseech you, Lord our God, may we walk eagerly in that same charity with which, out of love for the world, your Son handed himself over to death. 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
March 21, 2026 Saturday of the Fourth Week of Lent Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
In today’s Liturgy of the Word, the Gospel passage from Saint John presents us with a scene where the crowd debates because of the words spoken by Jesus.
We often interpret the events around us according to the general patterns of things. Just as those Jews who lived with Jesus, when they heard Him say, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture says: ‘From within him there shall flow rivers of living water,’” (Jn 7:37b-38), they judged Jesus arbitrarily based on their own understanding of His words, and this judgment caused division among them (cf. Jn 7:41-44). This was because they followed the impulses of the flesh rather than being guided by the Holy Spirit.
Our understanding of God’s will can sometimes be like that of the Jews, the chief priests, and the Pharisees of Jesus’ time. In their view, since God is merciful and almighty, He would surely deliver His servants from all suffering. Therefore, when God did not bless His servants as they had hoped, they concluded that those who preached the Gospel of the Kingdom were of evil intent, and thus they refused to listen to their proclamation (cf. Jn 7:45-49). They even refused to hear the noble testimony given by those who worshiped the Father in spirit and truth, and who bore witness to the truth they believed in (cf. Jn 7:50-53). As we draw closer to Holy Week, let us change our past perceptions of Jesus and the Kingdom of God He proclaimed. Instead of seeing God as people of this changing world do, let us understand Him correctly under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and live out the Word of God worthily.
May the working of your mercy, O Lord, we pray, direct our hearts aright, for without your grace we cannot find favor in your sight. 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
March 20, 2026 Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent Gospel: John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30
In today’s liturgy of the Word, the Gospel from St. John describes Jesus’ deeds in Galilee and Jerusalem during the time of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Feast of Dedication.
From the words of those inhabitants of Jerusalem, we can see a divided society. The Jews of Jesus’ time lived under the colonial rule of the Roman Empire, and thus they longed for Jesus to be the Messiah who would lead them to defeat the Roman Empire and establish a wealthy, independent, and glorious Israelite empire. However, Jesus told them:You know me, and you know where I am from. But I have not come on my own; rather, it is the One who is true—whom you do not know—who sent me. I know Him because I am from Him, and He sent me (cf. Jn 7:28). Therefore, they sought to arrest Jesus, for they wanted to eliminate a Messiah who was completely contrary to their ideas and not in line with their expectations.
Today, we too are doing the same thing. For we also package Jesus into the image we desire according to our own understanding of God’s Word, so that even though we have received Christian baptism and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, our minds and hearts are not attuned to Christ and His Spirit, refusing to be illuminated by the “true light that enlightens everyone”(cf. Jn 1:9).Therefore, in this Lenten season, let us rely on the Holy Spirit, mortify all unruly impulses of the flesh, and with a longing for eternal happiness, properly prepare our souls and live each day well.
O God, who have prepared fitting helps for us in our weakness, grant, we pray, that we may receive their healing effects with joy and reflect them in a holy way of life. 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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